This is extremely helpful!! I have humidified most of my guitars with the Humidipak, one I didn't humidify started to have fret buzz. It's a solid top, laminate back and sides but apparently it was still susceptible to that concern. This is my first winter in Michigan so the extended cold weather and constant dry heat is a lot more intense than in Nashville. Just ordered the Humidipak restore packs and hoping I can reverse the issue with the one guitar!
Hey Scott, sorry I missed your comment from a few weeks back. Yes, all instruments (even laminated ones) can still be susceptible to dryness. The hymidipak system should ensure that the top stays in the proper humidity range.
Thanks so much for this Josh. I found it very helpful. I have a recently purchase used Martin D15 M and when I got it ... took it to my guitar tech. He assessed it as "needing a drink" so we humidified for 3 weeks and then he set it up. Six months later ... I started noticing intonation issues ... particularly up the fretboard or when using a capo. He reassessed and said it was dry again. I was humidifying it albeit not every day and I now realize that this is truly a high maintenance instrument. I have an old Aria that I've owned for 30 years and have never humidified it even once. I grab it and it plays great, sounds good and no intonation issues at all. I have been told now ... that because of possible previous neglect, the Martin will always need extra maintenance because wood "has a memory" and it will always want to naturally gravitate back to its driest state. Would you agree with that? Is the mahogany part of the problem? Do you think I should move on from the Martin or just tolerate its fussiness when it comes to humidity. Would really appreciate your thoughts.
Hi, what did you end up doing? I just got a Martin D-10E and it is very dry, and sunken. Probably mistreated in Guitar Center warehouse. I'm afraid it will always be problematic. One day in and it is buzzing and the bridge is sunk. I've been told to rehydrate it but I'm afraid to keep it now.
Oasis fill baggs work fine for me and my instruments. I refill every two days in the wintertime. It varies in the summer time here in indiana. We live in between two rivers with alot of humidity. Air conditioning can also reduce humidity levels. All acoustic guitars go through small movements when they are first taken out of their cases.
I live in the desert in AZ. I have a ply ukulele. I have applied a product over the varnished exterior that has bees wax and orange oil. I am going to dampen a sponge with "Old English" which is a diluted lemon oil and shake it around the unfinished interior for a few applications. It may well affect the tone slightly. The worst scenario is it will affect the glued bonds. But I think it will be alright, and I'm not talking Martins here. Feed the wood.
The nice thing about plywood instruments is they are not near as susceptible to humidity problem as solid wood instruments. I have heard of companies who finish the insides of their instruments. In fact I use a very light coat of shellac on the inside of most of the guitars that I build. If the finish on the inside is too heavy/thick it can affect the tone of the instrument. But a light oil finish as you suggest shouldn't be a problem.
I recently got my new martin J40 and I love it so much, but I am really worried about the low humidity. I've tried out multiple humidifiers but even the best of them could only keep my room at 40% humidity maximum. I'm now using the humidipak inside the case together with the room humidifier. I hope it'll work out well for my guitar. Thanks for the tips! These are super helpful!
It sounds like you are doing everything right. 40% is a pretty safe level for most guitars. It's when you consistently get down around 30% or lower that you can run into problems. If you are using the humidipak system in the case you should have nothing to worry about. It is self regulating and as long as you change the packs when recommended it should keep your guitar at the right humidity level.
You’ll be ok, I use that nomad with the sponge, goes in. Between the strings, closed in the case and just keep an eye on it, I think a lot of people never humidify them, may even leave them by a heat vent
I use 1/2 a dampened sponge in the case ... A pack of 6 sponges are $1 at a Dollar Tree and I cut them in 1/2 and wring theme out and put them in the case with a guitar when not playing. Easy and cheap.
