TaylorSense vs D'Addario Humiditrack | Which is the Best Guitar Maintenance System?
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 3 ก.ย. 2021
- We're excited to finally release Chris McKee's in-depth look at two different humidity and guitar damage-tracking systems, the D'Addario Humiditrack and Taylor's long awaited TaylorSense. Tracking humidity in a solid wood instrument is instrumental to long term guitar care, and now there's the added bonus of phone-compatible tracking AND bump/drop alerting. Take a look and see which one might be the better choice for you!
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Thanks Chris for all the work put into this video. I think I represent the bulk of your viewers when I say my guitars rarely if ever leave my home as I am not a professional musician and don’t play gigs at different venues. My only venue is my living room with 2 small dogs fighting over event tickets. That said, the bump feature is meaningless for me.
What is a major concern for me is humidity and living in the center of the USA winters are dry and summers are wet. I store my guitars in hard shell cases and have humidification packets in each. I like the ability to see the condition each guitar is in with the phone app and the user set alarms is a great feature and I’ve just ordered a couple to test out before I get one for each guitar.
Thanks for the video! I have an Alvarez Cedar top that needs a lutherier to fix due to the lack of proper humidity. Recently ordered a 614ce Builders Edition that I will definitely use one of these on.
Update Jan 2023: using the Humiditrak and Humidipaks on the 614ce, also have a MusicNomad digital hygrometer in the case. may still get the TaylorSense.
Fair winds and following seas to all.
Note: you can add the TaylorSense to any 9v ES-equipped Taylor, not just ES2.
Man I love your channel, I have learned so much. Thanks
Thanks, Chris, for this video! I just received my K26ce guitar & was thinking about buying the TaylorSense system. I'm going to order it today because of your in depth video.
So glad I own a Taylor as I love the ES2 pick-up system and Taylor Sense. I never have to guess what is going on with the guitar in or out of the case.
I had the D'Addario one at first but battery didn't last long, and had continued issues with it syncing up with the phone. Got Taylor sense several months back and it's been great.
Very helpful - thank you. I hope someone at D'Addario is aware of the issues you've raised. Both the unresponsive impact detection and the random outlier humidity readings are things I have heard from other users. If you haven't already, I wonder if you could give D'Addario a nudge of some sort. You have more influence than us wee folk. Keep up the great work.
I have a Taylor 814ce, nice guitar and for me an expensive guitar. I put the Taylor Sense system in about a year ago. Where I live (central Alberta, Canada) in a 80 year old farmer built house, The weather has gone from -46 C ( about -44 F) to +39/41 (around 102 F), and humidity levels can go from about 15% to 80% all within a six month period, and sometimes only days. By far the worst factor we deal with is extremely dry periods that can be pretty persistent for up to a year at a time. Monitoring the humidity within the case and within the body of the guitar, with my phone, even though there may be slight variations in accuracy, has been way better for the guitar, and my peace of mind. I have a Garrison guitar, made in Canada, so one would presume a better bet in our northern climate, that I kept in a good hard shell case, with a humidifier in the room that cracked, both front and back overnight during one particularly nasty cold spell. I think these in case, phone monitoring systems are great, if only for the convenience factor, because if it’s quick and easy to monitor your guitar then it is more likely you will keep a closer eye on conditions, and intervene if required.
The impact sensor is turned off when you start up the D'Addario to save battery life you can turn it on in the settings. Mine works fine.
Hey Chris,
Great video on this topic man. I live on Long Island so lack of humidity is a rarity however I do use a room humidifier during the winter and I just hang my Martin on the wall here 🤙
Oh! Martin > taylor, just saying LOL! 🤣
With your instructions on installing the Taylor sense, you forgot to mention to re-secure the wire inside before tightening the strings. Jus' sayin'! 🥰
Great video Chris, as always. I've been considering both systems for a few months. I have been using the humiditrak for about a month with my Taylor, though may "upgrade" to the Taylorsense since its inside the guitar. An important thing to note on such devices is that they communicate to the app via Bluetooth. So when you are out of the "30 ft" bluetooth range... No data, no alerts, nada. They will sync when you get back in close proximity and report the missed data... Seems that somewhat lessens the usefulness as you can't be alerted when out of range. Important to know what you're getting on these before you buy.
