Humidity in the house / Dampits

[brianh]

Hi,

I recently bought a humidifier for the room I store my bass in. It seems to work well thus far, I'm just curious as to what % I should try to keep the room at. I've been keeping it at roughly 50% and am thinking I shouldn't make it too humid because I take the bass to gigs a lot where it is probably much more dry. The bass never sounds good when the climate changes a lot and my Eudoxa strings really hate sudden humidity changes.

Also, whats the deal with Dampits? I've used them before and I think they work OK but some say they can cause water damage on the bass. Should I be using these? If so, should I use them at the house in addition to the humidifier? Should I use them when I'm out gigging and moving the bass around a lot?

Thanks,
Brian

[Phalex]

I believe 35% is optimum for relative humidity. For a solid body I'm not sure I'd really worry too much. It's those acoustics that tend to get finicky.

[isolated]

Yo.

50% seems about right, but I wouldn't let it get much higher than that. You start running into problems when the bass experiences a very sharp change in humidity, as you mentioned. Which is where the Dampits come in. Those only cause problems when people don't bother to wring them out thoroughly. I would recommend keeping one in the bass when you take it out of the house. Again, as long as they're not dripping wet, they will benefit quite a bit.

Of course, everyone has a different opinion on maintaining humidity in the winter. The above is what has worked best for my bass....

[boylebass]

http://www.davidgage.com/z_david_archive1.htm

The room my bass is in is HUGE and requires 2 humidifiers to keep it between 30-40%. Dampits are fine if you follow the instructions and remember that they only work when the bass is bagged.

Good luck.

[Basicbassist]

Kolstein recommends maintaining 50% humidity. He warns against using Dampits - they can drip water and disolve the water-based glue that holds the bass together.

[drurb]

Originally Posted by Basicbassist

Kolstein recommends maintaining 50% humidity. He warns against using Dampits - they can drip water and disolve the water-based glue that holds the bass together.

+1! Many disagree with me but I think damp-its are dangerous. I have experimented with them at length. It seems that no matter what you do, they will drip, even if only a bit. I place a wet kitchen sponge in an open zip-lock bag and throw that in my case.

At home, I have a separate evaporative humidifier and a digital hygrometer in the room where the bass "lives." During the winter, I try to maintain 42-45% humidity.

[Eric Hochberg]

According to my luthier, 38%. It's the large changes that could be troublesome when you take it out of the house, so 50% would be more of a shock if you bring it into a 20% room, for instance. I think that if the bass is acclimated to a location it stands a better chance of staying healthy, too.

[brianh]

Originally Posted by drurb

+1! Many disagree with me but I think damp-its are dangerous. I have experimented with them at length. It seems that no matter what you do, they will drip, even if only a bit. I place a wet kitchen sponge in an open zip-lock bag and throw that in my case.

How does this work? Don't you run the risk of the water leaking out of the zip-lock?

I think I remember hearing about some guys hanging a bag with a sponge inside the bass between the F holes. There were several Bruce Bransby students at IU who got it from him I think...

[MonetBass]

If you wring the dampit out thoroughly, they won't drip at all. I've used them for years without any problems (only when storing for long periods, though).

[jisbass]

After wetting the dampit, I fold it in half, and I fold it again in half, and squeeze as much water out as I can in my hand. Than, I whip it a few times while it's folded just in half. Then I wipe the exterior of the dampit with a towel. Never dripped on me yet.

When the bass is out of its case, and sitting in a room, humidifier works best.
Good to know that according to Gage, 30% is ok. I always get worried every time the humidity drops to the thirties, even w/ a humidifier.
I try to keep it right around 40% though.

Got my hygrometer from Target for 9.99. It has temperature & humidity, and best of all, it remembers the lowest and the highest levels that it reached, so you know how the room was while you were out.

[mjt0229]

My luthier mentioned that she'd been seeing more and more problems caused by dampits recently and suggested that it may be the result of poor manufacturing standards of late. I keep my bass on a stand in my living room and I have a digital hygrometer. Usually I want my humidity between 40% and 60% - if things start getting low, I just put a kettle on for a little while. Of course, living in the PNW, low humidity isn't often an issue.

[David Kaczorowski]

I've been told a dry Dampit is almost as dangerous as an overly saturated one as it will further dry out the air around it (the air in your bass). I keep my music room at 45% and have never had a problem, even if the humidier runs out and the humidity drops drastically till it's refilled; and I don't use a dampit when I take it out. But my bass is only 8 or 9 years old and doesn't have old repairs or anything I need to worry about.

