| Author |
Subject |
HighCellocity
Registered User
(10/11/00 11:45:33 pm)
Reply |
Humidifiers-Really Work or Mystical Mojo?
Hi,
I live in a part of
Southern California that can range from somewhat humid in the summer
to pretty dry in the winter.
I'm wondering if I should get a
humidifier and which one works best for a mid-student level
instrument, fully carved, etc.
Are humidifiers more to
prevent cracks/splits or for tone or both or ?
Are there
certain environments or times of year where they're not necessary or
where they're mandatory?
Thanks,
Matt
|
zambocello
Registered User
(10/12/00 12:57:21 am)
Reply |
Re:
Humidifiers-Really Work or Mystical Mojo?
Really work......
Best
relative humidity range for instruments is 40 - 60%. But the most
important thing is consistancy of rel. hum. level.
I use a
humidifier (an ultrasonic mister) plus dampits in the case. If my
cello gets very dry the sound gets thinner, plus the strings get too
close to the fingerboard. And there is the danger of seams opening
or, worse, the wood cracking. Plus there are other benefits of
humidification for eyes, skin, nasal passages, static electricity,
etc. (The cats can be shocking in dry weather!)
|
sarah
schenkman
Registered User
(10/12/00 4:35:07 pm)
Reply |
Humidifiers-Really Work or Mystical Mojo?
I live in a pretty damp climate so
the few times during the year when it is dry I use dampits in the
cello - think they work well.
|
Dick500
Registered User
(10/13/00 9:42:37 am)
Reply |
Humidity
60% relative humidity year-round
works great for a cello. Down to 40% is perfectly fine also. The
most important thing is to maintain a steady relative humidity level
within these numbers. The safest way to approach humidification is
to humidify the environment in which the instrument and bow are
kept. Whole-house or room humidifiers are best. Dampits can work
well too, but remember that, when you open the case, all of the
built-up humidity in it escapes,so you have to be quite careful to
use your dampits constantly when needed. How to know when to
humidify? Measuring humidity is best done with a good hygrometer
rather than by any method which involves guessing.
Wood
expands when moist and shrinks when dry. This movement happens
parallel to the grain rather than lengthwise to it. When moist, the
top and back expand upward and outward. When dry, they shrink and
make the cello, in effect, skinnier. When a top is allowed to dry
and shrink too much, it may rip itself loose from the ribs (open
seams). It also may cause the bridge to drop relative to the end of
the fingerboard (low strings). It may also shrink against both the
saddle and neck block and split (saddle cracks). It may also push
hard against the soundpost that the tone will suffer. It may also
push so hard against that soundpost that the top will crack at the
post (often requires a patch). The back will also shrink, causing
open seams and contributing to soundpost cracks. In the worst case
scenario, all of the above will happen plus a soundpost crack in the
back (which will significantly lower the value of the
instrument).
Unless you have a really volatile instrument,
open seams can be prevented. Humidity cracks are totally
preventable. Shop repairs of major damage are costly when done well
by a good repair person. Furthermore, it is possible for the cost of
major repair to approach or even exceed the repaired value of a
modestly-priced instrument. In that case, the cello would be
"totalled"--all for lack of attention to humidity.
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