How Temperature Changes Can Affect Your Instruments

 

 

As a musician, playing in extreme weather conditions can be rather challenging. Regardless of what musical instrument you are playing — heat, cold, rain, and even high humidity can all make you feel uncomfortable and impact your performance. You won’t play the same if the cold wind is whipping your face and your fingers are freezing, or conversely, if you can’t stop sweating or feel like you can’t breathe because of high humidity.

 

While bad for your performance, bad weather can also affect your musical instruments, affecting each instrument in unique ways. While all musical instruments may face damage due to temperature and weather changes, string instruments, woodwind instruments, drums, and pianos will all react differently.Continue reading to discover helpful tips on how to prepare for seasonal changes and better protect your instruments.

String Instruments

 

In the case of string instruments like guitars, violins, and cellos, heat and cold can cause the strings to expand and contract. Simultaneously, these conditions can also cause the wood to warp or even crack, and the glue that holds the instrument together may start to dry and detach. In the best-case scenario, these will affect your sound quality, and in the worst-case scenario, the damage will be irreparable. To prevent this, string instruments should be stored in a weatherproof case in a temperature range between 72-77°F with humidity levels of around 45-55%.

Woodwind Instruments

 

Woodwind instruments like flutes, clarinets, oboes, and bassoons are subject to various forms of wear, such as shrinking, expanding, drying out, and cracking. While avoiding excessive temperature swings is vital, managing humidity is also essential. The recommended level of humidity your woodwind instruments should be exposed to is no more than 40-55%. As far as temperature levels go, try to avoid playing your instrument if it feels cold to the touch. Allow it to gradually warm up by holding it under your jacket for about half an hour before playing.

Brass Instruments

 

Brass instruments are less susceptible to damage from heat and humidity than other instruments, but there are still some tips to keep in mind. For instruments like trumpets, saxophones, tubas, and trombones, corrosion and bacteria growth are common in hot and humid environments. Therefore, you should make sure you always keep them clean, oiled and stored correctly in a weatherproof case when not in use. Avoid temperatures higher than 78℉ and humidity levels greater than 50%.

 

 

Drums

 

Drums can be a bit finicky as opposed to other instrument types. High levels of humidity can damage the wood in your drums and cause your drum-heads to warp, while low levels of humidity can make them dry out and crack. Simultaneously, low temperatures can cause the wood to contract, making the drum-heads tighter and resulting in a higher pitch. Try to keep the drums in a thermos-table environment and avoid exposure to direct sunlight if possible.

 

Keys

 

As proper conditions produce better sound, how you take care of your instruments is vital to their performance. This type of musical instrument is also subject to the harmful effects of high temperature and humidity. In a piano, excess moisture and heat can cause the bushings to swell. As a result, the time between when you hit a key and when the hammer hits the string will increase, causing the keys to feel sluggish. To prevent this, ensure adequate ventilation and humidity levels of around 40-45% for prolonged performance.

 

 

Do’s and Don’ts

 

Although the recommended storage temperatures, humidity levels, and care process for each musical instrument may vary, there are some universal dos and don’ts to abide by when it comes to protecting your musical instruments.

 

●      DO store your musical instrument in a protective weatherproof case when not in use. Always make sure the case is secured and closed correctly.

●      DON’T expose your instruments to extreme temperature changes.

●      DON’T expose them to extreme humidity, as this will be detrimental to its performance.

●      DO regulate the temperature where your instruments are stored.

●      DO invest in a hygrometer, as well as a humidifier or dehumidifier, if needed. The first will help you measure the humidity level in the air, while the latter will help you manage and adjust it.

 

Get Full Instrument Protection

 

Sometimes, doing your best to protect your musical instrument during the seasonal changes may not be enough. Therefore, getting full protection with a specialized musical instrument insurance policy is something you should consider.At Clarion Associates, we create customizable musical instrument insurance policies to meet your needs. We offer worldwide coverage, as well as an array of other benefits you won’t find anywhere else. Contact us for a quote today and see for yourself why we are trusted by thousands of musicians and musical instrument owners the world over.

How to Protect Your Instruments This Hurricane Season

Owning a musical instrument is one of the most significant investments you can make. Depending on the material it is constructed from, the year it was manufactured, the previous owner's identity, and even its rarity, a musical instrument can end up being worth a lot of money. To help protect your investment, proper instrument protection and care are essential for any dedicated musician or collector. 

Ensuring that their musical instruments are safe and secure from the weather, and natural disasters, is a common concern amongst instrument owners worldwide. Hurricanes and storms are two of the most damagingand common events that can ruin your musical instruments. 

Thankfully, we've created this brief guide to help you stay protected. Read on as we cover everything you need to know about protecting your instrument during this hurricane season.

Tips toKeep Your Instruments Protected

While each musical instrument may require specific procedures and care, some tips can apply to all instruments – essential information that every musical instrument owner should keep in mind. To prolong your musical instrument's life and save on maintenance and repair costs, you should keep it clean and free of dust and debris, as well as storing it away from humidity, heat, and direct sunlight.

