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Thread: Humidify them?

  1. #1
    Registered User Charlie Bernstein's Avatar
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    Default Humidify them?

    I use Dampit humidifiers for both my acoustic guitars. Should I be humidifying my mandos, as well?

    If yes, what's a good way to do it?

    One is a solid maple f-hole, the other is a solid rosewood round-hole, both have solid spruce tops.

    Thanks!

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    Default Re: Humidify them?

    Do you have a reliable way to monitor home humidity? If so, what % is it?

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    Default Re: Humidify them?

    I prefer to humidify the whole house. The floors, furniture, house, cabinets, you, well you get the idea. Everything in your home that is made of material that can swell and shrink will benefit, and it's easier than putting humidifiers in every instrument and dealing with filling them up daily or weekly depending on how cold and what heat source you have.
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    Registered User Cochiti Don's Avatar
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    Default Re: Humidify them?

    I’m in the process of re-humidifying my Collings . A luthier mentioned here recommended just to punch some holes in a sandwich ziplock bag and put a moistened cellulose sponge section inside. Just drop it in the sound hole and monitor the level. That’s what I’m doing.
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    Registered User Charlie Bernstein's Avatar
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    Default Re: Humidify them?

    Quote Originally Posted by Mark Wilson View Post
    Do you have a reliable way to monitor home humidity? If so, what % is it?
    I'm the monitor. It's soggy in the summer and dry in the winter. (Like every old house in Maine.)

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    Registered User Charlie Bernstein's Avatar
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    Default Re: Humidify them?

    Quote Originally Posted by Cochiti Don View Post
    I’m in the process of re-humidifying my Collings . A luthier mentioned here recommended just to punch some holes in a sandwich ziplock bag and put a moistened cellulose sponge section inside. Just drop it in the sound hole and monitor the level. That’s what I’m doing.
    I've done that kind of thing with guitars - the humidifying part, not the monitoring part.

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    Registered User Charlie Bernstein's Avatar
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    Default Re: Humidify them?

    So are you all saying that humidifying is important for mandos? (I know it is for guitars.)

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    Registered User Roger Adams's Avatar
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    Default Re: Humidify them?

    Quote Originally Posted by Charlie Bernstein View Post
    So are you all saying that humidifying is important for mandos? (I know it is for guitars.)
    Yes Sir!
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    mandolin slinger Steve Ostrander's Avatar
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    Default Re: Humidify them?

    I think we can safely say that humidifying is good for all wooden stringed instruments. People and instruments like humidity around 40-50%. But too much humidity is not good. That's why it's important to monitor accurately, and that's difficult to do with case humidifiers.

    Last summer I moved into a home that has a whole-house power humidifier. It's so much easier to humidify and monitor. Plus, the furniture and cabinetry get the benefit as well.
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    Default Re: Humidify them?

    I once put a dampit into a guitar, and used the plastic disc that came with it into the soundhole. Neck block swole up and slightly deformed the top.

    I've given up sticking things in instruments and cases, impossible to regulate. Either too wet or not humid enough. I have an evaporative humidifier running asll winter in the room with the instruments, and a couple others scattered throughout the house. Unless it's really freezing, the relative humidity stays around 40%.

    Here's a link to information on humidifying instruments by renowned violin-maker David Burgess:
    http://www.burgessviolins.com/humidity.html

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    Default Re: Humidify them?

    My yard (and thereby my basement) are perpetually wet. Also, I have a fairly large aquarium in dining room, near where my instruments usually reside. Typically, when I get one back out of the case or off a stand, it's still as in tune as I left it. For me, further humidification would probably only cause problems.

    In short, I agree with the "humidify the house" guys.
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    Default Re: Humidify them?

    At what point do you have to worry about serious damage, and how long could that take? I have two cheap electronic hygrometers, not the most accurate things in the world, but it seems that my whole house is between 10% and 20% humidity right now here in the semi-frozen north....

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    Registered User Mike Arakelian's Avatar
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    Default Re: Humidify them?

