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Seagulls, humidity control, and guitar cases...
I'm curious what the "flock of gulls" here do about humidity control for their Seagulls. I have a S6 original that I love and don't want any dehydration issues. I purchased my S6 at G****R C****R and noticed a S6 rustic that had a nasty crack clear through the thin cedar top. The sales guy told me Seagulls were more prone to cracks due to the type of finish used on the tops. I have to admit that my S6 has a thinner looking finish than other acoustics I've owned. I was encouraged to purchase a hardshell case and in case humidifier w/ my Seagull (no I did not purchase the one w/ a crack). Amazingly there was not a traditional hardshell case in stock that fit and since I drove about 2.5 hrs to get there just to buy that S6 I settled on a RoadRunner semi-hardshell case. It's very similar construction to a bike helmet and from what I've read this is similar to a Tric case? It's incased in canvass and is very light and great for being mobile w/ the guitar. I also have a incase humidifier that sits suspended in between the strings in the soundhole opening and another old school absorbant chalk-like material in a round plastic case that sits near the head stock. I've put in a Oasis hygrometer that sits in the case and seems to be accurate enough. I don't use a room humidifer but keep the case humidy around 5% higher than the relative humidy for my home (which is generally 35-55%. I've noticed since I brought it home last January that it immediately became hydrated to where it supposed to be and the top slightly raised w/ the swelling due to humidifying the instrument. This slightly raised the action but after switching to some new strings things have settled to a acceptable action heighth and pretty decent sound.
I'm curious what the rest of you do to keep your Gull in a happy humidy range. I generally keep my axe in its case unless playing as I don't have a humidity controlled guitar room.
Views: 1466
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Sea Gully on -
The store bought case humidifiers (and I have a couple) are expensive and don't hold much water so they often don't raise humidity levels enough and they have to be refilled frequently. While I keep my guitars in a special humidified room most of the time, when I do have them in the cases I use case humidifiers made out of travel soap holders and sponges. Just search for "guitar humidifier" on youtube and you will find numerous videos on how to make one. Basically you drill some holes in the soap holder and put a sponge or two inside. Make sure you get the thicker/sturdier plastic soap holders, as places like Walmart sell some flimsy ones that just crack when you drill them. Also always use distilled water in your case humidifiers or else the sponge will become encrusted with mineral deposits.
These soap dish humidifiers stay moist a lot longer and can raise the humidity a lot higher than the store bought products, at a fraction of the cost.
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Permalink Reply by Jud Hair on -
Good advice ... thanks! Right now, in North Carolina, I need a de-humidifier, but fall/winter is not that far off!
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Permalink Reply by FloridaGull on -
It will, indeed, be an interesting day when I need a humidifier down here... ;-)
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Permalink Reply by Sea Gully on
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In Colorado, except for the monsoon season in July and August, humidification is desperately required. As my Luthier buddy likes to remark, "Colorado kills guitars".
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Permalink Reply by CaliGull on -
It is 60% humidity in our house right now. Very unusual for Los Angeles, as conditions here are generally mild. In the summer it gets in the 90's and 100's in the valley areas but the heat is dry for us. Feels very much like when I was in Georgia in July many years ago.
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