Make your own humidifier... and USE IT!

[Dub Martin]

New member, natnee, had a humidification issue when flying with his/her mandolin. I thought I'd post this here for everyone needing humidification.

Marty Reynolds is most excellent luthier/repairman whose shop is in The Podium, a great music store in Dinkytown, Minneapolis, MN. Many forumites here probably know Marty.

Here is a link to Marty's advice on humidification ==> http://www.thepodium.com/t-instrumentcare.aspx

And here's a separate link to Marty's instructions for making your own instrument humidifiers.

==> http://www.thepodium.com/t-makinghumidifier.aspx

If you go to The Podium and ask to buy a humidifier, they'll most likely tell you that no commercial humidifiers work as well as Marty's and advise you read his page and make some. I have Oasis humidifiers in most of my instruments year round but I also keep one of Marty's design in each instrument case through the long Midwest winters. My instruments are happy and stay in tune much better.

[cutter]

Good information Dub Martin - thanks. Although temp and humidity levels in my little studio are maintained and monitored I may make a few of those up for traveling to my local jams and gigs.

Thanks Again (looks real easy)

[Dub Martin]

One of the things we deal with here in Iowa in the summertime is the often brutal humidity. One might assume that during a humid season, no humidification would be required for our instruments. Au contraire, we now air condition our homes so it's always dry indoors. I realized one day that I always had trouble keeping instruments in tune in the summertime. I finally figured out that I was taking my dry instruments out into the Iowa summer steam bath and the humidity change was causing everything to move until my instruments stabilized many hours later. Since then, I've always kept an Oasis® Guitar Humidifier in each case all year around. During the months when the heating system is used, I also have one of Marty's humidifiers in each case since the Oasis units would otherwise need refilling too often.

[mark]

Yes, it gets plenty dry in the winter. Keep 'em cased unless you're playing them.

[ScottB]

I've been using the Brian Kimsey humidifiers for the past 2 years. I can make 6 of these for about $2.

http://www.bryankimsey.com/humdifier/index.htm

His website is full of info on lutherie and repairs.

http://www.bryankimsey.com/music/lutherie.htm