100+ temperatures and a mandolin?

[jmalmsteen]

We are heading to NC to attend a five-day festival and the forecast is predicting temperatures in excess of 100+ degrees. We will be camping and the mandolin would either be with me in the shade or in the car in the shade. I was thinking of bringing my backup mandolin (a Kentucky). This mandolin is a lot more sensitive to temperature and humidity changes compared to my Gibson. Thank you for the advice.

[Brutus1999]

I don't think 100 degrees in the shade would hurt it, but in a car, even if the mando is in a shaded part of the car...well, the inside of the car could get up to 125 or more if the car itself is in the sun........maybe someone else has some actual evidence about all this?

[jmalmsteen]

Good point about the increase in temperature in the car- I am concerned that at 100+ with me by the chairs, that the glue could melt. I'll live without the mandolin but jamming with people would be nice.

[Buck]

I'd take the Gibson.

Whichever one you choose, don't leave it in the car or sitting directly in the sun, but 100 degrees ambient won't hurt it. All my instruments have been exposed to similar weather many times.

[Markus]

Don't use a black case, or cover it with something light colored.

Don't leave it in the car if there is light out.

If it is with you and not collecting more sun than you, you should melt before the glue.

[journeybear]

See this thread. The big cooler chest idea sounds pretty cool. Yes, that's what I said. Also covering the car windows.

[jmalmsteen]

That was a great test. I'm a physics teacher, so that was particularly interesting. I will share that with my classes! Thanks for taking the time to run those experiments and post the results. I definitely would not mind a white or silver Calton case.
Last year a man brought his 100k+ banjo to the same festival in almost similar heat conditions. I guess at some point you take your chances.

[journeybear]

Well, personally, I would be a bit hesitant about bringing my 100+K anything to a festival, but well, if it were a banjo ... Nope, got nothing there. I know, some are wondering how could a banjo be worth that much. I thought something like that myself the day I dropped by my luthier's and he had Charlie Daniels' 50K banjo on the bench. I asked him in all innocence how could a banjo be worth that much, and he just said, "Play it." Well, I'm here to tell you, that sucker rang like a church bell. Just a beautiful sounding instrument. Yes, I said it - beautiful. (Ivan is loving this, probably printing and framing it. )

The thing is, you go to festivals where people really know the most about the music and instruments we all love, and you want to bring your best. It's almost not even a question of whether you will bring your pride and joy, but a matter of how to do it and care for it. Beaters are for camping, not festivals.

[Justus True Waldron]

Well, personally, I would be a bit hesitant about bringing my 100+K anything to a festival, but well, if it were a banjo ... Nope, got nothing there. I know, some are wondering how could a banjo be worth that much. I thought something like that myself the day I dropped by my luthier's and he had Charlie Daniels' 50K banjo on the bench. I asked him in all innocence how could a banjo be worth that much, and he just said, "Play it." Well, I'm here to tell you, that sucker rang like a church bell. Just a beautiful sounding instrument. Yes, I said it - beautiful. (Ivan is loving this, probably printing and framing it. )

The thing is, you go to festivals where people really know the most about the music and instruments we all love, and you want to bring your best. It's almost not even a question of whether you will bring your pride and joy, but a matter of how to do it and care for it. Beaters are for camping, not festivals.

100% this.

[multidon]

Failure point for epoxy is 132 degrees. Titebond, 142; hide glue, 145, and super glue 190. For what it's worth. Normal environmental temperatures of 100 plus should not hurt. Inside a case or car is a different matter.

[AlanN]

Double 100% this. Early on, I would hesitate to bring the bad boy. Then, not at all. And it ain't a matter of showing off or whatever. I pick my best with my best. Plus, it's usually a bus ticket

[B. T. Walker]

I was (covered) porch pickin' my Ludewig Emory Lester model three days ago and it was 106˚. Perspiration got it a little sticky, so the next day when it was 108˚, I played my Mix A4. Both performed just fine, but I'm with blueron about not worrying about carbon fiber.

DO NOT leave it in the car, even in a cooler wrapped in a space blanket. Just a brief exposure to high heat can screw up the finish at the least, and worst-case scenario, melt all the glue leaving you with a case full of lumber. Take it in with you wherever you go. One hot August day in Houston, I got kisses from bosomy Hooters waitresses for playing "Happy Birthday" to the cutie-pie with the balloon bouquet taped to her boo-tay. Sure glad I didn't leave it in the car then.

