• From: North Carolina
  • Registered: 2008-03-29
  • Posts: 953

Topic: Guitar's and cold weather

Hi Everyone,

  We've had a snap of cold weather here, and I guess like many acoustic guitars mine seems to tighten up, and sound out of tune more quickly. I was wondering what others do to maybe keep their guitar warm so it dosen't tighten up so bad or sound out of tune, any advice would be greatly appreciated.

  Cam

Keep a fire burning in your eyes
Pay attention to the open sky
You never know what will be coming down
  • Registered: 2008-05-09
  • Posts: 16

Re: Guitar's and cold weather

It's not the heat or cold that affects your guitar as much as the humidity. Your local music store should sell a humidifier that hangs inside the sound hole of the guitar. This will help keep the wood stable. Also try not to store your guitar near a window or area that fluctuates in temperature.

  • From: Alabama Gulf Coast
  • Registered: 2008-06-24
  • Posts: 1,819

Re: Guitar's and cold weather

When setting up for a gig, I always take my guitar out of it's case and set it on it's stand before I do anything else so the guitar can have max time to adjust to room temperature.
I rub my fingers up and down the strings a few times to warm that area slightly before tuning.
Even an air conditioner vent aimed at the band can pull you all sharp when the a/c comes on.

We pronounce it "Guf Coast".
Ya'll wanna go down to the Guf?

tubatooter1940's Website

  • WeCaVa
  • Junior Member
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  • Registered: 2008-10-18
  • Posts: 8

Re: Guitar's and cold weather

It is said that a relative humidity of 45% - 50% is great for guitars. So humidify when your conditions fall below that range.Many people say that the Dampit humidifier is very good. Reviews here: http://www.amazon.com/review/product/B0 … ewpoints=1

  • upyerkilt
  • upyerkilt
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  • From: Balloch, Scotland, UK, Earth
  • Registered: 2006-03-04
  • Posts: 3,290

Re: Guitar's and cold weather

well i dont know if it is humidity or hot/cold or maybe a mixture of both but when i go up the hills with my guitar it is perfectly tuned when it goes in the case then when i get into a freezing cold bothy take it out the case trum it once and it is fine but half hour later it sounds awful.
I try to keep it in a warm part of the room but not too near the log fire and it seems fine most, unless I am really cold and have to sit and play next to the fire, then it will go out of tune again.

In situations like this I keep my intelitouch tuner clamped on to keep it tuned as much as possible, but then when i get steaming drunk I dont really care about it going off tune slightly. lol

The person to invent strings that only need tuned once in their life will be a very rich man indeed.



Ken

ye get some that are cut out for the job and others just get by from pretending
  • Registered: 2006-03-04
  • Posts: 2,662

Re: Guitar's and cold weather

tubatooter1940 wrote:

When setting up for a gig, I always take my guitar out of it's case and set it on it's stand before I do anything else so the guitar can have max time to adjust to room temperature.
  .

This is about the best advice a person can give in cold weather playing. Good stuff tubatooter1940. Also, be advised that heat from ones body temperature will affect the guitar(acoustic) as well. Layers of clothing helps to reduce adverse effects of bodyheat on acoustic guitar but be careful the buttons and zippers  don't scratch the finish on yer' instrument...........

Give everything but up.
  • Registered: 2008-11-16
  • Posts: 6

Re: Guitar's and cold weather

You're guitar will off course be effected by the temprature, but you can by an extra warm bag to put it in! I think you find it in most of the musicstores:) It's a normal guitarbag, but it's warmer and has som sort off thick whool kinda fabric inside:) It's kinda cool though !!!:*

  • Zurf
  • Zurf
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  • From: Virginia, USA
  • Registered: 2007-06-27
  • Posts: 7,522

Re: Guitar's and cold weather

It might be humidity rather than temperature.  The guy at my shop says to keep guitars at 50% humidity.  In our area, that's just the winter that's a problem.  The summers are all higher than that level. 

- Zurf

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If it comes from the heart and you add a few beers... it'll be awesome! - Mekidsmom
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  • From: Warren, Ont.
  • Registered: 2006-03-04
  • Posts: 14

Re: Guitar's and cold weather

Definately a humidity issue. get a hygrometer for the room where your guitars are. If the humidity is less then 40-45%, get a guitar humidifier. They're usually $30 or less.

Rick