The Premise. Most musicians in high humidity areas know about the annoying impact that it has on their acoustic guitars. Oftentimes, central air and heat will be enough to combat this, but for those seasons when it’s not quite cool enough or hot enough to justify the increase that will be incurred when the next electric bill comes due, musicians don’t have many options available.
The Product. Kiln is something of a mini dehumidifier that fills in the gap for those in between seasons with high humidity, or those times on the road when keeping an acoustic guitar out of high humidity can be even more complicated. The item fits snuggly at the bottom of the sound hole between the strings and body, but is lined with felt so that the guitar doesn’t get scratched. When the gadget is turned on, it gradually heats the soundbox so that the air will absorb the moisture. Through the principle of convection, the moist air gets replaced with dry air to reduce bowing and issues with strings going out of tune.
The Pitch. The video for the $155,000 campaign gives some great clarity to the problem that comes with owning an acoustic guitar and living in a high humidity area. The demonstration of how the product works makes it appear simple to use, and the detailed description of why it will be effective is presented in a way that is easy to understand.
The Perks. There are 11 tiers from which a backer may choose. Early bird backers can get one product for $182 if they respond by June 1, 2014. This is 33 percent off of retail.
The Potential. The idea seems great, but the process takes eight hours to complete. So a musician needs to be thinking ahead where their gigs are concerned. The built-in safety features of temperature sensors and operation timers should give acoustic guitar owners piece of mind about using the product overnight, or being able to run a few errands while the process of dehumidifying is taking place.