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Double Bass humidity control

#21
DaveAceofBass said:
In these hot summer months, my bass is kept in an air conditioned room. Since the AC reduces the humidity in the room, would it be advisable to use a small cool mist room humidifier in the corner next to where I store my good bass?
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It depends how low it gets. The central A/C in mu house generally keeps the humidity in the 40s in the room where my bass lives.

Jake deVilliers said:
Dave, I'd recommend a good hygrometer like this one: http://www.amazon.com/Temperature-T...&sr=8-5&keywords=honeywell+digital+hygrometer

If you have a reliable data source you can make a better decision. ;)
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+1. A good hygrometer is quite valuable. See this thread for a nice hygrometer and humidistat all in one. A pricey device in the short run, but a money-saver in the long run as you can buy a less expensive humidifier that has no or only a rudimentary control.

Some may wonder whether this is all worth it. Well, to me, it is. I bought a nice evaporative humidifier on eBay years ago and one of the controls mentioned in the link above. The total outlay was less than $100. IMO, that's money well spent to protect my bass for years. Yeah, in the winter I have to fill the humidifier and add bacteriostat, etc. It's a labor of love. :)
 
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#22
Well, I know now what happens when you store your nice carved basses in a constant state of 80% humidity: MILDEW!

I haven't been playing much lately because our youngest was born early and we've basically been living in the hospital. It so happened that I went downstairs to check the hygrometer and look over the basses.

All three were fairly well coated with white mildew. I wiped off the worst of it with a dry paper towel and brought the basses upstairs for a wipe-down with a weak white vinegar solution. I don't think any permanent damage was done but the glue joints on two of them were starting to fail and the wood was soggy.

Lesson learned. They live upstairs now, and I will be building a rack to store them in. Anyone have suggestions on how to kill mildew that won't damage the varnish, if the vinegar didn't do the job?
 
#24
Already on its' way, and I'll be splashing some bleach around the affected area of the basement later after I fix the failed glue joints. The worst of it seems to be in the corner where the basses were stored and behind the workbench, where air circulation is almost nonexistent.
 
#25
KUNGfuSHERIFF said:
Already on its' way, and I'll be splashing some bleach around the affected area of the basement later after I fix the failed glue joints. The worst of it seems to be in the corner where the basses were stored and behind the workbench, where air circulation is almost nonexistent.
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First of all, I hope all has gone well with your youngest. Sorry to hear of the damage and glad you have a solution on the way.
 
#29
Hmm, mildew. Can you get some Tilex onto the colonies inside the bass? Its a dilute bleach solution that's very effective at killing the mould colonies that often grow on the inside of my Westy pop top over the wet winters here. I just spray it on and the mould disappears.

Maybe spray right into the FFs or dip some out of a bowl with a long handled watercolour/poster brush?

Be sure to mask off the finished surfaces, eh? ;)
 
#31
KUNGfuSHERIFF said:
Good idea. I was planning to put together a long, thin nozzle to mount on the vacuum to suck any loose crap out through the ff-holes, but blasting it with bleach can only help.

Thanks for the advice!
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Easy on the "blasting" buddy! Its easier to add more later than remove the excess... ;)
 
#33
Normally I don't have to worry about dry weather here in Florida as the indoor humidity rarely drops below 60%, but it's currently in the upper 30's here (I know, this is nothing compared to the rest of the country that's freezing their collective butts off) and the indoor humidity is around 30%. Should I buy a small humidifier for the room where I keep my basses? It's supposed to be back up to 81° in a few days.

- Steve
 
#34
Yes, or put a pan of water on a hotplate and set it someplace non-flammable. I humidify my house during the heating season with a pot of water on the woodstove. It keeps the humidity around 57% if my digital hygrometer is accurate. I have had two small cracks this year, one on the top of a roundback and the other near a brace on my flatback.
 
#35
I filled a large crock pot with water and set it on "high" and the room is back up to 42% humidity. I don't expect to have the heat on much longer, but I order a small Honeywell humidifier from Amazon just to be on the safe side.

- Steve
 

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