Guitar Humidifiers

Why humidify?
Woods are susceptible to temperature and humidity changes. If the temperature gets too cold and the air too dry, the wood of a guitar releases moisture and shrinks. The guitar top will sink (and possibly crack) taking the bridge down with it, resulting in poor action and string buzzing (bad!). The fingerboard will shrink, leaving the fret ends to protrude past the edge (very bad!). Acoustic guitars, especially solid tops, are more susceptible than solid-body electric guitars. If your skin feels dry and scratchy, most likely your guitar is suffering too!

Whether your guitar is worth $150 or $1500, keeping it in peak playing condition is important. In an environment of about 21ºC with 45%-55% relative humidity, your guitar will stay in great condition for generations to come. Store your guitar in the coolest part of the room, away from radiators and heat ducts. And, play it safe and invest in a guitar humidifier. They have saved the life of many guitars suffering through a long, cold winter with dry central heating.

Choosing a brand
For acoustic guitars we recommend the Kyser, Planet Waves, or Dampit humidifier. These are used inside the guitar itself. The Herco humidifier can be used for both acoustic and electric guitars because it's stored inside the guitar case.

Kyser Lifeguard

The Lifeguard is a sponge with a flexible cover which fits into the sound hole of your guitar, sealing the interior body of the guitar. It's the only humidifier which regulates the humidity inside the body of the guitar in both dry and damp conditions.

Planet Waves

It comes in two sizes: acoustic steel-string and classical.

This humidifier hangs inside the guitar body, suspended between the strings. It never touches any part of the body. You simply fill the humidifier with water using the supplied syringe. The foam interior releases moisture evenly and slowly.

The nice thing about the Planet Waves humidifier is that you don't have to remove it from the sound hole to refill it with water.

Dampit

Dampit is the tube-type humidifier most recommended by luthiers. You immerse the green tube in water about 20 seconds. Pinch the ends to remove excess water and wipe the tube dry. Then, suspend the tube inside the guitar body by wedging it between the G and D string. This enables moisture in the tube to humidify the guitar body, the neck and the case. For long-term storage, Dampit comes with a clear sound hole cover which you slide under the strings.

If you have a semi-hollow electric guitar, this is the only humidifier that's narrow enough to use inside the sound holes.

Dampit is still the only humidifier on the market with its own humidity indicator. The indicator will tell you when to use Dampit.

Herco

The Herco is cheap and easy. Open and immerse it in water for 5 minutes; close, wipe off the excess water and stick it inside your guitar case. The clay filling holds moisture in a time-released cycle. The Herco works best in areas of minimal dryness. It's great for acoustic and electric guitars, banjos and mandolins.