In 1974, a colleague moved
from Miami to Salt Lake City to attend the Violin Making School of America,
bringing with him a violin that he had purchased in Miami a couple of
years before. The violin was a Breton made in Mirecourt in the mid 19th
century. Shortly after it arrived in Salt Lake City, the violin was
set out in the living room of his apartment. Then late one night, he
heard a rather loud "pop" in the living room—the top
of the violin had cracked its entire length.
It's hard to imagine
two more different climates than Miami (hot and humid most of the time,
and near sea level) and Salt Lake City (cold, dry, and nearly a mile
high). Much to the dismay of my colleague, the violin—accustomed
to warmth and humidity—had gone into shock with the change of conditions.
While this is an extreme
example, most instrument owners are less than certain about how to prevent
damage caused by changes in humidity. Stringed instruments are made
of wood, a material that expands when it absorbs moisture, and contracts
when it dries. To further complicate matters, the two different types
of wood used in building instruments—soft spruce for the top and
harder maple for the back and sides—expand and contract at different
rates. At the extreme, these changes can cause extensive damage requiring
expensive repairs, as in the case of the ill-fated Breton violin. They
can also cause the edges (or seams) to open, a much easier and less
expensive repair.
Actually, the seams of stringed
instruments are designed to open when needed. The edges are sealed with
hyde glue that releases, or opens up, under climatic pressure. Other
stronger glues won't allow for this kind of "safety valve,"
and the instrument (especially the top) routinely will crack. As a result,
older instruments with many repaired cracks tend to suffer even more
injury from climate changes.
Ideally, a stringed instrument
should always be kept in a moderate environment of about 60–70°F
with 50 percent humidity. A few of us are fortunate enough to live in
a region with these constant conditions, but most of us do not. In much
of the United States, winters are very cold—with heated homes driving
the humidity down to 10 or 15 percent—and the summers are often
hot and humid. If you live in the American Southwest, where it's
hot and dry a good deal of the time, you need to take extra measures
to stabilize the conditions inside the instrument case. In addition
to physical damage, stringed instruments suffer tonally from humidity
changes. A dry climate will often cause the tone to become hard, edgy,
and dry. Conversely, excess humidity causes instruments to sound dull,
thick, and unresponsive.
So how do you maintain the
correct temperature and humidity around your instrument? The two basic
approaches to consider are managing the humidity within the instrument
itself and addressing the climate in the instrument's storage area,
that is, in the case. There are many commercial products avail-able,
and some home-grown solutions, that take one or the other approach.
Here are a few options:
Instrumental Devices
Some players prefer to use
a humidifier that goes in the instrument rather than in the case; others
decry this practice, fearing that it could expose the wood to direct
contact with water. The best-known product of this type is the Dampit,
sold in many stores. Models for violin range from $7.50 to $10 each.
(Similar products include the Humitron, distributed by RDM Enterprises.)
The concept is simple: The Dampit is a flexible, perforated green tube
with a sponge inside it. After moistening the sponge, you insert the
Dampit into one of the
f-holes and leave it in the instrument when you're not playing
it. When the sponge inside the Dampit dries out, you simply remoisten
it. The drier the climate, the more frequently you need to check the
moisture level (in very dry conditions, two Dampits may be needed—one
in each f-hole).
However, violin makers and
dealers—and players—are split in their acceptance of this
type of product. Some say you need to check the Dampit diligently in
very dry climates to make sure it is consistently moist. And some claim
that the Dampit itself can damage an instrument by introducing too much
moisture into the instrument's environment. Despite the differing
opinions between makers and dealers, most musicians accept this product
due to its simplicity.
In the Case
If you want to control the
climate in the case, you have several ways to go. A good place to start
is to look for a padded case cover, much like the ones made by Bobelock
([800] 862-3468) and Mooradian (www.mooradian.com). (Note that Mooradian
also manufactures covers that other companies sell under their own labels.)
These bags offer insulation to protect against both hot and cold weather.
And there are other alternatives, though there's no consensus on
their value.
You might also consider
adding a hygrometer and a humidifier to your case, or buying a case
that's equipped with these accessories. A hygrometer measures the
level of humidity, while a humidifier can correct dryness. An in-case
humidifier often comes in the form of a small tube filled with water-saturated
material that releases moisture at a controlled rate.
Many violin and viola cases
include a built-in hygrometer and a vaporizer bottle. I find that the
little vaporizer bottles don't provide enough humidity in very
dry conditions, but they do work in more moderate situations. In its
more expensive cases, Musafia (www.musafianorthamerica.com) includes
a humidifier that looks like a short string tube. It is perforated and
filled with a sponge, and mounted inside the lid of the case–a
rather clever idea. San Francisco Symphony assistant concertmaster Jeremy
Constant reportedly purchased a Musafia case partly for its humidifier.
"When you're touring in the winter, it's a godsend,"
he explains, "because everything is so horrifically dry. [Sponge-like
humidifiers] are a losing effort unless you are willing to have one
in each f-hole."
For the do-it-yourselfer,
Radio Shack sells a small combination digital thermometer and hygrometer
that you can keep in your case. It costs about $25. For a home-made
humidifier, some musicians I know use a plastic 35mm-film canister,
perforated with several holes and with a sponge inside (moistened as
needed). This is mounted inside the case with Velcro. One musician I
know uses a travel soap container, also perforated and with a sponge
inside.
A more elaborate and reportedly
efficient in-case approach is the Stretto system, distributed by Shar
Products (www.sharmusic.com).
It includes a hygrometer and thermometer to monitor the climate, and
several perforated pouches that you moisten as needed to maintain the
appropriate humidity level. The system costs about $79, the humidifier
alone costs $44.
Another case humidifier,
the Arion (www.arionmusic.com),
was introduced just as this article was going to press. It employs what
the manufacturer calls "hydrogels enclosed in a space-age plastic
that allows moisture to consistently escape through its walls."
The Arion costs about $20.
Take Care
In our shop, we regularly
see instruments damaged by extremes of temperature and humidity, which
is sad because it is often preventable damage. More often than not,
the repair costs are high because the damage is so extensive. You should
be ever mindful of the conditions around you and remember stringed instruments
are fragile, so protect your investment.
PLAY IT SAFE
Even if you use one of the
humidification systems
mentioned in this article, you should take additional steps to protect
your violin, viola, cello, or double bass. I strongly recommend the
following:
- Avoid extremes in temperature
or humidity.
