Playing in the Rain?

[MYLOWFREQ]

No.

 

[bearhart74]

electricity + water = bad mojo

 

[rtav]

Way back in the late 70s, I was jamming with the band on our guitarists balcony when a sudden Middle Tennessee summer storm blew up and it began pouring.

I remember looking at my 66 p bass and sparks would sometimes bounce off the pickups. We stopped and no one touched anything.

A friend went inside and unplugged our wet gear and we called it a day.

There is NO way i would ever play in the rain. One unknown grounding issue, one exposed connection and I could get the chance to jam with Jaco.

Not worth the risk. Never.

 

[Rip Van Dan]

I suppose it depends on the gig.

To quote Prince: "Can you make it rain harder?"

What a great video! You'll notice that nobody is wired up to their amps. They are all using wireless. The poor drummers set is getting soaked but he's in no danger of electrocution. That's another good reason to use wireless!

I don't like playing in the rain, even with the canopy, but I've done it a few times. The last time was the one gig we did at the end of June 2020. June...summer...warm days...no rain? NOPE, it rained. This is a shot while we were just getting set up before we started playing. We are under two canopies and we are using generator power.

My monitor was actually under the edge of the canopy but the top and back were getting droplets from rain hitting behind it. At first it was just misty, but I went and grabbed my rain jacket out of the truck and hung it over my monitor. The guitarist put a tarp over his and then had to move over in front of the drums because it started raining in earnest later. My amp was about 3-feet from the back edge and the same distance from the side. I was checking our power cords often to make sure it was nowhere near the water behind us. NOT my idea of a good time.

 

[electracoyote]

Long ago and far away, in another lifetime, I have a vague memory of taking chances with inclement weather. Maybe it was a bad dream, because for literally decades I have refused to set up in environmental conditions that are extremes for players and gear alike, such as heat, cold, and wet.

I won't tolerate even one drop of precipitation. I won't play exposed to the sun. I won't play in extreme heat or cold. And any gig that requires that of me is not worth the problems it would cause and I take hard passes on those.

You want me to entertain? Provide enough shade from the sun, enough protection from all, even blowing, precipitation, enough warmth from the cold and enough cool from the heat. Do not make me risk heat stroke, or having my fingers lock up, or having to bust out tarps and plastic like an idiot. Because I know you (the client) will not be there to pay for the consequences those situations may bring.

And while you're at it, provide me decent reliable electrical power.

 

[JimB52]

I have played before and after torrential summer thunderstorms. Avoid. Lots of electricity and lots of water is a risky combo

 

[u2brothr]

Ok... but we see the Goo Goo Dolls.. we see Prince. We know water and electricity don't mix.

I was moreso looking for info as to what damage could happen to an electric bass guitar after it being played in a downpour.

Is the bass then toast? Would the wood then warp? Is your $1500 instrument now ready for the bonfire?

 

[Donna78]

I don’t recommend ever playing in the rain. I’ve been zapped pretty good just by touching the metal mic grills. I don’t know how the Goo Goo Dolls did it in this video. I happened to see them years after this, and it started raining. Johnny Rzeznik said, “Don’t worry, we’ve done some of our best shows in the rain.”

I love the Goo Goo Dolls!! This is awesome!!!

 

[Sid Fang]

I was moreso looking for info as to what damage could happen to an electric bass guitar after it being played in a downpour.

Is the bass then toast? Would the wood then warp? Is your $1500 instrument now ready for the bonfire?

It really depends on the instrument's construction and finish. People have recovered guitars after total immersion. Rainwater has the considerable virtue of being pure, natually distilled, water. The electronics should be fine if you just dry it out carefully. Any sort of finish will be waterproof enough to keep significant water out long enough to finish a set in the rain. It's water getting into the unfinished body cavity or neck pocket that would worry me, but chances are you could (modulo electrocution) finish a set and PROMPTLY dry that bass off with a soft towel and let it air dry for a good long while.

P.S. Another argument in favor of graphite instruments...

 

[u2brothr]

P.S. Another argument in favor of graphite instruments...

Thanks for the response...

 

[BlueTalon]

And gear is not the only concern, I feel you all would be at risk of getting shocked.

One of the reasons I went wireless.

 

[jdh3000]

I refuse to play in the rain. If I'm on a covered stage and it starts raining, I stop and tarp my gear...water will soon blow on the stage. It's my cheaper stuff I only take on outdoor gigs anyway, but it still costs money, and I won't ruin it on some nickel and dime show.

 

[Atshen]

ALWAYS have something over the band.

