Martin with sunken top - FRETS.NET2024-03-29T04:36:46Zhttp://fretsnet.ning.com/forum/topics/martin-with-sunken-top?commentId=2177249%3AComment%3A142017&feed=yes&xn_auth=noHey Robbie: I think IIRC the…tag:fretsnet.ning.com,2015-01-18:2177249:Comment:1422142015-01-18T19:39:23.102ZHesh Breakstonehttp://fretsnet.ning.com/profile/HeshBreakstone
<p>Hey Robbie: I think IIRC these came from a local Mom and Pop (real) hardware store but I can't recall the brand at the moment. We've use Hefty bags too with good results but the clear bags let us look through the bag at top cracks to see our progress.</p>
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<p>We did some testing with hygrometers in the bag and what works best is something like a sponge, a big one, that is not submerged. More specifically I was just putting a couple of cups of water in the bottom of the bag but…</p>
<p>Hey Robbie: I think IIRC these came from a local Mom and Pop (real) hardware store but I can't recall the brand at the moment. We've use Hefty bags too with good results but the clear bags let us look through the bag at top cracks to see our progress.</p>
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<p>We did some testing with hygrometers in the bag and what works best is something like a sponge, a big one, that is not submerged. More specifically I was just putting a couple of cups of water in the bottom of the bag but having something that wicks the moisture and then dries out naturally imparting the moisture to the air got us a higher RH level in the bag than just water in the bottom of the bag.</p>
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<p>Happy 2015 to ya too my friend!</p> Where do you get your bags, H…tag:fretsnet.ning.com,2015-01-18:2177249:Comment:1423012015-01-18T17:07:50.299ZRobbie Collinshttp://fretsnet.ning.com/profile/RobbieCollins
<p>Where do you get your bags, Hesh?</p>
<p>Where do you get your bags, Hesh?</p> Hi John: Please know that I…tag:fretsnet.ning.com,2015-01-18:2177249:Comment:1421392015-01-18T15:07:03.301ZHesh Breakstonehttp://fretsnet.ning.com/profile/HeshBreakstone
<p>Hi John: Please know that I appreciate you and your experienced advice and your willingness to share with me and the others. With this in mind Thank You for your thoughts and experience.</p>
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<p>Not trying to argue with you by any means but what we do works for us, works very well, we've never experienced any collateral damage associated with bag rehumidification, and it simply works well, quickly, and consistently.</p>
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<p>Please note we are sticklers for how long an…</p>
<p>Hi John: Please know that I appreciate you and your experienced advice and your willingness to share with me and the others. With this in mind Thank You for your thoughts and experience.</p>
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<p>Not trying to argue with you by any means but what we do works for us, works very well, we've never experienced any collateral damage associated with bag rehumidification, and it simply works well, quickly, and consistently.</p>
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<p>Please note we are sticklers for how long an instrument remains bagged with perhaps 3-4 days being a max.</p>
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<p>Additionally we keep our shop pretty humid all winter long with it usually being at around 48% (verified).</p>
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<p>I hear you though and just this past week nearly every acoustic repair client that we saw in our business which can be a dozen or more acoustic instruments in a single week we ask before opening the case how long has the sucker been in the cold... As such we are well aware of thermal shock possibilities and it's not unusual for us when an instrument has been in a cold car in 5 degree F weather to suggest that the client go have some coffee and return in an hour so that the case can acclimate to our shop slowly before being opened.</p>
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<p>I've never seen it personally but my business partner has seen when a cold case is opened and the finish crazes right before your eyes.... He also said that you can hear this happening....</p>
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<p>Being the coward that I can be when it comes to potential liability.... ;) rest assured that we are very keen to be on top of weather related including RH related issues in our repair biz. We also have invested in not one but three high psycrodyne wet-bulb testing rigs so that we know what we are dealing with.</p>
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<p>I appreciate your concern, John, please know this. But respectfully we do know what we are doing, have a very high volume repair business with lots of experience behind our people. David Collins taught Lutherie at the Galloup school, worked at Elderly, built hundreds of instruments often as a ghost builder, etc. I'm the newb with only a decade of experience now and still coming back for more...;)</p>
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<p>Thanks though for your concern and lets get past this winter and back to sunny days!</p> inside that bag, that's wha…tag:fretsnet.ning.com,2015-01-18:2177249:Comment:1421332015-01-18T07:19:16.301Zcharley erckhttp://fretsnet.ning.com/profile/charleyerck
<p> inside that bag, that's what it's like here in Hawaii all the time !</p>
<p> I mean literally, so my 1924 Martin parlor is a miracle !</p>
