# Winter storage?



## Beach Bob (Sep 12, 2009)

This is my first winter with a guitar (Seagull S6 Slim) sitting around and I've got a couple of concerns for the winter.

1) Humidity - Normally, I keep the guitar on a stand by my desk. Out here, the winters get pretty dry (15% humidity). Should I be slipping it into a gig bag with an Oasis style humidifier, even if I am using it daily?

2) Long term - I will be away for a month, and there is no way a humidifier will keep juiced up that long. What to do for storage?


thanks!


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## -TJ- (Aug 28, 2006)

You can keep it in case with a humidifier. My house doesnt dip below 35% in the winter because there is a central humidifier, but I still like to keep my acoustics in the 40-50% range, especially since I have put a lot of money into them. I found I havent had any problems with the in-case humidifier, they are easy to maintain.


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## six-string (Oct 7, 2009)

here's a simply cheap way to DIY your own guitar humidifier.
buy a plastic travellers soapbar holder/case. avg $3 at your local drugstore or camping supply store. drill a few holes in it.
insert a damp sponge in the plastic holder and place in the guitar case.
every few weeks check the sponge and if its dried out, just soak it and squeeze out the excess water before putting it back in the plastic case and into your guitar case. works exactly the same as a lot of the fancy expensive guitar humidifiers sold at your local guitar shop.


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## xuthal (May 15, 2007)

One thing to remember is to buy the antibacterial sponges.They prevent mold from growing in you case or guitar.Another thing is to buy a case for the guitar,i dont think a gig bag would hold and maintain the humidity.Any size case will do as long as it is somewhat airtight and the guitar can fit into it.What you want to be watching out for is the top,it will dry out and could crack so you will have to buy a hydrometer for the case.Just go to a music store and buy one there,i hear a decent one shouldnt cost too much.The levels you will need to look for are between 40% to 60% humidity.Anything in between those is fine.Below 40% the top could crack,above 60% and you can get a very soggy top
It doesn't pay to guess the humidity levels in this type of situation,a decent hydrometer is a must if you will be storing the guitar for some time.


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## Nohtanhoj (Jun 30, 2008)

For sure. I lived in CGY for a long time before moving out to the big smoke this year, and I had a Dampit in my guitar all the time (even when it was just sitting on the stand). Sometimes, in the summer, when the humidity would get into single digits, I would use two.

Also, you guys mean _hygrometer_, not hydrometer. They are very different things, the former being an instrument measuring relative humidity. A good hygrometer costs 30 bucks, it's a good investment (I've got one in my apartment/dorm room to check if the humidity in TO gets too high, cause then I'll have to take the Dampit out).


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## xuthal (May 15, 2007)

Nohtanhoj said:


> Also, you guys mean _hygrometer_, not hydrometer..


kqoct my bad


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