Humidifiers and Laminate Instruments

I've read on here and other places that you only need a humidifier if the environment that the instrument is in has a low RH and that the instrument is made of solid wood.

I live in Phoenix Arizona where the humidity is pretty low most of the time, so I know that a humidifier is an absolute must for any solid wood instruments here.

I've been told and seen here that people say that you don't need a humidifier for laminated instruments. My question becomes does using a humidifier with a laminated instrument cause any problems? Does it affect the glue being used? Does the wood that is in there soak up too much humidity? What about the necks of the instruments as they are made up of solid pieces of wood?

I'd rather be safe than sorry in the long run. Yes, I don't have an awful lot of money invested in the few laminate instruments that I do own, but I want to keep them in as best shape as possible until I can afford nicer solid instruments to replace them when the time comes.

Excellent question. I'd like to know too from anyone who has experience. I have been told this too and live in AZ. I had a vintage one crack early on because I didn't know the impact of humidifying them.
I like banjo ukes though since they seem to be less wood-y than most.

I have a Banjolele as well and the guy at Sam Ash said that I didn't need a humidifier in the case for it. But, it does have quite a bit of wood to it. The neck is solid maple with a rosewood fret board. The drum body is a triple thick maple plywood ring. The resonator back is wood. This is my expensive baby, so I definitely want to keep it in the best condition possible.

It certainly will not hurt your instruments to humidify them when necessary. Good practice to do anyway.

I have laminates. The winter furnace weather brings my humidity to 20%.

The laminates' solid fretboards shrink, there are definite and distinct sharp fret edges. It's noticeable, and I ended up rehydrating, remained sharp, so I filed them (two laminate ukes). No cracked fretboards, but I have heard of others who have experienced this form of splitting.

On a cheap uke, a Koloa, two frets actually came loose. The tuner and headstock are solid also, and although I've not had a cracked headplate or loosening tuners (from shrinkage around the screws), I can imagine it occurring.

Where I live, and with my experience from my laminates, I humidify them.

I have a few laminates hanging on the wall for a couple years and haven't noticed any problems. It sure won't hurt anything to humidify them. But, I do have a solid bamboo cutting board that cracked down the middle think it's along a joint.

Thanks for the info. I just wanted to make sure that there would be no negative side effects of humidifying them. I'll have to get a couple more the next time I'm at Sam Ash.

No negatives and, as Steve points out, fretboards will shrink in sustained low RH environments. I've seen guitars so dried out that the frets became loose.

John

I humidify every uke now as needed, for 2 reasons. 1, to prevent neck/fretboard shrinkage and sharp fret ends, and 2, because I've finally learned to appreciate a uke, any uke, no matter what it's made or not made of. And it can't hurt.

I keep Herco humidifiers in each of my tenor cases even though they're purpose-bought laminates (because I live in So.Calif., w/chronic low humidity). Mostly I do that because of fretboard and/or possible neck contraction if I don't, but also because I think even a uke body of laminates, despite their cross-grain ply construction, could dry out and shrink unevenly or warp over long periods of time. Laminated woods are still wood, after all, and wood naturally dehydrates absent ideal humidity levels, though high-quality instrument laminates are much more resistant than solids. Also, I've read that the glues binding the laminated layers could degrade from dehumidification.