Violins & String Instruments

Maintaining Proper Humidity Levels for Your Violin, Viola, Cello, Bass, Harpsichord or Other String Instrument

A wooden musical instrument’s humidity level depends on the humidity in the surrounding air. Wood expands and contracts as it takes in and gives off humidity from the air. This can cause changes in the shape and size of the instrument, which can be both stressful and potentially damaging.
Maintaining Proper Humidity Levels for Violins & Violas Can Prevent Warping, Cracking, Splitting and Joint Damage
What Can Excess Dryness Do To My String Instrument?
When an violin or viola contracts, parts of it, such as the top, are under tension. This creates the ideal conditions to cause cracks and separated seams and joints. If the violin or viola expands, this can also cause the joints to separate.
What Can Excess Humidity Do To My Instrument?
Excess moisture can cause bowing of your violin top and irreparable sagging in the violin’s neck. Excess moisture also changes the weight and sound of acoustic string instruments. When the moisture level is high, the wood is more easily bent. Heat and moisture were, in fact, what allowed the maker of your string instrument to bend its ribs.
It is so important to maintain proper humidity for your violin, viola, cello or bass. For example, a guitar top will change in width about 1/8 inch with a 20% change in humidity. The change in dimension would be even greater on a larger such as a cello or bass.
Ideally, your humidity should be constant. There certainly should never be a variation greater than 15- 20%.
Our highly accurate Habitat Monitor ® humidification systems can maintain your humidity level within a range of only 2%. The Habitat Monitor ® is a highly precise hygrometer which maintains its accuracy over a long period of time.
Contact us and we’ll help design a humidity control system to protect your violins, violas, cellos, basses and other string instrument.