Premier Rock Forum

Regarding dehumidifiers. Anyone have one they like for a finished basement? Needs to be capable of doing approx a 15’ x 15’ space.

tommy wrote: Fri Jul 07, 2023 2:31 pm Regarding dehumidifiers. Anyone have one they like for a finished basement? Needs to be capable of doing approx a 15’ x 15’ space.

Max had the condensate drain line in his central air go sideways a short while back. Turned the central off and got it fixed but it still leaked into his front room and kitchen.

Grabbed the most reasonable dehumidifier I could find at Menards. Between that and an air mover, the wet part of the whole thing got sorted in acceptable fashion.

Cannot exactly swear by it, but I can have Max take a look at the brand name if nothing else gets a nod.

I've also found emptying a full dehumidifier satisfying, and I just use it to water my plants (although probably not much nutritional value for them). Whenever It's completely full I think, "Way to go buddy, you sucked up a lot of water today!"

I got a couple hygrometers in my house primarily because my wife's leukemia treatment means I get mold-fear, but I've also enjoyed watching what actions affects humidity if different parts of our house. Bonus is our one acoustic guitar is also happy, and I don't feel like a folk-festival dad.

also humidifiers in your basement means you're getting less musty air up through the rest of your house (assuming a closed system)

I also like emptying dehumidifiers, I don't know why but I do. I got a "quiet" one for the studio, expensive as far as dehumidifiers go, but it works great:

https://www.amazon.com/TOSOT-Dehumidifi ... 15009&th=1

Way quieter than the one in our basement. Keeps the studio nice and dry and all the guitars stay happy.

Nate Dort wrote: Fri Jul 07, 2023 7:45 am
My dehumidifier is pretty much set-it and forget-it. I have the condensation line running into the same pump that removes condensation from my central AC unit, so I don't have to manually empty a tank. You could also route the drain line into a floor drain if your basement has one. Only thing I need to do is rinse the cat hair off the metal filter every month or so.

MoreSpaceEcho wrote: I also like emptying dehumidifiers, I don't know why but I do. I got a "quiet" one for the studio, expensive as far as dehumidifiers go, but it works great:

https://www.amazon.com/TOSOT-Dehumidifi ... 15009&th=1

Way quieter than the one in our basement. Keeps the studio nice and dry and all the guitars stay happy.

The basement is also part studio, so this quieter recommendation is helpful. Thank you.

For draining it sounds like Nate has a pump. There's no floor drain, but there is a sink and a ~4 ft high PVC pipe that the washer & dryer drains run in to. Can the hose just run into that, or would I need one with a pump?

Emptying them manually is satisfying. But forgetting to do so is highly likely. Automation is preferred here.

MoreSpaceEcho wrote: Sat Jul 08, 2023 10:15 am I also like emptying dehumidifiers, I don't know why but I do. I got a "quiet" one for the studio, expensive as far as dehumidifiers go, but it works great:

https://www.amazon.com/TOSOT-Dehumidifi ... 15009&th=1

Way quieter than the one in our basement. Keeps the studio nice and dry and all the guitars stay happy.

This is exactly the design I have an I enjoy it a lot

Compression on guitars!

I love the sound when used as a special effect - like Sun City Girls - Space Prophet Dogon and kind of that Nashville squashed thing on Jerry Reed - Amos Moses.

But, more subtly, can you describe the compression you hear on Sonny Sharrock’s Black Woman or the Andy Clark/Mick Hutchinson track below?





Those are kind of benchmark sounds for me, and of course putting aside the insane players, Gibson guitar, old Fender amps etc, - I’m wondering how much of what I’m hearing is outboard compression and how much of it is a sound that came with releasing a record in 1969.

I’m wondering if that sort of thing is more apparent to others used to listening for it. It’s more difficult for me to pick that stuff out on a darker guitar sound.

^ Yeah I think you're totally right that compression figures into both of these. It makes each note super clear. It's almost like clean overdrive, you hear where a chord or note digs in and almost expect to hear an amp breakup but instead it just kind of squishes. You can hear the compressor pushing back.

I didn't mess with compression on guitars, probably because all of the distorted guitars make it obsolete. Then a client with a lot of semi dirty telecaster parts found an article on his favorite Funkadelic guitar sound and ordered compression. I happened to have a modern clone of the mentioned compressor and threw it on all, "Oooh.... That's nice!". That box had been in my rack for like ten years and I'd never put a guitar through it.

FatRat for bass? Anyone loving it? There's one in the 'hood... Before I have an acquaintance build a GCI Bass Brutalist (Turbo Rat-ish) for me... Thinking the FatRat at 18v might be kinda cool.

jirbling rake wrote: Sat Jul 08, 2023 12:40 pm
For draining it sounds like Nate has a pump. There's no floor drain, but there is a sink and a ~4 ft high PVC pipe that the washer & dryer drains run in to. Can the hose just run into that, or would I need one with a pump?

You'll need one with a pump if you have to run the drain line vertically at all. Or somehow get the dehumidifier up high near the sink/drain so it can use gravity.