Perfect humidity for concertinas?

[conzertino]

I noticed that my concertinas suffer in winter from the low level of humidity ( well below 40% ). I keep them on a shelf, so that I can easily access them for a tune or two... Recently I bought a humidifier, which seems to do a good job. Any experts out there who can tell me the safest humidity level to keep concertinas?? What do they do in museums?

[saguaro_squeezer]

I noticed that my concertinas suffer in winter from the low level of humidity ( well below 40% ). I keep them on a shelf, so that I can easily access them for a tune or two... Recently I bought a humidifier, which seems to do a good job. Any experts out there who can tell me the safest humidity level to keep concertinas?? What do they do in museums?

 

I remember (I think ...) Colin Dipper and Chris Algar both saying 50 - 55%. That's what I keep my study at ... which also houses the wooden instruments.

[Geoff Wooff]

As a musical instrument maker I recommend, to my customers, not to play their instruments in low humidity situations. This might be especially important for instruments that move wind in large quantities and therefore increase the rapidity of changes in moisture content of the wooden parts.

I notice that both of the concertinas that I am currently playing are not very happy this week because the relative humidity has been down to 30%.These sit on the kitchen table most of the time however, my other concertina, which is sitting in its box unplayed,shows no signs of distress.

 

It is interesting that the wooden parts of these instruments even at 90 years old are still able to absorb or loose moisture quite rapidly.

My Uilleann pipes which are 160 years old are very stable but for the reeds which being made of cane and of relatively recent manufacture and would not aprieciate this cold dry weather. The pipes are happiest between 65 and 85% R.H.

 

Maybe 50 to 70% would be best for Concertinas... same as for Humans.

 

Geoff.