One of the most commonly asked questions regarding the safety of guitars and similar instruments is do I need a guitar humidifier. It’s not a complicated question to answer, but it will mostly depend on where you live and how often you take out your instrument in foul weather.

These small devices are meant to fit inside your case. Inside, they keep the moisture levels at just the right level for the health of your guitar. If you didn’t have a humidifier in your case, then the wood might warp due to too much moisture. The strings would go out of tune and there’s a danger that the glue wouldn’t hold. The opposite would be just as detrimental as low humidity can cause the wood to shrink, leading to other equally serious problems.

Try to check if your area is suited to keeping your instrument without these gadgets. If you go outside and you don’t feel anything unusual, then it’s probably fine just to keep your instrument. If however your skin starts too feel too clammy and sticky, you may have too much humidity. If you feel too dry and your lips start to crack, your locality has too little humidity.

The basic mechanism of any humidifier will follow the rule of keeping the levels balance. As such, it acts by allowing the water that’s trapped in it to simply evaporate into the case. Some models are able to absorb back some moisture if the levels are too high. Most of these gadgets will have a clay or sponge like interior that you can soak in water. All you have to do is place it inside your case or guitar, and it’ll do the rest.

These appliances are most useful during the winter months as there is too little humidity in the cold air. This is unlike warm air which holds more moisture. Even when it’s relatively nice outside, you might have your home’s heating system on which can suck away the little moisture there is in the air.

This rule may not always be applicable for some areas where the humidity level can be low for most of the year. If you’re unsure about your situation, first check the local weather reports. Although they show the levels outdoors, it’s a good way of assessing your needs. If you can, get a hygrometer to test indoors. This is much more important as you’ll most likely be playing your instrument indoors.

Once you’ve bought your own model, you don’t have to use it right away. Wait for the levels to go below forty five percent. This is the time to put it in your case. If it gets lower, you will have to check and refill the device weekly. You don’t need to wonder, “Do I need a guitar humidifier?” with these simply tips.

Wondering whether you should invest in a guitar humidifier? Check out our super guitar care tips now in our comprehensive review on all you need to know about where to buy high quality musical instruments via the World Wide Web.