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Topic: Amplifiers in the winter cold |
Larry Robertson
From:
Denver, Colorado, USA
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Posted 3 Jan 2014 8:19 am |
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Is there any negative effect to leaving an amplifier in the trunk of your car or storing it in an unheated garage in the freezing cold of winter? Would there be any difference for a tube amp or solid state? Of course it should be warmed up to room temp before turning it on, but other than that, what damage can cold do to an amplifier? I've been doing it for years and have not had problems, but maybe I'm pushing my luck. Thanks, Larry Robertson
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Bill L. Wilson
From:
Oklahoma, USA
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Posted 3 Jan 2014 9:19 am A Cold Hearted Amp.
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| Having hauled my stuff in Canada, in the dead of winter. I never had a problem with amps not working. However, I did watch the finish check on my Les Paul, when I opened up the case in a warm room, after bringing the guitar in from -50 degrees. |
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George McLellan
From:
Duluth, MN USA
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Posted 3 Jan 2014 10:09 am
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This weekend we are looking at -30º - 35ºF. I never leave any of my gear in the car overnight in the winter. I'm concerned about condensation especially in the amp.
Geo |
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Jack Hanson
From:
San Luis Valley, USA
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Posted 3 Jan 2014 10:42 am
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In my experience the deep freeze is much harder on guitars than on amps. Of course, you will want to let your amps warm up to room temperature before you plug them in and turn them on. Conversely, and especially with tube amps, be sure they cool completely down before subjecting them to the extreme cold.
It's easy to distinguish old Gibson guitars that were gigged in the frozen tundra from those that weren't by the presence or absence of weather-checked lacquer.
Upon returning home from a 1973-74 New Years Eve gig, I opened the case of my beloved '64 Firebird V to find the headstock completely severed from the neck. I eventually had it repaired, but still haven't completely gotten over it. Played out with Fenders ever since then. Temperature extremes never bothered them, and if you got your car stuck in the snow you could always use your Fender as a shovel to dig yourself out! |
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Dave Grafe
From:
Hudson River Valley NY
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Posted 3 Jan 2014 11:07 am
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| The cold will not damage your amp, but the condensation from returning it to room temperature will destroy it if you happen to turn it on... |
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Don Griffiths
From:
Steelville, MO
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Posted 3 Jan 2014 5:18 pm
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I was wondering the same thing. The only place I have to set up and play is in an
unheated old building. Fortunately it rarely gets below 25f here and warms up to 60's in the day this time of year . So if I go out and play in the late morning when the room is still in the 30s I should probably warm up the room with a kerosene heater for a few hours before turning the amp on. I suppose it is the speed of the temperature change that is more damaging than the slow daily swings?
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Stephen Cowell
From:
Round Rock, Texas, USA
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Posted 4 Jan 2014 12:06 am
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Tube amps go through heavy temperature cycling anyway... but the most damaging thing is condensation; if you bring a cold amp in, then fire it up immediately, you can get water mixed with high voltage, definitely not recommended. Let it dry out before using it! (Or play it out in the cold).
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Jack Hanson
From:
San Luis Valley, USA
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Posted 4 Jan 2014 7:47 am
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| Been hauling amps around in Minnesota winters at least since 1965, and the only amp I ever blew up was a Blackface Bandmaster head. Twice. Both in the summertime. Maybe I'm just lucky. |
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Craig Schwartz
From:
McHenry IL
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Posted 4 Jan 2014 2:21 pm
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My bro says Cooling it way down after a show is another trait of any tube owner, before it hits the trunk
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SO MANY LURES, SO LITTLE TIME.... |
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Willie Sims
From:
PADUCAH, KY, USA
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Posted 5 Jan 2014 11:07 am
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This subject about cold weather effects on
amplifiers, can also happen in the summertime.
I've got a Evans LV 500 that was in a garage where we played every week. This particular week was really hot and humid, when they turned the air-conditioning on it must have created condensation in the amp.
When I turned amp on it started motorboating like it was turned wide open it destroyed the speaker. I removed the chassis couldn't find anything wrong with electronics. put a new speaker in haven't had any problems since. It had to be condensation from the air conditioner when it cooled the building. |
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Willie Sims
From:
PADUCAH, KY, USA
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Posted 5 Jan 2014 11:07 am
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This subject about cold weather effects on
amplifiers, can also happen in the summertime.
I've got a Evans LV 500 that was in a garage where we played every week. This particular week was really hot and humid, when they turned the air-conditioning on it must have created condensation in the amp.
When I turned amp on it started motorboating like it was turned wide open it destroyed the speaker. I removed the chassis couldn't find anything wrong with electronics. put a new speaker in haven't had any problems since. It had to be condensation from the air conditioner when it cooled the building. |
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Paul Arntson
From:
Washington, USA
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Posted 5 Jan 2014 1:14 pm
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| Years ago my friend had a problem with his Super Beatle amp power capacitor that we attributed to -30F. Replaced the cap and all was well. |
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