Results 1 to 12 of 12

Thread: Boveda Humidity-Packs

  1. #1
    Registered User Darwin Gaston's Avatar
    Join Date
    Aug 2014
    Location
    Pennsylvania
    Posts
    163

    Default Boveda Humidity-Packs

    It’s that time of year again and the humidity is dropping. I have been looking at getting some Boveda Humidity-Packs and putting two of them in my mandolin cases to keep the humidity between 45-50% relative humidity. Has anyone use these before and do you recommend using them?

    They recommend using 2 of the Boveda Humidity-Packs at a time for mandolins. They want you to place them into the cloth sleeves and put one in the area of the case under the headstock and place the other one under the strings between the tailpiece and bridge of the mandolin.

    I worry about placing the humidity-pack under the strings and laying it directly on the wood of the mandolin which might create problems with the finish on the mandolin. Would it be better to lay the humidity-pack on top of the string between the bridge and tailpiece?
    2023 A. Lawrence Smart A5
    2022 Girouard Griffith Tribute A5
    2021 Ellis F5 Special
    2021 Girouard Concert Master F Oval-hole
    2020 Heiden Artist Plus A5
    1992 Givens A6
    1919 Martin Style C

  2. #2
    Registered User Jill McAuley's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jan 2009
    Location
    Co. Mayo, Ireland
    Posts
    3,569

    Default Re: Boveda Humidity-Packs

    I use them in my mandolin and guitar cases - I have one under the headstock in the mandolin case, but that's it - I wouldn't feel comfortable putting one directly onto the top either. With the mandolin one seems to do the trick for me here in the west of Ireland. I use two in my acoustic guitar case, one under the headstock and one in one of the sleeves, draped over the strings and hanging into the sound hole. Touch wood I've never had the packets burst or anything like that, so far so good!
    2018 Girouard Concert oval A
    2015 JP "Whitechapel" tenor banjo
    2018 Frank Tate tenor guitar
    1969 Martin 00-18




    my Youtube channel

  3. #3
    Registered User Darwin Gaston's Avatar
    Join Date
    Aug 2014
    Location
    Pennsylvania
    Posts
    163

    Default Re: Boveda Humidity-Packs

    Jill,

    Thanks for the skinny on putting just one under the headstock in the mandolin case. Also, that is great to hear that you never had a packet break before!

    Quote Originally Posted by Jill McAuley View Post
    I use them in my mandolin and guitar cases - I have one under the headstock in the mandolin case, but that's it - I wouldn't feel comfortable putting one directly onto the top either. With the mandolin one seems to do the trick for me here in the west of Ireland. I use two in my acoustic guitar case, one under the headstock and one in one of the sleeves, draped over the strings and hanging into the sound hole. Touch wood I've never had the packets burst or anything like that, so far so good!
    2023 A. Lawrence Smart A5
    2022 Girouard Griffith Tribute A5
    2021 Ellis F5 Special
    2021 Girouard Concert Master F Oval-hole
    2020 Heiden Artist Plus A5
    1992 Givens A6
    1919 Martin Style C

  4. #4
    Likes quaint instruments poul hansen's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jun 2020
    Location
    Danmark
    Posts
    725

    Default Re: Boveda Humidity-Packs

    Try a search on Boveda but wait till next weekend if you want to read it all :-)
    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

  5. #5
    Moderator MikeEdgerton's Avatar
    Join Date
    Mar 2007
    Location
    Howell, NJ
    Posts
    26,874

    Default Re: Boveda Humidity-Packs

    I've been using them for years, I use the saddle bags in my guitars inside the sound hole and I use one side of the saddle bags under my mandolin headstock with one bag in one pockets. I've never had a problem.
    "It's comparable to playing a cheese slicer."
    --M. Stillion

    "Bargain instruments are no bargains if you can't play them"
    --J. Garber

  6. #6
    Registered User Darwin Gaston's Avatar
    Join Date
    Aug 2014
    Location
    Pennsylvania
    Posts
    163

    Default Re: Boveda Humidity-Packs

    Quote Originally Posted by MikeEdgerton View Post
    I've been using them for years, I use the saddle bags in my guitars inside the sound hole and I use one side of the saddle bags under my mandolin headstock with one bag in one pockets. I've never had a problem.
    Thanks for the information on how you used the saddle bags in your guitars and mandolins. After getting positive results from everyone that used them I decided to try the Boveda Humidity Packs.
    2023 A. Lawrence Smart A5
    2022 Girouard Griffith Tribute A5
    2021 Ellis F5 Special
    2021 Girouard Concert Master F Oval-hole
    2020 Heiden Artist Plus A5
    1992 Givens A6
    1919 Martin Style C

  7. #7
    Registered User Mandobart's Avatar
    Join Date
    Apr 2009
    Location
    Washington State
    Posts
    3,652

    Default Re: Boveda Humidity-Packs

    Here's my take on in-case humidification:

    There's not much room in a closed instrument case for any kind of air flow. It's tough for me to see how the relative humidity in a case is going to be even throughout the case. That's why they recommend you use 2 packs.

