Guitar Case Humidifier - Build Your Own - Inexpensive

[guitarlj]

Well Fantom Of Fear...you obviously used either a contaminated bowl, or contaminated sponges or they picked up something from your hands.

You did not wring out the sponges till they owuldn't leave moisture as instructed. This is essential. The sponges must be wrung out till they will not even drip, or otherwise transfer moisture to the guitar.

I use ziplocks not soap dishes, and in over 30 years of carrying sponge based humidifiers have never had one leak, nor mold.

[FantomOfFear]

I made a different home-made humidifier (put a damp spunge in tubaware with wholes in the top) but now my case smells kinda moldy (after 1 day) so i took it out. Also the neck that was right above the case was a little damp

[winexprt]

Thanks for this video. Unfortunately your hand was in the way when you showed how to make the cut in the top seal, so I have no idea exactly what you did. :-(

[BackToTheFront11]

Danny Devito? :D

[stickysponge]

Can I try it on a gig bag?

[guitarlj]

@stickysponge Hi Sticky...

I've used them in gig bags, and they will dry out more quickly. It's best to make sure the sponges are wrung out thoroughly (so they don't get water on the guitar finish) and place them under the neck next to the heel of the neck.

[DaneUni]

Thanks for the video, I liked the rolling the bag up idea. 

[RESNfan]

what if it's an electroacoustic?

[guitarlj]

@RESNfan All of my guitars have electronics in them (both a pickup and a microphone) and I've been humidifying for more than 30 years without issues.

There is not a huge amount of humidity in the case, and it is the wood which is most responsive to it (and in need of it).

God designed such that it takes it in and stays stable...

[klabazabel]

gay

[guitarlj]

Hi GravelTown USA...There is no harm in doing both if you live in dry climate. If you own 5 guitars you might not want to lay out $75 for humidifiers. Store bought ones are fine but most are just a sponge in a housing (except Oasis). Good luck w/ your guitar.

[GravelTownUSA]

i think im gonna go buy the $15 humidifier tube thingy from musicians friend >_< this is defenetly a good way to save money but it could end up costing me a $500 guitar

[goatman069]

@GravelTownUSA I've used basically the same system for several years, in my Martin D16 H92 (19 yrs old), and my steel string Rick Pimentel Custom (very expensive) and have had absolutely no problems. The only thing I do differently is to cover the humidifier with a flannel guitar polish cloth, so the headstock doesn't touch the plastic in any way.

[shokamoka9]

so what does this do.?



[ProcrastinaterUnited]

Great video! I have a gig bag for my acoustic. Where should I put the hand made humidifier in a gig bag? Will it still work for gig bags? - Hope to hear from you soon!

[wolf69a]

Where i leave we have now 90 to 95 % humudity, is thad bad for the guitars ?, any tip should i dry it, somebody told me to use a hair drier inside the sound hole.

[guitarlj]

@wolf69a Hi Wolf...there are dessicants made which will help cases stay drier. They remove humidity from the air. You could also store the guitar in a room with a dehumidifying unit.

Absolutely do not put a hair drier into the guitar. That would be most harmful to guitars and could result in the top, back or side of the guitar developing cracks, or a brace popping loose.

Humidity exchanges over days and weeks not in minutes/seconds.

Hope this helps...

[wolf69a]

@guitarlj Thanks a lot for the answer, i'm going to get some dessicants, i'm putting now some silice bags inside the case

[goatman069]

@wolf69a Make this same humidifier, but put it in the case dry. It'll soak up some moisture.

[wolf69a]

@goatman069 Good idea, thanks a lot

[journeyquest1]

That was the nastiest sandwich i ever ate

[jonnyXrice]

Great! I live in a very cold / dry place. Im worried that the guitar might have problems from sudden fluctuation of humidity when i bring it out....so i never used a humidifier....

So its okay if I humidify it at home.. and leave it without a humidifier when i bring it out in its gig bag?

Thanks for all your help!

[guitarlj]

jonny...

Yes, it sure is ok to humidify at home and play out without carrying a humidifier in the case.

Guitars don't react instantly to humidity, but over days and weeks. So you don't need to fear humidifying it at home and then taking it out for the day to a place that is dry.

Humidifying instruments is a long term process and commitment.

[jonnyXrice]

That's true~

but would the humidifying effect be stronger when that thing is closer to the guitar? I see you put that in your case.... seems pretty close to me

Thanks for reply~

[guitarlj]

Hi jonny...

No it actually disperses throughout the case quite evenly/nicely.

[guitarlj]

Because the sponges are only damp and not wet, they will not leak and cause damage to the finish of the guitar...that is why one should wring them out well.

[jonnyXrice]

Wouldn't that put you at risk of over humidifying your guitar?

Im not sure but that looks like what im going to do....but im too chicken too

[guitarlj]

Hi JonnyXrice

If one doesn't know the humidity you could over humidify - but hygrometers at Walmart are $7...

Also the danger of not humidifying is developing cracks in the top, back or sides of your guitar, or pulling the bridge off.

