Tone and Humidity

Lawrence Lupkin · Post by **Lawrence Lupkin** » 7 Aug 2003 4:10 am

This has been a particularly soggy and humid summer in the northeast. I have been having real tone issues. Are these things related? I haven't changed anything about my playing or my amp set-up. Something just isn't sounding right.
This is my first summer as a steel guitarist, so I have no experience with this kind of weather. Have I just regressed, or is there a connection?
Thanks in advance for any words of wisdom.

Donny Hinson · Post by **Donny Hinson** » 7 Aug 2003 7:31 am

Yes, there's a connection, albeit a small one. Though pedal steels don't change a whole lot with humidity (as acoustic guitars do), there are small changes, nevertheless. Add this to the change in speaker cone flexibility (a small one, too), and the change in the way sound travels in denser, heavier air (somewhat more significant), and the sum of all of these "slight changes" may well be noticeable. There is also a psychological effect produced in dreary (cloudy, muggy, rainy, sunless) climates that may contribute to your frustration, as well.

It's a normal thing, and it'll pass.

Gary Lee Gimble · Post by **Gary Lee Gimble** » 7 Aug 2003 10:40 am

Donny, how about all the gunk weeping from the palms? I've been dealing with this drek all summer. A few weeks ago we performed on a floating stage in Harrisburg, PA. Between the stage rocking from the boats whisking by and gunk falling all over my strings, tone was not to die for at all that day. I never had tone anyway.

oh well
Gary Lee[This message was edited by Gary Lee Gimble on 07 August 2003 at 12:23 PM.]

Robert Baringer · Post by **Robert Baringer** » 7 Aug 2003 11:44 am

Donny, I have been playing over 50 years and believe me it don't pass, have done many jobs under those circumstances and some I wished I was anywhere but there..you are right it is all of those things...Bob...

Jon Light · Post by **Jon Light** » 7 Aug 2003 12:21 pm

My first thought was along Gary Lee's lines---string life will be shortened under these conditions by your sweat. Whatever your string-change regimen is, consider adjusting to the circumstances. Definitely wipe down the strings frequently.

Lawrence Lupkin · Post by **Lawrence Lupkin** » 7 Aug 2003 12:23 pm

I don't sweat, Jon. I perspire. Or do I glow?

Eric West · Post by **Eric West** » 7 Aug 2003 12:51 pm

There's another secret forum where recently all tone issues have been miraculously solved.

The answer is <blink>VOLUME</blink>.

It tends to excite lazy molecules, evening out irregularities in the sonic waveform and the human pain threshold is nature's compressor. It releases the proper amount of endorphins that increases listening pleasure. Kind of an instant morphine drip without all the tubes and needles.

I have to credit it to a southern friend of mine, but it has really put all these endless "tone" and "tasteful dynamics" questions to rest. At least in my mind.

The guy that came up with The Amplifier is probably the guy that got it first, in spite of millions that try to pretend they don't use them....

On hot days, you have to turn it up a little more.

Same with cold ones.

Mr Hankey?

Excuse me, I think my phone is ringing....

EJL[This message was edited by Eric West on 07 August 2003 at 01:58 PM.]

Scott Henderson · Post by **Scott Henderson** » 8 Aug 2003 8:58 am

you know what is stange is i came from to the ozarks from the dry depths of kansas. I play twice as much but i don't break strings as much in the humidity. of course this is comparing dry conditions on the road verses a humid sit down gig too. more volume in humidity? yes but tone is better especially with a really "wet" verb. get it ????wet verb.. humidity so anyway these three clarinet players are walking down the street....oh never mind

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Steelin' away in the ozarks and life,
Scott
www.scottyhenderson.com

Bobby Lee · Post by **Bobby Lee** » 8 Aug 2003 9:30 am

Don't forget that the actual sound is produced by the paper in your speaker cones. As humidity increases, the paper holds more moisture and gets heavier. It can't respond as efficiently. The result is a longer slew rate, which hurts the high frequencies the most.

Also, the moisture makes the paper less stiff, which results in sloppier reproduction of the source signal at all frequencies. It's a hard thing to deal with, I know...

------------------
<img align=right src="http://b0b.com/Hotb0b.gif" width="96 height="96">Bobby Lee - email: quasar@b0b.com - gigs - CDs, Open Hearts
Sierra Session 12 (E9), Williams 400X (Emaj9, D6), Sierra Olympic 12 (C6add9),
Sierra Laptop 8 (D13), Fender Stringmaster (E13, A6),
Roland Handsonic, Line 6 Variax[This message was edited by Bobby Lee on 08 August 2003 at 10:34 AM.]

Bobby Lee · Post by **Bobby Lee** » 8 Aug 2003 9:41 am

FWIW, I used 2 hemp-coned Tone Tubbies for an outdoor gig on a very hot, humid day last month, and I had no tone problems at all. My rig sounded exactly right to me. I'm not saying hemp is the answer - just relating my own experience.

Lawrence Lupkin · Post by **Lawrence Lupkin** » 8 Aug 2003 10:08 am

I guess only if it's medical hemp.

Hmmm...better go check my slew rate. And get some Doritos...

Scott Hiestand · Post by **Scott Hiestand** » 9 Aug 2003 1:12 pm

Ever since I bought my ZB, my tone has improved dramatically, and it's still real humid here!