The humidity in my instrument cases is always much higher then in the room. Example case humidity is 64 room is 32. Which should I use?
The humidity in my instrument cases is always much higher then in the room. Example case humidity is 64 room is 32. Which should I use?
I shoot for 45%. What are you using to increase the humidity in the case? I use those D'Addario Humidipak pouches (NFI) to keep it from climbing too high.
Chris from Tucson
2007 Heiden Artist F5 #F102
1919 Gibson A3 #49762 (found on eBay for $15!!)
2022 Austin Clark Octave #159
1922 Gibson H1 Mandola #70063
1972 Martin D-18 (modified by Bryan Kimsey)
2024 Klos Carbon Fiber (on order)
Case but 32 doesn’t sound ridiculously low. Ideal is around 50. How accurately are you able to measure it?
Using an room humidifier and measuring humidity with gages inside cases and room.
Do you use the pack alone or with the cloth pouch? How long do they last?
If you insist on humidifying in the case, use those humidifiers that keep the rh% around 50, They can both release and absorb humidity.
I would just have brought them at 50% and then put them in the case and the case in a sealed plasticbag. No humidifier necessary.
Last edited by poul hansen; Jan-16-2022 at 12:50pm.
Kentucky KM-805..........2 Hora M1086 Portuguese II(1 in car)
Hora M1088 Mandola.....
Richmond RMA-110..... .Noname Bearclaw
Pochette Franz Janisch...5 Pocket............Alfredo Privitera pocket
Puglisi Pocket 1908........Puglisi 1912.......Puglisi 1917
3 Mandolinetto ..............C.Garozzo
1 Mandriola...................Cannelo G. Mandriola...Böhm Waldzither 1921
Johs Møller 1945............Luigi Embergher Studio 1933
Marma Seashell back......Luigi Embergher 5bis 1909
Chris from Tucson
2007 Heiden Artist F5 #F102
1919 Gibson A3 #49762 (found on eBay for $15!!)
2022 Austin Clark Octave #159
1922 Gibson H1 Mandola #70063
1972 Martin D-18 (modified by Bryan Kimsey)
2024 Klos Carbon Fiber (on order)
Unless you have a hermetically sealed case, I sincerely doubt the relative humidity is that different inside the case vs out.
Take both hygrometers and put them outside next to each other. Wait about 30 minutes. Look up your relative humidity on a weather app and compare them. If they're all within 5% I'd be a little surprised.
A hygrometer in a case with stagnant air placed right by a damp sponge, water bead, etc. is going to read a lot higher than the actual RH in the rest of the case.
I humidify the room. I don't get around to playing instruments that are in their cases, so I keep four of 'em, including the mando, on stands in the livingroom. (Luckily, my wife thinks they're decorative.)
When the humidity drops below 50%, I turn on the humidifier and leave it on until it hits 55%. And if it drops to the low 40s (like first thing in the morning), I also spritz some water into the soundholes.
Don't know whether that how a pro would do it, but my instruments seem to do okay.
Gibson A-Junior snakehead (Keep on pluckin'!)
All mine are in a room and I have two balcony boxes with water on the radiator when I go under 40%rh in the room.
Kentucky KM-805..........2 Hora M1086 Portuguese II(1 in car)
Hora M1088 Mandola.....
Richmond RMA-110..... .Noname Bearclaw
Pochette Franz Janisch...5 Pocket............Alfredo Privitera pocket
Puglisi Pocket 1908........Puglisi 1912.......Puglisi 1917
3 Mandolinetto ..............C.Garozzo
1 Mandriola...................Cannelo G. Mandriola...Böhm Waldzither 1921
Johs Møller 1945............Luigi Embergher Studio 1933
Marma Seashell back......Luigi Embergher 5bis 1909
I have an easier time controlling the humidity of a room. Only takes one decent humidifier and an accurate hygrometer to hang on the wall. I have too many guitar and mandolin cases to keep each one at a correct level. And I really prefer having my instruments hanging on wall or stand. I shoot for 50%. It's also much less labor controlling the room. I can spend the time saved actually picking instead of opening and closing cases, checking case humidifiers, etc. And I never have to worry about water leakage in a case.
I'm 2 blocks from a major river, 10 miles from the Pacific Ocean, in a temperate rainforest climate.
Humidity comes with the location..
writing about music
is like dancing,
about architecture
If it's a quality case (especially wood) it will retain the ambient humidity at the time of closure until opened, even if the room has become drier. I have digital hygrometers in 2 of my violin cases (the antiques) and they are always at the same humidity they were when closed, even if the room has gotten dry in cases where I'm gone and the room humidifiers run out of water. That being said, eventually they would dry out, but they DO retain humidity for a bit.
I have guitars on the wall and one with a hygrometer and it takes about 2 days, for the inside of the guitar to adjust to a 10% change in ambient.
I once tried to put 5 guitars on a stand, inside a big nylon bag with a zipper but never could keep it stable. The humidity inside changed to ambient in less than half a day. I ascribe it to changing airpressure that will exchange the air inside if not totally airtight, so I recommend a plastic bag but strangely that never comes up in discussions, instead a lot of fancy remedies are proposed.
I will say however that a case will slow the change down which is beneficial to the instrument, as sudden changes are potentially more damaging.
Kentucky KM-805..........2 Hora M1086 Portuguese II(1 in car)
Hora M1088 Mandola.....
Richmond RMA-110..... .Noname Bearclaw
Pochette Franz Janisch...5 Pocket............Alfredo Privitera pocket
Puglisi Pocket 1908........Puglisi 1912.......Puglisi 1917
3 Mandolinetto ..............C.Garozzo
1 Mandriola...................Cannelo G. Mandriola...Böhm Waldzither 1921
Johs Møller 1945............Luigi Embergher Studio 1933
Marma Seashell back......Luigi Embergher 5bis 1909
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