How effective should guitar humidifer packs be?

[chris32895]

I have a couple Boveda packs in my TKL style archtop guitar case. One at the headstock and one by the body. I have the velcroed to the inside of the case so they don't fly around. I also keep a little hygrometer in the case as well as one in the room where I practice. There is probably no difference at all between the humidity in the case versus the humidity in the room. I have the 49% humidity Boveda packs and the humidity in my guitar case and room are anywhere between 30% and 35%. Is this normal?

[jazzshrink]

There are different factors that can reduce the effectiveness of the Boveda system, including the temperature and relative humidity of the room, exposure to direct sunlight, proximity to heating and cooling vents, condition of the case and whether it's kept closed all the time, etc. Boveda notes that, "Because most guitar cases are twice as much wood as the actual guitar itself, we recommend that you season your guitar case first for the best results." This is true for humidors and other wood lined containers. If you haven't done so already, I suggest checking out the Boveda website. Lots of useful information and clear instructions on how to get the best results. Many people here rely on water-soaked sponges in modified plastic travel soap containers, and they reportedly work well enough. Personally, I prefer Boveda for my cigars, flower and guitars.

[D'Aquisto Fan]

Yes. Seasoning the case first is important. I also find that old cases that allow too much outside air in are a problem as well. I've been using Boveda packs and Govee bluetooth hygrometers for the past two years and I've been very pleased with the results.

[Bill Eisele]

Another source of the moisture escaping the case is where the lid of the case meets the body of the case. Boveda recommends lining the lid of the case where it meets the body with window and door gasket material with the self adhesive backing. Here's their video to show how the gasket material (mostly) works:

https://youtu.be/rpz4OlVIHsU

Also their video on case seasoning:

They show the case seasoning with the guitar in the case. But I'm not sure I would want to keep the guitar in the case with the 72% packs for two weeks.

[jazzshrink]

The topic of "seasoning the case" has been mentioned, and a few people have noted the Boveda video shows the guitar in the case during this seasoning process. As someone noted, it would seem counterintuitive to expose a guitar to 72% humidity for up to two weeks. That made sense to me, so I explored the Boveda site further and found this:

HOW TO SEASON A WOOD GUITAR CASE WITH BOVEDA:

1. Place a calibrated hygrometer and four (4) Boveda 72% RH packs inside an EMPTY wood guitar case. (Since your instrument will not be in the case, you do not need to use a Boveda Fabric Holder with these seasoning packs.)
2. Close and latch the case.
3. Check hygrometer readings daily. Once the reading reaches 50% RH, remove the Boveda seasoning packs.
4. Discard the Boveda seasoning packs—they aren’t reusable.

I'm going to contact Boveda about this discrepancy and will share any additional information I come across.