The only other way to make it would be using WiFi or cellular data, which would be way more expensive and drain the battery. Bluetooth is low energy.
@@gabrielobrien21 I'm sure you are right on both counts. Just wanted to throw this out there as a limitation since neither unit makes mention of this as far as I can tell. Everything is a series of trade-offs. What they give you is probably the best choice given these factors. You are likely to be near your guitar most of the time.
A. Set up a local home network. You can get Bluetooth data remotely on various things these days- door alerts, alarms, etc.
B. Point a Wifi camera at your hydrometer.
I've been wondering if I can install the Taylor Sense on my Taylor Gs Mini-E Mahogany. I really like that piece of tech. Amazing video like always. Thanks
I own 2 Humiditrak and one Taylor sense. Both humiditracks read humidity differently. One reads two degrees high and the other reads one degree low. The Taylor sense also reads 2 degrees high. This was determined by doing a salt test per DAddario customer service. Both apps work great. The temperature is plus or minus 1 degree on all three. Very satisfied with all three units. By the way inexpensive wall units are very inaccurate. Mine is off by 9 degrees for humidity!
Degrees or 9%? Having tried various solutions, which unit do you like the best. I am in the market- have a Taylor but seems a cheap meter to stick in the case might be easier.
The issue with the impact sensor is that the humiditrak is attached with Velcro. Velcro is not going to transfer the impact very well, like a cars suspension. The Taylor is screwed in. That being said, d'addario has made an excellent hygrometer and app interface for multiple guitars.
good thought , but when Chris took it out of the case and dropped it on the floor it should have registered !
I use a switchbot temp sensor with a wifi hub and I get both Bluetooth and wifi connectivity. So I can see and be alerted of temps and humidity changes back at home if I'm out. It really keeps me from leaving the guitar in the car for extended periods of time before a gig. The guitar gets so hot so fast. I also keep a tile tracker in each case. I need something to regulate the humidity though. It would be great to see an all in one device. Tracker, temp, humidity, and shock sensor. With wifi and Bluetooth.
My Taylor Sense was reading 10rh higher than my other Hydrometers. Contacted Taylor support and they put me in contact with the developer. After following some instructions by email, the Taylor Sense was 100% calibrated and now reading exact humidity numbers as per my other hydrometers.
what did they have you do?
@@piperlynn9060 you have to open a case with the developer first (Blustream corp) they will ask you to put your other calibrated Hydrometer inside the guitar case, along with your guitar and not to move or open the case for 24-48 hours.
Then they will ask you to send them a screenshot of the Taylor Sense app readings and a picture of the other Hydrometer for comparison. Based on that difference, they will update your specific Cloud account and they will push the updates to the system and App.
The Taylor Sense will then have the same readings as the other Hydrometer you used to compare against. All of your historical data will also be updated to reflect the changes.
It’s now 100% accurate for me.
I have a 916ce and could install the Taylor Sense but I'm leaning more towards the Ddario device. It is easier to install and I also heard a lot of bad stories from the Taylor sense device where it was off around 10%.
My question - Once you take the humidipack out of the case and start to play, the humidity changes drastically if you are in a humid place and that is even more dangerous, right?
Dryness due to radiators in NYC has been the bane of my existence. No matter what humidifcation system I've used, I get dodgy results, and the wood moves and changes. I wish I played drums. lol
HERMOSA GUITARRA HERMANO 😍
I keep one hydrometer on the shelf and mini hydrometer in each case. They won't match when humidifying but the master is my baseline. I find hardshell cases easier to maintain humidity than soft cases or gigbag. It would not be cost effective for me to use either of these two products due to the 2+ dozen guitars I have to humidify from October to April. In North Texas my home naturally humidifies April to October and is consistently 50 humidity. October to April it drys out from heater and humidity varies on heater runtime but ranges 25-35. During the 2021 Texas FREEZE humidity in my home dropped to low teens. Several years ago I had a Koa GS Mini hanging on a wall and over a 2 day cold snap humidity dropped to mid 20's and that GS Mini sound board cracked at the glue seem. It sounded like a gun shot when it cracked. I water my sound hole sponge devices every Sunday during these dry periods and that is typically fine, certain cases or guitars require twice p/week. I need a humidity controlled HVAC or at least my one room. So these products here sound good but not to practical for me. If they actually work may be good for limited use.
