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PostPosted: Mon Dec 10, 2007 4:46 am 

For the past few winter seasons I have been using the standard green Dampit and a bigger bass sized Dampit.  Also I have tried the LifeGuard for a few of my guitars. 


They seem to work great, but I am thinking about giving the Humidipak a try.  Has anyone tried these out yet?  One of my guitars has a soundhole that is only 3-1/8"; too small for the LifeGuards.  I'm wondering if the Humidipak may fit.


What if anything are you all using?


Thanks,



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 Post subject:
PostPosted: Mon Dec 10, 2007 5:09 am 
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Koa
Koa

Joined: Wed Jun 01, 2005 6:35 am
Posts: 1325
Location: Kings Mtn., NC, USA
First name: Bill
Last Name: Greene
City: Kings Mountain
State: North Carolina
Zip/Postal Code: 28086
Country: USA
Focus: Build
Status: Amateur
Kitchen sponge, really. Just purchase a box of ziploc "Snak Pak" bags...they're really small, like 6.5 x 3.25, something like that. Then get the basic kitchen sponges...which are something like 3 x 5.

With one of those school hole punchers, punch a bunch of holes in the snak pak, making sure to stay inside the perimiter by 3/4" or so.

Wet sponge thoroughly and ring out hard, by hand. Insert into pak and zip. Place sponge between the D and G strings low enough to get the sponge deep into the soundhole.

You can make a bunch for just a few dollars. They work great, and when the bag wears out (which will take a year or so), make another one.

If I'm not mistaken this idea came from a guy named Bryan Kimsey, a pretty well-known guitar repairman. If it came from someone else, I apologize.





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PostPosted: Mon Dec 10, 2007 5:26 am 
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Cocobolo
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Joined: Thu Nov 16, 2006 9:19 am
Posts: 163
Be careful not to leave any residual free drops of water. I did that with a dampit and it caused the builder's signature to run on the lable when a tiny drop of water hit it.


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 Post subject:
PostPosted: Mon Dec 10, 2007 5:50 am 

[QUOTE=Bill Bergman]Be careful not to leave any residual free drops of water. I did that with a dampit and it caused the builder's signature to run on the lable when a tiny drop of water hit it.[/QUOTE]


Yep, I did the same thing with my Dampit.  Half the label on my 1922 Gibson disintegrated after what I could guess was a bit of water coming into contact with the paper.  Now I always try to squeeze out excess h20 and keep the case standing on it's side.



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 Post subject:
PostPosted: Mon Dec 10, 2007 5:55 am 
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Old Growth Brazilian Rosewood
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Joined: Fri Nov 02, 2007 9:49 am
Posts: 13386
Location: Ann Arbor, Michigan
First name: Hesh
Last Name: Breakstone
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Status: Professional
There was a post on the OLF some months ago about the possibility, and reality, or leaks from Humidipak - proceed with caution my friend.


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PostPosted: Mon Dec 10, 2007 6:13 am 
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Old Growth Brazilian
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Joined: Tue Dec 28, 2004 1:56 am
Posts: 10707
Location: United States
Get an ameritage gold series case


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PostPosted: Mon Dec 10, 2007 7:51 am 

[QUOTE=MichaelP]Get an ameritage gold series case [/QUOTE]


MichaelP those cases _do_ look great, though I can't imagine they would do much to keep the inside of the box any better humidified than what I am currently using.


I never understood why the hygrometer is kept up near the peghead in these cases.



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 Post subject:
PostPosted: Mon Dec 10, 2007 8:14 am 
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Old Growth Brazilian
Old Growth Brazilian

Joined: Tue Dec 28, 2004 1:56 am
Posts: 10707
Location: United States
The humidifier is right pat the storage box. It may not be better than a sound hole mount, but it does control the rh inside the whole case with out fear of spilling in to the body or in side the body. What more do you need.


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 Post subject:
PostPosted: Mon Dec 10, 2007 11:24 am 
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Koa
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Joined: Sat Jun 24, 2006 12:41 pm
Posts: 975
Location: United States
First name: Tracy
Last Name: Leveque
City: Denver
State: CO
Country: USA
Focus: Build
Status: Amateur
Todd,
I had the local repair guy give one of the Oasis humidifiers a try, and he was not impressed. Here in CO it is pretty dry in the winter(around 25%), and the Oasis couldn't even get it to 40%. I also heard stories about leakage from this too. Just be careful and test often.
Tracy

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 Post subject:
PostPosted: Mon Dec 10, 2007 11:40 am 
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Old Growth Brazilian Rosewood
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Joined: Fri Nov 02, 2007 9:49 am
Posts: 13386
Location: Ann Arbor, Michigan
First name: Hesh
Last Name: Breakstone
City: Ann Arbor
State: Michigan
Country: United States
Status: Professional
It's sounds like one's best shot, when not traveling, is to at least humidify one room for storage of guitars and keep the guitars in cases to buffer them from changes.

I used the Planet Waves guitar humidifiers for years and they always worked great for me and never leaked.  But you do have to follow the instructions to the letter.  This includes injecting a measured amount of "distilled" water into the humidifier with the included syringe.



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