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How do you humidify your bass?

#21
MCS4 said:
Great minds, eh Bob? My rock/metal band has played a few shows in the Treasure Coast area recently (one of the guitarists works in Port St. Lucie).
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Hey I'm moving to ft Lauderdale this weekend from Miami shores area. Been in the south florida area about two months now and loving it! I'd love to catch a show sometime and say hi if possible. Im still getting a feel for the area and music scene here, not many contacts as of yet.
 
#22
mitzache said:
Hi guys, Winter is over but there is still cold outside and heaters running inside the house. I wonder how other people humidify their instruments? I usually take all my five basses in the bathroom and keep them there with door closed while I take a shower..:) sounds funny but it does the trick. How about you?
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They have these things called humidifiers. Put your basses in a room with a humidifier. The optimal humidity is 35%.

I live in Colorado. I run several humidifiers in my house all winter.
 
#23
F-Clef-Jef said:
Doesn't that just make them... umm... wet? As someone else stated, it's the changes in humidity that affect the wood. Your shower routine is more likely to create problems with metal and electrical component corrosion than solve any "dry wood" problems. Anyway, the wood is most likely sealed, 20 minutes in a very humid room is probably a bad idea.
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Exactly. I'd expect any metal part of the bass to start rusting very quickly.
 
#24
GIBrat51 said:
I don't do anything. I live in the desert, but I figure if my house is comfortable for me, then it's comfortable for them. As the man said, it's the changes that cause the problems. Go to the trouble of creating a micro-climate for them in a special room if you want; to me, all you're doing is making a bunch of "Bubble Kid" instruments that you'll be afraid to take out of the room. I've got some basses that have been here in Las Vegas for 23 years, and they're doing just fine.
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Yes, living in the desert, the lack of humidity is too hard to fight. I came here from the midwest and I find that my instruments are more stable now. But when I get a new one or restring, I apply Dr. Ducks to the neck, body and fretboard. Sometimes rosewood will just drink it up.
 
#28
I live in Massachusetts where humidity can be very high in the summer and low in the winter. I have owned MIA Fender, Musicman, Alembic, Spector, Ibanez, Carvin, Schechter, Washburn and several others. I have never had a major issue with any of them. I occasionally make a very minor truss rod adjustment but nothing else. To me, it makes no sense to worry about trying to control humidity your basses are exposed to because as soon as you leave your house, the humidity will be different. I worry more about dampness causing mold on speakers than I do about how high or low humidity effect basses.
 
#36
I simply run a 2 gallon humidifier running in the winter months when the humidity drops below 40% here in the Carolinas. I set the humidifier @ 40% and in my 600 sf room I'll need to refill it 2x a week. It works great, I keep my basses and guitars out on stands. I'll run the humidifier from Nov to late March typically.
 
#38
As I understand it, the high end builders look for dry seasoned wood when they build basses. I'm thinking that raising the humidity might not be the builders intent and agree that minimizing humidity changes is good. I could see how exceptionally dry air could cause finish checking.

Where are them luthier guys when you need them?
 
#39
Broadstbully22 said:
I plumbed in a whole house humidifier to my furnace. Helps with chapped lips and dry noses. Easy to install and if you run a water line to it you never have to fill it.
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Check with a hygrometer to see if its enough for your instruments. I have a whole house one that is great for the sinuses but doesn't really do what a single unit in a closed room does.

Our mileage varies as does our climate.
 
#40
I use a empty and washed medicine (pill) bottle. I poke 5 holes in the lid with a punch. Then I bought dish sponges from the dollar store. 10 for a buck. I rolled the sponge up and put it into the bottle dry. I then compress the sponge as tight in the bottle as I can and fill it with water. As the sponge expands it soaks up most of the water. I pour off whatever water remains and put the childproof lid on. Put one of these in every case for all my guitars and basses. Depending on the humidity, I check them firstly every month, then see where the water level in the sponge is. Sometime I don't add water to the sponge for 3 months, sometimes it's every month. And each bass will use more or less water on its own. Total cost for my humidifier for my basses - $.10 each... Total spent on the project - $3!
 

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