Why you need to humidify!
This is happens to guitars that are left in dry, arid or cold environments without humidity supplementation.

If you’re in doubt about the power of our Guitar Humidifiers, here’s the evidence.

We bought this cracked Taylor Big Baby and put our humidifier inside the sound hole for 10 days with the sound hole covered.

After 10 days the crack had healed together well enough to take it to a professional for repair with glue and cleats.

Not only that – but all the Fret Buzz was gone, BEFORE we took it to the luthier.

The good news is… you can get back from the crack, but why let your pride and joy get this dry in the first place?

This is why you need to humidify!

We know there are products that you use to stick inside your guitar case that release small and slow changes to RH, but we love looking and playing with our guitars.

That’s why we invented the Prolix Music way to humidify.

You charge it up with water, slip it in the sound hole if the humidity is low, and keep your guitar out, ready to play when the moment takes you. Instant pleasure within arms reach.

And when the RH drops below 45%, add our guitar humidifier, and when it goes above 55% remove it.

It’s that easy. And why shouldn’t be?

Prolix Music Guitar humidifiers – Fast, effective relief from Fret Buzz! No more frustration with slow in case humidifiers, poor tone sound and all the other hassles of just keeping you happy and your guitar healthy and awesome sounding.

Try the Prolix Music way, 30 day money back guarantee – 3 year warranty and 100% LEAK FREE!

Don’t just take our word for it. Here’s a very happy customer review below.

Amazing Progress In Little Time
Amazing Progress In Little Time
PNW Family
Read More
Please look at my photos, they show how well these work. I’m pretty impressed, that’s less than 2 weeks’ time and my guitar had some pretty dry wood and it had a pretty large crack.

The first two photos are from the first day, nothing done yet. The third photo is from just a few days after and you can SEE the crack start to close! I was so so happy to see my instrument getting better! The last two photos are from about 10 days in. Obviously it still needs some more time for treatment but the difference is night and day, and my guitar even sounds and feels better when I pick it up.

I follow the instructions of leaving the humidifiers inside of the guitar. Use tap water only, and never hydrate the packs for over 40 minutes.

5 stars from me, hands down!

Back in the day we didn’t really believe in humidifying. To be honest, we thought it was complete BS.

But one day we came across a guitar manufacturer who advertised their guitars as coming complete with 2 saddles. Say what?… 2 saddles, why?…

They had a taller one for the winter and shorter one for the summer… Hold on! What were they saying? The string height changes seasonally? Why? There had to be reason surely – or was it some marketing scam?

What could it be? What changes happen? After spending a lot of money, and hours working out how to set up our guitar – we went all-in and bored ourselves with wood.

This was the moment of “WOW! I did not know that man.”

It turns out that wood is hygroscopic, which means it can absorb moisture from the air. When it absorbs it swells, and when it dries it shrinks. But there’s more to it than that. Wood is anisotropic, which means the amount of change is direction dependent. Changes across the grain (i.e. across the width of the guitar) are significant, whereas changes along the grain are negligible.

Still awake? Well we also learned that the neck changes too! But it’s only the width that changes with humidity, which is why we feel sharp fret ends in the winter.

But we still didn’t know why the height of the saddle changes?

One last deep breath, we’re nearly there. You will be rewarded…

It turns out that this has to do with the construction of the top. Braces glued to the underside of the soundboard, oppose the grain of the top.

The braces and the top are affected by humidity! The width of the top changes significantly, while the length of braces remains relatively constant. This creates opposing forces that cause a bending moment in the top of the guitar. Either out (too much humidity) or in (too little humidity).

In the winter the top sinks as the air dries, and in the summer the top lifts as the humidity increases.

After all, it turns out that humidity is the key to a happy healthy guitar and no saddles to change!

Eureka, now we know why we get 2 saddles!!! And how much pain is that to change twice a year?

  • VERTIGO Single BLU Guitar Humidifier

    $24.95
  • VERTIGO Single CBN Guitar Humidifier

    $24.95
  • VERTIGO Single RED Guitar Humidifier

    $24.95
  • VERTIGO Guitar Humidifier System Single

    $34.95
  • VERTIGO Guitar Humidifier System 3xPack

    $69.95
  • VERTIGO Guitar Humidifier System 5xPack

    $109.95
  • VERTIGO Guitar Humidifier System 10xPack

    $194.95

For you geeks out there…

#1 – What is humidity?

Humidity is water in the air, held in a gaseous state. Humidity is typically specified as Relative Humidity (RH). It is a percentage, and is temperature dependent, ranging from 0%, meaning that it has no moisture content, to 100% meaning that it is completely saturated with water vapor at the current temperature.

For the same Relative Humidity, cold air has a lot less moisture content than warm air. Heating cold air without adding moisture, causes the Relative Humidity to drop, which is why it always seems dry in the winter.

