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Joined:
December 2004
Posts: 1116
Location: Keller, TX | Went out and bought one today. Doesn't have any instructions. I ASSUME you get the sponge wet, dry off the outer plastic and fit it into the soundhole. I'm GUESSING the holes go inward to help keep the interior of the guitar humid. However, that hides the fancy logo (which should be on the outside from a marketing perspective).
Any photos or suggestions? |
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Joined:
April 2004
Posts: 13303
Location: Latitude 39.56819, Longitude -105.080066 | I use these on all my roundholes....great product.
The first thing to do is remove that crappy hard ring....totally worthless and could scratch your guitar.
Then fill the sink with some water and submerge the Lifeguard. I face them holes up and push down until no bubbles surface. Then I take it out and squeeze it 2-3 times to get the majority of the water out. Dont' bend it...just squeeze it in 2-3 different places to get out excess water....you don't want it dripping inside the guitar!
Then towel off the ring, especially under the lip to make sure there is no stray water. Then it goes face down in the soundhole. Don't try to force the whole circle into the hole. Just lip it in about 2/3's of the way around. Depending on the normal humidty in your area, it should easily last about a week.
I refill mine ever Sunday since it is an easy way to remember when it should be done. |
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Joined:
December 2005
Posts: 111
| Stephen, After your post and Googling for a picture, I understand this design better. Since the soundhole is mostly covered, I guess one could effectively use it while the guitar is on a stand or wall hanger? (as opposed to others, where the guitar would be better off in the case, so as not to waste the water as it evaporates) |
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Joined:
December 2004
Posts: 1116
Location: Keller, TX | Thanks. That's how I had it inserted, but still had the hard plastic ring on. I figured the marketing people would have put their logo so you can see it on the outside when the thing is installed. |
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Joined:
January 2004
Posts: 1225
Location: Lake Hiawatha, New Jersey | "I guess one could effectively use it while the guitar is on a stand or wall hanger?"
I've been using these for years and they work great, but I would still keep the guitars in their case for it to work properly. My basement / music room is very dry in the winter. I use a room humidifier which can keep the humidity at about 35 percent, and the Kysers take care of the rest. |
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Joined:
April 2004
Posts: 13303
Location: Latitude 39.56819, Longitude -105.080066 | I have most of them stored in the cases when not playing them but I do have the FD14 and the CL30 hanging on the wall. The FD14 requires the classical size while the CL30 uses the regular size. |
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Joined:
January 2002
Posts: 14127
Location: 6 String Ranch | I'm finding I need to use the Dampits up north over these two weeks. (The long green humidifiers) Had to put one in the Collings OM and Mando, filled them with hot water and dropped them in the case and closed it, works well. #36 is just fine, funny how grafite never moves with the weather? |
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Joined:
September 2005
Posts: 3618
Location: GATLINBURG TENNESSEE :) | I've been ignorant about humidifiers until this past year. After seeing what temperatue and humidity changes do to wood tops and fretboards I have become a believer. I am in the process of getting them for all my instruments right now. I just haven't figured out which ones to get yet. I had someone suggest the snake-type ones. |
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Joined:
April 2004
Posts: 13303
Location: Latitude 39.56819, Longitude -105.080066 | The snake type ones (dampits) are the only option for the guitars with the epaulets. The problem with using them in colorado is that they only last a few days before becoming dry. I use the Kyser lifeguards on all of my center hole guitars and they seem to last about a week.
I have also been told by several "experts" that if the guitar is over 10 years old and has not developed any problems, that they probably never will.......still an ounce of prevention! |
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Joined:
September 2005
Posts: 3618
Location: GATLINBURG TENNESSEE :) | Thanks for the scoop Stephen. I have picked up a couple of nice old instruments, and I really want to protect the investment. As far as old ones with no problems ... that could have to do with the location where they have been owned and kept. In upper Michigan we get quite the extremes each year, from hot and humid to cold and dry. I have tried to keep them all in ther basement in the summer and upstairs in the winter. I should keep them all in their cases, but the 1616 classical doesn't seem to want to leave my bedside. (: |
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Joined:
January 2002
Posts: 14127
Location: 6 String Ranch | Here's a thought that I haven't tried yet but might work.
I used to have cigar humidors (before Cliff took them to New Jersey, but that's another story). To keep them damp you put water and mix it 50/50 with some solution that helped hold the water in for a long time and hold the output of the hockey puck humidifier to 70%. I'll see If I still have a bottle of that around. Maybe mix that and they will last longer than 3-4 days in Colorado and other like places.
Thoughts? |
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Joined:
August 2002
Posts: 8307
Location: Tennessee | I dunno. All this humidifier talk is beyond me. I've lived in Calfornia all my life, never had a humidifier, never worried about it, always leave my guitars out and about, and never had a crack in a guitar, nary even a dreaded lacquer crack. Maybe it has something to do with the outrageous home prices out here. |
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Joined:
April 2004
Posts: 13303
Location: Latitude 39.56819, Longitude -105.080066 | CWK2,
About 7 years ago, I had a cigar humidor custom built (an end table out of quilted maple with 2 drawers and smoky glass top so I could see my babies w/o opening up the top drawer) and the only way to keep them fresh and at 70% was to have an electronic humidfier built into the unit. Then I only have to change out the cartridge about every 3 months (but ages them perfectly!)
Using the 50/50 mixture and the hocky puck humidifier would last a week or so. With average humidity around 15-20%, the moisture gets sucked up pretty damn fast.
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Joined:
January 2002
Posts: 14127
Location: 6 String Ranch | That's a very fine piece of furniture for sure!
This stuff is called Propylene Glycol and I still have part of a bottle. (Cliff, don't forget it this time!) I find in Florida none of this is an issue but up here in the doublewide on the hill it is this time of the year. |
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Kyser Humidifier