A Cheap and easy way to keep your guitar humidified

     Today we are going to cover one of the most commonly overlooked factors that harm your instruments, humidity.

     First of all let me explain why monitoring the humidity is a good idea. IT SAVES YOU MONEY! When your guitar dries out (electrics included) it causes the wood that your guitar is made of to shrink, which in turn causes all kinds of setup, and structural issues, protruding fret ends, lifting bridges, sinking/cracked acoustic guitar tops, and bowing necks to name a few.

     It is very easy and inexpensive to prevent this from happening to you. Rather than running to your local guitar shop and purchasing a guitar humidifier, I'd recommend you follow this little tutorial on making your own out of things that you commonly have around the house. I feel that this humidifier is far superior to the commercially manufactured ones for the simple reason that they do not hold enough water, and require refilling too frequently, not to mention they are grossly more expensive.  Let's be honest here, all a guitar humidifier is made of is a sponge inside of some type of case that prevents the water from touching your instrument, yet it allows the moisture to evaporate, which in turn hydrates your guitar.

     Let's get to it.

All the supplies you need are a water bottle and a new dish sponge

Start by drinking the bottle of water (fyi humans should consume 8 8oz glasses per day)

Then I generally remove the label and cap.  Using a pointed object I poke about 20 holes into the bottle.

Don't hurt yourself, be careful whenever you are using sharp objects.

Then, I "fluff" the bottle back up, and proceed to cut my dish sponge into 3 lengthwise pieces.

Again, don't cut yourself!

Now, insert the 3 sponges into your bottle.

Wet the sponges, then drain the bottle.

 

Gently squeeze the bottle.

Walk outside place your finger over the opening and "whip" the excess water out.

 

The object here is to make sure the bottle is not dripping water.

Dry off the outside of the bottle, and find a place to keep it in your guitar case. 

Don't be afraid to compress the bottle.

Now comes the important part!
Keep your guitar in it's case during the winter months.

My recommendation is that you go into whatever calendar program you use and setup a reminder for every Sunday between November 1 and April 15. Simply label it "Refill your humidifier".

Then, anytime your phone, or computer sends out a reminder just fill it up.

Taking this simple precaution will save your instruments from needing necessary repairs from neglect.

Thanks for reading through please pass the word along, and humidify your guitars.

If you have any remaining questions feel free to ask.

Make a great day folks,

Pete