 

[fhm555]

I lived along the Gulf Coast half my life, and am always a bit disappointed it's JUST as humid in Nashville most of the time, albeit with less rain and no salt in the air.

I've never had any real issues with solid body instruments in those climates, while I have indeed seen more than a few older acoustic instruments real have issues (with their far-lighter construction) in those conditions. Newer glues and finishes just deal with it better than old hide glue and lacquer: This is why you buy Takamines for this sort of thing, they're like Timex watches. Leave the 50's D28 or 60's Dove at home in the AC !

For any kind of new or relatively modern solid-body bass (again, ya might want to leave your '59 Precision at the house), I never had a bit of problems, and normal upkeep and cleaning were all that was needed.

Yep, I bought my first (second hand) MIM J bass to use for bunch of shows in NW Florida in high summer. When the sun went down the dew would be dripping off stuff. I only had one bass at the time and I didn’t want to risk it getting ruined by the humidity so i grabbed up the MIM J so I could leave my #1 at home.

 

[jnuts1]

I live in a fairly wet climate, and do shows outside. We don't play in the rain. If it rains, protecting PA gets top priority, amps second, instruments third. If there is just "water in the air" but it isn't really raining, just make sure you clean/dry your instrument afterwards.

dude you have your priorities all out of whack. its Bass first, amp second, i dont care i dont own the PA

 

[M0ses]

Playing while it's raining? It can be done, it can even be done outdoors safely and well. You need the right equipment, a good strategy, some planning. All depends on the stage/venue.

Playing IN the rain? GTFO of here. And then come back, I went home and got my plastic ukulele.

dude you have your priorities all out of whack. its Bass first, amp second, i dont care i dont own the PA

No way man, bass strings might get a bit rusty but otherwise water ain't gonna do anything to a poly finish. Neither will water damage chrome or stainless hardware unless you let it soak for hours.

OTOH the power amps can die, or kill someone, in milliseconds.

 

[Watchootognbout]

If you do,it's all fun and games until the first lightning strike.

 

[Dynacord]

Native Californian...

Every person I know that lives in California will say (when I visit) that "they've been in a drought for 4 years". Apparently Californians think that when it doesn't rain for 4 out of every 5 years, those 4 years are a "drought".

It isn't. You live in a desert. Every 5 years or so, it rains a little.

It's true that it tends to run in a cycle. Probably closer to 7 years - and this has been known pretty much forever. Steinbeck describes it in East of Eden. That said, it does seem to get more extreme and I don't see a problem calling drought years "drought".

While a few of us Californians may actually live in the desert, where most of us live, it does rain. It’s just that it’s generally excruciatingly seasonal and predictable. Winter is wet, summer is not, and when the rain comes, it can be seen coming well in advance. So the problems for musicians are less “OMeffG, it’s raining on the stage” as “oh crap, we gotta load in/out in this”.

This is totally true! In California, if it's going to rain you know it's going to rain - and probably will all day and will probably come on gradually and will pretty much never be in the summer.

I'm in Europe now and it's VERY different. It can rain at any time of the year, come on suddenly and be gone just as fast. Seen it many times in the summer where it will be raining hard and half a block away is dry and blue skies in that direction... Happened to us on this gig which started and ended sunny and was in August:



But as it's known this can happen, outdoor stages are always covered here IME, even little patio type gigs. I've just played through them when it's rained - but if I saw water leaking on the stage, near the amps, etc, I wouldn't hesitate to stop immediately.

 

[lbbc]

We have 2 tents...10x10 and a 10x15 with sides to use in case of rain (or being set up in the sun on a summer day.

We played 2 outdoor events at campgrounds this summer...1 last Saturday and it "poured". Thank goodness we were set up under a pavilion. I've only cancelled 2 outdoor events due to rain. Both times the rain was "blowing in sideways".

 

[Avigdor]

I bring one of these portable gazebo's, and am thinking to invest into a slightly bigger one. I play in the UK, being prepared for water is par for the course. Experienced cricketers will understand the classification into light drizzle, medium drizzle, drizzle, heavy drizzle known as lizzle, mizzle, drizzle, hizzle and rain

Preparation includes:

- Gazebo
- A spare surge protector for the master mains plug(s)
- Foam floor mats, and a stand for my amp
- A big roll of extra large black bin bags
- Towels
- Garden grade protected outdoor extension cords/distributor reels.
- Our PA and Main Amp are in a rack which can get a top lid.

It's not pleasant, roundwounds and wet fingers don't mix well, but it can be done without risking the equipment or electric shock. Also the audience will usually have no problem when you tell them that we all now go wait out this squall at the bar and continue when it's let up a bit.

And nothing stays wet after coming home!