Rickresource Rickenbacker Forum

Let's not get too wrapped up in these details... instead, how about we obsess on a good way to tell where in the range we are at any given moment?

To wit: Reasonably accurate digital thermometer/humidistats are available for around $20-30.00. Ideally, keep your temperature between 68 and 75 F., humidity around 50-55%, avoid sudden changes.

You don't want sudden warmth, sudden coldth, sudden dryth, or sudden sodden.

The gauge will tell.

And, we've gone full circle.

Just HAD to chime in on the RADIANT HEAT comment.

It actually was an OLD way of heating homes. Our home in Levittown NY (built in 1947) had COPPER pipes laid into the foundation.

Hot water from the oil burner kept our floors (and our feet) toasty warm. The ONLY problem was that after time, the lime in the concrete caused a corrosive reaction with the copper.

The system would then develop a mysterious "wet spot" on your carpet. You then had to have the carpet ripped up, and a plumber with a jack hammer would have to come in, track the leak, rip up the concrete, patch it, replace the carpet because it shrunk from the water. We averaged a leak about every two years.

They have now perfected the system and now use rubber tubing. It is a wonderful system to really keep those tootsies toasty warm. To quote Stan "And, we've gone full circle."

Back on thread, my V63 has a very thin neck. I've learned to deal with some of her minor quirks. I just love this bass. Normally there isn't a problem with humidity. We've recently had a drought here in Florida (normally no shortage of humidity here) I found she is going slightly SHARP.

I did't want to mess with the truss rods so my luthier said to just put her back in her case and wait for the humidity to pick up a little (or to pick up a humidifier). This week we have been getting some rain and whatever was going on with the neck is now gone, it just corrected itself. This bass seems to LOVE the extra moisture.

Something like this, Dave.

http://www.thompsoncigar.com/default.aspx?sid=3hhrqj55oqwkjm55fijl3v55&uid=165&CategoryID=46&page=product

Paul, wouldn't it be more logical if "sodden" were "wetth"?

BTW, 27 °C is 80.6 °F - a little warm even to me ... did you say that you are part Vulcan, David?

Crikey! I'm glad Gary posted the celsius/farenhiet conversion. You got chickens living in your house, David? Man, that is warm.

If I may interrupt, I am in Tampa, FL and new hi gain polepieces rust in about two years. So don't cry to me! Ha! Wish I was kidding.

Hey Jason,

NOW you know why I like toasters so much!

Hey, you can always do the black sharpie trick!

C'mon over to the EAST coast for a while, oh, and don't forget to bring the 4002 will ya?

I was going to email you this week! Cool!

YES!

You wouldn't be kidding me would ya Jdog?

VERY COOL INDEED!

Tony - email sent.

FYI, there are some good app notes on humidity and acoustic guitars at

http://www.taylorguitars.com/guitars/reference/techsheets.html

Jason wrote:
"If I may interrupt, I am in Tampa, FL and new hi gain polepieces rust in about two years. So don't cry to me! Ha! Wish I was kidding."

Living on the coast like that, you might want to consider putting a light coat of oil or vaseline on those parts that will rust.

CRC

Taylor's info is very good . . . for Taylor and perhaps other acoustic guitars. They build their guitars in a 47% carefully controlled facility using expensive Liebert equipment, really first rate as compared to many other well known acoustic makers. But that 47% is optimal for tropical woods and the Maple we use much prefers the 35% RH (6.5% internal) we try to hold in our factory.

If you have acoustic, by all means try to keep it closer to 47% on average, but if you have only Maple instruments, 35% is a much better target, and in many areas of the country, easier to achieve.

I haven't tried it myself, but I've heard of others having some success with gun bluing on those rusty pole pieces.