Desiccant / Silica gel in gig bag / case for reducing / absorbing humidity

[MichiBass]

My hands sweat a lot and the hardware on my basses gets rusty pretty fast (bridge and pickguard screws especially), and I was looking for a way to reduce the humidity in my gig bag / case. Is there something specialized for this, or should I just use the Silica gel desiccant? If yes, do you know some good Silica gel? Or are all the same thing?

Also, do you think that storing a bass in a Mono case raises the possibility rust to appear as opposed to a regular case? I am asking that because I think my one bass that is always in a Mono case rusted faster than the other ones that stay in a regular case and flight case.

Or is all this just nonsense and I should just wipe the sweat off my bass after playing, and that is it?

 

[mmbongo]

I did this for a while, then I realized that this was just drying out the fretboard which could make it crack so I quit doing that.

 

[Wisebass]

clean your hardware after playing!

drying your bass with chemical products is not a good idea (IMHO)
they make no difference between hardware and the rest of your instrument (wood does not like big differces in humidity)

may the bass be with you

Wise(b)ass

 

[Geri O]

It sounds like the big problem for you is the sweat, which is happening outside of the case and when you are playing the bass. Not inside the case when you aren't using it. (That's looks kinda smarmy and I don't mean it that way at all). Be diligent in wiping down the instrument after you play.

As for storing the bass in a Mono case, if you keep the bass in your house, I wouldn't worry about the rust, unless your home in not well-insulated and climate-controlled. My basses come out of the cases and onto guitar stands almost immediately after I bring them inside. For some reason, I hate the idea of a bass sitting in a case, even though I know it happens everywhere out of necessity. Even in the deep South of the USA, where it's terribly humid most of the year, I don't see rust and corrosion on the basses.

 

[Fishheadjoe]

OP, you have acidic sweat, that's what's causing your hardware to rust. not much to do about it other than as already mentioned, lots of wiping, during and after playing.
Fishheadjoe

 

[4dog]

Its called THE PLAGUE..and i have it as well...acidic sweat ,b e good about wiping the bass down after sweating it up...and corrosion is gonna happen it sucks ...but it will.

 

[Grumpynuts]

I have the opposite problem living in Phoenix, talking to the folks at the shop the only advice they gave me is to make small, subtle changes to the environment, anything too drastic is going to come with unwanted side effects.

 

[MichiBass]

Thanks to all for the replies!

 

[bholder]

DO NOT EAT. Yeah, those packets really look so tasty otherwise, thanks.

 

[DigitalMan]

DO NOT EAT. Yeah, those packets really look so tasty otherwise, thanks.

Curses to you stealing my riff.

 

[phillybass101]

Change your diet and hydrate more

 

[MichiBass]

Okay, so do you think that a silica gel pack in the case is not a good idea?

 

[Dave W]

Its my understanding that they absorb what they can and that's it. They don't continually absorb/release.

A little humidity isn't a bad thing.

So...it's pointless.

 

[two fingers]

1/2 teaspoon of baking soda in a glass of water daily.....especially before a gig.

Eat broccoli, beans and spinach.

Raisins.

Avoid fatty processed foods.

Your body is a chemistry set. You can safely change some of your body chemistry.

 

[bholder]

Eat broccoli, beans and spinach.

...and stay away from open flames for at least 24 hours!

 

[Clark Dark]

1/2 teaspoon of baking soda in a glass of water daily.....especially before a gig.

Eat broccoli, beans and spinach.

Raisins.

Avoid fatty processed foods.

Your body is a chemistry set. You can safely change some of your body chemistry.

...and stay away from open flames for at least 24 hours!

good Lord
that sounds like a recipe
for a dirty bomb


why not throw
an apple in there
Hahahahahahahaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah

 

[Showdown]

I think (although admittedly not an expert) that having a wood bass go back and forth between humid outside and not humid inside the case probably isn't a very good idea. Stability is best when dealing with humidity.