Playing outdoors as the temperature drops

Kerry Brown

Kerry Brown

Ambassador of the Great Northern Bar Jams
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We had an outdoor gig for a birthday party. It started out with a beautiful sunny afternoon setting up. By the time we started playing at 8:00 PM the sun was behind some high clouds but the temperature was still reasonable. The clouds got thicker and the temperature started dropping. We had to tune after every song. By the time we were on to the encore the temp started dropping dramatically. One song I had to tune my D string on the fly. It was a fun gig but I've never experienced tuning problems like that before. This picture was at the start of the gig. We got some new monitors to replace the borrowed ones so I was using my Traynor SB110 as a monitor for my bass. The Yorkville NX10C monitors sounded great but I couldn't hear my bass as well as with the Elite series we had borrowed for the last couple of gigs.

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I find the locked nut systems seem to stay in tune very well regardless. Others, not so much. Just contraction I suppose with temp drop.
Other way around too. Once lights are on amd it heats up.
Too bad you couldn't have moved it a little further from you. Spread out the sound more. Hard when it is pointed right at your ankles! I found the little NX10s to be very cool little monitors but they feedback far before any others seem to. You ran bass thru those? Wouldn't get too much from those little 10 inch coax with vox going through too.
I tried some for a bit just for vox but traded them.
But overall looks like a fun gig! Too bad it didn't start late afternoon!!
Cheers! Keep em coming!
 
Jethro Rocker said:
I find the locked nut systems seem to stay in tune very well regardless. Others, not so much. Just contraction I suppose with temp drop.
Other way around too. Once lights are on amd it heats up.
Too bad you couldn't have moved it a little further from you. Spread out the sound more. Hard when it is pointed right at your ankles! I found the little NX10s to be very cool little monitors but they feedback far before any others seem to. You ran bass thru those? Wouldn't get too much from those little 10 inch coax with vox going through too.
I tried some for a bit just for vox but traded them.
But overall looks like a fun gig! Too bad it didn't start late afternoon!!
Cheers! Keep em coming!
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We tried it without the amp but I could barely hear the bass. The bass through the JBL mains was fine so I just needed some volume on stage to hear my bass. I have an amp stand I may try next time. The two guitar player/vocalists loved the new monitors and I’m fine with the SB110 for my stage sound. My EHX Battalion has both XLR and 1/4 inch out. I set the SB110 flat and do all my Tone adjustments with active controls on my bass and tweaks on the DI. I only had the SB110 gain at 11:00 o’clock. It was just loud enough for me to hear it. It was very close to the same tone as was coming out of the mains. I may end up getting a sub for the PA but so far my share of the take is building up for a Dingwall or possibly a Musicman bass.
 
Kerry Brown said:
We tried it without the amp but I could barely hear the bass. The bass through the JBL mains was fine so I just needed some volume on stage to hear my bass. I have an amp stand I may try next time. The two guitar player/vocalists loved the new monitors and I’m fine with the SB110 for my stage sound. My EHX Battalion has both XLR and 1/4 inch out. I set the SB110 flat and do all my Tone adjustments with active controls on my bass and tweaks on the DI. I only had the SB110 gain at 11:00 o’clock. It was just loud enough for me to hear it. It was very close to the same tone as was coming out of the mains. I may end up getting a sub for the PA but so far my share of the take is building up for a Dingwall or possibly a Musicman bass.
Click to expand...
Dingwall! Do it!
He is a good dude too we used to do his photofinishing at the store years ago.
It all makes sense. Cant have stage bass volume overdo the rest but ya gotta hear it. Maybe a stand. Or different angle or turn it up a bit and reduce in mains.
 
I always disliked outdoor gigs. Either it's too hot or it's too cold.

I'm thinking that little Traynor might do okay as a monitor lying flat on its back.
Unless the power cable sticks out enough to be a problem.

I used to keep a little 1x12" cab as a spare, and I'd sometimes use it in venues too small for the 4x12.
Once in a while I'd even lay it on its back if stage levels had to be kept really low.
The cab began life as a combo amp so the jack was up front, in a board where the control panel had been.
 
I'm going to try an amp stand at our next gig. It was fine as it was though. I just needed enough volume to hear what I was playing. It'll be a while before our next gig. We are in the midst of doubling the number of songs in our repertoire. We have just enough for two hours now. We do two one hour sets with a 20 minute break in the middle. We want to double that so we can alter the set list for the occasion.
 
Jethro Rocker said:
I find the locked nut systems seem to stay in tune very well regardless. Others, not so much. Just contraction I suppose with temp drop.
Other way around too. Once lights are on amd it heats up.
Too bad you couldn't have moved it a little further from you. Spread out the sound more. Hard when it is pointed right at your ankles! I found the little NX10s to be very cool little monitors but they feedback far before any others seem to. You ran bass thru those? Wouldn't get too much from those little 10 inch coax with vox going through too.
I tried some for a bit just for vox but traded them.
But overall looks like a fun gig! Too bad it didn't start late afternoon!!
Cheers! Keep em coming!
Click to expand...

The Floyd Rose is very thermally stable, as Jethro points out.

However, when the nut is cut correctly, I find my Les Paul and my Stratocaster both stay in perfect tune.

We are rehearsing at 7,000 ft/asl and the temp goes from 85°F down to 40°F after nightfall and I didn't have to retune for the entire 5 hour event.

I'd suggest checking the nut slot width to ensure they are not less than .004" over string gauge.

Also, getting the winds nice and tight on the tuner posts is important.

Which guitar gave you the most trouble?
 
Robert Herndon said:
The Floyd Rose is very thermally stable, as Jethro points out.

However, when the nut is cut correctly, I find my Les Paul and my Stratocaster both stay in perfect tune.

We are rehearsing at 7,000 ft/asl and the temp goes from 85°F down to 40°F after nightfall and I didn't have to retune for the entire 5 hour event.

I'd suggest checking the nut slot width to ensure they are not less than .004" over string gauge.

Also, getting the winds nice and tight on the tuner posts is important.

Which guitar gave you the most trouble?
Click to expand...
In order of most to least tuning needed, Rickenbacher, Stratocaster, Martin, my bass, Larrivee. They all needed retuning at least a couple of times. It was a very quick temperature drop and humidity change. It started raining as we were tearing down. To be fair the guitar players use a capo a lot so they are often tuning. That is the only time I have ever had to tune my bass at a practice or gig after I tune it at the start.
 
Kerry Brown said:
In order of most to least tuning needed, Rickenbacher, Stratocaster, Martin, my bass, Larrivee. They all needed retuning at least a couple of times. It was a very quick temperature drop and humidity change. It started raining as we were tearing down. To be fair the guitar players use a capo a lot so they are often tuning. That is the only time I have ever had to tune my bass at a practice or gig after I tune it at the start.
Click to expand...

Ahhhhh...

TBTH, the humidity has a greater effect than temperature alone.

We run huge evaporative coolers at work and I've seen neck relief change on a Gretsch from the factory spec of ".008" at the 8th" to nothing in the span of less than 30 minutes.

How a guitar like a Gretsch - encased on thick poly - can react to humidity changes do rapidly defies logic....But it does.
 
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