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December 2005
Posts: 149
Location: New York, NY | In your opinions, what kind of guitar humidifiers work best for Ovations? I know they are prone to cracks on the top and I want to make sure I'm taking good care of my 2 Ovations (even though they're both relatively new).
Thanks.
- JT
Ovation Tangent 257
Ovation Tangent Bass Prototype |
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March 2005
Posts: 12750
Location: Boise, Idaho | There's a thread on this a couple months ago. I think it was "the heat is on". I still haven't done anything. I'm waiting to see what the girls get me for Christmas. I put guitar humidifiers and a room humidifier on the list. |
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April 2004
Posts: 13303
Location: Latitude 39.56819, Longitude -105.080066 | For round hole Ovations, I use Kyser Lifeguards. I soak them every Sunday night and they seem to last about a week here in Colorado (where average humidity is about 25-30%. |
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December 2005
Posts: 111
| Having read of humidity problems and cracks lately, I'm newly frustrated. I've been preparing to get a new Ovation with a solid birch top. Heh, never had any problems with my laminated top Ultra. But, I don't even heat and cool my house to the extent most folks do. Now, we've thrown in humidity. Dang, I want a new guitar, not a lifestyle change.
I guess I'll get a sound-hole humidifier and a hygrometer. But, the thought of keeping a humidifier properly maintained for years seems kind of unrealistic. And, because of the risk, I'm thinking I'll drop less money than planned. Now looking at used, or 1771LX FRG, rather than new 1777LX.
Actually, I'm new to west-central Georgia, and am not sure how much of the year humidification will be needed. |
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April 2004
Posts: 13303
Location: Latitude 39.56819, Longitude -105.080066 | Edzep, look for a nice used Adamas and you won't have to worry about the humidity. |
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January 2002
Posts: 14127
Location: 6 String Ranch | Dampits, soak them and hang from the strings in the sound hole. |
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February 2005
Posts: 1132
Location: Parrish, FL | Edzep,
Being in Georgia, I'm not sure you have much to worry about. Humidity just doesn't get that low for extended periods in that region. A guitar kept in a case probably will be OK. You're looking at a newer model. My understanding is that the finish being used today is much more forgiving.
That said, I'd pick up a 'Damp-It', follow the instructions and quit worrying about it.
As far as the 1771LX or 1777LX, both are nice. Get the one that talks to you the loudest and meets your needs and budget. Me, I'd prefer the 1777LX. Actually the 1778LX does the most for me. Kind of partial to the Elite styling and am gassing for a cutaway.
StephenT28's suggestion of an Adamas is good too. Best playing guitar I've picked up. |
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March 2005
Posts: 12750
Location: Boise, Idaho | In Georgia you probably should worry about mold. Has Samova had a problem with guitars cracking? When it's down around 20% all the time, like it is here, you might have something to worry about. |
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Posts: 11840
Location: closely held secret | edzep, you have mail. |
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December 2005
Posts: 111
| Hey, Stephen, I had already gone back and looked at your Adamas again, for that very reason. But, I just like classic styling and finish.
BluesSailor and cwk2, I had already looked at the plastic Planet Waves thing that sits between strings. The Dampit looks interesting. Advantages over the other? Does it take less maintenance? Or, can one use a larger one (cello, bass) to do less maintaining? Or, would that be potentially dangerous for getting too much moisture? |
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December 2004
Posts: 1116
Location: Keller, TX | Originally posted by cwk2:
Dampits, soak them and hang from the strings in the sound hole. What about the elite style guitars? Where does one hang it then? |
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December 2005
Posts: 111
| Mark, yeah, humidity was ugly in July/August (worst I've yet seen). But, my understanding is that air conditioning removes humidity. So, the question is, how much? The answer is... gotta get the hygrometer. And, winter has seemed pretty dry. |
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December 2005
Posts: 111
| ttenn, the Dampit postings on Ebay make it obvious they are used in violins, with f-holes. They have them fully inserted (but, how are they retrieved), and say the instrument can be played with them in place. So, it seems like it would work with epaulet holes. |
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December 2005
Posts: 111
| Waskel, I got a message that your PM box is full, so I had to send you an E-mail. |
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February 2005
Posts: 11840
Location: closely held secret | Yeah, I cleaned it up some.
You've got email this time... |
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October 2005
Posts: 4028
Location: Utah | I use part of a thick sponge, about 1" x 1" x 2", in a zip lock baggie (do I need to pay ASCAP for saying "zip lock baggie"?). The baggie is punched full of holes using a paper hole punch. About once every two weeks I have to rewet the sponge.
Our humidity runs at 20% to 40% inside the house in the winter, and the sponge adds about 5% to 10% to that inside the case of my all-wood Alvarez. I haven't put the hygrometer in the O case yet, but with less wood to soak up the moisture, I expect it adds even more % to the O.
For the O, the sponge-in-baggie works great placed down next to the plastic bowl where it doesn't touch wood. For the Alvarez it takes a bit of fiddling to get it where there is no chance of touching wood and possibly damaging the finish. |
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February 2005
Posts: 253
Location: New Orleans | We have to keep silica gel packets in our guitars way down here. An average day here is like breathing underwater, too MUCH humidity. |
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July 2002
Posts: 280
Location: Waterloo, IL | If I use a ziplock baggie and a sponge, how many holes do I need to put in the baggie to let the moisture out? |
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November 2004
Posts: 37
Location: Warwick, RI | I've had good luck with a suggestion I read somewhere: drill out 1/4 inch holes in a plastic soapdish, load with a pretty damp (not sopping) sponge, and check frequently. A dry wood git will soak up fast, but to actually bring a dry guitar up to proper moisture content should be done gradually. I only know this because I once bought a really dry Gibby, with the bridge coming off and top cracking, frets popping, etc.It's a lot easier to keep at right humidity than to restore, I think. For Os, the dampit seems perfect. |
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December 2003
Posts: 13984
Location: Upper Left USA | 35mm film container
paper punch
sponge
For the directions, please send $29.95 via Paypal to my email address!
Peace |
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July 2004
Posts: 812
Location: Hicksville, NY | There's an article about humidity and humidifiers in the shoptalk section of the Feb. 2006 issue of Acoustic Guitar magazine. It's the one with Jackson Browne on the magazine cover. I'd been using Dampits for quite sometime now, and decided to check out the Planet Waves humidifier after reading it. |
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September 2005
Posts: 3618
Location: GATLINBURG TENNESSEE :) | Hey! I wonder if a water-dampened tampon would work for this? I could pick up a small box and have all my guitars covered for a fraction of the cost. The only problem I could see would be trying to explain it to peole when they see it. Hey! I could even market them in colored assortments and call them Dampons (: |
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October 2005
Posts: 4028
Location: Utah | Chuck, to answer your question, just go to town with the paper punch and make lots and lots of holes. The half-size snack baggies are a better size than the regular sandwich size.
If you wanted to be slick with it, you could punch holes only on one side so that the other side could safely be against the guitar without worrying about water damaging the finish. |
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July 2002
Posts: 280
Location: Waterloo, IL | TTypical Navy man, has to read all the instructions just to make sense of all of it, even if the instructions don't make sense. :rolleyes: Ziplock bag, lots of holes in one side, damp sponge in the bag. Add to inside of case or inside of guitar? If inside of guitar, how? Won't fit between strings, and should be removed to add water or play guitar.
Simple minds ned things kept simple. ;) |
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November 2004
Posts: 81
Location: Poplar Bluff Mo | We just added a "whole house" humidifier to our home. We have too many instruments to worry about. It also might be good for us as well. |
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Humidifiers
