Tips for maintaining a solid wood uke in 60-75% humidity climate (Australia)?

azairvine

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So I was all set to place an order for a KAKA/ENYA EUT-MAD when I decided to look up the care instructions for ukes.

A lot of sites refer to tips on how to maintain humidity with Oasis sound-hole humidifiers, but I will be faced with the opposite problem. I don't have any heating or cooling where I live, and the building I am in has no insulation - so it's at the mercy of the elements.

Here's the climate for my area:
http://www.bom.gov.au/climate/averages/tables/cw_040405.shtml

So what I've read suggests to buy a hygrometer and a case (de)humidifier to maintain the humidity levels. Would this even work in a soft case, or would I also have to buy a hard case?

I though the D'Addario Humdipak would do the trick as it is coined as a "two-way humidity control system"

http://www.planetwaves.com/pwProduc...stem&sid=a4b273b8-a112-442a-a2b5-f267c3ac19b4

But then toward the bottom of the page - "This product is not intended for de-humidification in high humidity environments."

I'd already extended my budget a bit because I love the look and sound of the EUT-MAD, but it looks like the actual cost to maintain one will add a lot more to that. :(
 
So I was all set to place an order for a KAKA/ENYA EUT-MAD when I decided to look up the care instructions for ukes.

A lot of sites refer to tips on how to maintain humidity with Oasis sound-hole humidifiers, but I will be faced with the opposite problem. I don't have any heating or cooling where I live, and the building I am in has no insulation - so it's at the mercy of the elements.

Here's the climate for my area:
http://www.bom.gov.au/climate/averages/tables/cw_040405.shtml

So what I've read suggests to buy a hygrometer and a case (de)humidifier to maintain the humidity levels. Would this even work in a soft case, or would I also have to buy a hard case?

I though the D'Addario Humdipak would do the trick as it is coined as a "two-way humidity control system"

http://www.planetwaves.com/pwProduc...stem&sid=a4b273b8-a112-442a-a2b5-f267c3ac19b4

But then toward the bottom of the page - "This product is not intended for de-humidification in high humidity environments."

I'd already extended my budget a bit because I love the look and sound of the EUT-MAD, but it looks like the actual cost to maintain one will add a lot more to that. :(

If you are trying to dehumidify you can always try those little packets that come with electronics and shoes, etc.
 
If you are trying to dehumidify you can always try those little packets that come with electronics and shoes, etc.

Thanks AQUATOPAZ. I've found a few options for dehumidifying similar to what you suggest. What I'm still trying to figure out is whether that would work in the softcase that the EUT-MAD comes in (I would assume that air would be able to get in and would therefore "kill" the dehumidifier pretty quickly), or whether I would really need one at all.

The vast majority of information refers to areas of low humidity, and where I am isn't exactly off-the-charts when it comes to humidity levels. I'm hoping that I'm just over-reacting and it won't be an issue where I live. I definitely know I won't have any cracking issues at least :D
 
What's the relative humidity for Hawaii? If it were like 90%-100% humidity I might be more worried, but overall I think having a little over the 65% threshold is probably fine. If you're in the 20-30% RH, I think you would be in trouble.

I would enjoy the instruments and not worry too much. If it gets too humid, you can put them in cases until the high humidity time passes.
 
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Here in Honolulu humidity tends to fall between 60 and 70% and none of my instruments have suffered any problems whatsoever all these decades. Once in a while it wanders into the 80% or higher range but still no problems even with my European made guitars and ukuleles, but I keep them in cases. The only time I had humidity problems was in Washington state during winters where it was 10-20% and the finish on one of my guitars cracked all over.
 
I’m in Nova Scotia now. My first summer wal pretty humid. Usually 75%. I use humidit pack, oasis sound hole. I’ve been fine with ukes in case. I did buy dehumidifier for basement. Placed himidstats on both floor. I seem to maintain about 65% ukes are fine. Not sure what winter will bring. I don’t think 65-75 % is an issue.
 
Baz is giving me a few tips in another part of the UU forum. He referenced Hawaii (which of course I didn't even think of). I had a look at a humidity chart and got this:
Hawaii humidity.jpg

I'd defer to you though gochugogi as you live there!

I'm definitely never going to have issues of low humidity, and I feel like even if outside does go beyond the aforementioned threshold, inside I'm assuming it would be a little less. I would also assume after more reading and feedback that you'd really need a long exposure to the higher humidity to really impact the uke. As Baz stated, extreme variances (taking out of AC car into the sun) would likely have a greater impact than a constant humidity.

My concern was basically spending more money than I'd budgeted on a solid wood uke only to discover the climate would damage it - whereby I'd have been better with a laminate. It's seeming to quickly becoming less of an issue!
 
Most guitars and ukes would be very happy at mid 60% humidity, low humidity is much more dangerous or extremely high (>80%) on a prolonged basis. Also if the humidity changes a lot from day-to-day can impact stability of tuning.
 
Well I don’t think you have anything to worry about. My Enya EUT-M6E, the solid wood version is living in similar humidity at around 70ish% in Singapore. I always kept it in the gigbag, out of sunlight.
 
The soft cases are more likely to lose moisture faster than hardcases. Especially the canvas ones. The cloth on the sides of the zipper also breathes.

The wood in some hard cases absorbs and loses moisture. As will, to a lesser degree, the materials in the case like the cloth and the foam.
 
I though the D'Addario Humdipak would do the trick as it is coined as a "two-way humidity control system"

http://www.planetwaves.com/pwProduc...stem&sid=a4b273b8-a112-442a-a2b5-f267c3ac19b4

But then toward the bottom of the page - "This product is not intended for de-humidification in high humidity environments."

