Humidifying my Little Jane

I live in Colorado and it’s dry here (currently 24 percent in the room where I keep my Little Jane) so keeping the guitar in the case is a must. I’ve found that I need to retune the guitar after a few hours of playing in dry air; unfortunately, leaving it out for extended periods in those conditions isn’t an option. According to Furch customer support, recommended humidity should be between 40 and 60 percent. To achieve this, I use the MusicNomad sound hole humidifier and put in in the case next to the waist of the guitar. So far is doing the trick and I find that I need to refresh the moisture in the sponge about every other day or two.

To monitor the humidity in the case, I put a Govee Bluetooth Hygrometer Thermometer inside. I can monitor through the app or widget on my phone and have alarms set if the humidity gets to high or too low. As you can see by the picture, the humidity is lower than the 40/60 percent. I’m still working on the placement of the hydrometer and the humidifier to maximize effectiveness.

Playing Form:

This guitar is much smaller than my others, and adjusting to the size has been quite a challenge. I’ve noticed that my right arm and hand tend to contort because there isn’t enough body to rest my arm on. If I’m not careful, it can lead to wrist pain — especially important to avoid as a fingerstyle guitarist, where right-hand form matters a lot. Using a pick would probably make this less of an issue, but it’s really not an option for me.

Update: I was able to find an armrest for the Little Jane that has helped quite a bit.

I’ve found that wearing a guitar strap helps keep the guitar at a consistent height, which reduces strain. I’m considering adding strap locks, like I did for my Larrivee, for the convenience of quickly taking the strap on and off.

Action:

The action was a bit high as noted in my last post and I reached out to Furch for guidance. their response was the following:

“Regarding your question about adjusting the action on your Little Jane, the setup works just like on any standard acoustic guitar. You can lower the action by:

• Adjusting the truss rod using an Allen key.
• Sanding down the saddle if truss rod adjustment isn’t enough.”
• The only difference compared to a regular acoustic guitar is the nut—since the strings go through it, the slots cannot be filed down as they can on a traditional nut. Other than that, the adjustment process is the same.”

I have yet to work on the neck and I don’t think it needs it but I did sand down the saddle and that has helped quite a bit. The guitar ships with D’Addario XSAPB1253’s so I’m going to try a lighter gauge which should help (Elixir Nanoweb 10/47). I am concerned that it might impact the tone but we’ll see and I can always go back to 12’s.

So far, I’m loving my Little Jane travel guitar and am really pleased with it after a little over a week. With a few tweaks, modifications, and plenty of playing, I’m confident this guitar will feel like it was made just for me.

Update: Looks as if Kyser no longer makes humidifiers, let along sell them. If you are looking for alternative you can try the this knockoff; it has the same form factor as the Kyser but I haven’t tried it. What I use now is the Music Nomad Humitar system. Works great in keeping my guitar at the right humidity level. You do have to keep it in the case for it to be effective, which is fine. Been working great for me for years and the sponge doesn’t need to be hydrated as much as with the Kyser.

For your information: Kyser Discontinued..

In my last post on humidifiers, I wrote about my Grover system and how it worked well but I had concerns with it fitting so tight between the strings and the guitar that it might scratch the finish.  I was also having troubles with the sponge getting tangled with the electronics in side my guitar.  Purchased a Kyser system from Amazon and I’m very happy with what I got.

_{*Full disclosure: Links within this post contain affiliate links to amazon. I earn commission on qualified purchases}.

My Impression:

The construction of the Kyser was made of a soft soft/flexible plastic or rubber so no worries that it would scratch or scuff my guitar.  Installation was simple, easily fitting into the sound hole sealing in the moister in where it belongs.  The only drawback I could find in installation was that if the sponge is too saturated, water could drip onto or in your guitar so be careful.  I left the humidifier in the guitar for the last three days and it has performed as well as my Grover. The sponge in the Kyser was still saturated and I was confident it would stay that way for a few more days.

Final Thoughts

The Kyser Lifeguard Humidifier System is a must have for any musician that needs a fair priced($14.00) and efficient humidifier for their acoustic guitar.  With the solid, yet soft construction you the Kyser system will take safely humidify your guitar without damaging it.

Update (5.13.08):  It has now been about two weeks since this post and the Kyser is still working great.  I re-saturated it today for the first time since the posting and the sponge was still damp and probably could have went longer.  I must tell you that it was in a closed case the whole time but even in a closed case the Grover didn’t last more than 3 or 4 days.  I now have my Martin hanging on the wall.  I’ll keep you updated on how that goes.

Update (10.25.08):  Just received my order for the Kyser Classical Guitar Humidifier system.  Not really much of a difference from my other one except it’s a bit smaller to properly fit the soundhole for my classical.  My only regret is that I didn’t get it sooner.

Links:

Kyser Home Page