# What do you use for a Humidifier and Settings.



## NSStratguy (Jan 9, 2017)

I have a guitar man cave with my Electrics and Acoustics on the walls and on Stands. Yes I know they would be better off in cases but I am in there everyday at some point watching TV or on the laptop like now and I will usually end up playing most of them daily.

I use a Sunbeam Designer warm mist humidifier set to 50% and a honeywell digital gauge on the other side of the room.


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## High/Deaf (Aug 19, 2009)

This winter has me thinking about a humidifier (usually not necessary out here). I remember from a previous life on the prairies that humidifiers leave a thin white dust on stuff. Is this still the case or has tech gotten better?


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## NSStratguy (Jan 9, 2017)

High/Deaf said:


> This winter has me thinking about a humidifier (usually not necessary out here). I remember from a previous life on the prairies that humidifiers leave a thin white dust on stuff. Is this still the case or has tech gotten better?


I have found that the case with cool mist but not warm mist. Both types have their perks but I only need to use one in the winter so the warm mist also helps warm up the room a little. Also with the warm mist you do not have to change filters etc.

I noticed yesterday when I was at Canadian tire the one I had was on sale for $49.99. They had some others on sale as well. I guess the biggest thing is to get something that you can set the humidity level on.

I wish mine would do 45% but the only options are 30, 40, 50, 60. From what I read anywhere from 45 - 55 is the right humidity for guitars. So I will stay on the 50 setting. The only problem I have with it on 50% is that I find it a little stuffy for me when I spend allot of time in the room.


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## guitarman2 (Aug 25, 2006)

NSStratguy said:


> I have found that the case with cool mist but not warm mist. Both types have their perks but I only need to use one in the winter so the warm mist also helps warm up the room a little. Also with the warm mist you do not have to change filters etc.
> 
> I noticed yesterday when I was at Canadian tire the one I had was on sale for $49.99. They had some others on sale as well. I guess the biggest thing is to get something that you can set the humidity level on.
> 
> I wish mine would do 45% but the only options are 30, 40, 50, 60. From what I read anywhere from 45 - 55 is the right humidity for guitars. So I will stay on the 50 setting. The only problem I have with it on 50% is that I find it a little stuffy for me when I spend allot of time in the room.


Depends on the guitars and how you'd like them to sound. For my Martin guitars, they are lightly built so great care is needed. Having said that I find my guitars sound best on the dry side so I shoot for about 35% with my humidifier but I've had the room drop to about 30%. 50% would be over humidified and the guitars just don't sound near as good that wet. In the summer time my office will get to about 60% before I crank the AC on and even then in the middle of the humid summer I can't get the room down much lower than 45 to 48%. 
When I had my Martin HD-28V I didn't even humidify in the winter for the first 6 years I had it. No ill effects. I just got tired of the action going to low in the winter so I started humidfying. With the Martins I have now they don't move at all but I wouldn't forgo humidfying due to their value and how lightly they are built. 
I never worried about humidification for Electric guitars ever.


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## Alex (Feb 11, 2006)

I use a Pureguardian unit that I call R2D2.....no filter, easy maintenance, small and compact. They are a little more expensive but they tend to last longer and the air quality is much better. I use the cold setting at 45%. I have a hygrometer above my guitar rack to keep things in check.


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## Alex (Feb 11, 2006)

High/Deaf said:


> This winter has me thinking about a humidifier (usually not necessary out here). I remember from a previous life on the prairies that humidifiers leave a thin white dust on stuff. Is this still the case or has tech gotten better?


Depending on the hardness of the water, the thin white dust can happen. The non filter units I have can be loaded with a permanent filter to eliminate or reduce the dust but I have had no issues with my little unit in the music room. I bought the Dyson for the bedrooms upstairs and that is a fantastic unit albeit not cheap. Kills water bacteria and no residue.


