Dampit Instrument Humidifier for Bass

I found an open seam on my double bass this year and had to glue it closed with hide glue. This woke me up to the idea that I need to humidify my instrument. I live in a dry desert mountain state, so something is needed to prevent cracks. The Dampit works great, but it's just a little on the expensive side. Make sure to squeeze all the water out to prevent drips before putting it in your bass. I wanted to get 2 or more of these for my bass since just one will dry out pretty quickly. It takes about 2 days for this to be as dry as a bone in my bass with the case closed. I actually made a DIY version with a kitchen sponge and a ziplock bag rather than buy multiple dampits. But I have to say the Dampit is more convenient to use than the ziplock/sponge version. Oh, and I might be imagining it, but I swear my bass SOUNDS better now that I've been humidifying it. Maybe my bass was thirsty and parched. It sings better with some water in the wood fibers.

This, unlike a recent purchase from another well known vendor of equipment for violin family instruments, is a genuine "Dampit" brand humidifier. It works well. The rubber washer has to be installed on the end to keep it from falling inside the instrument, but the washer is large enough so that you could put it in either end of the "f" hole. But put it in the top. You should be careful to use either distilled or at least demineralized water or the minerals will deposit themselves in the sponge like interior and make the humidifier less effective over time. You must be careful not to let the humidifier drip inside your instrument as this can cause damage. I soak it, let it drain for a while, then wipe it before putting in the "f" hole.

These were recommended by the bass instructor. They are pretty easy to use. Just soak them in water and squeeze them out so they don't drip. Then dry the surface and put them in the notch in the F-hole. I haven't used them long enough to notice a difference but I'll give them time. The science is solid. I'm using 2 per bass.

Despite the listing, this is just the right size for a guitar humidifier. I was urged to purchase this humidifier for my guitar by an instructor here in Colorado (where it is really dry), and couldn't be happier. The version Dampit suggests for guitars drys out within 1-2 days while this humidifier needs to only be refilled bi-weekly. For the money, this is the best product you can buy and will not leak in your valuable instrument if you follow their directions.

I would highly advise getting this if you are worried about your bass cracking (which you should be, especially in the winter in some places). With that being said, I would also recommend getting a humidifier for the room that your bass is in because the dampit is really only designed to work while your instrument is in its case, although it is possible to play while the dampit is in the bass. My bass hasn't cracked yet (knock on wood) so I guess it works. It's pretty easy to use and it comes with a little gauge for the humidity of your room, but that gauge is a little iffy. Basically, this is something you need if you play the bass.

I have a bass that loves to come apart at the seams every winter. I have 3 of these in my bass and they do a nice job of limiting the damage caused by the dry air. You do need to make sure you keep them from drying out, which in Minnesota means checking them a couple times/week, but it's worth it. They are cheap insurance for an expensive instrument.

It's true. The above is my public name., however much in the past others have offered additional names. About those fine dampits One mustbe wary of ordering them in pairs because properly wetted and installed in the bass- well, you know- hanging around the f-holes, it's warm, darkand private and the next thing ya know those cute little boy/girl dampits are really damp- and now I've got to give all those offspring away to a good home. There's the manufacturing process you were looking for.The bass is very happy, and I must tell you that inflating the Dampits to thecorrect pressure is very tricky.Please fix it. Thank you so much.SDS

It wasn't as described -- instead of the product I ordered, made by Dampit, I received a bass humidifier made by "Paganini Quality Musical Products." The sponge inside is clearly inferior. Can't I just get what I ordered?This seems to be a consistent problem, as I notice an earlier reviewer said the same.Stay away until Dampit confirms that they are still shipping their own products.