I bought a Martin d28 modern deluxe in the month of March 2022. The guitar was built 6 months previous so that means Oct of 2021. The guitar came out of a store in Montreal , Canada and had light use as a demonstrator. From day one of my ownership and purchase, ($6,000.00) I inserted a Humidipack in the sound hole and at the head of the guitar per instructions. The guitar was always kept in its case laying flat, when not in play. I brought the guitar in to Long and Mcquade for its first free setup. I wanted the strings lowered just a tiny bit as Iam a beginner, also I wanted to change the strings to 11 gauge light acoustic. While the tech was looking at my instrument, and to my horror, he pointed out a hairline crack on the top of the body, perfectly in the centre of the guitar. Well here we are a week later and Iam waiting to hear back from Long and Mcquade who is an authorized dealer for Martin Guitars. I can only assume that its days in Montreal were mostly out of the case, and therefore not properly humidified. I just can't believe that it happened in the the three months I have owned it. I have done a lot or reasearch on guitars that develop cracks and it seems that it is not considered a major repair. I just hope and pray that the guitar will look and sound like a new Martin D28 after the repair. Any thoughts or comments on my story would be appriciated!!
That must be super disappointing to have happen to such a new and expensive guitar. It sounds like the center seam on the guitar's top is coming unglued, like the guitar in this video? But you caught it early so they should be able to do an invisible repair hopefully. I hear good things about my local Long & McQuade's repairing abilities.
Thanks Jim for your reply. Yes very disappointed, but like you said I hope they can do an invisible repair. I should have also mentioned that I live in a Condo, and the sales rep said you must really keep an eye on the humidity living in a condo. Thanks again, I will keep you posted.
Oh, and yes Jim it is exactly in the same spot as the one in the video, but not as nearly as bad. Can only see it on a certain angle. like a hairline crack.
@@markgriffiths3262 Yeah the humidity in my house gets down to 15% in the winter with the furnace on. You should get some cheap hygrometers and keep one in the room and one in the case. If you're using a soft case, and even with a hard case when it's really cold out, wrap the guitar in a garbage bag to keep the moisture from escaping. My Recording King was so dry recently that the bridge was 2 mm lower than normal, it's surprising how much they change shape. I'm no expert, but guitar tops are actually two pieces glued together down the middle, it sounds like yours flexed enough that the glue failed in that seam, that's why the crack is dead center like that. Let me know when you get the guitar back, I'm thinking you'll get it back good as new and shouldn't have a problem with it again if you keep it humid.
Thanks Jim. I talked to the tech who is working on my guitar. He said the first thing he did was hydrate it. The crack actually closed up to the point you could barely see it. Now he has to de-hydrate it to open up the crack to get some glue in it from the inside. Then he puts in very small pieces of wood to ad extra strengh. He did not promise an "invisible repair, but said it should be fine and not to worry! Will keep you posted.@@jimsayles7394
Hi Josh, great video and tips. I have a maple Birdseye 10 steel strings guitar. It is a Brazilian guitar (Viola caipira). I just realized that it is really dry. The back lost the radius severally, actually its bent against the natural radius. I had started yesterday try to recovery the humidity, putting a humidity kit in side the box. However, the internal back and side are sealed with a shellac (goma laca). The questions are: Is it possible to recover the humidity even with the internal shellac? Is it possible to recover the back radius? I would really appreciate your comments. Many thanks.
Hello Tiago, Yes it still may be possible to recover the radius. If the shellac is unwaxed (or dewaxed) then it will allow some moisture to penetrate. It will just be slower than if the wood was not sealed. You are doing the right thing with the humidity treatment, but it could take it some time (possible a few weeks) for it to return to normal. Keep up the treatment with the humidifier and hopefully you will start to see some improvement with the guitar coming back to it's original shape.
When using a humidifier in a case to try bringing a sunken top back to flat, should the guitar be under tension? Or should I remove the strings? Just bought a 96 Martin that has probably spent its entire life being too dry. No cracks or lifting bridge, just a sunken top.
I think I would do it without string tension. I think under string tension could possibly cause the top to deform more as under string tension everything would be pulled towards the sound hole. As the top moves back into place it may only move in the direction the strings are pulling. It is hard to say, but I've only done this with string tension off. I have not always been able to restore a badly sunken top. In cases like that I always recommend the guitar be taken to a reputable repair shop that deals with this type of repair on a regular bases, and preferable a warranty repair centre for your brand (in your cases Martin). I think some brands and bracing styles (Martin's lightly built scalloped X for example) are more susceptible to the top sinking.
re: Martin acoustic Josh, is the spruce top area right in front of the bridge supposed to be slightly arched or just flat across laterally? If it's supposed to be arched, assuming it's properly humidified, by how much?