The danger of over-humidifying would be the height of the action would increase a little...

[GiantPandas]

Thanks for the video.

Right now, I'm using the soap case. I think I'm gonna do this method.

I'm using a lot of water on the sponge right now, because it's really dry here in the winter. I don't have a hygrometer, so I'm not sure if that's the right amount of moisture or not. I usually store my bass in a thick high quality gig bag.

I'm just wondering. If wringing the sponge thoroughly would be enough. What do you think?

[guitarlj]

Hi GiantPandas...

I used to have a soap dish - until I found it sitting on top of the headstock having dislodged itself and banging into thing still it ended up on top of everything

With Ziplocks you add the amount of sponges till the proper level of humidity is reached...then some can be removed.

Hygrometers are $7 at Walmartget one to figure out how moist it is/is'nt inside the case. It doesn't need to be left there, but you should determine the levels you are maintaining there...

[rabbitspliff]

thanks a bunch. i have a frame drum that was drying out to the point where i was worried about the frame being damaged, found this and now got one sitting in the case with it. that should sort it haha.

[zerosoma33]

Great video! Very helpful, concise, and simple. You da man!

[davidcotestratton]

this would help if my neck keeps bending right ?

[guitarlj]

David

The neck bending has nothing to do with humidity. It is either a string tension issue, or else it is a poorly dried piece of wood used to build the neck...

Hope this helps...

[davidcotestratton]

wow this sucks i just spent 800 on it grrrr

[GiantPandas]

@davidcotestratton

Actually, if the guitar gets dry the neck bows, which will make the actioin lower and may create buzzing. If the guitar is too humid, it will go the other way, which will make the action high.

[rhye999]

thanks

[seebe]

why do you want to do this?

[guitarlj]

Hi Seebe

Humidifying the case helps prevent cracks in the body of guitars for those of us who live in semi-dry areas.

Hope this helps...

[guitarlj]

Hi vleon

I use a hygrometer - and the cheap ones at Walmart for $7 will tell you the releative humidity and temperature.

They are in the section where they sell indoor/outdoor thermometers...

[matthonest]

good idea :)

thanks for the great vid!

[ljsnappypants]

Hi guitarlj...

Welcome. We are glad you are posting YouTube videos. I've had my Olson since 1993 and using distilled water only in my guitar case humidifier sponges. You never know what level of bacteria you're getting with tap water. I have not had a mold problem in the 16 + years with my Olson. I also have other guitars that get the distilled water treatment and I've yet to have an issue.

[guitarlj]

Hi snappypants...

I've never used distilled water and never had mold in over 35 years of humidifying guitars.

I wasn't the one who posted about mold...but I cannot imagine if a person has clean hands why tap water would introduce bacteria unless your water supply is contaiminated.

And if a person's hands are not clean, it won't matter what kind of water is used, bacteria could be introduced - distilled or not.

[joeshmoe123456789101]

Hi, what happens if you have too much humidity in the air.. how do you make a dehumidifier?

[rossiskier08]

Hi. I was wondering how often you need to refill the humidifier?

[guitarlj]

When the sponges begin to harden up, I remoisten them.

[mvp019]

I still don't get the reason you cut the ziploc edges "so nothing can get sealed in" - won't the cut slits prevent that?

[orfeassama]

thanks a lot , i ll do that :)

[kiiaz]

hey what humidity do you keep ur guitars at? is 60% ok? i have a yamaha and taylor acoustic guitar.

also what happens if there is too much humidity, how do u DEhumidify a guitar

[guitarlj]

60% is too high and I'd use something like the product named ''Zorb-it'' to keep the case at about 40%.

Anything between 35%-50% is safe, and keeping the level stable is as important as keeping it 'safe'. My guitars all live at 40%.

[cacawate1]

wow thank you so much!

[big2buck]

great vid lj thanks allot

favourited

[Faztlan]

Gotta use em in West TEXAS!

[auxlout]

To avoid mold or mildew from forming on the sponge you can add 1 capful of ammonia and or bleach to 1 gal of water. Dip the sponge in the water and squeeze out all the excess real good. Put the sponge in the bag and you'll be mold free.

[guitarlj]

Mold only comes from biological contamination, and the best preventative is to make sure you wash one's hands before filling the sponges.

Been doing this for years and never had mold...

[hayabusafmw]

should you humidify guitars like bass guitar ,or electric guitar (fender strats??) or only mostly acoustics?

[motobassplayer17]

wat is that supposed to do???

[guitarlj]

Hi motobassplayer...

If an acoustic guitar dries out too much, cracks can occur in the body. Therefore, we serious acoustic players who live in dry areas of the country keep humidifying devices in our instrument cases.

Commercial ones are mostly constructed of sponges in rubber or plastic containers, and cost $15-39 each. The sponges in a ziplock do the same thing for less than a buck...

Hope this helps...

[motobassplayer17]

o haha thx for that info

[lustrevision]

Thanks so much for the great info! Saves me from buying some $20 planet waves concoction.

[deegz]

Excellent video! Thanks for posting :D