However, during hurricane season, you need to be even more alert as extreme weather conditions canirreversibly damage your musical instruments. Tropical storms and hurricanes can cause flooding and extensive damage to your property, and as a result, your musical instruments as well. The number one factor that can affect your instruments during a storm season is moisture, so you must do everything you can to protect them against it. 

So, the first thing you should do to protect your musical instrument during hurricane season is to make sure you store it in a protective hard case,and away from moisture,when you are not using it. Also, always ensure that you have closed and secured your case correctly. Be sure to periodically check your case for any gaps or holes where water can enter, and replace or repair your case as soon as you spot the slightest sign of damage.

Another thing that can save your musical instrument in the event of flooding caused by a hurricane is placing it somewhere elevated off the ground, like on a high shelf. You should also keep it away from places inside your home that could potentially leak during a storm. 

Since humidity can affect your instrument, it would be wise to invest in both a hygrometer and a dehumidifier. The hygrometer will measure the level of humidity in air, and the dehumidifier will help you adjust humidity inside your home when the level rises. 

Moreover, during a hurricane or storm, there is also the danger of heavy objects inside your home falling down or even entire sections of your home collapsing. As such, storing your musical instruments away from heavy items in your home is another good practice you should consider. 

Get Comprehensive Coverage

Unfortunately, sometimes even taking these precautions won't be enough to protect your instruments. Things can rapidly get out of hand during high-risk hurricane seasons, so the best thing you can do to make sure your musical instrument stays protected is by insuring your investment. Comprehensive and customizable coverage from Clarion Associates is here to protect you and your musical instruments from almost anything life can throw at you.

At Clarion, we offer you the protection you need, so that you can work on your music rather than worrying about your instrument. We have developed unique, customizable policies specifically designed for musical instrument owners, with features and benefits you won't find anywhere else, including comprehensive coverage against damages from extreme weather conditions and events.

Get Clarion Insurance

Regardless if you're an aspiring artist, a seasoned musician, or even an instrument collector, Clarion Associates has a solution for you. Our policies are designed to be as flexible as possible while still providing the protection you need to give you the peace of mind you deserve.

At Clarion Associates, we have over 50 years of insurance industry experience. We have spent the last quarter-century focusing our efforts on insuring musical instruments for thousands of musicians worldwide. Contact us for a quote today, and see for yourself why we've been endorsed and recognized by some of the world's leading musical associations thanks to our comprehensive, customizable coverage.

Easy to Follow Steps to Improve Life of Your Cello

Music instruments, due to their delicate made and purposes are very sophisticated by nature and Cello is no exception to that. Cello is a highly venerated instrument which belongs to the woodwinds family. Generally, these instruments are costly, and that is the reason you can't buy them again and again, and that is where music insurance company can help ease your monetary burden for all the future damages to your instruments.

Cellists need to deal with their instruments carefully so they can utilize them for a long time. Ideally, you should get a Cello insurance for proper protection of your instrument in case of any mishappening, but there are also some simple steps which will enhance the life of your cello for sure:

·       Given that cello is a sophisticated instrument it can’t be left open in a public place or at home. Humidity and heat can cause problems to its parts and can cause major problems which can later hamper its performance.

·       You should always store your cello at a safe spot where it can remain hidden from high temperature. It is recommended to keep the moisture level from 25% to 50%. Eminent cellists recommend watching out for the temperature and moistness level of the place where you keep your cello. So ideally, you ought to make sure to keep the cello at room temperature at all times. Even while keeping it inside the bag or case it would be wise to keep the normal room temperature there to avoid any defects in the future.

·       If you love your cello and is serious about its life then you should keep it wrapped up in clean and dry cloth, and keep it inside the solid bags or case. It is usually seen that musicians become lazy after their concerts and keep their cello in open which is a blunder. So ideally, you must keep it inside the case once the show is over, and if you have by chance got any damages then Cello insurance can be your saviour.

·       As a musician, you must clean your cello regularly. You should use a clean cloth or brush for that purpose. You can read the cello cleaning guidelines in the manual and you should always follow those instructions. Moreover, there also comes a special cello cleaning liquid which should be used for maintaining its shine.

·       As a regular cello performer, it is quite common that some of its parts may get damaged which might need replacement. Cello insurance would cover the damaged parts, but in case if you don’t have that, then, it is advised to always use high-quality parts and replace them under a qualified technician; otherwise, a small mistake on your part can decrease the life of your cello.

Keeping the above-mentioned points in mind would definitely help you in extending the life of your Cello but there can also be some unknown mis-happenings that can happen like stealing, natural calamity and other issues which can force you to lose your money. In such cases, an affordable Cello insurance is the best deal for your future.

While selecting Music insurance company, you should keep a fixed budget, search and compare different insurance providers, read their reviews, and then decide the one which best suits your needs.