Ideally there would still be a slight arch in front of the bridge but is fairly normal for the area directly in front of the bridge to flatten out. This is the point were there is the most tension/pressure on the top. It depends a lot on how the manufacturer is constructing the top. If it is only a slight arch (40' radius for example) then it doesn't take much for that area to go flat. What you don't want to be seeing is a dip in the top. That might indicate that there is a structurally concern. And a serious dip behind the bridge means the top is probably very dry.
Sorry .... one more question Josh. I am now faced, once again, with re-hydrating this Martin. Once I get it back ... do you think having the room humidified will keep it playing properly? I would still case it at night ... but because I am playing it a lot .. I was hoping I could keep it on its stand for the day. My tech says ... because of its history ... that will not be enough and it will dry out again. even in a humidified room. Thanks kindly .... Jackson.
Hi Jackson, Sorry for the delay getting back to you. A room that is properly humidified is fine for guitars. However you need some way to verify that you are keeping the humidity high enough. If you live in a really dry area (cold dry winters), and your home heat is running a lot the room could still be dry. A hygrometer is the best way to tell. Typically you are looking for 45% relative humidity. One thing is that the cheaper digital hygrometers you get at the hardware store can often be out 5% or more. In which case it could be reading 40-45, and in actuality only be 30-35%. I use high end hygrometers that are certified accurate. However before I bought the expensive ones I had 3 of the cheaper digital ones. I found if I took the average reading off the 3 it was usually pretty accurate. If you're going with cheaper hygrometers than I'd buy 2 and place them on either side of the room. It is alot easier to keep the humidity up in the case. Where I live it is cold between Oct-Mar. During those months I keep my guitars in their cases with a humidifier. If the temp gets really cold I'll add a second humidifier to the case. This is an easy way to ensure the guitars don't dry out, but they're are not as handy as if they are out on a stand. So if you can keep a room humidified great, but you need some way to verify you're getting enough moisture. The safe option (maybe even temporary) is keeping the guitars cased with humidifiers. If I can be more help let me know.
@@joshuahouseguitars Thanks Josh ... it's been in the case for the past week having a drink. I guess my concern is the "wood memory" notion. If that's true ... it may lead me to decide to part ways with Martin. I am enjoying the sound but it just seems so impractical if you just want to grab and play throughout the day. That old Aria has spoiled me. Pick up and play ..... never lets me down. More solid bracing I suppose. We'll see how this latest humidification goes and I'll do my best to keep it healthy and the room at 45. It's all about habits. Thanks so much for the reply Josh!
@@macerockson Hi, what did you end up doing? I just got a Martin D-10E and it is very dry, and sunken. Probably mistreated in Guitar Center warehouse. I'm afraid it will always be problematic. One day in and it is buzzing and the bridge is sunk. I've been told to rehydrate it but I'm afraid to keep it now. I absolutely love the way it plays and sounds, more than any of the others under $1000. But am nervous now.
Hello Josh, I was wondering if you might know why I have vertical dimpling in the shape of the 2 underside vertical braces perpendicular to my bridge on both of my gypsy jazz guitars?
It is my opinion that red spruce tops are mutch more sensitive to humidity or lack of than other top tone woods. Red spruce tops take some warming up,a few minutes of consistent playing,then they attain more volume and clarity. Could it be my imagination,no i dont think so. Red spruce,and engelman spruce are my favorite soundboard tone woods,but i think they have the tendency to move a little more than others.
@@joshuahouseguitars The thing that made me aware was getting a Sensi/alexa smart thermostat...has a built in hygrometer that tells me the humidity. Now I use soundhole humidifiers for my guitars in AC season.
