F hole plugs and humidification

[nevershouldhavesoldit]

I finally made a set of really good plugs for my laminated archtop. I found a fairly firm but compressible closed cell polyethylene foam that cuts well, doesn’t crumble or shed, holds its shape, and doesn’t seem to abrade the finish at all. On last night’s gig, I sat right in front of my amp and played fairly loudly (we were in the food court of a Whole Foods - very big space with high ceilings). There was not even a hint of feedback, and no palm muting was needed. Tone was unaffected, and we all agreed that these plugs are keepers.

I was going to leave them in place until I realized that the F holes are the only way for air to get into and out of the body. So humidification packs in the case wouldn’t do anything for the inside of the guitar if I leave the holes plugged in the case. Worse yet, this one’s poly finished, which makes it fairly impervious to moisture. So now I’m thinking I should take the plugs out in the case.

Anybody have experience or rational thought on whether I can safely leave f hole plugs in place while the guitar is in a case?

[wintermoon]

Whole Foods eh?
I was on a gig @ Shop Rite for a few months. It was really weird playing in a market, and we got some strange looks from people that thought the same thing but they liked it. Only thing that was a drag was it was @ 9 AM and we were getting in from a steady the night before @ 3 AM..

But as far as humidification I only use room humidifiers so can't offer advice on packs. I wouldn't be worried about a poly guitar though, you really only need to worry about fret sprout, and the weather's breaking now so you won't be needing humidification.
Btw, I leave plugs in my L-5 24/7 365, never an issue in nearly 20 yrs.

Edited to add, imo you don't need to worry about humidification in the time it takes to leave your house and get back after a gig. Issues typically arise over the course of several days to a week or more going from a proper environment to dry unless say, you're going from humidified to playing all night long in front of a fireplace in the dead of winter.

[nevershouldhavesoldit]

Whole Foods eh?
I was on a gig @ Shop Rite for a few months. It was really weird playing in a market, and we got some strange looks from people that thought the same thing but they liked it. Only thing that was a drag was it was @ 9 AM and we were getting in from a steady the night before @ 3 AM..

But as far as humidification I only use room humidifiers so can't offer advice on packs. I wouldn't be worried about a poly guitar though, you really only need to worry about fret sprout, and the weather's breaking now so you won't be needing humidification.
Btw, I leave plugs in my L-5 24/7 365, never an issue in nearly 20 yrs.

I've often thought about the irony of having begun my career in the luxury boardwalk hotels of Atlantic City and finishing it 65 years later in supermarkets But to be honest, these are great gigs. The places are clean, roomy, comfortable, and hospitable. The audience is fantastic. There are tables set up in the food court area, and we have a lot of regulars who come to hear us and eat dinner. I'm playing with bass and drums, and last night's gig was really great. I've been playing with them for decades, but never together until January. We all agree that it's really going well. We have dates out to October, and the inspiration of great players who push the envelope is fantastic for me. I was getting sloppy at the club gig, and now I'm working hard to stay worthy of my band mates.

Fret sprout isn't a problem as long as there's a humidity pack in the case. I'm just concerned about keeping the body hydrated. I bought the Ibby new in 1997, and it's still in fantastic shape. I don't ever want to be posting pics of binding separation or top & back gaps. I have Vornado humidifiers in the apartment, but even with them the RH doesn't get much above 40 during the heating season. So case packs are essential. Since the only bare wood surfaces are inside the guitar, I still wonder if poly keeps ambient humidity from reaching the body wood except through the f holes.

[wintermoon]

I usually keep my stuff @ 35-40 tops in the winter, never had an issue. I don't think the 'recommended' 50% is really necessary, at least it hasn't been ime. But as I said in my edited post, issues aren't going to happen in the time you're out of the house unless you go to some beyond extreme environment for a very long period of time.

[nevershouldhavesoldit]

But as I said in my edited post, issues aren't going to happen in the time you're out of the house unless you go to some beyond extreme environment for a very long period of time.

Hmmm. Maybe I wasn't clear about my concern. I'm not worried about this when the guitar is in use, transit etc. The issue is when it's sitting in its case (or even on a stand in a well humidified room) for days to weeks at a time.

The plugs block humidified air's access to the inside of the body. My concern is that if I leave them in place in the case, humidity packs under the headstock and neck heel will not humidify the air inside the guitar (and neither will ambient room humidity). Since poly is highly water resistant and waterproof, body wood will not benefit from external humidification on the outside because it cannot penetrate the finish. The only way for humidity to get to the top, back, rims, kerfing, braces etc is through the unfinished inside surfaces, and the only way into the guitar is through the f holes. Nitro is also somewhat water resistant, but it does let some humidity reach the wood - and this increases as it ages.

I don't want to have to put the plugs in and take them out a lot because they're fairly thin at the points that define the round ends of the f holes. I fully expect bits to break off over time as the plugs are dragged over those points and twisted while fitting and removing them. I guess I'll spend an afternoon making a few pairs so I can just throw them away as they wear and loosen.

[wintermoon]

If you have room humidifiers I don’t think you need packs in the case too.
besides, you haven't had an issue in 28 yrs right?
I think you're overthinking it a bit.

[Danny W.]

If humidity can't get in, then it can't get out either, so the guitar won't dry out.

Danny W.