Humidifiers???

JazzDawg

Looking to get a guitar humidifier for my Gitane D-500, any recommendations?

frater

Dampit, nothing compares.

Bones

How does a GJ guitar respond to low humidity (symptoms)?

Can you overdo it with too much humidification and what are those syptoms?

Bob H.- any thoughts???

Thanks

frater

The first symptom of low humidity is usually your strings slapping on the fretboard (associated with poor tone and volume).
Also your guitar might occasionally ask for a glass of Soda (or more probably, being a GJ guitar, beer... )

P.S.
Also pay attention to your frets, they tend to stick out of the neck in case of low humidity....

BluesBop Harry

I've been looking at the Oasisi humidifiers as in my experience the others tend to mold

McQ

I've got an Oasis humidifier and hygrometer. I haven't had to use the humidifier yet, but I bought it after lengthy searches on numerous guitar forums. Also, I gave the Oasis people a call, and the guy was super nice and helped me determine whether the sound-hole, case, or both humidifiers were necessary (I got a sound-hole type, and if I need one for the case it is apparently pretty easy to make one out of a plastic soap dish container you'd use for travel with a sponge inside). The hygrometer is easy to read, slim and small, keeps record of high and low temp and relative humidity, and mine displays 2 degrees lower than actual relative humidity--I've got nothing but good things to say about the hygrometer. Since you can purchase the Oasis humidifier and hygrometer as a set, I decided to go with that instead of the Dampit and a hygrometer separately.

Bones

Do you have a link for the Oasis humidifier and hygrometer?

Thanks

McQ

Here you go: http://www.oasishumidifiers.com/index.html
The contact info is at the bottom of the page. I'd say send an email or give the guy a call if you have any questions or need info to better make your decision. It may be perfect for you, or you may decide to go with the Dampit or another humidifier.
To get a reading, I'll rest my hygrometer on the top just like the picture below, as they instruct on page http://www.oasishumidifiers.com/hygrometer.html
I ordered my Oasis humidifier and hygrometer from The Woodwind & Brasswind here: http://www.wwbw.com/Oasis-OH1-Guitar-Hu ... e=ZTEM8XOC

JazzDawg

Actually see them on Amazon, too.

http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_ss?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=oasis+humidifiers&x=0&y=0

Thanks for the info folks!

Bob Holo

Bones wrote:

How does a GJ guitar respond to low humidity (symptoms)?

Can you overdo it with too much humidification and what are those syptoms?

Bob H.- any thoughts???

Thanks

Sure... this is important stuff and definitely in my best interest to help if possible... particularly as my little wooden children are finding their way out into the world now and I've de-prioritized the website in order to remodel my shop... ah priorities... ;-)

Here are the basics:

GJ guitars respond pretty much how any other guitar responds... soft wood contracts and expands faster than hardwood which stresses its plates and joints - and just in general makes the guitar more 'brittle' ... in other words, if a joint or a thin area of wood with a lot of heavy wood around it is already under pressure from uneven contraction/expansion and you shock the instrument, it's more likely to break. If the tension is sufficient - it may just break of its own accord. The tops on all guitars contract with low moisture and expand with high moisture - so as things dry your top's arch will come down and lower your guitar's action. The soundboard is typically the first to move as it is the softest wood and thinnest and has the least finish. Necks may move a bit - but most of the change in action of a guitar is coming from the top. Necks move less and more slowly as they are larger pieces of denser wood and typically the softer wood is encased in thicker finish on one side and blocked by a very dense/oily wood on the other and the two are typically bound together around some form of support member.

Important things include:

1.) Use your case more in the winter - it will help you control and slow temperature/humidity changes more easily because the guitar won't be directly in the elements or direct path of the heating vent and such. Also, it will lessen the shock of a traumatic event such as the guitar falling or getting bumped/kicked etc.

2.) Avoid quick extremes - If guitars dislike changes in temp & humidity... they HATE quick changes. Try not to sit near the door of the restaurant if you're gigging in the winter - ice cold blasts across your guitar from an open door when the bar is hot & toasty are a disaster waiting to happen. Keep the guitar in the case when you move from one temperature or humidity to the other if you can. So - when you get home from your gig having had the guitar in the ice cold trunk... don't pop it out and set it in the stand in your toasty warm house when you get home... let it acclimate to the house and pull it out to practice the next morning... just use common sense.

3.) Try to keep a comfortable temp/humidity for the guitar. The old saying is true. If you are comfortable - your guitar is comfortable. Try to keep your guitar at 70F +/- 15 degrees and 50% humidity +/- 15%.... Is this possible for people who live in Death Valley or Point Barrow? No, but do your best. Also - many glues have temperature ranges at which they soften and/or crystalize and sometimes the damage to the joint is permanent. Again... if you'd be comfortable - the guitar will be comfortable. Also - be aware that instruments sound bad in severe climate change... so if your instrument sounds bad and you can find no reason other than recent changes in climate... it may very well be the reason... it places odd tension on the wood when things are moving about at different rates and that odd tension may or may not change the way the instrument performs... I've done a bit of quickie setup work for Michael on guitars that come through his place that we know are good guitars but they just sound horrible because they're adjusting to the climate change either from a muggy French summer or a dry New England winter... so he keeps them in the case for a couple weeks... I do a couple minutes of setup work on them and presto-chango.. they come alive. Odd but true.

So: to summarize:
Guitars dislike change - and they hate quick change with a passion... not only does it make them more susceptible to damage - but it changes their playability - and even changes their sound. Try hard to keep them 70F/50% +/- 15 and don't stress them by quick changes and be careful - your case is your best friend in the winter.

TomThumbs

My guitars have it too good. I may see if I can curl up inside a string bass case (with a couple of Stella Artois, of course). These harsh Nebraska winters definitely affect my joints, and yes, I'm on the verge of coming unglued, too. :-)

Good advice as usual, Mr. Holo! Thanks.

Tom