#2 – What is moisture content?

Moisture content (MC) refers to the amount of moisture that is held by the wood, relative to its dry weight. This amount can vary from 0% (Dry Wood) meaning that the wood is completely dry and brittle, to as much as 200% (Green Wood) meaning that the moisture held by the wood weighs twice that of “Dry” wood.

Before use, wood is typically air or kiln dried until only Bound Moisture remains. Bound moisture is water that has been absorbed by the cell walls. Moisture that has been absorbed by the cell walls then equilibrates slowly to the relative humidity of the surroundings. Changes in Bound Moisture Content result in dimensional changes in the wood. Wood swells and shrinks across and through the grain but is stable with the grain. For quarter sawn lumber (the best cut that is made specifically for high quality guitars and other instruments) expansion is linear.

However, when two pieces are glued together with opposing grain directions (as in the ribs on the underside of the sound board of a guitar), opposing forces cause bowing or cupping with changes in Moisture Content.

#3 – How does relative humidity affect the moisture content of wood?

MC and RH are related. The relationship, however, is complicated. It has to do with vapor pressures and equilibration. 

But in simple terms, it’s all about balance.

This means that a change in RH will drive a change in the moisture content of the wood. That said, RH can change rapidly whereas wood is very slow. 

This is why we humidify, but also why measuring humidity can be a little misleading.

#4 – What does this mean for you and your guitar?

Changes in MC affect the shape of the sound board, which in turn affects the action. In severe cases you can see it just by looking at the top, but long before you see it, you will feel it when you play. Adding moisture will cause the top to bow, raising the action –  too much and you will find those barre chords harder to play. Whereas losing moisture will cause the top to sag, lowering the action – too much and you will start to get that dreaded fret buzz. The sound of the guitar is also another little tell-tale sign, albeit less obvious. A guitar with the right moisture content will have a fuller sound than one that is overly dry.

In the extreme, a lack of moisture can also result in the separation of the braces from the sound board, and separation of the saddle. Moreover, it can even result in cracks appearing in the sound board and/or the back of the guitar. As such, it is not something that should be overlooked.

What about the neck of the guitar?
Both the neck and the fret board have the same grain direction. They will not change length with changes in moisture but may change subtly in width. The good news is that intonation is not affected. However, as the neck dries out use of a fret board conditioner is recommended. And, if you’ve left it a little late you may begin to feel sharp fret ends. Fortunately, this can be simply fixed by filing them smooth. File them once in the dead of winter and chances are, you’ll never have to file them again!

How do you know your moisture content is right?
Feel it in your fingers, hear it in the sound, and stop worrying about the perfect RH – You don’t actually need to know that, a hygrometer is just a guide, your feel is the truth – it’s that simple!

TOD PRONTO – ARTIST & BROADCASTER REVIEWS ALL HUMIDIFIERS

Best on the market guitar humidifier
Best on the market guitar humidifier
SGK
Read More
Reviewed in the United States on August 18, 2022
Vertigo

I used many different guitar humidifiers over the years. The Prolix humidifier is the best, it holds 90 cc of water without dripping. I tie it to a string, put it in my sound hole and then cover the hole with a suppressor to keep the moisture inside the instrument. Plus I have an air humidifier I use during the winter.
The Vertigo Single re-hydrated my guitar quickly making it sound and play great again.
The Vertigo Single re-hydrated my guitar quickly making it sound and play great again.
Richard Davis
Read More
Reviewed in the United States on April 18, 2022
Vertigo

I was a bit skeptical, but it worked like a dream. I had a hairline fracture in the back of a $5,000 acoustic from humidity and temp changes. I moved the guitar to a more temp stable room in my house, dropped in this humidifier, and after about 5 days the crack has vanished entirely. The wood re-humidified and swelled ever so slightly (which was my goal, of course) to perfectly fix the hairline fracture.I love this product because it does what it was made to do very well. My guitar was seriously dried out and I needed to re-humidify it because it's playability and sound had degraded to an almost unplayable point. I had been using another product that you insert between the middle two strings with a moist sponge inside. But that product may work to keep a guitar humidified but not to recover a dried-out guitar. I bought the Vertigo Single and with only one fill and about a week, my guitar was playing significantly better, and the fret buzz was gone. On my second fill of the Vertigo Single, I mistakenly soaked it longer than the recommended 20 minutes and overfilled it causing some of the polymer gel to be forced out onto the exterior. I wiped it off and let it dry out for a day and then put it back in my guitar where it continued to work well. Lesson learned...don't lose track of time and allow the Vertigo Single to overfill. Highly recommend the Vertigo Single Guitar Humidifier.
Really, really worth it.
Really, really worth it.
Rawr
Read More
Reviewed in the United States on March 7, 2022 - Size: System 1 Pack Verified Purchase
Vertigo

I was a bit skeptical, but it worked like a dream. I had a hairline fracture in the back of a $5,000 acoustic from humidity and temp changes. I moved the guitar to a more temp stable room in my house, dropped in this humidifier, and after about 5 days the crack has vanished entirely. The wood re-humidified and swelled ever so slightly (which was my goal, of course) to perfectly fix the hairline fracture.
Combine with humidifier packs for easy maintenance.
Combine with humidifier packs for easy maintenance.
Paul D.
Read More
Reviewed in the United States on July 11, 2021 Size: 3 Pack Verified Purchase
Vertigo

Perfect to combine with the Diodarrio humidifier packs. Those packs maintain the right humidity and these will actually rehumidify those packets. I live in Denver which is a high desert, so it gets really dry here. Combining those two has allowed me to easily maintain my acoustic guitar.
Works great. 💯
Works great. 💯
Ripley
Read More
Reviewed in the United States on April 13, 2021 Size: 1 Pack Verified Purchase
Vertigo

Have a backup, all wood guitar. I had put in case, and had not touched in months. Pulled it out, and 1st and 2nd sting were fretting out at 11th fret on up. Filled up product, and put in guitar, and guitar back in case. After 4 days, no more fretting out. Plays like the when I bought it. 😁
It really works and so simple
It really works and so simple
Michael Teach
Read More
Reviewed in the United States on July 5, 2021 Color: Black/Blue Verified Purchase
PET-1

It was exactly as advertised. It was flawless. To this day, I haven't the faintest idea how is works, but I do know that it definitely Works.
As advertised
As advertised
Rhodey Mark
Read More
Reviewed in the United States on December 24, 2020 Color: Red/Black Verified Purchase
PET-1

Just refilled it after three weeks, and it appears to be exactly as claimed. Left in the soundhole of a guitar that stays out in the heated air, and the guitar seems happy with the process. I was concerned about the Fishman wiring and it sitting near the output jack but it looks like it coexists peacefully with the electronics. I would put this in the case vs soundhole for an enclosed instrument, but if it is a daily player drop it in and forget it for a couple weeks.
Previous
Next
Zen & the Art of Humidity
Discover More
Moisture Content. Using your guitar as a hygrometer
Educational

IN SUMMARY

Always consult a professional Luthier

A luthier is familiar with the physical properties of wood. As such, they know that wood is anisotropic, meaning that its material properties are different with the grain than orthogonal to the grain. Wood expands and contracts at a greater rate across the grain than it does with the grain. If wood was isotropic (in that its properties were the same in every direction), you wouldn’t see hocky stick shaped 2 x 4’s at the local big box hardware store.

Anyway, if you allow your guitar to “equilibrate” to a DRY environment, you really won’t be doing it any favors at all. You will distort the shape of the body.

You will start to lose the arch in the top of the guitar, which will affect the action. As the body shrinks the location of the saddle will move relative to the neck which will affect the intonation. And finally, the density of the wood will change which effects its resonance and hence affecting fullness of the sound.

Never over Humidify

That said, be warned against over humidification. Always avoid over humidifying, all we ask is you just maintain the guitar at a reasonable humidity. And if you do have a cracked or overly dry guitar, use a humidifier. Ideally you want your guitar to live in a 50% RH environment. You want the wood to maintain the moisture content that it was built with, which it will do if you keep it at 50%.

If you live in a region where humidity is consistently 50% all year round… then you have no worries, but for those of us that live in areas with extreme dryness, or in areas with seasonal changes, we really need to be aware of the affects of humidity on our instruments.

Wood and humidity are important

Wood is a naturally hygroscopic material, meaning it has the capacity to absorb water. It does this by equilibrating with the relative humidity of the local environment. Increased humidity causes wood to swell. Similarly, decreased humidity causes wood to shrink. This can result in many adverse effects, such as bowing, warping, cupping and splitting of the wood.

The moisture equilibration process for wood is slow, taking days to weeks, hence short-term changes in humidity have little effect. However, the effect of long-term, seasonal changes can be profound. For guitars, the moisture content of the wood should be maintained at around 8%, equating to a humidity of around 50%. So, when the ambient humidity drops below 45% for an extended period, humidity in proximity to the instrument should be supplemented.

This is achieved using a humidifier with the following features:

Passive – meaning that there are no batteries, fans, heaters, etc.

High capacity – for water allowing it to supplement humidity for multiple days between refills

Refillable – it absorbs water as a solid, only releasing it through evaporation

Large surface area – allowing water to evaporate efficiently

Outer shell that is soft – prevents direct contact of the absorbent with the instrument

Simple to use – unmistakable indication of its state of hydration.

Need Help? Contact us now.