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Joined: January 2004 Posts: 123
Location: Massachusetts | I am confused. For the past 2 months I've kept a wet sponge in all my guitar cases. My Ovation had a lengthwise crack repaired by a luthier last year. Crack was cause it fell over not humidity.
I looked at the guitar and it looked liked the crack was sinking in, making a pit where the crack is.
But...behind the bridge is a giant hump. At the edge of the guitar where the crack was repaired is another bulge where the brace is starting to push through.
Is it dry or wet?
Last night I put 3 wet sponges in my case..1 in headstock, 2 in body, and put soundhole cover on it and close d it up. Hygrometer is showing 42-45% next to the body.
I'm also keeping near a 40% humidifier.
If it's dry, I'm doing the right thing..if it's wet..well this isn't good.
Strange thing is, my Gibson is fine and I've treated it the same way.
Thoughts? |
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Joined: March 2005 Posts: 12762
Location: Boise, Idaho | Your humidity level sounds OK. |
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Joined: October 2006 Posts: 5576
Location: big island | in my humid experience, a bulge is generally a sign of swelled up wood, meaning too much moisture. but your numbers are good. |
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Joined: April 2006 Posts: 2491
Location: Copenhagen Denmark | How Old is your guitar ?
Vic |
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Joined: January 2004 Posts: 123
Location: Massachusetts | It's a 2001 USA Balladeer. The best freekin neck I have ever played on any guitar period btw.
I worry more about feeling that brace on the edge and the bumps which I assume are from the braces behind the bridge.
In 2 night the sponges inside the sealed body have not dried out. If it was extremely dry I would think they would have. A video on the Taylor site had 5 Dampits drying out overnight...that is dry.
Yet I can't see how I got it too wet by putting a sponge in baggie in the open soundhole and one in the headstock area and closing the case.
Confusing. I hope the braces smooth out either way. |
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Joined: March 2005 Posts: 12762
Location: Boise, Idaho | In at least one of my older ones (I can't remember which), you can see the outline of the braces. My 1614 also has a slight belly, which I've been told is normal, but it also had a broken brace. Get inside there with a mirror and check to see if the top is lifting off the braces. If not, and your humidity stays where it is, I couldn't tell you if anything is wrong. |
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Joined: January 2005 Posts: 161
Location: Atlanta GA | I would sell the guitar (or anything else I had) if I had to pay that much attention to it. |
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 Joined: September 2006 Posts: 10777
Location: Keepin' It Weird in Portland, OR | Hey Watchme... So folks just enjoy having something to fret about!
A Little Knowledge can be a Dangerous Thing.
btw... I never knew that I should even worry about such things until I started hanging-out here. But now I do throw a film-can/wet-sponge humidifier in my cases when I put my guitars away. |
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Joined: August 2006 Posts: 2804
Location: ranson,wva | i used to be extreamly anal about having humidifiers in all my guitars. at the time i had 10 ovations all in cases an it was just too much of a damn hassle to keep up on it..now all of mine are up on the walls. i do throw a oasis humidifer in the guitars when i sell one tho....jason |
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