Heat

[rhgwynn]

Summer is upon us, so I had some thoughts that might warrant a bit of speculation and discussion...

I wanted to see what others thought about this.

You can easily manipulate the DCR readings of a pickup, hold it in your hand a few minutes and watch the numbers creep up and up. We all know that in the grand scheme of things, DCR don't mean crap; but, what if you're a musician playing onstage, outdoors... in 100*+ temperatures?? The sun beating down on you AND your guitar... How, if at all, would the heat affect how the pickup functions and sounds? The DCR goes up because the hotter it gets the more the flow of electrons is impeded; but does this have any noticeable effect on how the guitar sounds or the resonant peak? Sure, we've all messed around and tested things in the comfort of our air-conditioned houses; but how many of us have really thought out this aspect and done these tests in 110* degree heat? Probably very little, if any... Still, I wonder.

[Jim Shine]

Yes, temperature has a great affect on readings. Whenever I record a reading, I note the temperature as well. You tend to gain a "feel" for this and come up with temperature factored in when doing a rewind/replica of an existing pickup.

[rjb]

The DCR goes up... but does this have any noticeable effect on how the guitar sounds or the resonant peak?

I am not interested enough in this question to spend time doing calculations or measurements, but my guess is that the sound change due to the change in Q caused by increased coil resistance is negligible compared to other factors- such as the fact that the speed of sound changes with temperature and humidity.

EDIT
One way in which Summer temperatures definitely do effect amplified sound:
Audience members tend to wear lighter/less clothing in Summer than in Winter.
Clothing fabric attenuates high frequencies.

[David Schwab]

We all know that in the grand scheme of things, DCR don't mean crap...

You answered your own question!

What ever the temperature is when you take your reading, that's the reading. If you measure everything at 70°F, then you will get consistent readings. The temprature never fluctuates enough to matter IMO, unless you are working on a superconducting pickup.

Also when it's hot, everything else it hot too, i.e., the amp, your patch cord, etc.

After I wind a pickup I take a reading just to make sure there isn't a problem with the pickup. It will be where it needs to be, or very close. If it's not, something went wrong, i.e. a short. But I never wind to match a number, except for turns.

[rhgwynn]

This is slightly off topic, but I have noticed that the friction of the wire sliding between the fingers generates enough heat to throw off the readings. If you wind it up to say 5.8k (tested immediately after a stop) and let it sit for a while, the reading will go down.

Nevertheless, I was suggesting that regardless of any of the standard readings, the increased temperature of the electronics (pickups) might change how they respond to the input (string vibration) due to the changing properties of the way the current flows through the coil. Maybe it is negligible; but perhaps noticeable to some? If anyone here has had the chance to play a mid-day summer gig, I'd love to hear whether or not they felt like their guitars sounded different.

Interesting fact tho, RJB; I never knew that...

[rjb]

...what if you're a musician playing onstage, outdoors... in 100*+ temperatures?? The sun beating down on you AND your guitar... How, if at all, would the heat affect how the pickup functions and sounds?

I think the extra flexing of your acetate flatpick would affect tone more than the higher DCR of your pickup's coil.
Especially when you drop the pick from your sweaty hand.
But neither effect would overshadow the sound of the drummer passing out and collapsing on his kit.

[SonnyW]

I may be somewhat anal about this, but I always correct my DCR readings to 68 degrees F. Always. And did I say always? It is a simple calculation and takes very little effort to calculate once you set up for it. I have the formula plugged into a spreadsheet that I use anyway so it is automatic. However, that is all in the design world and not in the real word after the pickup is made. The inductance and other more relevant factors won't change so much with the heat. Long story short, my opinion is that a pickup that sounds good at 68F will still sound good at 105F. And a pickup that sounds bad at 68F will still sound bad at any temperature that you name.

[rjb]

I was suggesting that... the increased temperature of the electronics (pickups) might change how they respond... If anyone here has had the chance to play a mid-day summer gig, I'd love to hear whether or not they felt like their guitars sounded different.

Dude, I'm not sure you're getting it.
Even if there is some minuscule change in pickup response, any change in sound will be swamped by environmental factors.
A change in humidity will affect the sound. The size of the audience will affect the sound. Background noise will affect the sound.
The presence/absence of reflective surfaces will affect the sound; your guitar will sound different playing in an open field than at a street festival.

Interesting fact tho, RJB; I never knew that...

What, that people tend to wear less clothing in Summer?

[rhgwynn]

Dude, I'm not sure you're getting it.
Even if there is some minuscule change in pickup response, any change in sound will be swamped by environmental factors.
A change in humidity will affect the sound. The size of the audience will affect the sound. Background noise will affect the sound.
The presence/absence of reflective surfaces will affect the sound; your guitar will sound different playing in an open field than at a street festival.


What, that people tend to wear less clothing in Summer?

I get what you are saying dude. And no, I was referring to the frequency attenuation; but you already knew that.

[David Schwab]

Has anyone ever played their guitar when it was like 95°F and thought "wow, this thing sounds like crap today!" (or vice versa). I can't say I've ever noticed a difference in the tone of the guitar between hot or cold days. I will notice that I don't play the same every day! Some days are better than others.

So I don't think it matters enough to worry about it. Ad that's the same reason I don't even look to see if the DC resistance reading is exactly where I want it. It's always really close, and that's good enough. And to be honest I don't even know the exact resistance reading on most of my pickups. I might have written it down, and then forgot about it. But I do know how many turns they all get.

It is handy when I want to tell the difference between neck and bridge pickups though.

[rjb]

Has anyone ever played their guitar when it was like 95°F and thought "wow, this thing sounds like crap today!"

Yes, but only because my hand perspiration killed the strings even faster than usual!

I think heat and (especially) humidity affect hollow-body acoustic instruments more than solid-body electrics.
In humid weather, wooden instruments go sharp (pitch-wise) and flabby (tone-wise). Body top wood expands, raising string action.

Try playing with a hammered dulcimer (essentially a mini piano played with mallets) that's gone ~1/2 step sharp!
Then maybe you won't worry so much about your pickup's DCR rising a few percent.

[ken]

EDIT
One way in which Summer temperatures definitely do effect amplified sound:
Audience members tend to wear lighter/less clothing in Summer than in Winter.
Clothing fabric attenuates high frequencies.

Also people are usually skinnier in the summertime too. I know I am, anyway. Skinny people have more muscle mass and density than fat ones, so their bodies are 'harder' (higher relative 'durometer' ??) and may possibly tend to reflect sound rather than absorb it.

Hmmm... I wonder what the relative sound absorption of fat people is versus skinny people in large groups?

[David Schwab]

Yes, but only because my hand perspiration killed the strings even faster than usual!

I've been blessed by the fact that my hands don't perspire much at all. Strings last me a long time.