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<p> inside that bag, that's what it's like here in Hawaii all the time !</p>
<p> I mean literally, so my 1924 Martin parlor is a miracle !</p>
<p></p> Having repaired guitars in To…tag:fretsnet.ning.com,2015-01-18:2177249:Comment:1421322015-01-18T03:32:13.866ZJohnhttp://fretsnet.ning.com/profile/John631
<p>Having repaired guitars in Toronto for fifteen years and then in Winnipeg for twenty years I actually have a clue what I'm talking about. Contrary to the assumption that i don't. Twenty below in Winnipeg is much dryer than it is in Toronto (four hours from Ann Arbor). Rehumidifying a guitar that quickly when it's dry on a level that we see here can cause serious problems. Rapid and/or extreme changes in humidity or temperature can cause guitars to fall apart structurally on a level I never…</p>
<p>Having repaired guitars in Toronto for fifteen years and then in Winnipeg for twenty years I actually have a clue what I'm talking about. Contrary to the assumption that i don't. Twenty below in Winnipeg is much dryer than it is in Toronto (four hours from Ann Arbor). Rehumidifying a guitar that quickly when it's dry on a level that we see here can cause serious problems. Rapid and/or extreme changes in humidity or temperature can cause guitars to fall apart structurally on a level I never saw in Toronto. </p>
<p>I'm trying to give advice that takes into consideration the climate of the place the question came from.</p> I've used Hesh's method ever…tag:fretsnet.ning.com,2015-01-18:2177249:Comment:1422932015-01-18T02:02:08.692ZPaul Verticchiohttp://fretsnet.ning.com/profile/PaulVerticchio
<p>I've used Hesh's method ever since he first described it 'a while back' on this forum . The bottom line: It works.</p>
<p>Thanks, Hesh.</p>
<p>Not only is it effective, it's comparatively quick compared to 'in case' humidification systems. I agree that they're designed for maintenance, not a 'rescue'.</p>
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<p>I've used Hesh's method ever since he first described it 'a while back' on this forum . The bottom line: It works.</p>
<p>Thanks, Hesh.</p>
<p>Not only is it effective, it's comparatively quick compared to 'in case' humidification systems. I agree that they're designed for maintenance, not a 'rescue'.</p>
<p>P</p> nice hesh! its getting dry h…tag:fretsnet.ning.com,2015-01-18:2177249:Comment:1420172015-01-18T00:12:24.761ZAlex Glasserhttp://fretsnet.ning.com/profile/AlexGlasser
<p>nice hesh! its getting dry here in new york too.</p>
<p>nice hesh! its getting dry here in new york too.</p> I would especially look for c…tag:fretsnet.ning.com,2015-01-16:2177249:Comment:1422042015-01-16T23:32:00.727ZAndrewhttp://fretsnet.ning.com/profile/Andrew715
I would especially look for cracks right along the fingerboard extension. Sometimes theyre right aling the f board edge so theyre hard to see and insidious, and a big structural risk obviously.
I would especially look for cracks right along the fingerboard extension. Sometimes theyre right aling the f board edge so theyre hard to see and insidious, and a big structural risk obviously. Here's the current crop baski…tag:fretsnet.ning.com,2015-01-16:2177249:Comment:1420152015-01-16T17:01:13.693ZHesh Breakstonehttp://fretsnet.ning.com/profile/HeshBreakstone
<p>Here's the current crop basking in the RH....</p>
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<p><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2167748342?profile=original" target="_self"><img src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2167748342?profile=original" width="480" class="align-full"/></a></p>
<p>Here's the current crop basking in the RH....</p>
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<p><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2167748342?profile=original" target="_self"><img src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2167748342?profile=original" width="480" class="align-full"/></a></p> Sorry to hear about your awef…tag:fretsnet.ning.com,2015-01-16:2177249:Comment:1422882015-01-16T15:56:47.739ZHesh Breakstonehttp://fretsnet.ning.com/profile/HeshBreakstone
<p>Sorry to hear about your aweful weather John. </p>
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<p>We've rehumidified hundreds of instruments in the manner that I suggested with never a single issue resulting from the method... Last winter with the polar vortex decending over Michigan we had weeks of sub zero weather, not a usual thing for us.</p>
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<p>When considering any method to rehumidify a wooden musical instrument there are multiple factors that need to be considered. Not only the degree of RH that the…</p>
<p>Sorry to hear about your aweful weather John. </p>
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<p>We've rehumidified hundreds of instruments in the manner that I suggested with never a single issue resulting from the method... Last winter with the polar vortex decending over Michigan we had weeks of sub zero weather, not a usual thing for us.</p>
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<p>When considering any method to rehumidify a wooden musical instrument there are multiple factors that need to be considered. Not only the degree of RH that the instrument is exposed to but the duration is also important. An acoustic gutiar left in a 70 - 75% RH envirnment for pehraps a week or more most certainly would be a concern. But three days or so serves us and our clients very, very well.</p>
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<p>Here's wishing some warmer weather on us both!</p>