I have come Taipei recently and have a music instrument which has a thin skin. The humid weather of Taipei has made some problem with my instrument and I cannot play it properly. I’m looking for some nano liquids to rub or spay against its skin to prevent humidity absorption or find a polymer skin which I can use it instead of its natural one that it doesn’t absorb humidity.
Anybody can help?
Thanks
what type of instrument, and can you describe the most conventional coatings applied to such instruments?
humidity changes, just like any drastic change, can affect instruments, but applying a coating is committing to a long term change that may be difficult or impossible to reverse.
If you plan to be here for the effective lifetime of the instrument, applying the coating may help, or the instrument may acclimate to a new humidity regime.
Store it in a dehumidifier cabinet?
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That is “Tar” an Iranian Traditional Music instrument.
Its skin is the processed skin of lamb sheep.
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It cannot solve the problem because after 1 minute it absorb the ambient humidity.
I dont know if the humidity of the Taipei’s weather will decrease in the autumn and winter or not.
I’m not sure there’s an easy solution. Banjo players seem to have tried a few approaches that might be worth a go:
https://www.banjohangout.org/archive/324149
I’d be worried about damaging an expensive or sentimental instrument.
@Taiwan_Luthiers might have some suggestion for you.
Ideally we keep it at 45% humidity but that’s a tall order in Taiwan.
And you still gotta play the thing sometimes… I think it’s just going to be whatever humidity your ambient is, and you can keep a dehumifier on it, or put it in a dry box.
It will not. In fact humidity is lower in the summer because of AC and that without typhoons, it does get kinda dry. Not dry enough to feel good mind you, but less wet. Winter will be MORE wet especially without an AC to dry stuff out (it would be too cool to use them). You’ll have a few days of 45% humidity where it can feel kinda dry, but those days are the exception.
An absolutely ridiculous suggestion which you shouldn’t try, but theoretically wouldn’t something like hair spray work?
Quick bit of Google - Fu yields this:
Is that reasonable? The following is not ideal, but for playing purposes, you could research low noise dehumidifiers, run them around the corner or behind a screen, and use a fan, strategically placed, to move the room air around, and keep sending moist air toward the machines.
I’m sure this sounds extreme, but I’ve seen our bathroom get to 50% humidity on just one dehumidifier. Getting a practice space that dry should be easy, and shops like Nitori sell desiccant packs, that you could open while you turn off the machines to play.
This seems solvable, and probably better to change the playing atmosphere, rather than the instrument.
Performing in a public space is an entirely different beast, but first step is to maintain your ability to play at all
Sealer spry may prevent absorbing of the humidity but it affect sound. Some nano liquid is in Iran which is called “wet Safe” that musicians rub it over their instruments for this purpose but I didn’t find here in my google search. I see some nano spray for car glass in the adv and I supposed that it may work.
Thank you and others who participated in this topic. I think it is better to change my instrument skin and also make a taller support of the strings. Unfortunately it can not be found here and I have to make it by my own. Its original one has been made by wild sheep horns but I have to make it by teflon or plaxy or by a 3d printer.
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If you need a new saddle I can make them out of bone. I’ve done repair work on oud for someone before… I’m not sure 3d printed stuff will hold up.
I’m aware some substance will absorb moisture but not a spray that does it. All a spray does is coat something, and I would be very skeptical about them.
I can obtain horn and such from china if you have to use them. But I have some bone nut or saddle blanks.
Thank you so much
I will send you a PM.
I should also say that they may have pre-made bridge for that instrument somewhere in Taobao… they make almost everything there. Being in Taiwan ordering from Taobao is quite easy.
They may have the specific horn that your instrument uses.
It sounds like your looking for a hydrophobic spray maybe something like in the below links.
You should note though, that those sprays will not prevent moisture from entering the skin over a long period of time, nor will it cause moisture to leave the skin unless humidity is low. Meaning your skin would have to be absolutely bone dry when you spray the thing on…
I guess that’s why snake skin is used for the Taiwanese Erhu
There’s certain Japanese instruments that uses… you know, cute little animals as skins.