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## NSStratguy (Jan 9, 2017)

guitarman2 said:


> Depends on the guitars and how you'd like them to sound. For my Martin guitars, they are lightly built so great care is needed. Having said that I find my guitars sound best on the dry side so I shoot for about 35% with my humidifier but I've had the room drop to about 30%. 50% would be over humidified and the guitars just don't sound near as good that wet. In the summer time my office will get to about 60% before I crank the AC on and even then in the middle of the humid summer I can't get the room down much lower than 45 to 48%.
> When I had my Martin HD-28V I didn't even humidify in the winter for the first 6 years I had it. No ill effects. I just got tired of the action going to low in the winter so I started humidfying. With the Martins I have now they don't move at all but I wouldn't forgo humidfying due to their value and how lightly they are built.
> I never worried about humidification for Electric guitars ever.


Wow 35 really ? I wonder if that is a Martin thing ? I know without a humidifier my room was at 37 on my hygrometer during the winter and my Larrivee and Taylor would have the sharp fret edges sticking out of neck edge. My Strats were the same way but just not as bad. My guitars don't seem to like anything under 45 at the min.


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## guitarman2 (Aug 25, 2006)

NSStratguy said:


> Wow 35 really ? I wonder if that is a Martin thing ? I know without a humidifier my room was at 37 on my hygrometer during the winter and my Larrivee and Taylor would have the sharp fret edges sticking out of neck edge. My Strats were the same way but just not as bad. My guitars don't seem to like anything under 45 at the min.


I went to Niagara falls this past weekend and I knew my room humidifier would run out of water before I got back. So I packed the guitars in the case with a wet sponge and turn the humidifier off. When I got back the hygrometer read 20%. 
I'm not sure if its a Martin thing though I'd doubt it. Many of the Martin owners over at UMGF like there guitars at about 35% t0 40%. As I said a bit on the drier side they sound better. 
One small advantage to my D-28 Authentic is that the top is VTS (torrefied) so its on the same celullar structure as an old vintage top. Meaning that dry conditions will have very little effect on it. However I'd still want to be careful with the Madagascar Rosewood back and sides. Most Madi backs are flatsawn (as is mine) so doesn't quite have the stability of a quartersawn back according to some experts.


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## NSStratguy (Jan 9, 2017)

I was just reading on Martins site they say that their guitars should be kept 45 - 55 humidity and 72 - 77 degrees which is what they keep their factory at but that being said you are not the first Martin owner that said otherwise. I played with a few guys at the campground who said their guitars sound and play better dry.

https://www.martinguitar.com/media/6187/2016-carefeedingguide_intl_low.pdf

It is funny though I have a Simon and Patrick showcase CW Rosewood series Acoustic and nothing seems to bother it.


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## guitarman2 (Aug 25, 2006)

NSStratguy said:


> I was just reading on Martins site they say that their guitars should be kept 45 - 55 humidity and 72 - 77 degrees which is what they keep their factory at but that being said you are not the first Martin owner that said otherwise. I played with a few guys at the campground who said their guitars sound and play better dry.
> 
> https://www.martinguitar.com/media/6187/2016-carefeedingguide_intl_low.pdf
> 
> It is funny though I have a Simon and Patrick showcase CW Rosewood series Acoustic and nothing seems to bother it.


Yes if I was a new Martin or acoustic owner I might be paranoid enough to adhere strictly to the Martin recommendations. I've owned a Martin of some kind since 1980 and have owned an acoustic since 1973. There were nice Martin and Gibsons in my home since before I was born as my dad played. He never humidified and I never really thought to until about 2007.
In the summer when my guitars get up to and past 50% humidity they just sound dead
My grand daughters Taylor GS mini that I have here is in a room that isn't humidified and its fine. But then its laminated.


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## NSStratguy (Jan 9, 2017)

A Martin is on my list for sure. It is one of the only brands left that I would like to own. I came close when I bought the Taylor 810. I was playing a Martin DC28E. I would like to have both. They both played amazing it was a hard choice and it really came down to the neck profile. I do now one thing though the new stuff does not compare to the vintage stuff. A few years back the wife and I went to California and I went to Norms rare guitars and talk about nice stuff. Although they came with a price tag to boot.


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## Mooh (Mar 7, 2007)

My music room is approximately 11 x 22 x 8 and a 2 gallon humidifier handles the job of keeping it above 40% quite well. Generally I like to close the room up at night to help contain the humidity a bit. I'll turn it off or to its lowest setting while teaching, but the hum isn't too hard to deal with. Clean filters are a must.


