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Make a humidifier for your acoustic for $4
As we all know, living in the desert is tough on acoustic instruments. It's going to get worse with fall approaching. I've been making my own humidifiers for a few years now and it's much cheaper than getting one from the store and just as effective. Here's how I make mine.
DISCLAIMER: I'm just an amateur player and perform very simple, basic repairs and mods. I can't guarantee this will work for everyone but it definitely has worked out well for me. In other words, YMMV!
Almost everything I use was purchased at my local Family Dollar.
Mini Storage Box with lid, a bag of 8 for $1.
Sponges, 6 for $1.
Hole punch, .50 at a Goodwill
Razor blade pilfered from a friend's tool box, Free!
1. I grab my hole punch and make a bunch of holes in the lid. I then use a razor to cut off the plastic that was punched out. You don't have to do this but it drives my OCD crazy.
2. Cut or rip sponge into a size that will fit the box. Get the sponge wet then wring out excess water.
3. Throw the sponge into the box, snap the lid on and done!
Like I stated previously this has worked great for me for several years. I made one for a friend of mine who has a jumbo-type acoustic (I forget what the brand is but it's a nice one) and we discovered that only one didn't cut it so I made him a 2nd one and that did the trick. Hope this helps someone out there!
Views: 232
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Humidifier 01.JPG, 197 KB -
Humidifier 02.JPG, 159 KB
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Humidifier 03.JPG, 127 KB
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Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Phil Manuel on
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I love practical low-to-no-cost solutions. I'l do one of these for all my guitars. Thanks for the info!
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Permalink Reply by FloridaGull on -
Well, of course you have to cut the "hanging chads" off - remember what that did to the 2000 election? Imagine what they would do to a nice guitar... ;-)
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Permalink Reply by Craig MC on -
Cheap is good, I'll agree, but a drawback with this design may be the possibility of liquid water getting on or in your guitar. Most people will leave too much water in the sponge. It has to be wrung until it's hard to get more than a couple of drops out.
I have a Planet Waves humidifier that works pretty good. It has some kind of spongy material that holds a lot of water, which you inject through a hole in the top with the included syringe. Then it hangs from the strings into the sound hole, drip free. It was $10. They don't seem to sell that one anymore. The new one is just a version of your box with a sponge.
Anyway, the key is wringing that sponge out until it hardly seems wet. The dry wood will draw the moisture out. You'll have to re-wet the sponge more frequently, but you'll avoid drips. Hanging directly inside the guitar, like this one or the Dampit tubes makes sense to me. The Dampits come with a plastic soundhole cover to keep the vapor in.
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Permalink Reply by Bill Myers on -
Back when we still put film in cameras...I used to make these out of 35mm film containers. I would drill 6 small holes in the lid and fill them with a sponge. Fill it up with waters and dump out what the sponge wouldn't soak up. Put the lid back on and throw it in the case.
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Permalink Reply by Lisa Thoms on -
That is a brilliant idea! Thanks for sharing.
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Permalink Reply by Rosemary j. Lambin on
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Great idea! I may give it a try in the winter, when the air can get pretty dry.
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