Enjoy the benefits of a premium membership!
Upgrade Account
-
TalkBass has been independent since 1998. Add your voice.
Create a free account to reply to discussions, view embedded media, and browse with fewer display ads.
Join free Log in
Want zero display ads or expanded classifieds tools? Compare plans.
Is it bad to store Cabs in the cold ??
- Thread starter bftbassman
- Start date
My Gk cab ended up with four stressed voice coils all at once.in a cold garage. Was in that garage for 2 years of.practices prior to that and I have no way of.knowing that is what happened, but at 350 dollars to.replace the drivers I.dont want to.repeat any mistakes. My amp also is in the shop getting repaired at least half of the capacitors fried. Looking like a 200 dollar repair bill there. Like i said I can't.say what caused it but it was in a garage when both things happened. Drummer had drums there long before I joined. Singers pa was perfectly fine, guitarist had no issues with his cab. And a 412 Gk that was the former bassists was there long before me and worked just fine. So maybe I had bad Gk luck or maybe it was the cold
okcrum
in your chest
The trucks that deliver cabs from the manufacturers are not climate controlled. So your cab has already survived hot and/or cold, and the original question has been answered. No.
The typical lower operating temperature spec for an electrolytic capacitor is either -25 or -40 °C. If you're actually using your amp at that temperature I'd be more worried about your fingers than the capacitors.
As others have said, it's temperature changes and humidity that are more of a worry for storing gear than low temperature per se.
Yes, very true. Thermal shock and humidity are important considerations as I stated above. I see solder joints that have failed prematurely because of repeated stress for example.
Capacitance decreases with temperature, even within the rated specifications. Capacitors whose operating voltages are rated above 300V are more susceptible. This will affect how an amp performs. A lower capacitance will decrease headroom and there will be an earlier onset of distortion. I see it as common sense to not push them.
It is true that delivery vehicles are not heated and manufacturers ship their gear that way. I seem to always have stuff coming during the coldest days of the winter. They don't have a choice and it is a one time thing.
I live in NC about an hour away form Nephilymbass and have had similar experiences. Ambient air temps here range from around 20 deg. F to 100 deg F (extremes) and my bands equipment was always stored in a trailer that we used to haul it to gigs. Additionally, I worked in the electronics industry for several years, much of it in the quality assurance field where we tested the product before shipping to the customer. We routinely tested our product under power at 40 deg C and near 100% humidity for up to 500 hours. Seldom did these extremes in temp and humidity cause any issues. That said, I would keep my equipment in a controlled environment, if that was an option.
I wouldn't plan to keep gear in the cold if you can help it, but obviously sometimes you can't get around it. As long as you let it all warm up properly before plugging anything in, and warm electronics up properly with power before playing them (and that goes for more than just tubes!), you should be OK. Most of the time the head etc can fit indoors so you're probably just worrying about the cab.
Something you may want to consider is a small space heater for the coldest days. Throw a couple of blankets (or one thick one) and maybe a tarp too (they're cheap) over the gear and have the heater not too close / not too far to keep it from really freezing. I've also wondered about a heated blanket instead of the space heater...
Something you may want to consider is a small space heater for the coldest days. Throw a couple of blankets (or one thick one) and maybe a tarp too (they're cheap) over the gear and have the heater not too close / not too far to keep it from really freezing. I've also wondered about a heated blanket instead of the space heater...
Last edited:
My cab stays in the garage all year long... Toronto has some pretty drastic temp and humidity changes. I keep the cab (NV610) up on 2x4's and covered. No problems with the cab. I bring it into the club and let it warm up to room temp before I run any juice through it.
Amps and basses come into the house.
Fishheadjoe
Amps and basses come into the house.
Fishheadjoe
Ric5
Inactive
- Jan 29, 2008
- 29,772
- 30,452
- Disclosures
- I like 5, 8, 10, and 12 string basses
Cabinets should be fine in the cold for an occasional short spell. But in the long run, try to keep them in a more temperate environment. Speakers can be susceptible to long term cold. Adhesives that hold the speaker cone to the frame and voice coil could become dry and brittle. The wood cabinet and wiring etc, should not be at risk...If you want to be 100% certain, take them to bed with you at night!
I have stored my cabs in my garage with no ill effects,out of necessity. But I bring in my Mesa head when it gets cold. I have no scientific basis for doing this. It just seemed sensible.
In addition to the above, we placed some of our product in a freezer for 24 hrs. This product happened to be old televisions with CRT displays, which had around 35K volts on the anode. The only failure that I recall having was the one time I decided to see what would happen if I powered a set on before the 1/4" of frost had a chance to dissipate. All I can say about that is Yee-Haw!
On a more serious note, IME most of us tend to be over cautious in storing our equipment, with the exception of our basses. A little over caution never hurt anything, but I wouldn't be too upset if my amp suffered a little hot or cold occasionally. Rust is the worst thing I have ever experienced from storing equipment in a building or trailer with no climate control.
Last edited:
Bob Lee (QSC)
In case you missed it, I work for QSC Audio!
- Jul 3, 2001
- 12,668
- 2,036
- 67
- Disclosures
- Former Technical Communications Developer, QSC Audio
The biggest concern would be bringing cold gear into a warm indoors environment, which usually causes condensation when cold surfaces meet the warmer air.
To protect against this, keep your electronic gear sealed in its cases for a while after you bring it in until it gets closer to room temperature. That way, the water condenses harmlessly on the case surfaces instead of on the electronic components.
If the room's humidity is high--it's a humidified environment, or the gig is next to an indoor swimming pool, or the room shares space with a kitchen etc.--you should wait until the gear is really just about at room temp. If it's a more arid room, which is often the case in heated environments in winter, you're safe uncasing the gear when it's warmed up somewhat but not up to room temp yet.
To protect against this, keep your electronic gear sealed in its cases for a while after you bring it in until it gets closer to room temperature. That way, the water condenses harmlessly on the case surfaces instead of on the electronic components.
If the room's humidity is high--it's a humidified environment, or the gig is next to an indoor swimming pool, or the room shares space with a kitchen etc.--you should wait until the gear is really just about at room temp. If it's a more arid room, which is often the case in heated environments in winter, you're safe uncasing the gear when it's warmed up somewhat but not up to room temp yet.
As do I. You have to be intelligent though which I was not. One night I set my stuff up and thoughtlessly dropped a low B into them. Blew out the surround from one driver in each cabinet. When I replaced the drivers I put both of the survivors into one cabinet and the replacements in the other. They have been flawless since. I don't like to keep my musical tools in my garage but at the time it was the only space available.
All this talk of cold makes me shutter to think of another brass monkey winter coming.
You might enjoy this poem, especially with Halloween almost upon us.
Invalid Link Removed by Robert W. Service.
You might enjoy this poem, especially with Halloween almost upon us.
Invalid Link Removed by Robert W. Service.
Last edited:
I, along with the rest of my band keep our gear at our rehearsal space that we pay monthly rent on. It gets cold as the building does not have heat. They've never had an issue with their gear in all the years in this building, which is good, because I don't think I could stomach loading in and out 3 times a week for practice mainly due to the hassle at the apartment end. It's a pain getting things in and out of my apartment complex thanks to tight winding stairs.