    Most cases are nowhere near air-tight. If the surrounding room RH is much lower than the inside of the case, I don't see how the case can maintain desired RH for more than a few hours. Again, this is why they recommend you use two packs.

    Though I was blissfully ignorant about humidity control for decades, and suffered no issues as a result, I now keep my insulated, temperature and humidity controlled music room at 40 - 45% and 68 - 70 F. With a couple dozen instruments and the factors described above, it's a LOT simpler to have a couple room humidifiers than monitoring and maintaining packs in each case.

  8. #8
    Likes quaint instruments poul hansen's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jun 2020
    Location
    Danmark
    Posts
    725

    Default Re: Boveda Humidity-Packs

    Humidity does "wander" maybe because of change in airpressure.
    I had a big nylon bag with a (not airtight) zipper meant for clothing but the humidity would even to ambient within 12 hours.
    I also agree about cases not being airtight, why I don't understand all this talk about keeping in a case.
    For me it's rather simple: Put the Mandolin in a case, to avoid contact with plastic and then put the case in 1 or 2 plasticbags(checked for airtightness) and the mandolin will stay at the humidity it was at when put in the bag, without any humidifier to fill up or anything else.
    For extra piece of mind you could put a Hygrometer in the bag.
    The bag could be closed with one of these plastic clips for freezerbags, so it will only take 5-10 seconds longer to get it in or out, compared to case only.

  9. #9
    Registered User
    Join Date
    Dec 2012
    Location
    Albany NY
    Posts
    2,065

    Default Re: Boveda Humidity-Packs

    Quote Originally Posted by Mandobart View Post
    Though I was blissfully ignorant about humidity control for decades, and suffered no issues as a result, I now keep my insulated, temperature and humidity controlled music room at 40 - 45% and 68 - 70 F. With a couple dozen instruments and the factors described above, it's a LOT simpler to have a couple room humidifiers than monitoring and maintaining packs in each case.
    Same here Mandobart, and now at 50% humidity, I do notice an improved difference in tone, so if you have more than a few mandolins and or wooden instruments, its worth it to at least understand your humidity situation and correct as needed. One or two, the in case packets probably make sense, but with more than just a few - a whole room solution is probably more effective and practical.

    50% is neither wet nor dry, and is probably the zone for most instruments.
    Stormy Morning Orchestra

    My YouTube Channel

    "Mean Old Timer, He's got grey hair, Mean Old Timer he just don't care
    Got no compassion, thinks its a sin
    All he does is sit around an play the Mandolin"

  10. #10
    Registered User Mandobart's Avatar
    Join Date
    Apr 2009
    Location
    Washington State
    Posts
    3,652

    Default Re: Boveda Humidity-Packs

    Quote Originally Posted by poul hansen View Post
    Humidity does "wander" maybe because of change in airpressure.
    It's influenced much more by changes in the air temperature. Humidity is something not well understood by most people.

    Absolute humidity is a measure of the actual amount of water vapor in the air. Relative humidity is the ratio of the actual amount of water vapor in the air to the maximum amount of water vapor the air can hold (without precipitating out and condensing). In this and most all wooden instrument fora when people say "humidity" they mean relative humidity. The actual amount of vapor in the are at 40% RH and 55 F is way less than at 40% RH and 75 F, yet people only discuss %RH.

    It's best to avoid rapid changes in both RH and temperature.

  11. #11
    Likes quaint instruments poul hansen's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jun 2020
    Location
    Danmark
    Posts
    725

    Default Re: Boveda Humidity-Packs

    I know that. I am talking about the equalization of humidity, between two areas with different humidity like my nylon bag or even two rooms in an instrument case.
    I think it equalizes because of change in pressure that will pull out some air or push some air into a bag or container and there is also diffusion process. Molecules move around.

    Fast changes in humidity are not so critical. I have had a hygrometer inside a guitar for many months and a change of nominal 10% takes 12-24 hours to change inside the guitar. It takes time for the molecules to move into the wood.

  12. #12
    Registered User
    Join Date
    Aug 2022
    Location
    Los Angeles, CA
    Posts
    11

    Default Re: Boveda Humidity-Packs

    I've been using the 49% Boveda or D'Addario Humidipaks for my Collings MT-O for about 4 months; one under the headstock and one under the strings over the sound hole. I've not noticed any issue with the top from laying the pouch on it. I'm pretty new to mandolin though, so YMMV.

Bookmarks

Bookmarks

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •