Are humidifiers for violins a must?

Question

I've been playing the fiddle for 3 years now. I'd bought a new one from shar. This weekend I was given a fully hand carved fiddle made by a local man. This is a seriously one of a kind piece. With my other fiddle I don't worry about it as much but I'm in Indiana and our furnace is going full blast. I'm worried about my new fiddle getting ruined. Would investing in a Stretto Humidifier and hygrometer be a good idea? Is my fiddle safe in it's case in the meantime?

Tommymc · Accepted Answer

No matter the value of your violin, you should invest in a case hygrometer and humidifier. It's a small price to pay. This is actually true for any wooden stringed instrument. As wood dries out, it shrinks at different rates, causing cracks. You can easily make your own humidifier. I've made humidifiers for my guitar cases by drilling a few holes in a pill bottle and inserting a piece of kitchen sponge. Without the hygrometer, you're just guessing about if, and how much your instrument needs, so at minimum, get one of those.

Another option, especially if you have several instruments, is to humidify the room where they're stored. It's probably healthier for you too.

lainiebsky · Answer

If you mostly play at home, get a humidifier for the room the violin is kept in.

If you go with a case humidifier you don't need anything expensive.  A Dampit will work perfectly well as long as you remember to keep it wet all the time.

Zaphod Beeblebrox · Answer

You should at least get or make a case humidifier, a small perforated plastic box  that you can put a damp sponge in and keep in your violin case. While you may want to invest in something fancy, a small plastic soap holder that people travel with  that you can drill a few holes in  will suffice and be cheap. Examples: http://www.mandolincafe.com/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=77008&d=1318040521

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Are humidifiers for violins a must?

3 Answers