@@gettyshiloh Sounds like a warranty claim for a bad design.
Hi Chris, I have the Humiditrak in my Martin OM-42 guitar case and have tried the impact test. If you put it on the case as you did, it is iffy with the readings, BECAUSE of the plush surround you have it attached to. Mine did the same thing thing when I attached it there. Thought about it and put a piece of velcro inside the guitar on the lower bottom side of the lower bout, then attached it to that and it does record the impact. You might want to try it for yourself as I think that the plush case deadens the impact as it was designed to do. Just a thought for you.
"You tell me which installation you think's easier... and I agree, so..." 😂
I get that humidity is important but my Cort has been through lots of different environments (laminated back and sides) with no ill effects over 20 years. I did start to humidify the room when I got my Breedlove but I don’t think I need a high tech solution. I would assume the vintage guitars everyone searches for and pay lots of money for have not had constant perfect humidity over the years. Just my thoughts
That's because it has laminated back and side the all solid wood guitars are prone to having issues
@@ThomasDoubting5 did you read my response? Perhaps I was not explicit enough. I made that point, at least in my own mind but it does not eliminate the other point about vintage guitars and how they were probably treated over the years.
@@ThomasDoubting5 I had a laminate side and back Martin that cracked day 1 due to humidity issues. I put it in a dry room and the next day I had a huge split in the top but this model was prone to that
If you have solid woods you have to take care of the humidity. If the guitar gets more expensive the thickness of the woods get smaller. That creates a much better sound but is also really easy to crack if its too dry
I have a Taylor Sense installed in my guitar, but I don’t trust the humidity reading at all. It seems that it’s over reading all the time, like other people are mentioning as well. When my hygrometer in my room measures 45% RH, the Sense would still indicate 60%.
Edit: unless, of course, the humidity in the guitar is simply just higher than outside the guitar. I have to monitor for some time.
What position do you put the guitar/case in for storage? Flat, horizontal, vertical?
I own both the systems and have the taylor sense in two of my guitars, they are in a controlled room thats always 45% humidity. I checked the room with 3 calibrated meters and it checks out at 45/46%. The taylor sense never measures below 55% and humiditrack is at 53%..
Mine are way of from day one, handy for measuring fluctuations but useless as a tool to measure the humidity.
Unless the wood of the guitar naturally holds humidity making the inside higher then the room itself but I haven’t gotten an answer from taylor about that. My guitars are wallmounted so its not a humidity reading in s closed case, and if i leave the humiditrack right next to my hygrpmeter in my room it’s still 8 to 9% higher.
I wish he tested it outside of a case for a few days also.
My taylor sense is the same, always high
It sounds like you take great care of your instruments. My thoughts are that those meters are closer to the source. The Taylor Sense is literally inside your guitar. It makes perfect sense that the humidity "could" read a bit higher.
Even if any meter reports a ~10% higher value, it's not worthless. Simply compensate for that deviation. It's like a step tracker. They are often way off- but if you simply set a goal to improve daily based on the previous days steps...assuming the deviation is consistent.
Yes, if wood has moisture in it, the reading inside the guitar could certainly be higher than outside. It also depends on various factors. If it is a very humid day outside, it might still be less humid inside the guitar. Having slightly more humidity is probably better than being too dry, but the goal is to maintain correct humidity. The room humidity, while helpful is less important than the readings in the case.
Many of the greats never put their guitars in cases- they performed all the time, on stage in various extreme conditions. By and large their guitars survived. Do your best and avoid extreme conditions and you will probably be just fine. Far more important, just play the thing!
I calibrated my humiditrack, and once calibrated, found read 2% low too.
I had my Taylor Sense calibrated by the developer after contacting Taylor support. Mine was also reading about +10rh points higher. After they recalibrated my unit, it now reads exactly as all my other Hydrometers.
