Putting your guitar out sunbathing

[jeph]

To bring out the flame, or to fade it, are there any potential issues with this (i.e. neck gettin messed up)? Is it a good idea to take the tension off the strings first, or what? Tx.

 

[1959burst]

the best way to do it is to put in in a room with direct sunlight that has air conditioning. otherwise excess heat can damage the guitar.

 

[Panic Kernel]

I don't know what "the best way" is.....

But that's OK.

 

[RW Foster]

Panic Kernel - What method are you using? You didn't say. BTW, what are those pups?

 

[Panic Kernel]

Panic Kernel - What method are you using? You didn't say. BTW, what are those pups?

I just put the guitar outside on a 12 space rack as long as the sun is out. I cover up the headstock with a white rag because the veneer is so thin and it's black. It's been out there for about 10 days now. The neck PU is an Alnico II 7.85, the bridge PU is an Alnico V 9.0.

 

[jeph]

I've been puttin mine out on a lawn chair in direct sunlight for the last few days for about 1-1.5hrs max. Bad idea? Maybe I'll just let it go naturally.

 

[Panic Kernel]

Man, mine's out from 8:30 to 5:00. Not one problem, period, in life.

 

[jeph]

Wow. I feel like I'd have to chain it up to leave it outside that long. Guess I shouldn't be too worried.

 

[Dewey]

this has been discussed a few times before and one of the concerns that I had raised a question with the p/u's. I put mine out on the pool deck here in the South Florida sun in the winter months. I put a long white bread bag over the neck because I was concerned at the different construction materials and the individual temps at which they heat up and expand. We use this method at my job sometimes to loosen extremely tight connections with dissimilar metals, we freeze one and heat the other allowing the expansion and contraction of different metals to do their respective job, and it works. My thoughts about the frets heating up as opposed to the wood and a possible loss of integrity over time being started within the joint. Additionally, I stripped the guitar of the electrics. As the p/u's are quite sensitive to heat and cold, also reflected in taking ohm measurements in different temps with the same p/u...I was concerned with the wire expansion and contraction from the sun, can it in fact compromise a solder joint from the tension and expansion? And how would that affect the wire tension, could it loosen the wire and create larger air gaps in the wire however minute, and change the overall capacitance created by these larger gaps between the wire wraps? How does it affect the metal poles in the plastic bobbins as the metal would heat and expand at a different rate than the plastic, and when cooled would it create slop in the pole pieces? Maybe it seems I got pretty anal with all the sun worshiping of guitars, but it does have a impact. And I really couldn't afford to find out any deterimental affects it may have on a 43 year old pickup...

..sorry for the long and anal post, but I had some major concerns of putting my guitar out in the Florida sun, I did so sparingly though in spite of my perhaps irrational concerns, however with a few of the precautions I mentioned above. Be careful though, and keep an eye on it for any noticabe changes in the integrity of the guitars different materials and what is being exposed.

...Nice fade job BTW Matte:dude

 

[Jackyrhode]

So direct sunlight will make the red fade but what turns it darker? I'm guessing just age.

 

[heinz]

My guitar prefers raybans, and a light spf30 block on the eyelids. I get annoyed at the repeated requests for dacquiri's, and the catcalls across the street to the '69 custom. :lol2

 

[1959burst]

i've played way too many gigs outdoors over the last 30 years and having guitars out in the sun did not harm the pickups, my favorite burst has faded into an unburst.....................but only in the last 10 years did i even have the idea of deliberately fading a guitars finish..........something i did find out were

1. too hot=not good
2. too humid=not good
3. left unattended=not good
4. indoors with the ac on=excellent (solves all the above problems!)
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