Playing in High Humidity

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Emangboro63

Member
I have two basic questions:

1. My Fractal is racked with Wireless, Power Conditioner and the FRACTAL XL+. A lot of our shows have been festivals in the heat with high humidity. Are there other precautions I should take to ensure that I don't damage the FRACTAL unit?

2. From a playing perspective, I have found the fret board and next get sticky in the high humidity, does anyone have any recommendations or successful tips for dealing with these conditions?

Thanks so much for any advice or help on these two questions...
 
Living in Florida, there are MANY outdoor shows in humid conditions, even raining. Honestly, there's not much you can do about needing to be outdoors. One thing is allowing the gear, including guitars to adjust to the outdoor temp and humidity. Moving from A/C to humid can cause problems with condensation.

I use fret spray to keep things moving, and again, allow time for the guitars to adjust to the outdoor conditions. Tuning issues can also be part of the challenge when moving from A/C to outside.

Also fans can help to keep air moving to help as well. I ALWAYS have a fan with me, it's part of my gear...even in a club.
 
Emangboro63 said:
I have two basic questions:
2. From a playing perspective, I have found the fret board and next get sticky in the high humidity, does anyone have any recommendations or successful tips for dealing with these conditions?
Click to expand...

I don't know if you can or want to change the neck on your guitar, but many of the necks made of exotic woods don't require a finish, so they don't really ever get sticky. They always feel like fresh satin. For instance, an Ebony over Pau Ferro neck is a super-smooth, super-fast hunk of lumber. Take the time to burnish it (or have it done), and it's like sex on a stick. Of course, there are numerous other combinations that work as well. Then, using a dual-acting truss rod will make a neck remarkably stable. Combine the two, and you have something that won't get sticky, always feels great, and won't move on you with temperature/humidity changes.

There are several after-market neck manufacturers who can supply such things, with Warmoth being the leader of the pack by a wide margin. Only catch is if you play something with a dedicated (glued-in) or thru-body neck. Can't really change those.
 
I have a tung oil finish on the necks of my main electric guitars. But what helps me the most is to practice outside in the heat and humidity. When I'm prepping for outdoor shows I walk around in the backyard with my guitars and play through the set list acoustically.
 
I keep a light colored beach towel with me for hot days when we have to play in direct sunlight, and just drape it over my rack. You'd be shocked at how much cooler it is under that little tent from direct sunlight than are the other black metal items out in the open. You can't always get coverage for your MFC (or other pedal) while playing, so I cover them right up to gig time and haven't had a problem. I don't know 100% it makes a mechanical difference, but it sure makes me feel better that I have given myself the best chance of surviving the heat without a failure.

As for the condensation, I agree with those who have suggested a gradual acclimation for your guitars to changing temperatures. This is especially true of some guitar finishes which can not only experience condensation, but also finish checking (cracking) on exposure to extreme temperature changes. Make sure your guitars have time to come up to ambient temperature before yanking them from the case. One trick I learned as a young player was to unlock the case, and post the top slightly open by putting a latch in the way of the lid closing. That lets air through in smaller amounts and allows a gradual warm up. This also works well in the winter, bringing a guitar in from outside to a warmer gig space. 15 minutes or so seems to do fine, but I like to open the case top a little and leave it while we set up. Extra time can't hurt, so I try to use what time I have.

We have had the occasional gig where it was so humid (night time beach gigs, for example) that there is so much water in the air, you can't avoid the condensation. Lots of dry towels and regular wipe downs are the only answer there. Again, draping a towel over your rack can save it from this kind of moisture too. We have actually had powered speakers short out in extreme condensation, so I have no doubt it can hurt other electronics without some sort of protective practices. Just ignoring the environment is bad for equipment, and bad for business... gig failures will always be blamed on the band. It is best to do what you can to make sure the show does, in spite of the weather, go on.

I hope that is helpful to you.
 
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powder, a good fan, towels, and the right guitar (for me, that's one with a good stable neck that doesn't fluctuate too easily and also has the right finish).. like Rick mentioned above, I would cover the gear with a towel, etc. when you can for shade
 
I've played many a gig, and even indoors it can get nasty and humid. The solution? Not just a fan, a BLOWER. I've used this for only about a year now and it's drastically improved my comfort in every aspect of playing live. Doesn't hurt that it has adjustable speed and extra outlets for your phone or any other device you need power for.

Other than that, stay away from fancy guitars live if you can. I've found that playing my nicer guitars becomes more work than it needs to be live. I've had better results with a good mid-level guitar with solid construction and lots of Maple.

Anyway, buy yourself a blower. You won't be disappointed.

Amazon product ASIN B001DNGSCM
 
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