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## NSStratguy (Jan 9, 2017)

Mooh said:


> My music room is approximately 11 x 22 x 8 and a 2 gallon humidifier handles the job of keeping it above 40% quite well. Generally I like to close the room up at night to help contain the humidity a bit. I'll turn it off or to its lowest setting while teaching, but the hum isn't too hard to deal with. Clean filters are a must.


11 X 22 is a good size. Mine is just 10 x 12 for now. Once the kids move out it is going to be bigger but the wife just doesn't know it lol.


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## Robert1950 (Jan 21, 2006)

I live in a moderately sized one bedroom apt. in Edmonton. Winters get DRY here. There have been times it has gone below 30% during other three seasons. I try to keep it above 40%. I using a simple cool fan 2 speed humidifier on low speed. So far it works.

Last spring was tinder dry for 2 months and the humidity got as low as 18%, so I have to monitor all year long.


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## guitarman2 (Aug 25, 2006)

Mooh said:


> My music room is approximately 11 x 22 x 8 and a 2 gallon humidifier handles the job of keeping it above 40% quite well. Generally I like to close the room up at night to help contain the humidity a bit. I'll turn it off or to its lowest setting while teaching, but the hum isn't too hard to deal with. Clean filters are a must.


Yes I keep the door to my office\music room closed up most of the time and especially over night and when I'm at work during the day. 
I don't change the filters in my humidifier often. I have a reverse osmosis water filter and thats the water I use for the humidifier.


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## guitarman2 (Aug 25, 2006)

NSStratguy said:


> A Martin is on my list for sure. It is one of the only brands left that I would like to own. I came close when I bought the Taylor 810. I was playing a Martin DC28E. I would like to have both. They both played amazing it was a hard choice and it really came down to the neck profile. I do now one thing though the new stuff does not compare to the vintage stuff. A few years back the wife and I went to California and I went to Norms rare guitars and talk about nice stuff. Although they came with a price tag to boot.


The first D-28 I bought from Long and Mcquade back in the mid 90's I was comparing to an 810 and almost went with the Taylor. I went back and forth between the 2 for almost 4 hours before I went with the D-28. In the end it was the Martin sound I grew up with and thats what I wanted. The neck on the Taylor is what almost swayed me. Played like an electric guitar neck, which at the time is what I mostly played.


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## knight_yyz (Mar 14, 2015)

I smoke cigars, so I have tons of hygrometers. I am using this baby here to keep my room at 45% and verified with a calibrated hygrometer. The humidifier ihas two very large tanks which last about a month in the winter, about 3 months in the summer.


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## Wardo (Feb 5, 2010)

I have one of those bigass 2 tank humidifiers from Sears keeps the entire condo at about 46 or so in the winter no problem. Also have a dehumidifier for summer if it gets too wet and I have the same 12th Fret hygrometer as pictured above. The guitars and mandolin don't go out of tune very much if left to sit for a week or two and the action has stayed put on most of them over the last 4 years or so. I don't like those oasis things but I have 3 of them for if I have take a guitar somewhere for a few days away from home or if it gets really dry at home. I think there was one winter where I was worried about the humidifier not keeping up must have been colder than usual so forced air heat was going full blast and it was dryer than a dead pig layin in the sun for awhile.


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## High/Deaf (Aug 19, 2009)

I finally pulled the trigger on an Ivation humidifier. Warm and cool mists settings. Not a huge tank but looks like it's easy to fill. Got decent reviews on Amazon - does that even mean anything? 

While it probably won't get here before this cold dry air gets pushed out (hopefully this weekend?), just the fact that I ordered it will be the butterfly flapping it's wings, causing all cold cells from visiting us for years. Kinda like how when you take a rainjacket with you, it never seems to rain.

You're welcome, Vancouver. Everything I do, I do it for you..............


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## Gearhead88 (Nov 7, 2013)

I use a Honeywell upright - cool mist , it was around $70 or $80 . When it is real cold outside , the air is dry , that's when this thing shines . It holds a couple of gallons at least , has a filter and an ultra violet light to keep the unit sanitized . There are three fan speeds. When it runs a lot I fill it daily. My house is less than 1000 square feet , the humidifier lives on the main floor and does a good job of maintaining 40% humidity.

I have several house plants , which helps with maintaining the air quality and humidity.


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