Contact Taylor Support and have them open a case with the developer, they were all responsive.
Okay, so I keep my three favorite guitars out , on their stands and ready to play beside my desk in my music room. In that room I have a Levoit humidifier that automatically turns on if the humidity goes below 45%, turns off at 55%, and a dehumidifier that kicks in if it goes above 55% along with two hygormeters on opposite sides of the room for cross checking. I have only one Taylorsense in the 324ce sitting beside a 254ce and a Martin GPC13e. My question: Why would I need any more than that one Taylorsense for this application? Aren't the two guitars sitting beside the one with the Taylorsense experiencing exactly the same conditions as the one with the unit? I could put another one in the 254ce, but...why would I?
Thanks in advance for sharing your take on this and for a great, informative video, as always.
Good point. Like you, I wonder if different types of wood attract/detract moisture better. I'm sure some woods are more sensitive but seems like it shouldn't matter if you're room is controlled like that
That AC draft sounds far more frightening to me (when it comes to solid wood guitars) than any reasonable fluctuation in humidity.
How accurate is Taylor Sense? How accurate are the numbers it shows?
Forgot the clips on installation.
Anybody could tell me how long the battery would last without ever plugging the guitar?
Pretty guitar. Edit: Humiditrack has been discontinued. 😞. Mine stoped working too, and I hear that is an issue. Maybe that's why they discontinued it.
I put the humidipak on my gs mini but it being smaller than a full size , the packs reach the bottom(back) of the guitar, is this okay or bad for the guitar??
Should never directly touch the guitar IMO. Moisture can wick though the packaging. Think of condensation on your windshield in the morning. It also will not disperse as evenly in the case if you block it.
Hello Chris,
I’ve got the Humiditrak but I’m not sure how/where to connect to my Taylor AD27 cases. Any suggestions? Thank you.
Oasis has a hook and loop Hygrometer holder for about $10.00. I wrap it around the low E string. Placed a small of velcro on the back of the sensor, positioned the sensor on the holder so the end of the sensor is above the soundhole. My guitar is a Taylor 614ce.
You freed the wire inside the guitar after loosing the strings when installing the TaylorSense . Should you try and re-fasten that wire inside before re-tightening the strings?
yes
If someone buys a TaylorSense with a new Taylor guitar, how much would Alamo Music charge to install the unit?
We’d prob do it free ;)
So, does it work on a GS mini? Can it be installed?
Thanks
Yes he said that.
Sound consumer advice, cheers Chris
Just received my TaylorSense today. I was concerned as it showed 8% higher Humidity than my room hygrometer.
Then I just took the room hygrometer and placed it above the Soundhole and guess what. The humidity increased. Seems that within the guitar the humidity is significant higher than in the room in this test case and in the end it is more important to know the humidity of the Guitar than the one of the room. Still the room shouldn't be ignored as it will long term affect the humidity of the guitar.
My personal conclusion, don't assume the Guitar humidity based on the room humidity if the Guitar isn't 24/7 in the room but rests in a case if not used.
My taylor sense is always about 9 points higher than my other sensors… regarding humidity.
I had mine recalibrated by the developer and now works perfectly It was also reading like 10 points higher than all the other hydrometers. Contact Taylor support and they will open a case with the developer. They will contact you and walk you through the calibration process.
Question, TaylorSense + Music Nomad Acousti-Lok Strap Lock Adapter.... Will they work together? TaylorSense is slick, Humidtrack don't get me started on, I'm sure you probably know why, especially if you enjoy a nice cigar.
Sure, the strap button is the same and the different circuitry is internal.
@@christophermckee659 rock on, thanks for that Chris! Would be cool if Fishman or LR Baggs would do something similar too.
Chris, seeing your office background,it is clear to me why you work in a music store. You are addicted to acquiring guitars. How many guitars do you own?