I'd already extended my budget a bit because I love the look and sound of the EUT-MAD, but it looks like the actual cost to maintain one will add a lot more to that. :(

There's only so much you can do to fight Mother Nature. I use those D'Addario packs because of their two-way action, but I can understand how they wouldn't be able to reduce 75% humidity.

An alternative might be silica drying packs. Whenever I get a product that has them packed in the box, I save them and put them in with cameras, lenses, and anything else that should be kept dry. A hygrometer would be essential to keep them from working too well.

https://smile.amazon.com/s?k=silica+packs&ref=nb_sb_noss_1
 
I lived for several years in San Juan, Puerto Rico, two blocks off the ocean. The average humidity is 76% and I never even thought about it. Really, I've found my ukuleles, even my solid wood ukuleles to be quite robust. I took one back and forth a number of times and another of my ukuleles lived down there for seven years. One problem that I had was with the tuners corroding, but that is probably due to the salt air from the breeze off the ocean, and not so much the humidity.
 
As a fellow Aussie, my advice is, don't worry about humidifying.
Just keep your ukes in shade and in conditions that you would feel comfortable in.

Solid wood ukuleles are not as prone to cracking as you may think. Australia has mild conditions towards instruments.
 
As a fellow Aussie, my advice is, don't worry about humidifying.
Just keep your ukes in shade and in conditions that you would feel comfortable in.

Solid wood ukuleles are not as prone to cracking as you may think. Australia has mild conditions towards instruments.


Thanks for the reply - but it's DEhumidifying. You're never going to need to humidify anything in Australia, our humidity just doesn't get that low. But a high humidity has the potential to swell the wood, bow the neck etc.

But yeah, everyone I've talked to has said the same thing. Even my brother who is in SE Victoria said "The humidity isn't high enough" - little did he realise it averages in the 70s down there!
 
Thanks for the reply - but it's DEhumidifying. You're never going to need to humidify anything in Australia, our humidity just doesn't get that low. But a high humidity has the potential to swell the wood, bow the neck etc.

But yeah, everyone I've talked to has said the same thing. Even my brother who is in SE Victoria said "The humidity isn't high enough" - little did he realise it averages in the 70s down there!

I don't think you need to dehumidify either as your humidity seems to range from mid60s-mid70s, which is actually considered the optimal range.
Also given that "ideal" condition is considered 70% humidity.

It's also not so much actual humidity level that's important, but abrupt and extreme changes in humidity that is a problem.
Your ukulele should be kept in a somewhat constant environment where humidity does not fluctuate.
The woods adapt and stabilise in your long term storage environment.
 
I follow a Hervey Bay uke group on FaceBook, HUMPS. That is where your best source of advice on local conditions will be. Join the group and see what the others do. They also seem to be holding a simple festival in early October at Lake Monduran which would be a good place to find out about ukuleles.

Was there last night :D

Seems the consensus is no one really cares about the humidity! Though now I've noticed some mold growing on a door in here that I've ignored for the last few years. Who cares about a door? But if it happened to my uke...... :mad:
 
Was there last night :D

Seems the consensus is no one really cares about the humidity! Though now I've noticed some mold growing on a door in here that I've ignored for the last few years. Who cares about a door? But if it happened to my uke...... :mad:

Mold would normally grow when it got contaminated by a specific aggressive mold and/or constant moisture exposure (not humidity alone).

Mold would not grow on an ukulele simply because of ambient humidity.
It rarely (or maybe never) happens.
 
Was there last night :D

Seems the consensus is no one really cares about the humidity! Though now I've noticed some mold growing on a door in here that I've ignored for the last few years. Who cares about a door? But if it happened to my uke...... :mad:
In my travels I've found that a lot of ukulele people outside of our little UU community are a lot less concerned about certain things like setups and humidity. I think that we feed our own neurosis sometimes. As far as mold, at least in our place, it usually it showed up in places where there is no air circulation, like inside drawers and on the back of closet doors. I used to leave my ukes out where they got plenty of breeze and had no problems, other than salt air corroding the tuners.
 
In my travels I've found that a lot of ukulele people outside of our little UU community are a lot less concerned about certain things like setups and humidity. I think that we feed our own neurosis sometimes. As far as mold, at least in our place, it usually it showed up in places where there is no air circulation, like inside drawers and on the back of closet doors. I used to leave my ukes out where they got plenty of breeze and had no problems, other than salt air corroding the tuners.

Same here. It’s called ukulele “underground” for a good reason. Apparently what’s common here is not so common elsewhere. They give you the look if you start talking about the difference between 34.5mm and 35mm nut width.
 
As far as mold, at least in our place, it usually it showed up in places where there is no air circulation, like inside drawers and on the back of closet doors. I used to leave my ukes out where they got plenty of breeze and had no problems, other than salt air corroding the tuners.

Now I dunno whether I should leave it zipped up in the soft case, or out in the air! Well at least when it's getting played it'll definitely be out in the air so I guess that ticks that box!

Same here. It’s called ukulele “underground” for a good reason. Apparently what’s common here is not so common elsewhere. They give you the look if you start talking about the difference between 34.5mm and 35mm nut width.

Funny you should say that. My mate just started playing uke and bought one at the local shop. I asked him if they'd set it up and he was like, "well....surely they would have.....they're a shop". Then I started talking about action and the nut and saddle, and I was going to measure the string heights when I visited. Got there and he was like, "nahhhhhhhhh". He's quite happy with what he's got and doesn't want to bother about such silly things
 
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