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  #1  
Old 08-06-2021, 03:33 PM
KarenB KarenB is offline
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Default Does black carbon fiber get hot in the sun?

If you're sitting outside in the sun on a hot day, and your playing, does the fret board start burning your fingers? What about the body. This isn't a trick question. I'm really curious.
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Old 08-06-2021, 04:07 PM
jdinco jdinco is offline
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Yes, the main thing I notice is that the body can get pretty warm and a bit uncomfortable in the Arizona sun. Find a little bit of shade though and all is well.
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Old 08-06-2021, 04:30 PM
KarenB KarenB is offline
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Thanks jdinaz for your answer.
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When I was 5 years old, my mother always told me that happiness was the key to life. When I went to school they asked me what I wanted to be when I grew up. I wrote down, “happy.” They told me I didn’t understand the assignment, and I told them they didn’t understand life. —John Lennon
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Old 08-06-2021, 06:03 PM
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What JD says.
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Old 08-06-2021, 07:27 PM
KarenB KarenB is offline
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Thanks Evan.
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When I was 5 years old, my mother always told me that happiness was the key to life. When I went to school they asked me what I wanted to be when I grew up. I wrote down, “happy.” They told me I didn’t understand the assignment, and I told them they didn’t understand life. —John Lennon
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Old 08-06-2021, 08:31 PM
Captain Jim Captain Jim is offline
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What John and Evan say. Just like putting your hand on a black car in the sun - you're going to notice the heat. If it's hot enough for the sun to warm up my guitar, I'm staying in the shade. Even if I'm not playing guitar, I don't want to hang out in the hot sun.

I've had all my carbon fiber guitars outside at different times, and never so hot that it burned my hand. There is a reason for that saying: got it made in the shade.
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Old 08-06-2021, 10:53 PM
guitarwebguy guitarwebguy is offline
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I just finished 2 gigs (different days) at the local state fair in clear 80+ degrees playing my X20-12 and noticed no difference (heat wise) of either the body or the fretboard
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Old 08-07-2021, 04:57 AM
KarenB KarenB is offline
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Thanks Captain Jim and guitarwebguy. Guiitarwebguy, does your X20 have a lighter color veneer? If so, that would, I assume, make it less hot, though the fretboard would still be black.
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When I was 5 years old, my mother always told me that happiness was the key to life. When I went to school they asked me what I wanted to be when I grew up. I wrote down, “happy.” They told me I didn’t understand the assignment, and I told them they didn’t understand life. —John Lennon
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Old 08-07-2021, 07:11 AM
mountainmaster mountainmaster is offline
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Just wondering, but does satin finish vs gloss finish make any difference?
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Old 08-07-2021, 08:47 AM
varmonter varmonter is offline
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The physics is there.
a black guitar will absorb
more heat than a white guitar.
i would think a gloss finish
would reflect a bit more
than a matte finish.
Probably need an ir temp
gauge to distinquish a difference.
the CF guitar fortunatly
is more stable in this
environ than a wood one. lo
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Old 08-07-2021, 12:19 PM
Aspiring Aspiring is offline
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I haven't experimented with this heavily with my carbon guitars but i believe what you feel for this is going to be highly dependent on the exact composition of the carbon fiber in the guitar and will likely vary between. manufacturers. It may do better than dark wood in some cases.

I have a black convertible with red leather seats and a carbon fiber shift lever black leather steering wheel and carbon parking brake lever. The carbon is a thick clear coat over black carbon.

Surprisingly the levers are much more comfortable to the touch after sitting in the sun with the top down than the steering wheel and the seats. The black paint is the hottest. Other plain aluminum is also much hotter to the touch.

Likewise carbon motorcycle exhausts that I have are much cooler to the touch than metal ones I have had.
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Old 08-07-2021, 05:11 PM
fpuhan fpuhan is offline
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Consider: Some carbon fiber guitars have wood necks. Some are all carbon fiber. Mine is carbon fiber on the body and wood neck. The body can get warm, but the neck is just like any other wooden neck.
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  #13  
Old 08-07-2021, 08:23 PM
DethWshBkr DethWshBkr is offline
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Best part about it? Gets warm/hot, still dont need to retune.
Really concerned? Cool it with a damp rag! It's carbon, it doesn't care!
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  #14  
Old 08-07-2021, 08:49 PM
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Paint it white. I've had a black and a white Cargo and there was a big difference in their heat-holding.
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  #15  
Old 08-07-2021, 10:49 PM
jdinco jdinco is offline
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I'm with the Captain on this one, I worry more about me getting hot more than the guitar ! If I'm good, the Sable is good.
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