Shipping Guitars During Cold Winter Months

Posted by Billy Penn on Monday, February 8th 2010

If any of you guys are planning on receiving guitars shipped during the cold winter months then here are a few things to be aware of. These few tips can save your guitar from checking or other damage that could occur.

First of all when you receive your guitar from the carrier take it inside and just let it sit. I know, I know you want to freakin’ rip open the box immediately and start playing……I do too, trust me! You need to let the package sit for about 20-30 minutes so it can acclimate to the warmer temperatures inside. Don’t even open a flap!

After 20-30 minutes then you can open the flaps and take the case or gig bag out. Do not open it yet! Let the case or gig bag sit for another 20 minutes or so. If you see some condensation on the case or gig bag then wait until you see it start to dry off. Also feel the case or gig bag to see if it is really cold. The key here is to let the instrument warm up gradually.

If the case or gig bag does not have condensation and feels relatively warm then you can open the case about 1″ and let it sit like this for another 20 minutes or so. Same goes for a gig bag. Unzip it about 1/3 of the way and let it breath for a little while. Reach your hand in and feel the instruments temperature. Again if it is cold wait it out until it feels warm. Also see if there is condensation on the instrument. If there is then I would close the case and wait.

After all of this waiting and checking your new guitar, it should be ready to be unveiled. So go ahead and check it out! Make sure there is no damage from shipping or anything. By slowly letting the instrument warm up you will avoid finish checking, possible moisture damage to the finish and possible glue joints giving out. The name of the game is patience and it is well worth it when it comes to opening your new guitar from a very cold shipping carton.

Here is a related article about avoiding finish checking:

Click here to read the 300 Tip about Finish Checking and How to Avoid it.

http://www.twangcorp.com Tim (twangCORP)
TOp articel, Billy, and I echo this advice, but would actually tend for the most part to be even more cautious.
I have recently sent guitars to Northern Scotland, Finland and Nova Scotia recently (not to mention the UKs January cold snap), so the chances of the guitar having been stored at several degrees below zero for some time has been quite high. On arrival the guitar’s temp. is likely to be sub zero and the ambient around 21 celc. / 70 farh. (quite a difference!).
My advice is always keep it simple, and first off bring the carton inside for a minimum of 4 hours before even thinking of opening it – and then follow Billy’s sensible advice above about gradual exposure. This 4 hours ensures a slow transition and minimises condensation in electrics. Jazz guitars & thinlines have extra issues as the inside of the body can still be very cold so suddenly exposing the outside to 70 degrees will set up a dramatic temp differential over a relatively thin separation (and this is where movement occurs).
Another thing to look out for is the electrics. If they have been lubricated recently extremely cold weather can cause the oil to become viscous, and I have known cases where the guitar doesn’t seem to work when brought out of the cold. Again, the inside of the guitar takes longer to warm than the outside, and the oil needs to get to a sensible temperature before it begins to protect. Be patient, don’t rush things and all will be well!
Just think of it like a deep sea diver having to de-pressurise slowly to avoid the bends….
http://pennalizer.com Billy Penn
Great advice Tim. Sounds like it is a lot colder there then here in NJ. If it is really that cold outside then I totally agree with you and you should let that guitar sit…..be patient. I just had a manufacturer send me a guitar to review from California where is was in the 70′s. Here in NJ is is in the 20′s average and the box was not THAT cold in sub-zero temps. I only needed about 45 minutes before the box was warmed up and the guitar inside was not that cold at all. Thanks for visiting and sharing this info!!! -Billy