Heat and humidity question.

[decadentdave]

I have an outdoor gig this weekend and it's supposed to be 93 degrees or so with the heat index around 100. Do you think this is safe for guitars? I'm contemplating taking some of my less valuable guitars instead.

[Newc]

It's perfectly safe, as long as you don't leave them cooped up in the car or their cases. Get there in plenty of time for the necks to do their thing, and for any condensation to evaporate from the pickup coils (moving from an air-conditioned house to a hot outdoor environment will cause them to sweat, just like moving into a cool area from a hot area fogs up your glasses).

In fact, I'd start conditioning them for the heat today, especially if they've not been out of the A/C recently. It also helps to know how they'll react. Simulate the gig conditions - how much time will it be between taking it out of the house, how much time in the car to the gig, will you be able to unload right away or will you have to leave them, can you put them on stands until they're needed or will they have to stay cased, how long will they be out of the case, how much direct and/or indirect sunlight will they get, will there be any fans you can put them in the path of, etc etc.

This is especially important if you have anything with a painted neck or nitro finish, as they really don't like heat and can gum up.

And don't forget to sweat on the strings and board to see how they'll react. Check for neck alignment.

If you can get a firm grasp of how the gear will react ahead of time, you'll know what problems to expect at the gig, and what to do about them.


And don't forget the amps and pedals and whatnot. All that metal (wire, connections, etc) will also be in the heat, and will come from the same air-conditioned environment.

[Jack Napalm]

Tune often.

[Twitch]

I was curious about the same thing myself, have an outdoor gig sat afternoon. Thanks Newc.

[levantin]

I once played a gig where it was 113F with 95% humidity, I needed to tune seriously after every song but the guitar was fine structurally, still is come to think of it.

[MakeAJazzNoiseHere]

I'm in the process of inventing a Guitar Air Conditioner. Paypal me $1,000,000 and I can have a prototype to you by Saturday.

[VitaminG]

I'm in the process of inventing a Guitar Air Conditioner. Paypal me $1,000,000 and I can have a prototype to you by Saturday.

does an electric fan clipped to the headstock really qualify as air conditioning? Props for your entrepreneurial spirit though. Hope you get your mill

[MakeAJazzNoiseHere]

does an electric fan clipped to the headstock really qualify as air conditioning? Props for your entrepreneurial spirit though. Hope you get your mill

Not much chance of that now that you've let the cat out of the bag!