Winter Is Coming, So What Does That Mean For Your Instruments?
That’s right John Snow… winter is COMING! Therefore, we must protect our instruments from the cold as best as we can. What does the cold have to do with our instruments? I am SO very glad that you asked.
Cold weather draws moisture from the wood in every acoustic instrument. So, just like the doors in that old house that open and close better in the winter time, your instruments will shift as well.
Extreme cold can cause warping in the shells of drums, warping in guitar necks, and also guitar bodies. When the body of your guitar warps, it can cause cracking that is sometimes so severe the instrument cannot be fixed. So, that $2000 Martin you just bought… yeah, even IT WILL WARP. If the shells of your drums warp, this can cause severe tuning issues, and cause the rims to not sit properly on the drum. When the heads can’t seat properly, they break more easily, and more often. Which can be a big drain on your bank account.
It is really important for guitarists to have a “set up” done on their instruments whenever the seasons change drastically. Your guitar tech will adjust the truss rod, change the strings, and adjust any issues with the nut or the saddle.
For the drums, they don’t require a set up of any kind, but if you haven’t changed your drum heads in a long while, they will probably start to sound really dead, and thin. Depending on what tone you’re going for this may not be a terrible thing, but you will most definitely have a hard time trying to make them tune properly.
Reach out to me at info@musiconthemovestudios.com if you have any questions, and watch my Music Minute Monday video below!
