Comparing case types for humidity control...

Tonya

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I'm looking at acquiring one of the "new" Oasis leather-covered fiberglass cases when they return to stock and I'm wondering how the various case types compare for holding humidity levels steady?

My experience is purely anecdotal, but I know my Reunion Blues gig bag (cloth and firm foam shell, I think?) seems to "lose" the most humidity in my experience. My old ABS gator case holds it the best and the two current Oahu (corrected from original post saying "Oasis") wooden arch-top cases are pretty good as well (but not as good as the ABS).

Can anyone help me "predict" how the Oasis fiberglass (leather-covered) will do?
 
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My wooden and ABS cases seem to do best. I have several in padded gig bags, Access or Attitude and they seem to be a little more permeable. Here in the midwest we can get big swings in humidity summer to winter. The only good answer is to be really disciplined about topping up the in-case humidifiers.

In Paradise I guess you have low humidity pretty much all the time.
 
By nature of the materials, I would expect an ABS case to trap the most humidity, followed by wood, and then soft cases. After all, sewer systems are made out of ABS, are they not?

Another idea might be to store those cases inside a plastic tub with a lid, perhaps with a wet sponge in the plastic tub, too.
 
Oasis case? Are you sure Tonya? I'm betting you mean Oahu case. I can't answer your question based on any experience but it would make sense that the fiberglass would be more impervious and suffer less moisture loss than the other cases you mentioned. They are great cases BTW. I don't know if I would stand on the, like I have with the wooden cases but I think they would hold up well and protect under most conditions. They're super sharp looking as well.
 
Oasis case? Are you sure Tonya? I'm betting you mean Oahu case. I can't answer your question based on any experience but it would make sense that the fiberglass would be more impervious and suffer less moisture loss than the other cases you mentioned. They are great cases BTW. I don't know if I would stand on the, like I have with the wooden cases but I think they would hold up well and protect under most conditions. They're super sharp looking as well.

I agree, Chuck. I recently bought Oahu's new fiberglass case (the white one, without the leather cover) and I like it very much. It does seem to regulate humidity well, particularly when I take my uke out of the house. There isn't much storage room in these cases, but just enough for a polishing cloth and small tuner. I store my uke in it at all times and it's doing great.
 
You guys are right--it was Oahu case (with the Oasis humidifier). I'm looking forward to trying out one of them when they come back in stock (I'm just hoping they change the latch style to one without the gouge-maker "tooth"). But, I'll buy anyway because it looks like it ticks off a lot of case "needs" (ahhhh, first world problems, huh?).

Thanks for the input, all.
 
This is just a hunch. I think clasp-closing cases hold humidity better than those that close with zippers.
 
Somewhat on topic, but I had questions for a rep from boveda regarding their humidity packs and the nice rep shared with me a video on some testing they had done with cases and their seals.

 
I don't know about ukulele cases and humidifying, but I do know that if homes are wrapped too tightly with some sort of vapor barrier to the point that they can't breath you will get mold and mildew growing in them, and even rot due to condensation. That is why they developed breathable barriers. I would worry that if a ukulele were trapped inside a case or a box that has no way for it to breath, and there was a water source in with it, there would be a possibility of the same thing. And separation due to the softening of the adhesives as well. I'm just saying, sometimes when things are taken to extremes there are unintended results. I would be just as concerned about over humidifying my ukulele as I am about keeping it humidified.
 
I don't know about ukulele cases and humidifying, but I do know that if homes are wrapped too tightly with some sort of vapor barrier to the point that they can't breath you will get mold and mildew growing in them, and even rot due to condensation. That is why they developed breathable barriers. I would worry that if a ukulele were trapped inside a case or a box that has no way for it to breath, and there was a water source in with it, there would be a possibility of the same thing. And separation due to the softening of the adhesives as well. I'm just saying, sometimes when things are taken to extremes there are unintended results. I would be just as concerned about over humidifying my ukulele as I am about keeping it humidified.

Humidity that is too high can definitely cause issues as well, including swelling of the wood and damage to the finish. That's why it's important to have a humidity gauge whether your uke is in or out of its case. In Florida, the relative humidity in my house may range from 40-75% depending on the season and whether I'm actively heating or cooling the house. Luckily for me, the ambient humidity is usually high enough that I don't need a humidifier in my case; however, I would definitely recommend using a gauge in your case if you have a humidifier there (if for no other reason than to make sure it's effective enough!).
 
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