    The Caliber IV is a great little hygrometer available on EBay or maybe Amazon for $25.00 or so. It is essentially used in a cigar humidor, but fits in a mandolin case easily. It is extremely accurate straight out of the box and can be manually adjusted. An inexpensive calibration kit is available to insure accuracy. I keep mine in the room that my instruments are in, and occasionally put it in the case with the instrument. I check the Caliper IV frequently and humidify when appropriate. I like to keep my guitars and mandolins in the 40-50% range.
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    Registered User Gary Alter's Avatar
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    Default Re: Humidify them?

    I keep my instruments at about 45% RH controlled in my home where the bulk of their exposure occurs but what is the risk when going to a 3 hour jam where the wood stove is cranking and the RH is probably below 30%. Is there a risk of developing a crack in that short of period of time?

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    Default Re: Humidify them?

    If you think about a dry sponge getting wet, it gets wet quickly, but dries out slowly. Wood will take on moisture faster than it dries out too. As long as you don't sit close enough to the wood stove to heat your instrument up you should be all right. I have friends that love to sit in front of the fireplace and play music every night. Most of their instruments are cracked. I go play for several hours, I sit further away and have had no problems.
    THE WORLD IS A BETTER PLACE JUST FOR YOUR SMILE!

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    Default Re: Humidify them?

    Quote Originally Posted by MandoBoris View Post
    At what point do you have to worry about serious damage, and how long could that take? I have two cheap electronic hygrometers, not the most accurate things in the world, but it seems that my whole house is between 10% and 20% humidity right now here in the semi-frozen north....
    Boris, there is no absolute RH value at which all wooden instruments will crack or begin to separate at the seams. It depends on such things as the level of humidity at which the instrument was put together, the inherent crack resistance of the individual pieces of wood used, the thickness of those woods, solid vs ply and a myriad of other factors.
    From my experience, most medium to large manufactures keep their building areas at a level of 45 to 50%. I keep my shop at a level of 40% with very accurate monitoring. World renowned luthier, Grit Laskin keeps his shop at 37% RH which gives spruce an equilibrium moisture content of 7% (which is recommended by Professor of Wood Technology, Bruce Hoadly) Whatever the humidity and therefore moisture content of the wood was at the time of assembly, the further below that level, the greater the risk becomes.

    With my mandolins, built at 40%RH, I start to get concerned when the ambient humidity levels drop to 30%. Below that, I develop full-blown anxiety. If your figures of 10 and 20% are accurate, you are on very thin ice indeed. If your instruments are plywood or heavily built lower priced mandolins, they will be less susceptible to dryness problems than high end instruments that are built very light and close to the the limits of structural integrity. This is one reason high end instruments sound better than low end instruments and why they are also generally, more finicky than low end instruments.

    Gary Alter
    I keep my instruments at about 45% RH controlled in my home where the bulk of their exposure occurs but what is the risk when going to a 3 hour jam where the wood stove is cranking and the RH is probably below 30%. Is there a risk of developing a crack in that short of period of time?
    Gary, good question.
    Again there is no absolute answer as there are many complicating factors involved. In general, I have observed that with woods as thin as mandolin tops and backs, it generally takes 12 to 24 hours for the equilibrium moisture content to change by a significant amount. (say 10%)
    Therefore, I think you are probably OK to go to that 3 hour jam. Things you can do to minimize the risk include, keeping a good distance from the wood stove and while you have the mandolin in hand. Also, I would keep your case closed and near the floor when it's not being used. It will also be at equilibrium with the humidity levels at your home. Keeping it closed and near or on the floor, away from the stove will help preserve those levels so that if you take a break from jamming you can put your mandolin back in there and slow down any drying that may be occurring.
    Of course it is also a good idea to warm up the car before taking the mandolin for a ride in the cold weather. If the case does get cold, let it warm up gradually before opening it up in a warm place or risk finish cracks.

    If it were me, I would still go to the jam, take the precautions mentioned above, keep a close eye on any changes to the mandolin i.e. lowering action/arch-height, fret ends becoming rough feeling and so on and have a good time.
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