Zulu
Oud Junkie
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Registered: 6-21-2004
Location: Austin, Texas
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Humidifier
Do any of you suggest putting an instrument humidifier in my hard case? I live in Southern California; desert like conditions.
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Franck
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Location: Montréal, Québec
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You should try to keep a constant humidity for your instruments, i.e.: around 45%.
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fernandraynaud
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But what's the solution if someone is living in desert-like conditions, with say 20% humidity? Is it better to let the instrument settle in at 20% and
just be kept there, or is it better for it to be kept in a case with an artificially high 45%, taken out and played while it races to dry out?
My studio is at ground level and stays around 70% humidity because it's close to the foundation with beaten earth. If I take an instrument upstairs to
play it, where humidity might be 40%, it very quickly starts to decompensate: the plain strings immediately go out of tune (be they nylon or PVF),
then the pegs start getting loose, and within an hour or two it's unrecognizable!
I would guess that for someone living in the desert, it would make more sense to let a new instrument (gradually) settle at whatever humidity is
ambient. Anyone disagree?
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Zulu
Oud Junkie
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Location: Austin, Texas
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I ask because in my online research there is so much talk about...
1)Wood getting so dry that bridges snap off.
2)Woods that are different expand and contract at different rates and could separate.
3)Warping.
...and a number of other horrors due to dry climate.
It seems that these are problems that occur over some period of time; therefore I'd like to address it now before a possible situation arises.
I understand that these are extreme scenarios but was wondering if this is something not to be ignored; seeing how we make quite a monetary and
emotional investment in our instruments.
I'd hate for my oud to suffer due to my negligence.
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fernandraynaud
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A lot of damage that people describe is due to transitions, e.g. your #2. I suspect that ANY steady state can work better than frequent change.
I have one rough oud I keep at ambient (20-100%), and the pegs keep shifting, and it's always out of tune. The soundboard rises and falls, but
fortunately no damage. I keep and play most instruments in the studio at its steady 70%. If I had to keep them at my wildly swinging ambient, i guess
I'd use a hardcase with a humidifier, but in your situation the ambient is a very steady low humidity, correct?
Ideally your oud would have been made in a climate similar to your ambient, but it's not exactly like there's a label that says "designed and
constructed in 55% relative humidity from woods aged at 23% RH".
So can someone who has experience with this very issue make a recommendation for Zulu with his constant 20% RH - is it better to let the oud
equilibrate to 20% or move it in and out of a humidified case ?
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Zulu
Oud Junkie
Posts: 149
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Location: Austin, Texas
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You're right...RH is pretty low in Hollywood; L.A. is a desert and I'm nowhere near the beach!
My current cheap 1st oud is kept out in the open on a stand; I'm not so concerned about that one.
I have a Sukar 212 on order and should be here in 3 weeks; that oud will be my baby and I want to take extra good care of it!
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Sasha
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I live in San Diego, and even though I am less than a half-mile from the bay, I keep a humidifier in my hard cases for my good ouds.
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Zulu
Oud Junkie
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Location: Austin, Texas
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Quote: Originally posted by Sasha  | I live in San Diego, and even though I am less than a half-mile from the bay, I keep a humidifier in my hard cases for my good ouds.
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Sasha,
Could you provide some details about your humidification choice.
May I ask what humidifier do you use; is it store bought or do you believe a home made device will work such as the one in this video...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0Q0SZ69c4Tc
The person in the video spoke of RH upwards of 70+ which I believe is too high, but I am curious about the other points he makes that a home made
device can be more efficient and cost effective.
Have you placed a hygrometer in your case to check RH levels?
Have you experienced any problems as result from removing the oud from a controlled environment such as detuning, peg slippage, etc?
Any further input would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks!
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DaveH
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hi Zulu
I have limited experience of very dry climes but have had to deal with big fluctuations and I'd agree that are they can be a big threat.
The full solution would be to keep and play your instrument in one room of the house and to try and control the humidity within limits in that room -
with a room humidifier (not ridiculously expensive).
A hard case with a hygrometer and some sort of humidifier when it gets dry is a more "localised" alternative, but I find that difficult to manage, a)
because you can't play it in its case and b) because you have to check at least every day, which limits holidays/business trips.
A damp sponge or flannel in a plastic bag in the string compartment of your hard case is a pretty effective humidifier, but if you want something more
professional and possibly with a longer lasting water reserve, Jameel was selling a dinky looking case humidifier - you should find it thorugh a
search of these forums. I seem to remember Jameel mentioning in a post he had a friend in Ariz/N. Mex. with similar questions to yours. This was a
couple of years ago, so you might get in touch with Jameel to find his friend's experience.
On the plus side, sukars are built pretty strong, and should take a certain degree of abuse.
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Franck
Oud Junkie
Posts: 145
Registered: 8-21-2007
Location: Montréal, Québec
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What is damaging is the variations of RH, if you keep it at 45% and you are playing a lot where the RH is uncontrolled you will have problems. If you
only play at home, keep a room with the right humidity. In your case you should keep it a little lower than 45%, let's say 35% so the shock won't be
too much if you take it out of the room.
The thing is, depending on the environment, to keep stability in the moisture level in the wood so it won't expand or retract to damage the
instrument.
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