Types of humidifiers for guitar

Manufacturers of guitars claim that they should be contained in a climate whose humidity is 45-55%. At their factories, they establish a special climate control, which allows maintaining humidity around 47%. This indicator is considered optimal for storing guitars. Maintaining this level at home is very difficult, so manufacturers have developed a special humidifier for the guitar, which prevents it from cracking and allows you to maintain the sound quality.

What happens if the prescribed humidity is not observed?

If you play constantly, or take the guitar in your hands once a month, for the instrument need to care. The guitar is very capricious, and without proper care you will not "play along". What happens to the instrument if you don’t use a humidifier?

1. String landing is extremely low.
2. A “hump” may form at the junction of the neck with the body.
3. The front deck bends over.
4. The tips of the frets with their sharp parts begin to stick out of the lining.
5. Grief comes to the bridge.

Needless to say, the consequences can be very dire, up to the appearance of cracks and damage to the tool.

How to solve a problem

In order not to scoff at the instrument and not leave it without moisture, a special humidifier for guitars was invented. What you need to know about these devices? This is what they are divided into two types:

Store type humidifiers:

1. If you purchase a tubular humidifier, buy the largest one in diameter.
2. Humidifiers "from the banks", can be used only when the loss of moisture is very small, as they emit water in portions.
3. Vinyl type humidifier copes well with its task. The only thing that spoils the impression is that the moisture is collected in the case, not falling on the neck.

If you live in a place where the humidity is always low, it is recommended to use canned humidifiers, but do not forget about the supporting device.

Self-made type humidifiers:

1. One option is to take a small sponge, place it in polyethylene in which to make several holes and place this design in the body of the guitar.
2. Wet foam rubber can be placed in a container of cream or toothpaste. The design is also fixed in the tool body, without forgetting to make holes in the tube.

No matter which option you choose, the main thing is not to forget that humidifiers need to be changed periodically.

What else you need to know

In the process of learning to play the guitar, there may be various questions related to the handling of the instrument. Especially often these questions concern care:

1. If the humidity varies between 20-35%, then it is necessary to change the water in the humidifier once a week.
2. If you live in a climate whose humidity is close to normal, 35-45%, then it is recommended to change the water 2-3 times a month.
3. If you are using an electric guitar, the humidifier must be placed in a protective case.The second option may be to maintain the humidity in the room, but this is not entirely reasonable, since in this case you will not be able to take the instrument with you.
4. If the humidity in the room on the contrary, increased, it is necessary to include air conditioners, which during operation absorb moisture. You can also use special air dryers.
5. To know what the humidity in the room, buy a special device - a hygrometer.
6. Do not store the instrument near the door.
7. Make sure that it does not fall into direct sunlight.
8. In a dry room, store your guitar on the lowest shelf or under the bed, where the humidity is always higher than at the top.

Do not buy a hygrometer in music stores. You will get the device at an inflated price, it is better to walk around the electrical engineering stores.

DIY humidifier for guitar

Such devices are not the cheapest, but if you like to make everything yourself, then make the device is not difficult. For this you will need:

1. Silicone hose or PVC material with a diameter of about 10-13 millimeters.
2. Sponge for washing dishes, and better if it is made of cellulose. Using foam options is also possible, but they absorb water worse.
3. A tool that can make holes with a diameter of 2-3 millimeters.
4. Glue gun with related materials.

As soon as you get all the necessary details, you can start assembling a future humidifier for your guitar:

1. Cut a strip from the sponge, equal to the length of our tube.
2. Mark the holes, observing the important rule: when the humidifier is in the guitar, the holes should be located on the sides, and not look up and down. The distance between them you choose according to your taste, on average, about 60 millimeters.
3. After you have applied the markup, we begin to drill holes. If you make holes through, then you spend less time.
4. If you took a sponge for dishes, do not forget to cut a hard layer from it.
5. Cut out from the sponge stripes that correspond to the diameter of our pipe. The most convenient way to do this is with scissors, but a good knife will do.
6. To all the moisture came evenly, the strip must be connected to each other with a needle and thread.
7. Place the finished spongy strip in the tube, pre-moistened with water.
8. After that, it is necessary to build flaps with a pistol and glue.

Advantages and disadvantages of a homemade humidifier

For those who love their instrument, it is extremely important to keep it in order. Choosing for this homemade humidifier, you must understand what it is better or worse than the store.

disadvantages:

1. The self-made hose is not at all flexible due to the thick walls, which makes the process of placing it in the guitar somewhat difficult.
2. The appearance of the device is not very attractive, but who sees it in the body of the guitar?

If we talk about the merits of the resulting device, then basically it is his the cost, which is pleasantly different from the store in a favorable direction for you.

Popular models

If you decide to buy a humidifier in the store, then you should know what the manufacturers are, and how they differ from each other:

1. Model Planet Waves Gh Good for acoustics. It will not damage your instrument and will create the necessary moisture.
   
2. Humidifier KYSER KLHU 1A. It will not only protect your instrument from drying out, but also remove excess moisture if necessary.
3. Similar to its predecessor, the model KYSER KLH AA protects acoustic guitars from excessive moisture or lack thereof.
   
4. Option KYSER KLH CA Protect classic tools from the sun or moisture.
   

5. But the device CRAFTER GHC-200 for acoustic guitars will not only protect them from moisture, but also inform you about the level of water in the atmosphere.
   

6. Set PLANET WAVES Pw—HPCP-03 designed specifically to correct a large re-drying of the guitar.
   
7. Device PLANET WAVES Pw—GH-HTS not only moisturizes your instrument, but also shows up-to-date information on its condition. In addition, it has the function of maintaining the level of moisture.
   

If you decide to purchase a humidifier in the store, then take the model with sensors, they are necessary in order to monitor the level of water in the environment.

Of course, lovers may not notice the first signs of re-drying the guitar, but professionals will feel the slightest change in its sound. To not have to constantly adjust the tool, it is recommended to use a humidifier. You can buy it in the store, and you can do it yourself. The guitar is all the same, the main thing for her is the quality climate.