Bill Dutcher – Modern Acoustic Guitarist

Since moving to Arizona five years ago I’ve been struggling with keeping my instruments properly humidified.  Back in Ohio there’s was no shortage of humidity in the summer!  Out here it can get as low as 5% during the dry months.  If you have solid wood acoustic instruments that’s a death sentence unless you take precautions.  Here’s some tips on keeping your axe from getting thirsty…

Many manufactures make different humidifiers for instruments but each has a limitation.  I use a magnetic sound hole pickup in all my guitars so the one’s that pop in the sound hole underneath the strings don’t work for me.  There’s a type of humidifier that is a  12 inche long piece of rubber tubing that has a sponge core and has tiny holes down its length.  You run it under the faucet, wring it out and slip it in the sound hole.  They work great and out here and I need to check them every three to four days but there a little pricey.  Being the resourceful guy that I am I went to a hardware store and bought six feet of 1/2 inch clear-flexible plastic tubing and a yellow sponge.  I cut the tubing to 12 inch lengths, drilled small holes down the length, stuffed strips on sponge in them and tied a small piece of nylon cord to the top.  Total cost…about $3.00!  Regardless of what type you use you really want to watch the humidity levels and try to maintain at least 40%.  That’s really hard for me in Arizona so I keep one or two of my ‘homemade’ one’s in each guitar and keep the instrument in the case when not playing it.  I also keep all my cases in a room with a room humidifier.  It also helps to keep a digital hydrometer in the same room to monitor the humidity levels.  If you live in the colder areas running the heat in your house sucks up the humidity so keep an eye on things.  

Too much moisture can also mess with your guitar.  If you experience 70%-90% humidity levels for an extended period of time you can use desiccant packs to absorb the moisture. You know those little packs you get in a new pair of shoes?  That’s a desiccant pack.  Go to any local shoe store and ask for some.  You’ll probably be able to get them for free.  If you use them for a while and they seem to not be absorbing the moisture put them in the oven on low heat (200 degrees) for about 15-20 minutes.  That will dry them out again. 

If you notice the top of your guitar bellying up or sinking down, or the strings getting closer or farther away from the soundboard, that may be a sign of humidity issues.  Take it to your local repair shop and have it checked!