Time to Humidify

Violins, Guitars, Mandolins... all are at risk of developing top cracks when the air gets too dry. This violin top had six cracks that were glued and cleated, but the top had to come off to do it.

As temperatures drop, so does humidity.

It's TIME to start humidifying your instruments so that you don't have to spend your hard-earned $$ to repair them.

Meadowood sings this song every Autumn because dehydration damage in instruments is gradual & largely unnoticeable until it’s well advanced. The unfinished wood on the inside of your instrument absorbs & loses humidity; during the process, the wood swells & shrinks.

Spruce & cedar, the most common woods in the tops of acoustic instruments, expand & schrink more than hardwoods used for the back & sides (mahogany, koa, maple, walnut, rosewood...). As a result, when the instrument is in high jhumidity (>60%) the back/sides, glued to the top, expand less than the top, and prevent it from expanding outward. So, the top & its braces bow outward a little. The action gets higher & the tone of the instrument becomes slightly muffled. This condition is not usually damaging to the instrument. 

In dry conditions, however, when the top & braces attempt to shrink, the sides & back prevent it. The top becomes concave in front of the bridge and the action drops. In extended periods of dryness or sudden profound drops of humidity, the top of the instrument can crack. Humidity below 40% is in the danger zone.  

No one warrantees against cracks caused by lack of humidity. Those repair costs come out of your pocket. And, depending on the size, location & character of the crack (or cracks), the repair can be pretty pricey– sometimes hundreds of dollars. To add insult to injury, the cracks are often very difficult to fix & scars are visible after repair, especially if the wood has had time to distort or collect dirt before repair. 

Some folks have been lucky, and have had instruments for years, never humidified & have had no problems. We celebrate that good fortune, but repair many cracked instruments every winter. We keep humidity at Meadowood & in our home at a minimum of 40% & strongly encourage you to do so too. The rewards greatly outweigh the effort. 

HOW TO PREVENT DEHYDRATION CRACKING:

Use humidity meters where you store your instruments (many people who thought their homes were OK, found out that they were at 20-30% or worse when they actually measured humidity). Digital hygrometers in the $20-$50 range are more sensitive & accurate than analog meters in the same price range.

Air condition or use in-case sytems to reduce humidity during humid periods (above 60%). We sell systems made by D'Addario and Boveda (about $20-25). 

Humidify with an in-case system, room humidifier, or humidifier on your HVAC system during dry periods (below 40%). Keep instruments away from wood & coal stoves, fireplaces & hot air vents.

Immediately repair any craxks that do form to increase the possibility of complete repair that is less visible. 

Guitars typically crack along the center seam or at the corners of the bridge between the bridge. This crack is large & moderately severe & has accumulated dust which will make the damage visible, even after repair.