It is the unwritten rule that playing the guitar is quite addictive! It can be impossible to skip playing even for a short period of time. Yet, sometimes that is a necessity to keep us safe. We know for a fact that weather is unforeseen. So, we can never be 100 % sure if it’s going to rain or not the next day. Do you play live from time to time? The inquiry from the headline might have entered your head. Is it safe to play guitar during a thunderstorm? Read on to find the answer in this article!
While yes, you can play during a thunderstorm, there are many risks involved. So it’s best if you take this into account and prevent any accidents. Always think of your safety first!
It is definitely not safe and advisable to do that. It is risky especially if you play an electric guitar or western acoustic. Water and electronics combine quite well with each other. If your guitar gets wet while you are playing, what then? Well, you may become a piece of the electricity’s way to the ground.
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Is It Safe to Play Guitar During a Thunderstorm?
How Does Water Conduct Electricity?
Let’s define it a bit in detail so you can have a better understanding of this entire process. Water is an excellent conductor of electricity. This absolutely goes without saying! The conductivity of particular electrolyte resolutions is a measure of their capacity to conduct electricity.
Electrical conductivity estimates a water’s ability to conduct an electrical breeze. Conductivity is instantly commensurate to the concentration of liquefied salts existing in the water. Ions of liquefied solids are accountable for water’s capacity to conduct an electric current.
Positively and negatively charged ions, this is what they are. With their existence, an electric current can stream and live. Purified water does not conduct electricity. How is that even possible? Well, the unwritten rule states that it does not incorporate any liquefied solids in itself. This truly goes without saying!
Tip: Did you know that among many applications, you can also locate a bass player on Reddit?
Rain Conducting Electrical Current?
Rainwater is clearly not free of liquefied solids in itself. There’s a breakdown that’s been broadcasted back in 1967. This is the Electric conductivity of rainwater in the cloud over the island of Hawaii.
With that in mind, you can notice how rain’s electric conductivity alters with varying heights. As well as the size of the raindrop, etc. Nonetheless, you should know that rain is a terrific conductor of electricity. So, the final decision is this. Rainwater is just as suitable a conductor of electrical current as of its standard drinking water.
Why It’s Not A Good Idea To Play In The Rain?
There are two major causes why you shouldn’t play the guitar in the storm. The first is already familiar to you.
Water is a superb conductor of electrical current, by all means. When you play in the storm, your attire gets entirely wet. This is a true fact! When that happens, there’s a solid chance of you evolving to be a part of the electric circuit.
So, make sure that you’re not a piece of the electric circuit. In that case, there’s no risk of getting electrocuted, in a literal sense. This is the unwritten rule, by all means!
What happens when your skin gets soaked? There’s a favorably possible option the electrical current will find its way to the earth through your body. The reasons are obvious, this is very dangerous. Try not to expect some miracle to happen. Life is not replaceable. What’s the second cause why it’s not okay to play guitar in the rain? It goes without saying that this is harmful to the guitar itself. No matter if it is an acoustic one or an electric one!
Tip: Did you know that some drummers put water on their drums, and this can oftentimes be a bad thing?
There Is More to This
Moisture can evolve to be your guitar’s grandest enemy. How can this happen? By all means, this can occur if not observed regularly. The low relative humidity is terrible. What’s more, high relative humidity can be even riskier. Notably, water will definitely ruin your guitar’s layer. Wood soaks moistness quite well, per se. If there’s moistness, be sure that your guitar neck is going to absorb it in itself.
Be mindful that moisture is truly terrible for a guitar core. There’s a solid chance that your guitar won’t produce a sound as good as it was before it got soaked. Many guitar players convey their incidents. Almost all of them are telling the same thing. After their guitar got soaked, the sound got extremely worse.
Tip: Is there truth to this theory that claims some guitarists are arrogant or is it just a misconception?
What About the Bands Who Play in the Rain?
Some individuals are still baffled about this. They say it’s not risky to play in the rain. Why is that? They say there are many points in which various rock bands played outside while it showered. Also, there are literally a bunch of music videos out there. These show guitar players playing in the rain, totally wet.
It’s safe to say that music videos are music videos. It has nothing to do with reality every so often. They do not really play that guitar you see. Oftentimes, a guitar is sacrificed in those circumstances. This goes without saying! It’s not plugged in at all. Likewise, in most instances, big businesses pay the band for those guitars. So, be sure that “Tears Don’t Fall” by Bullet for My Valentine was recorded in a safe environment.
In addition, bands that played guitar in the rain had a tent. Maybe they were recording while being on a long-expected camping trip to the Mojave desert, per se. Or perhaps they had some type of a roof above themselves. Likewise, many safety requirements have to be met before the show begins.
For instance, guitar amps must need to be waterproof. The entire stage is usually wrapped with rubber to prevent the electric current from going to the floor. In many circumstances, guitar players play with no cord as wireless systems are securer.
Precautions to Take When Playing Guitar During a Storm
Speaking of playing guitar when it’s a thunderstorm outside, there are a few safety tips you should take to guarantee your safety. This is only if you need to perform under these circumstances.
- Above all, always be mindful of the weather outside. Make sure that you listen to local weather forecasts in order to be sure you understand any potential hazards.
- Moreover, make sure to look after the weather forecast and heed any forewarnings that may be issued.
- Always take proper safety measures when playing your guitar in wet or stormy conditions. For instance, that can be storing your guitar in a case or utilizing a handmade guitar strap.
- Ultimately, always be mindful of your environment and keep a close eye out for any possible lightning strikes. This step is the most important one!
How to Protect the Guitar?
There are a couple of ways to save your guitar when there is a thunderstorm. The first one is to fetch a guitar case with you. Make sure it is a guitar case of outstanding quality as your precious instrument will live there. If it’s possible, try to set the guitar inside that case as soon as possible. This is a great method that you can try on!
Secondly, try to hold the guitar in a place where it is not viable to be hit by lightning. The safest alternative is not to play the guitar during a thunderstorm. This is the unwritten rule by now!
Tip: Some people reported that playing the guitar makes them sleepy. No matter how odd this sounds, it’s true.
Final Words
We have reached the end of our list when it comes to playing the guitar in stormy weather conditions. Speaking of possibilities, they are not a problem. But for safety, we should not overlook anything when it comes to this! Now it is time to take all these things into consideration.
Yes, we can say that playing the guitar in the rain is a terrible idea. Especially when it comes to the electric guitars, by all means.
We hope this article provided you with some valuable data about why that’s the case. Whether you are a real guitar lover, make sure you check out other articles on our site. You will definitely like them! Enjoy!