Is it possible to over humidify a guitar

To make matters worse, the heating systems we use to keep our houses warm, remove even more humidity from the air as a byproduct. This lack of humidity is the same reason we get dry skin and chapped lips. Dry air has a similarly negative effect on the wood used to craft musical instruments. This dryness can utterly destroy wooden instruments, rendering them unplayable. On Long Island we have large seasonal shifts; The colder months bring dry air and the warmer months are often quite humid.

Too much humidity can bring its own share of problems as our wooden instruments absorb the water vapor and swell. Fortunately, those with air conditioned homes have a big leg up towards counteracting humidity, due to the fact that air conditioning units pull moisture out of the air as they cool it! These are all largely preventable issues that you and your guitars need not experience. Below are some of our favorite solutions to help to keep your guitars playing great for years to come.

Most are designed to work in conjunction with your instruments case. All of these goods are available for purchase from G. Here are some of our favorite tools for getting an accurate humidity reading. Humiditrak uses a patent-pending Bluetooth sensor to provide a constant stream of temperature, humidity, and impact data to the free smart phone app to alert you of hazardous conditions. When Humiditrak detects danger, push notifications are sent to your device allowing you to take corrective action before damage occurs.

The Oasis Digital Hygrometer accurately measures relative humidity and can help you decide when to use your Oasis Guitar Humidifier. Because relative humidity varies greatly, even inside your home, we recommend that you keep your hygrometer close to your guitar, or any other stringed musical instrument made of wood.

The clip attaches to the back of the OH-2 hygrometer and is mounted on the flap of the supply box inside your guitar case. Our Favorite products to add or maintain moisture inside the case.

These are great for players with only a handful of guitars to maintain. Unlike other humidifiers, the Oasis uses Humigel, super-absorbent polymer crystals, which is less likely to leak inside your precious instrument.

Humigel holds up to times its weight in water. The Oasis guitar humidifier is made from a special fabric that allows water vapor, but not water, to pass through it. As more humidity is needed, the Humigel crystals release it, creating a vacuum that shrinks the humidifier. This lets you easily see when it needs to be refilled.

The Oasis hangs down from your guitar strings, thanks to a polyurethane stabilizing bar. Every material has its own characteristic heat capacity. What does that mean?

In this case, steel parts may expand faster than wood. That can easily cause metal frets loose from the wood. Just put the humidifier in a guitar case. But does a guitar case alone protect your guitar from humidity?

Hard cases are best cases when it comes to humidity. They are, in comparison with soft cases, much more immune to temperature and humidity changes from the outside. I found out this nice hard case. It have large interior storage compartment for accessories. The crucial thing about humidifying your guitar is to constantly watch for a humidity level in your room. This is extremely important if you live in the areas with either too low or too high relative humidity.

Anyway, I hope this article gave you some insight about this subject. Guitar tablature or tab is a form of musical notation. Q: What is the ideal humidity level for a guitar? Do all woods require the same level of humidity? Do laminates need the same levels? Check out more articles from our Ask The Expert series her e. The driest time of year varies from one area of the world to another, but most of us need to think about it when the heat goes on and the air in our homes is much drier.

Did you ever wake up with a dry mouth or irritated sinuses in the winter? As to your comment about inexperienced players not knowing what their humidity levels are, they are certainly not alone in this. Even on the corksniffer guitar sites these comments and threads come up again and again, with folks having no idea what what to look for with regards to low or high humidity. There generally is not a year goes by when I don't have at least two or three folks stopping by my shop with multi-thousand dollar guitars with cracks in the top.

Maybe the same with your shop? Anyway, I always tell folks to get a digital hygrometer at the drugstore so they can KNOW what their reading is. Also, I live in Northern BC, and we sure know all about the problems of forced air heating systems This map gives some indications of the humidity distribution across USA. Hi, Not a plug for products -- I have no material connection to what I'm recommending here -- but I'd recommend both a Planet Waves hydrometer and humidipack for every guitar you truly care about.

The humidipacks, according to the marketing, are two-way in that they apparently both correct overhumidity and underhumidity. That said, if you also have a hydrometer in the guitar case, you can check daily whether this is true.

Seems like a good system to me -- together, they're relatively inexpensive, and I've found them to be generally very effective. I have them for all my guitars. And to chime in on what's been said previously, Bob Taylor endorses them -- he has extensively helped in their development. Thanks for all the responses; perhaps I wasn't as clear as I should have been with my original question I have never worried about my electrics, they are, obviously, much more tolerant of humidity changes.

But, I recently purchased my first "good" acoustic, a Martin HD28V and didn't want to take any chances with this guitar. After reading and rereading the many, many threads on humidity and humidifiers that are available, I bought an Oasis.

Sorry 'bout any confusion on my part. I assume that you seldom dehumidify your guitars as the climate doesn't impose this demand. However, if you wish to know more about dehumidifying, you can check out my blog. As I live in Singapore, high RH is a given.