I have a Recording king RO328 and have recently noticed that the neck is slightly bent downwards (not much). So if looking from behind the bridge at eyes level you can see a dip starting from around fret 13. I've completely realeasd the truss rod (no change in neck position ) and I'm keeping the strings with tension hoping it returns back to its normal position. Where I live we've had very high temperatures for weeks or even almost 2 months sometimes over 40C. I'm curious, what could have happened? Would you say its reparable? Or would it be the perfect excuse to start thinking about getting another guitar 😜😂 Thanks!
Sorry for the slow reply! It is hard to say exactly what is happening with your guitar. Is the area you live in dry or humid when you hit those high temperatures? Often when an instrument dries out the neck can flatten out or even bow backwards. If your guitar is dry then this could be what is going on. If this is a dryness issues than keeping the guitar in it's case with a humidifier should help restore the guitar to proper moisture levels, and when the happens the neck should move back to it's proper position. There could be something else going on, but again without seeing the guitar it is hard to say.
I have a small room that’s about 10 feet long and 7 feet wide that I keep my guitar in… Martin 18. If there is one heating vents on the floor that does heat the space. I live in North Dakota. I’m wondering if the humidifier running in that room size and being so small would suffice?
Yes, A small room humidifier should adequately humidify a rooms that size. It's a good idea to get a hygrometer so that you have some idea of where the humidity is at.
Hey! Great video- just a quick question. I recently took my guitar to be looked at because of some fret buzzing around the 9-12th frets. The guy said (If I recall correctly) that my guitar has a swollen tongue and humidifying could fix this over time. I had tried this in the past with very little luck. It sounds to me like your examples are the opposite of what I’m experiencing. Can you explain? Does this sound right to you? Thanks!
Swelling is a sign of high humidity. So if high humidity was the cause of your problem than adding more humidity would not be the solution. There are many reasons why you can get fret buzz. Dryness causes the wood to shrink, and this can cause the fretboard to flatten out and top to fall, as shown in the video. If the board flattens to much then buzzing can start to appear. Any of these things on their own, or combined, can cause the action to drop and the strings to stat buzzing. If that was the issue then increasing the humidity can help. It depends where you live, but this is typically the time of year where we are coming out of the dry season (if you're in North America). If this issue appeared a while ago (during the dry season) and dryness is the issue, then the guitar may not have had a chance yet to absorb the humidity it needs for things to return to "normal". It's hard to say exactly what is going on when I can't see the guitar. As a guitar goes through seasonal cycles and the wood moves it can happen that a guitar will develop a hump in the fretboard around the body joint. This is because the wood is more stable in that area of the guitar with the heavy reinforcement around the neck joint. The wood around this area moves, while the neck joint area remains stable. If this hump does develop the result is often buzzing in the frets leading up to the neck joint (10-14ish). Often you can see this if you sight down the edge of the fretboard from the headstock (good idea to wear eye protection). You should see that the fretboard is fairly straight or has a slight curve (relief). If you see a rise or bump in the edge of the fretboard close to the body joint, then this could be the issue you are dealing with. If I can be more help please let me know.
Hey @@joshuahouseguitars if what you're describing at the end of your comment is happening (hump around the body joint), what can I do to alleviate that?
@@GOPJAC It depends how extreme the issue is. The solution would be to level out the bump. Sometimes this can be done by taking the inconsistency out of the frets, but that’s only works if it is a slight bump. If it is a little more severe than the fretboard itself may need to be leveled. You need to be sure you are working with someone who can identify exactly what the problem is and the best way to correct it. Don’t go by my advice alone on this as I am limited to how much I can diagnose this type of problem from a distance. A good builder or repair tech should have a notched straight edge that will fit over top of the frets and measure the straitness of the board. This would show you if there is a bump in the board and exactly where it is located.
I guess I've gotten lucky because I've got a 1991 Gibson J-45 in storage essentially since new in our Canadian climate. It shows almost no signs of drying. I didn't know they were so effected by the climate, but I've just bought a sound hole humidifier that I'll check regularly. Is it okay to close the case with this type of humidifier in there?
Hi Jim, Yes, and with these type of humidifiers you want to use them in the case when it is closed. Most of the sound hole or case humidifiers used with instruments are small and can only humidify a limited space. If you have the case open, or you try to use them with the instrument on a stand then the majority of the humidity will escape and the humidifier will have little or no effect. Hope that helps.
