Which dampit for an f-hole guitar?

[tot_Ou_tard]

I'm thinking of getting a dampit worm thingy to use in my Godin 5th Ave.

It is an hollow-bodied archtop with f-holes. It is built with laminates, so the need isn't urgent, but I thought that be on the safe side.

So which one?

Guitar, violin, bass, viola...?

[Brian Krashpad]

I'm thinking of getting a dampit worm thingy to use in my Godin 5th Ave.



I have no idea what that is. The dampit worm thingy, not the Godin.

School me.

[wingsdad]

You really don't have to worrry about the lam woods taking on moisture or drying out much, or at all, so 'a little dab'll do ya'.

I don't even bother hanging one in my lam woods Epi Sheraton or Casino.

I use violin models for my Rick 12 (solid maple ) & Wash mando (solid spruce top, maple b/s) & clip it to the edge of the f-hole, and another that I drop thru one of the multi epaulet soundholes on my Ovation Celeb CS257 (solid spruce top). It's thinner than the guitar model. I load 'em with distilled water once a week (better for the foam to not rot, cleaner moisture for the wood...)

Dampits have been around so long it looks like they haven't re-printed their package inserts since the 30's.
Dampits at Elderly Music (http://elderly.com/search/elderly?terms=Dampit&x=11&y=12)

[bigG]

Krash. from what I understand from posts on here, it's a "sponge" like thingy to regulate humidity while an acoustic/hollowbody guit is in its case.

Personally, I've never used one, and I don't know anyone else who has. But, then again, I'm in Florida, as you are. From what I get, those northerners REALLY need them due to extreme temp changes.

Edit: I posted this at exactly the same time as wingsdad posted the one before mine, and he's in SoCal, so it's not just northeners, I guess :nope

[wingsdad]

Yo, bigG, you gotta deal with the opposite syndrome. I'm in the desert where the RH outside only gets over 30 when it rains, which is almost never (less than 4" here YTD).

You gotta worry about a solid spruce or other softer wood top taking on too much moisture and heat and swelling up to the point that when it finally cools & dries out some, it cracks. Kinda like how asphalt roads get potholes.

Now that's a real bummer, cuz while you can carefully, slowly succeed at rehydrating dried wood, recure it, so-to-speak, once it's oversoaked, you've pretty much never gonna get life outta the wood again. Sponge-top guitars sound pretty dead.

[bigG]

Right on, wings! Alot of humidity here, but using air conditioning some nine months out of the year cures that. At least inside my apt, and I don't play out anymore....so...

Fwiw, I registered my used Taylor 310 and, though no warranty, I now get their quarterly "Wood & Steel" mag in the mail. Taylor recommends 48% humidity content...

[Brian Krashpad]

Thanks for the info. My guitars are pretty much in the A/C 24/7, with the exception of the 4 or so months where the weather is milder, like presently. I should probably get one at least for my old MIJ acoustic, even though it's just a no-name with I'm sure not nice woods it is quite dry inside.

Shows you how much acoustic I play. I'd heard of humidifiers before before in a very vague and general way, but not Dampits specifically.

[Tone2TheBone]

I'd think a Cello Dampit would be good.

[tot_Ou_tard]

I've had the Godin for a little more than a year, but I've never concerned myself with humidity. It's always out, but in the basement which tends to be pretty stable in humidity and temperature.

I thought that the worm couldn't hurt, but I was confused as to whether the cello would be too fat or the violin too thin and fall in.

[wingsdad]

Tot-
The Dampits I've gotten, with or without the (useless) RH 'gauge'/soundhole cover, have a tipped clip thingy,that you can safely slip over the edge of the f-hole. Or, just hang it through the narrowest part of the f-hole, the cap on the head of the worm has a wide enough lip to keep it in place.

The fatter the worm, the more water it holds, meant for bigger bodied instros, but it doesn't matter; they dry out pretty quick.

bigG-
cool with the Taylor; W&S is also on their website in pdf format (last i looked, long ago). Rule of Thumb, depending on who you read, is 45-55% RH. Figures Taylor would be so precise wtih '48%'. With eithter Kyser Lifeguards or Dampits in them, my acoustics and hollows live in a closed cabinet that I manage to keep at around 40-45, that's in a closet that I try to keep at around 45-50. No issues whatsoever with bodies or fingerboards.

[tot_Ou_tard]

Thanks Wings! That's exactly the kind of info that I was looking for.