humidity or humility?

I haven't removed my built-in humidifier, but I have by-passed it and shut off its water supply - it'll be our first winter without it as well - Perhaps you and I can swap some dry skin stories, Chris! Ewwww.........

Now - where the basses live... I have a new evaporative humidifier for the shop & showroom, and have it dialed in to keep humidity between 40-50%, monitored by a seperate, digital hygrometer. The humidifier is a Hunter, and seems to be quite effective without using nearly as much water as I thought it would; it has yet to get real cold here, however, so that could change when the serious heat kicks in.

 

Okay, off-topic, but for your health you may wish to replace that whole-house humidifier with a drip-panel type that stores no water. Aprilaire has an entire line:

http://www.aprilaire.com/

I have one of these but also use an evaporative humidifier in the room with the bass along with a digital hygrometer. I also shoot for 40-50%

 

I'm no expert, but we store and move alot of basses in a full-spectrum climate, so that may count for something. we also do the lion's share of bass work for the Rochester area. My experience has been that the carved basses are holding up fine down to even 30%, but I'm sure most will recommend a bit higher. The biggy, hands down, is rapid change. Meaning going from home to car to gig. If the house is 40%, and the gig is 15%, then that's a recipe for disaster. As Ahnold has said many times here, leave it in the bag when you arrive at the gig, and let it slowly acclimate as long as you can. Arriving an hour or two early is probably fine. Keeping your house at 50% when it's in the teens or twenties at your local venue may not be the best choice.

We're with Mark, we've got the clamps all lined up like good little soldiers and the glue pot is ready. Time for some seam glue-ups and dampit-damage repairs.

 

+1. Or 2 or 3... Rapid temp or humidity change is often the REAL danger, though a constant, prolonged 20% humidity isn't a great bet, either!

 

Do yourself a favor and check your saddle. IF you can't get a sheet of paper between the edge of the saddle and the spruce, get a good Japanese backsaw and relieve the saddle a bit. The .5mm you gain could be the difference in preventing a saddle crack.

 

I think it might depend upon where you live. As I see it, adding humidity to a forced air system that is properly set up will not allow the humidity to remain in or condense in the ductwork. In any case, here in Connecticut, the health risks of not humidifying, not to mention the potential damage to the home and the property contained therein, seem to outweigh the negative aspects of what may (but in my case, apparently does not) grow in the ducts.

 

Can you explain this a bit more? Maybe a picture or a "Prevent Saddle cracks for Dummies" description.

 

Saddle Crack

I don't have any pics ready to go of what to do by my suggestion...but the above linked pic may help illustrate what I mean. On either side of the saddle...make a downward cut (down to the block) with a saw that cuts on the pull rather than the push. Do not extend your saw cut past the top edge of the saddle. You are baisically making the saddle mortise wider without removing the saddle.

This, BTW, before I take a beating for suggesting this, is the poor man's repair. The better way to do it would be to pop the saddle out and trim it instead. But if you are no where near a luthier (like so many TBDB bassists are) it is a nice DIY way to prevent a costly crack.

 

Ok, so I'm lazy, I admit it.
My thoughts on humidity and humidifying, as previously posted:

"This has been posted here before, but I guess it's time to do it again, it being heating season and all.

One dampit won't do much, consider how much wood there is in the body of a bass. And if your bass is out of its bag in a dry room, the dry air will suck moisture from your bass. No amount of dampits will humidify the whole room. Humidify the whole house/ apartment if you can. If you can't, at least get a room humidifier for the room where your bass spends most of its time.
When you take the bass out of that room, put a couple dampits in it, they will help keep it from drying out inside its bag. Remember to wring the dampits out well so they don't drip inside the body.

My solid wood bass and I live in Canada where subzero temps and low humidity are the norm during winter. I keep the house at around 35% humidity- less than the ideal mimimun 40%, but it makes for a less abrupt change when I take the bass out to a drier environment. I always put two dampits in the top of the ff holes, preheat the vehicle, and as much as possible let the bass acclimate to ambient temperature inside the (well-padded) bag. I haven't had a crack or open seam in years (touch wood).

Edit: And get a hygrometer for your bass room, so you know what the humidity level really is in that room. Radio Shack has an inexpensive digital thermometer/ hygrometer that seems to work pretty well."

 

All good advice above. Let me add a word of caution: don't depend on one cheap hygrometer. Readings vary widely. Get a few and try to figure out which ones are most accurate. Or you can purchase one for about $150-200 that uses a human hair as the sensor and is supposed to be the most accurate. Not to boast, but I've become very sensitive to humidity and can usually discern the actual RH within 5% or so with no help from instruments. I'm certain it's an acquired skill (or obsession!)

 

I've had an Aprilaire unit on my system for several years now. I'm curious, how would one determine if it's "properly set up?" (the forced air system, that is).

 

Better plan on one for the bedroom, too. I notice the difference between "with" and "without" the humidifier at night especially. Or, more accurately, the next morning.

 

Oh, I was just referring to a heating/humidifying system wherein the humdifier would not be spewing humidity into the ducts when the blower was not operating or where the hydrostat was set too high or malfunctioning or where the humidifier was improperly sized.

 

When I get a shock from grabbing my filing cabinet drawer handle, it's too low! Crude, I know. I have two Radio Shackers in the violin room off my office, and they never agree.