[shostkontrabass]

Originally Posted by jisbass

After wetting the dampit, I fold it in half, and I fold it again in half, and squeeze as much water out as I can in my hand. Than, I whip it a few times while it's folded just in half. Then I wipe the exterior of the dampit with a towel. Never dripped on me yet.

+1. I do the same thing and have never had any drips either.

[drurb]

Originally Posted by MonetBass

If you wring the dampit out thoroughly, they won't drip at all. I've used them for years without any problems (only when storing for long periods, though).

Originally Posted by jisbass

After wetting the dampit, I fold it in half, and I fold it again in half, and squeeze as much water out as I can in my hand. Than, I whip it a few times while it's folded just in half. Then I wipe the exterior of the dampit with a towel. Never dripped on me yet.

When the bass is out of its case, and sitting in a room, humidifier works best.
Good to know that according to Gage, 30% is ok. I always get worried every time the humidity drops to the thirties, even w/ a humidifier.
I try to keep it right around 40% though.

Got my hygrometer from Target for 9.99. It has temperature & humidity, and best of all, it remembers the lowest and the highest levels that it reached, so you know how the room was while you were out.

I tried a bunch of tests with the damp-its. After I engaged in various forms of wringing out, twirling, and drying, I would hang up the damp-it outside of the bass. I'd put something under it to detect any drip and then left it for 15 min. to 0.5 hr. It would drip virtually every time. The only way I could get it not to drip was if the damp-it was so dried out that it was virtually of no benefit. To each his own-- you won't find one in my bass.

[drurb]

Originally Posted by brianh

How does this work? Don't you run the risk of the water leaking out of the zip-lock?

I think I remember hearing about some guys hanging a bag with a sponge inside the bass between the F holes. There were several Bruce Bransby students at IU who got it from him I think...

No, because while the sponge is wet, it is not dripping wet. Works like a charm!

[drurb]

Originally Posted by David Kaczorowski

I've been told a dry Dampit is almost as dangerous as an overly saturated one as it will further dry out the air around it (the air in your bass). I keep my music room at 45% and have never had a problem, even if the humidier runs out and the humidity drops drastically till it's refilled; and I don't use a dampit when I take it out. But my bass is only 8 or 9 years old and doesn't have old repairs or anything I need to worry about.

I never heard that one. I don't think the sponge material in the damp-it substantially attracts water out of the air as other materials would. In any case, I don't use one either.

[lowEndRick]

Originally Posted by drurb

I never heard that one. I don't think the sponge material in the damp-it substantially attracts water out of the air as other materials would. In any case, I don't use one either.

I have read extensively about humidity for the sake of my guitars. I do not know if it directly applies to urb. Bob Taylor of Taylor guitars has written much about this issue. At the Taylor factory they maintain 47%. I try to do the same in my home studio and have never had any problems with my collection of acoustic guitars. As far as the green dampits, they are made to emit and collect moisture. So if they are damp they will emit, if they are dry they will collect.

[drurb]

Originally Posted by lowEndRick

I have read extensively about humidity for the sake of my guitars. I do not know if it directly applies to urb. Bob Taylor of Taylor guitars has written much about this issue. At the Taylor factory they maintain 47%. I try to do the same in my home studio and have never had any problems with my collection of acoustic guitars. As far as the green dampits, they are made to emit and collect moisture. So if they are damp they will emit, if they are dry they will collect.

Thanks-- I don't remember reading anything in the DB damp-it literature about it attracting moisture. Assuming that is true, I suppose it is meant to pull excess moisture from the air so probably would not pull substantial moisture from the bass when the humidity is very low. Just a guess.

[Dbassmon]

On advice from Bill Merchant, humidity should be kept around 30%-35% in the winter. The reasoning is that one of the most dangerous things for your bass is big swings in humidity that occur rapidly. If your bass is used to being in 50% humidity and you bring to a gig, rehearsal or some other place and experience a 25%-30% change in humidity that can cause problems. If on the other hand, the bass is kept at 30%-35% range, changes are likely to be much less drastic and safer for the instrument.

If your bass never leaves the house, this is not an issue.

[BPeder]

The thing with a dampit is, you can't get lazy. Don't try to leave it over saturated so you don't have to mess with it for days. Find the correct frequency to soak it/ wring it and then do it. Morning and night if ya have to. The colder it gets, the more the relative humidity drops. Another idea for a poor man's dampit is to put sponge in a 35mm film tube. punch some hole in the top and you're golden. I play some Bodhran, and this works really good for keeping the Goatskin head from drying out too much and getting too tight. It only works if the drum is cased. You can't get the film tube in a bass but then again, that keeps dripping water out of there too. Quite the apropo topic with winter coming on, or already here depending on where you live. It's a big concern here in Minnesota. Cheers everyone!