I think you would drop the use of the humidification for a while until the levels came down to where they are suppose to be to where humidification is required. Dont.know for shure just making an assumption based on personal observations.
How do you determine the radius of the guitar top? I have a 10 mm Arch in the center of the guitar between the bridge and the tail. A straight edge rocks 10mm each direction when parallel to the bridge. 8" to the edge of the guitar from the center. GS mini. thanks.
I find that if it is a factory made instrument the best option is to google the top (or back radius) for the specific model. You can measure it, and figure it out using some math, but the radius on the top can change a lot based on the current state of the instrument. If it's dry then the radius will show as being flatter than it should be, and if the instrument is over-humidified then the radius can show as being larger than it should. Finding out the original radius that the instrument was built to is the best starting place.
I just got a 00-28 and notice the top overall, is alot flatter than my previous Gibson Hummingbird or really most acoustics I've inspected. It's not sunken, just surprisingly flat, especially around the sound hole. Is this normal on Martins?
Sorry for my slow reply. I don’t know if it’s normal, but I’ve seen it a lot on Martins. It is typical on a lot of guitars that they will belly up a little behind the bridge and flatten out a bit in front of the bridge. In general Martin’s have light bracing, so seeing some movement like this can be expected. Gibsons can be all over the place with bracing depending on the year and model. Some Gibsons would have a much heavier bracing than a Martin. It can be expected that a guitar with heavier bracing will not move as much. Also, although most acoustics are built with some arch in the top, the amount of arch can vary a lot with the model and manufacturer. My guess is your Martin started with a flatter radius than the Gibson. In general flatness in front of the bridge is not a major concern, provided it doesn’t go beyond being flat and start to sink.
That is an advantage to laminate, it is resistant (pretty much immune) to humidity changes and as a result can be a good choice if climate control is an issue. On the flip side, the tone from a laminate top will not develop and improve overtime the same way a solid wood instrument will.
@@joshuahouseguitars strongly disagree . i have a 50 year old laminate that i would put against any guitar . including a GI Gibson i played that almost 100 edit: in fairness i build guitars too and i replaced the bridge and fixed a broken brace . no neck reset yet but getting close . i sold my old solid top and kept this . bracing and mass are everything with these acoustics . thank you for responding
Electric guitars are still susceptible to humidity damage, but the damage is usually not as extreme as it can be on acoustic guitars. The thin top and back plates on an acoustic will dry out a lot more quickly. The things you sometimes see on dry electrics are frets sticking out past the edge of the board. A flat fingerboard, which no longer has any relief (this can cause buzzing). And occasional cracks int he board. If it is a solid body that is fully painted than the body should be ok even in a dry environment because it is totally sealed.
I live in the northeast, my electrics don't get the meticulous humidifying my J45 and D18 experience. My telecaster and les paul of 15 years and 10 years still play great and dont really have issues in setup like an acoustic would experience. Mind you others may have different experiences.
Funny, I have a brand new d-35. I’ve had it for about a week and I’m noticing these little dry blotches on the top and I’ve only had the guitar for a week. It’s December 2nd here in New Jersey so it’s pretty cold. I’m kind of worried about it. I can’t imagine the guitar is damaged already after having it for 6 days unhumidified
You need a hygrometer They are cheap, can get one at Home Depot, to see how the humidity is in ur house, keep ur guitar away from a heat vent , get a music nomad humidifier thingy lol it goes in between the strings, it’s a sponge but squeeze it out , it’s only supposed to be damp, and then close ur case, see how long it takes to dry up. Also if you bought new keep that warranty paperwork
@@larrysmusics531 A damp cloth inside the guitar will do the same thing as using a humidifier in the case. However I would not want to put the damp cloth directly onto the wood on the inside of the guitar. If the guitar is touching the unfinished wood on the inside of the guitar the water will go directly into the wood, and that would cause it to swell wherever the cloth is touching the unfinished wood. If you are going to use a damp cloth I would set it on a pice of plastic, or in a plastic container so that it is not in direct contact with the wood.