[Tom Haywood]

You'll also likely be sweating on it. I'd hesitate to take my good violin varnish mando, but would probably take it anyway. I wouldn't hesitate to take my spar varnish mando.

[jmalmsteen]

Thanks everyone for the mandolin advice!

[journeybear]

I'm with BT - when I've gone to festivals I've left my mandolin at the campsite, under the tarp, during the day - hardly ever even in the tent - and never in the car. Just felt better about it. Except for a few years I had a VW camper, and with the air circulation that had going for it it never seemed to heat up to where it would cause a problem. Maybe those little solar-powered fans that rest on a slightly-cracked car window would keep a vehicle cool enough ... but I'd rather not take a chance when there are other options. My friends at Philly have a screen house just for the instruments, and someone is at the site at all times.

As to sweat - I've taken to draping a bandana folded a few times over where my arm rests, changing it around now and then. It's not perfect, but it's something. A thick towel would be better, of course. This looks a little lame, for sure, but it sure is better than what the finish looks like if you don't do something!

[Capt. E]

If it lives at the ambient temperature you shouldn't have problems. It is fast changes in temperature you want to avoid. Humidity can be a big factor especially when you move from air-conditioning to the hot/humid out of doors resulting in condensation inside and out, leave it in a case until it warms up. Treat it like a child: don't leave it in a hot car or out lying in the sun (though you won't need sunscreen for the mando).

[mandocrucian]

[Mo Soar]

http://www.amazon.com/Foldable-Bubbl...ds=bubble+foil

Buy 2 ("bubble foil" insulation would really be better, but it tends to come in long rolls and hence is expensive). Duct tape. Scissors.

Voila! Reflective case cover.

I made one for the reverse reason (wrapping a casserole dish to keep it hot), but it'll work just as well the other way. You can add frozen packs between the cover and case.

ETA: out of curiosity (and because I have a bad hip today, making moving around painful), I googled aliphatic resin glue and hide glue melting temps and came up with this:

http://fretsnet.ning.com/forum/topic...-glue-question

[Mike Snyder]

OK, how many decades have bluegrass festivals been held in the heat? How many did Monroe play his Loar at? I saw Reischman in Oklahoma a couple of years ago and the radio said it got to 106 f. This isn't anything new.

[Virginian]

^This. From the world of brass instruments, I can sympathize with the attitude of "don't let the heat get to it", but at the end of the day, think about all the generations of players before us that we consider legends and what conditions they played in. Bill Monroe probably didn't have a solar-protected cryogenic nuclear powered case cover when he was earning his bones.

I'll go out on a ledge and assume that the Italians 500 years ago didn't have them either.

Capt E probably had the best response.

If it lives at the ambient temperature you shouldn't have problems. It is fast changes in temperature you want to avoid. Humidity can be a big factor especially when you move from air-conditioning to the hot/humid out of doors resulting in condensation inside and out, leave it in a case until it warms up. Treat it like a child: don't leave it in a hot car or out lying in the sun (though you won't need sunscreen for the mando).

[jmalmsteen]

I spoke with a violin player this morning and the glue on his violin had started to melt and his violin was coming apart.

[Mandolin Mick]

I was at the entire Bean Blossom Festival a couple of years ago and it was HOT!!! I had my Gibson F-9 with me and had it outside all day, every day. I tried to stay in the shade and it held up fine.

[Tom Haywood]

It was 102 in the shade in my driveway at 2:30 yesterday. I parked the car under a shade tree and rolled the windows down. Temperature in the car was 107. I rolled up the windows, turned on the air full blast and let it run 10 minutes. Temp in the car was 95. At 4:00 on the Interstate west side of Atlanta it was 110 outside and 95 in the car. Seemed to me that the glue might weaken if exposed to that much heat very long. Sounds like the fiddle player shows evidence of that. My rule is that if I'm uncomfortable, the instruments are uncomfortable.

[re simmers]

Do NOT leave it in the car. Outside at festivals has been tried by fire (pun intended).

If the sun is out and it's 95 degrees outside, it will be 150 degrees inside of a car in less than an hour.

Bob