SALUDOS DESDE MÉXICO
clearly the impact sensor on the D'Addario is not working , you should test another unit , and contact D'Addario and ask them what's up .
do the apps have any kind of history function where you can compare the humidity over several days or weeks ? or does it just give an alert if there's a problem ?
cool to see you doing guitar surgery on the dining room table :) i worked as a computer service tech for several years with anti static mat on the bench and a wrist band . never had a static problem . after that job i worked a few more years as an independent consultant and often ended up taking apart client's computers on their dining room table with no anti-static protection , and never had a problem there either :) careful handling of the parts is important but generally static isn't as big a problem as some people would have you think .
Taylorsense memorizes both temperature as humidity and shows it in a graphic. There are days, weeks and months tabs for a better past history view. It also memorizes impact events.
@@frans3999 thanks , i think that would be a useful function .
@@ernieme101 it might be a good option to show a buyer that the guitar has been taken care of, when selling it. I think myself the alarm function is the best thing about the app. It warns you, when it's time to put it in its case with a humidity system, or when the humidity system lost its functioning. So you have sufficient time to save your precious guitar(s). I live in Holland and the humidity is to high now, so I use a D'Addario Humidipak two way system next to a Taylorsense.
This is great for my bathroom gs mini, long hot showers makes it a bit sharp. Love strumming on the throne.
Assuming you have a Taylor guitar, I like the Taylor one better. You can hang your guitar on the wall and still monitor it, it's not case-dependant.
In San Antonio, I don't think you will need this. God that place is hot and humid!
Too much humidity and heat will damage guitars. High humidity causes wood to swell, high action, bridges and braces to come off.
@@gabrielobrien21 so no humidifier is required!
@@gosman949 that depends. Too much humidity is jsut as bad for guitars as too little. Also, if you're cranking your AC it can dry things out. The whole point of using a hygrometer is so you know the health of the guitar and what you need to do.
I can see using Taylor Sense in a High End Guitar but a low end Taylor no.
Any thing with Taylor Sense only for one type of Taylor Guitars. Once again Taylor shot themselves in the foot. D'Addario Humiditrack can be use with any Guitar or string instruments . I be using D'Addario Humiditrack on my New Nyberg Ziricite Cittern & P.W.Crump lll Cittern. If you worried about bump shock buy a CALTON CASE !
Why would Taylor make a product to use with other people's pickup systems? They're a guitar company, making things for their guitars.
In my experience and many other forum posts throughout the Taylor internet universe, the Taylorsense is flawed. I’ve had one installed in my K24 for a few months and it has never read below 64%. This is with the guitar in the case with D’addario humidipaks. I thought this was odd so I bought a digital hygrometer and placed it next to the guitar on a stand. The hygrometer never read higher than 55%. Taylorsense is at least 10 percentage points higher on the stand. In my opinion the Taylorsense is a great idea but poorly executed. I would return it however I am currently in Australia for work and I can not return it due to the shipping which would make it not worth returning. Taylor does not support Australia in a meaningful way. The service centers are in Europe and CA. Long story short, buyer beware. Do your own research.
Worth watching this just for the JiffyLube comment.. so true... sooooooo true.
Humidity control is only important for guitars if you live in high humidity areas, low humidity areas or anywhere in between. Other than that there really kinda pointless! 😁
I lost my favorite Yamaha because I didnt do this..... hear his words
Good to know it’s a PH1. 😂🤣🎸
I don’t care about the impact sensor.
The D' Addario Humiditrack is $70 in Canada
Chris the pillow comment put you in the doghouse with the SO
My Taylorsense is consistently 7-9% higher than all my other hygrometers. No help from Taylor.
Can you calibrate it?
@TeleGuy They could allow the user to tweak the software, but no help from bluestream, the developer. Also, the battery dies with 20% left on the reading. I just don't use it anymore.
@@russshaber8071 I have a sensor push for a backup. I'll see how it works.
Can it be that the humidity in the guitar is just a bit higher than outside, since it’s a semi closed environment? That would make perfect sense to me. Mine is also overrreading compared to other hygrometers.
It seems to me Chris, a complicated way of doing things? just my opinion.
Congratulations! You squeezed a 3 min video into 30 minutes.
So own a Taylor and buy their proprietary product or own other guitars and don't buy anything. Cool.