Guitar Humidifiers

Why humidify?
Woods are susceptible to temperature and humidity changes. If the temperature gets too cold and the air too dry, the guitar wood 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, 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 excellent condition for generations. 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
The Kyser, Planet Waves, or Dampit are used inside an acoustic guitar. The Herco 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 that fits into the sound hole, sealing the interior body of the guitar. It's the only humidifier that regulates the humidity inside the guitar body 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. Simply fill the humidifier with water using the supplied syringe. The foam interior releases moisture evenly and slowly.

You don't have to remove it from the sound hole to refill it with water. Nice.

Dampit

Dampit is a tube-type humidifier.

• immerse the green tube in water for about 20 seconds
• pinch the ends to remove excess water, and wipe the tube dry
• suspend the tube inside the guitar body by wedging it between the G and D string
• moisture in the tube humidifies the guitar body, the neck, and the case
• for long-term storage, Dampit comes with a clear sound hole cover that 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 the only humidifier on the market with a humidity indicator that tells you when to use Dampit.