Humidifier & case question

RafterGirl

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I have both my KoAloha concert and my Islander tenor in hard cases. Both have the metal clasp closures, not zippered. Both cost about the same & appear to be of equal quality. Now that it's turned colder in Utah, my forced air furnace is on. My hygrometer says the humidity in my office where my ukes live is about 38%. Both of my ukes have Nomad Humilele humidifiers that hang in the sound hole. Both were moistened at the same time. I put the hygrometer in each case to check the level. I placed the hygrometer on top of the uke body in the same place on both ukes. The tenor is 46-50% consistently. The concert is 41-42% consistently. I added a second D'Addario sponge type humidifier in the concert case, up by the headstock. Still 41-42%. Why such a difference? I want my KoAloha concert to stay happy all winter, and wish it was more in the 45-50% range.
 
Hi RafterGirl:

It's probably due to calibration. You are likely using low-priced digital hygrometers that were either not calibrated or went out-of-calibration after your purchase, thus giving you an erroneous reading. You need to read them against a properly calibrated hygrometer.
 
Cases can be inconsistent. Their lining absorbs moisture too. D'Addario sells Humidipaks which will maintain 45% humidity. They absorb moisture when over 45% and emit moisture when below 45%. A pack can last a couple of months or more, depending on the ambient humidity. Takes the worry out of it.

In a couple of my cases I run an Oasis humidifier and a humidipak. As Goldilocks said, "Just right."
 
I could write a novel about inaccurate hygrometers, not really but I have had experience. I ended up buying 3 Caliper IV hygrometer used by Burgess Violin (goggle it, wealth of info on humidity) That being said if you are keeping your ukes in their cases when not being played anything above a constant 35% is ok. It is really low (20%) or huge repeated swings in humidity that hurt.
 
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Hi RafterGirl:

It's probably due to calibration. You are likely using low-priced digital hygrometers that were either not calibrated or went out-of-calibration after your purchase, thus giving you an erroneous reading. You need to read them against a properly calibrated hygrometer.
If one is using the same hygrometer, wouldn't it at least be consistently erroneous?

I have two hygrometers. One I sits in the same room that my ukulele hangs out in most of the time, and the other is integrated into my thermostat. I pretty much get the same reading from both. But the one down in the room with my ukulele, I place it where the ukulele can't see it. That way it never gets nervous about it.
 
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If one is using the same hygrometer, wouldn't it at least be consistently erroneous?

I have two hygrometers. One I sits in the same room that my ukulele hangs out in most of the time, and the other is integrated into my thermostat. I pretty much get the same reading from both. But the one down in the room with my ukulele, I place it where the ukulele can't see it. That way it never gets nervous about it.

That a boy Rolli.....ignorance is bliss, what your uke doesn't know won't hurt it. I turn the lights off so I "keep them in the dark". Don't want the ones in the basement to know I am cheating on them with the ones on the main floor.
 
:D
That a boy Rolli.....ignorance is bliss, what your uke doesn't know won't hurt it. I turn the lights off so I "keep them in the dark". Don't want the ones in the basement to know I am cheating on them with the ones on the main floor.
I'll keep that in in mind if I take up with another uke.:D
 
Cases can be inconsistent. Their lining absorbs moisture too. D'Addario sells Humidipaks which will maintain 45% humidity. They absorb moisture when over 45% and emit moisture when below 45%. A pack can last a couple of months or more, depending on the ambient humidity. Takes the worry out of it.

In a couple of my cases I run an Oasis humidifier and a humidipak. As Goldilocks said, "Just right."

So you use both a sound hole humidifier and the humidipack in each case? Do you just place the pack in where the headstock sits?
 
I could write a novel about inaccurate hygrometers, not really but I have had experience. I ended up buying 3 Caliper IV hygrometer used by Burgess Violin (goggle it, wealth of info on humidity) That being said if you are keeping your ukes in their cases when not being played anything above a constant 35% is ok. It is really low (20%) or huge repeated swings in humidity that hurt.
Yeah, I should get another hygrometer and see what it reads. I had to order the last one from Amazon. It's not easy to find them locally. Home Depot doesn't carry them. Maybe Petsmart in the tropical critter section? I doubt that I'm under hydrating my ukulele, but I'd like to make sure. Mostly I'm curious about the difference between cases.
 
Yeah, I should get another hygrometer and see what it reads. I had to order the last one from Amazon. It's not easy to find them locally. Home Depot doesn't carry them. Maybe Petsmart in the tropical critter section? I doubt that I'm under hydrating my ukulele, but I'd like to make sure. Mostly I'm curious about the difference between cases.

I think that if you get two hygrometers a similar maxim to this will apply: "A person with one watch knows what time it is, a person with two watches is never sure".
 
So you use both a sound hole humidifier and the humidipack in each case? Do you just place the pack in where the headstock sits?

Wherever I can find room for it. The body of the uke is where the humidity is most needed but the humidipak doesn't fit there very well. Cases absorb humidity too, at least until everything stabilizes. Here in the midwest my indoor ambient humidity runs about 40% due to a/c. In winter we struggle to keep it near 25% because of heat and the dry, cold air. I'm a belt & suspenders kind of guy. I only do this for a KoAloha 6-string and my custom because of the volume of the bodies. Concerts do OK with a single Oasis.
 
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Could also be the wood in the uke.
I admit I have no basis to prove this, but it seems a softwood would absorb more than a hardwood.
I've always wondered if finishing the inside would really adversely affect the tone.
It seems it would seal the wood, and help with fluctuations, but certainly I cant be the first to wonder, and it's not done.
 
I keep my Kanile'a in a hard case with an oasis humidifier in the sound hole, fill once a week. It's very dry in AZ most of the time, single digit humidity. 2 1/2 years now with no problems. I don't even have a hygrometer. And I have an Islander AC-4 (laminate) hanging on the wall for 2+ years, no problems with it either, other than some sharp fret ends, which I filed down.
 
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Could also be the wood in the uke.
I admit I have no basis to prove this, but it seems a softwood would absorb more than a hardwood.
I've always wondered if finishing the inside would really adversely affect the tone.
It seems it would seal the wood, and help with fluctuations, but certainly I cant be the first to wonder, and it's not done.
I've wondered about that too, but never looked much into it. I did a quick search and found some discussion on the topic.
Here's a really good one with some respected builders involved:
http://www.acousticguitarforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=202066
 
Could also be the wood in the uke.
I admit I have no basis to prove this, but it seems a softwood would absorb more than a hardwood.
I've always wondered if finishing the inside would really adversely affect the tone.
It seems it would seal the wood, and help with fluctuations, but certainly I cant be the first to wonder, and it's not done.

Just an observation but I know a number of luthiers who seal the inside of the Ukes they build to stop moister incursion.
 
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