The Acoustic Guitar Forum

Go Back   The Acoustic Guitar Forum > General Acoustic Guitar and Amplification Discussion > General Acoustic Guitar Discussion

Reply
 
Thread Tools
  #1  
Old 06-06-2010, 11:09 AM
skatalite skatalite is offline
Registered User
 
Join Date: Apr 2010
Location: Oklahoma
Posts: 1,120
Default Wood cases + humidity levels + dehumidify?

Have you ever wondered how much humidity/moisture a case made with wood soaks up?

Say inside the case, with guitar, it's 55 percent relative humidity. How much is the case getting compared to the guitar? Of course, not all cases are made equal and the quality/thickness of wood used is a dependent. But, still, I'm curious about that.

Now, as for dehumidification: What do you use? I'd like something I can put into my cases, but wouldn't be opposed to a room unit.

Let's hear your thoughts!
__________________
Larrivee OM-03 Italian Spruce, L-03R
Yamaha FG3, FS3, LL16, FG730S
Martin Custom D Mahogany
Blueridge BR-140A
Ibanez Talman
Harmony Sovereign circa 1970s
Reply With Quote
  #2  
Old 06-06-2010, 11:26 AM
Dwight Dwight is offline
Registered User
 
Join Date: Oct 2009
Location: Burlington, Vermont
Posts: 3,103
Default

Yes they soak it up, wood, padding and lining. Any case will slow the ascent and decent of humidity and that helps to prevent your guitar from abrupt changes in humidity.

You have enough guitars to go with a closet or room dehumidifier.
Reply With Quote
  #3  
Old 06-06-2010, 11:30 AM
skatalite skatalite is offline
Registered User
 
Join Date: Apr 2010
Location: Oklahoma
Posts: 1,120
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by Schoolside View Post
Yes they soak it up, wood, padding and lining. Any case will slow the ascent and decent of humidity and that helps to prevent your guitar from abrupt changes in humidity.

You have enough guitars to go with a closet or room dehumidifier.
But I lack the closet :-/ I can get a room dehumidifier but just don't know which people recommend. There are just too many of them, and either I can go off what Amazon reviews tell me, or fellow musicians tell me.
__________________
Larrivee OM-03 Italian Spruce, L-03R
Yamaha FG3, FS3, LL16, FG730S
Martin Custom D Mahogany
Blueridge BR-140A
Ibanez Talman
Harmony Sovereign circa 1970s
Reply With Quote
  #4  
Old 06-06-2010, 11:48 AM
Herb Hunter Herb Hunter is offline
Registered User
 
Join Date: Nov 2005
Location: Maine
Posts: 18,560
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by skatalite View Post
But I lack the closet :-/ I can get a room dehumidifier but just don't know which people recommend. There are just too many of them, and either I can go off what Amazon reviews tell me, or fellow musicians tell me.
I have been using a Sears Kenmore floor standing humidifier for about a six years. I've never understood the appeal of humidifying the guitar cases. I'd much rather maintain the room at a level that is good for the guitars and comfortable for me and there is less effort involved in adding water to a humidifier every three to seven days than keeping the sponges moist in half a dozen or so guitar cases yet even if I had but one guitar, I'd rather humidify the whole room. Six years ago, I had a house with a central humidifier that used the central air conditioning ducts to humidify the whole house. It was connected to the plumbing system so it automatically drew the water it needed.
Reply With Quote
  #5  
Old 06-06-2010, 11:52 AM
taylorcc taylorcc is offline
Registered User
 
Join Date: Oct 2005
Location: Cape Cod, Massachusetts, USA
Posts: 1,323
Default

Wood gains or loses moisture until it is at equilibrium with its environment. If you put a wood guitar and a wood (probably plywood) case in a room where the relative humidity is 50%, the guitar wood and the case wood will eventually gain or lose moisture until they contain 9% moisture.

The case, being thicker and with perhaps glue layers impeding the flow of moisture, will take longer to reach equilibrium.

The moisture content does vary according to wood species, but they are similar.
__________________

2009 CA Cargo Raw, 2006 Collings OM-1 SS light build, 2004 Taylor 714ce, 2000 Taylor 310K, 1991 Martin HD-28, 1971 Martin 0-18, 1967 Guild F-30

2006 Ovation Legend 6756LX 12 string, 2004 Taylor 354ce 12 string, 1976 Guild G312-NT 12 string (dreadnaught shape)

1966 Martin T-15 tiple, Mele koa ukulele
Reply With Quote
  #6  
Old 06-06-2010, 11:54 AM
skatalite skatalite is offline
Registered User
 
Join Date: Apr 2010
Location: Oklahoma
Posts: 1,120
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by Herb Hunter View Post
I have been using a Sears Kenmore floor standing humidifier for about a six years. I've never understood the appeal of humidifying the guitar cases. I'd much rather maintain the room at a level that is good for the guitars and comfortable for me and there is less effort involved in adding water to a humidifier every three to seven days than keeping the sponges moist in half a dozen or so guitar cases yet even if I had but one guitar, I'd rather humidify the whole room. Six years ago, I had a house with a central humidifier that used the central air conditioning ducts to humidify the whole house. It was connected to the plumbing system so it automatically drew the water it needed.
Before moving into the place I live now, I thought of a room humidifier. However, during the winter, there are no humidity problems in my abode. Humidity would range between 40 and 46 percent. During the summer, it's up to 55, which I'm fine with, but I'd like to run the AC less. When I turn the AC off, humidity creeps up to 65 percent. Hence the desire for a dehumidifier, which I imagine I'd need for six months out of the year.
__________________
Larrivee OM-03 Italian Spruce, L-03R
Yamaha FG3, FS3, LL16, FG730S
Martin Custom D Mahogany
Blueridge BR-140A
Ibanez Talman
Harmony Sovereign circa 1970s
Reply With Quote
  #7  
Old 06-06-2010, 11:59 AM
taylorcc taylorcc is offline
Registered User
 
Join Date: Oct 2005
Location: Cape Cod, Massachusetts, USA
Posts: 1,323
Default

Like Herb, I use a Sears floor model humidifier in the winter. It keeps me and my guitars at 40 - 50 percent rh.

I have a Sears dehumidifier I use in the summer to keep my woodworking shop humidity around 50%. The dehumidifier gives off some heat so you may have to run the air conditioning anyway.
__________________

2009 CA Cargo Raw, 2006 Collings OM-1 SS light build, 2004 Taylor 714ce, 2000 Taylor 310K, 1991 Martin HD-28, 1971 Martin 0-18, 1967 Guild F-30

2006 Ovation Legend 6756LX 12 string, 2004 Taylor 354ce 12 string, 1976 Guild G312-NT 12 string (dreadnaught shape)

1966 Martin T-15 tiple, Mele koa ukulele
Reply With Quote
Reply

  The Acoustic Guitar Forum > General Acoustic Guitar and Amplification Discussion > General Acoustic Guitar Discussion

Thread Tools





All times are GMT -6. The time now is 07:02 AM.


Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.11
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions Inc.
Copyright ©2000 - 2022, The Acoustic Guitar Forum
vB Ad Management by =RedTyger=