One of the biggest mistakes people make when they own a guitar is not storing their instrument properly. This can have drastic effects on the overall tone of the instrument. When a guitar loses its moisture, the wood begins to shrink, which causes cracking and other damage.
On the other side of that, if the guitar is too humid, it can warp the instrument. So it is best to always have a thermometer and hygrometer as well as some type of humidifier. Guitars breath best at about 40?50 percent humidity and roughly between 70?75 degrees.
By having a guitar humidifier or keeping it in a room that is consistently humid will keep your guitar sounding beautiful. Once your guitar?s wood has completely dried out, there?s really no reviving it, so it is best to maintain that humidity at all times!
Luckily there is a solution?
There are three different types of guitar humidifiers: Sound Hole Humidifiers, Guitar Case Humidifiers and Room Humidifiers.
Sound Hole Humidifier
The sound hole humidifiers sit right directly on the guitar in the sound hole. They are a rubber tube that usually sits on top of the strings and run down into the guitar. They are best suited for acoustic guitars, but have been known to work with other hollow-body guitars as well.
Experts Recommendations:
Oasis Brand- For this specific brand, all you have to do is fill the canister with water and it will humidify as needed.
Dampit Humidifiers- This brand has been around for ages. Their humidifiers are used for all sorts of instruments. They are long lasting products and very easy to use. You simply fill the canister with water and place it in the hole of the guitar.
Guitar Case Humidifier
The name is obvious, but, this type of humidifier sits within the case unlike being on top of the the guitar strings. This type of humidifier is great for situations where the in hole humidifier do not fit, or if you would just prefer the humidifier in the case rather than the instrument, in case of dripping.
Expert Recommendations:
Oasis- The Oasis Case Humidifier is perfect when a sound hole humidifier will not fit within your guitar. Each case model comes complete with a stainless steel strip to easily mount, as well as a refill syringe to make adding water a cinch!
Planet Waves- The planet waves humidifier is a two-way humidification system that monitors if your instrument. The system consists of three packs, two of the packs are placed on the guitar and the other pack goes on the headstock. The packs will then add or reduce moisture when needed. All you have to do is remove the packs when they become hard. This system eliminates the guess work that can sometimes goes into traditional humidifiers.
Room Humidifier
If you have a large collection of instruments, a room humidifier could really be a benefit. Our biggest recommendation is to have that room at 40?50 percent humidity and to have the temperature be around 70?75 degrees. It is also helpful if you can keep a door closed if it is just the one room. However, if it is more than one room, they make household humidifiers.
Just a few friendly reminders?.
- Never keep your instruments in a vehicle, basement or any area that is prone to high temperature changes
- Maintain constant temperature in the rooms that your instrument is stored
- Keep instruments in their cases if at all possible
- Clean and maintain your instrument
If you have any questions about humidifiers and your instrument, our guitar experts would be pleased to assist you!
