Shipping and the Cold?

Ellum

Ellum

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Should I have any reservations about having a nitro finished guitar sent in the winter? I was thinking about getting a new LP Deluxe Goldtop, but I'm worried about winding up with a crazed finish or other problems. Lately, the highs have been in the 20's lows near 0. I know it's wise to wait a few hours before opening the case, but beyond that, I know little.
 
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Re: Shipping and the Cold?

I'm pretty sure Gibson doesn't use pure Nitro anymore. I'm pretty sure Jeff figured that out the hard way. :laugh2: :smack:
 
Re: Shipping and the Cold?

Along with being a guitar player I am a manufacturer of museum quality picture frames, low volumn high quality. I make about 20 frames per month and ship them all over the country. I've been doing this for about 30 years in my 77 year old family business. I do A LOT of lacquer finishes and have never had a problem shipping during winter months.....but that's me. The only real issue is wether or not maker has given the finish enough time to harden. If the lacquer has had at least 14 days to dry at room temp then all will be fine. Like you said though, DON"T open the case for about 4 to 6 hours to let it slowly come to room temp and even then carefully check for condensation especially on metal parts and inside the cavities. Hope this helps. Tony
 
Re: Shipping and the Cold?

cream123 said:
I'm pretty sure Gibson doesn't use pure Nitro anymore. I'm pretty sure Jeff figured that out the hard way. :laugh2: :smack:
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Really?! This sounds like a good story...

I think I'll end up staging this thing down at work. Leave it out in the dock for a few hours, which is in the 50s, and then bring it into the office after that. I think fussing over crap is half the fun.
 
Re: Shipping and the Cold?

Remember, all these guitars and all the guitars in stores, at Musician's Friend, Music 123, etc... all shipped from their manufacturer to a warehouse, to a store, to wherever. Guitars ship everyday, if it's really cold, just don't bring it into a 80 degree room and pop the top immediately, waiting 24 hours is overkill too though IMO. If it's really cold I usually let them sit for an hour or 2, while drooling on the box:)
 
Re: Shipping and the Cold?

I've seen two Les Pauls actually shatter ... both of them I had owned previously (thank goodness). One was a black Custom and the other was a gold top Deluxe. Both were left in the car overnight in really cold weather and then brought in an opened immediately in a warm house. They both shattered the finishes.

So I think the secret is to change temperature gradually.
 
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Re: Shipping and the Cold?

doveman said:
Both were left in the car overnight in really cold weather and then brought in an opened immediately in a warm house. They both shattered the finishes.

So I think the secret is to change temperature gradually.
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This happened to me with an acoustic. I was 17 or so at the time and didn't know that this type of thing could happen. Was trying to impress a girl with my playing...that didn't go well either.:smack:

Dave
 
Re: Shipping and the Cold?

I've received new instruments with cracked finishes due to climate and I've had five out of five US Fender neck finishes variously disintegrate over a few months in my house. All these were polyurethane. The Fender necks were those defective ones from around 2000/2001 that they never owned up to and refused to repair under warranty. Garbage. I'll never buy another US Fender because of that.

I've seen vintage nitrocellulose SG finishes literally shatter -- like a car windshield -- in extreme cases of temperature flux, winter in northern Michigan.
 
Re: Shipping and the Cold?

Bezmotivnik said:
I've seen vintage nitrocellulose SG finishes literally shatter -- like a car windshield -- in extreme cases of temperature flux, winter in northern Michigan.
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That's what the two LPs I was talking about looked like ... a car windshield.
 
Re: Shipping and the Cold?

I'm having to strip and refinish an entire Warmoth neck because the finish cracked.

I'm 99% the cause of the cracking was when a family member to remain unnamed opened the case to see the project I was working on. I had just brought it inside from the bed (covered) of my truck in the middle of winter. :smack: I've never had any other issues with transporting during cold months.

So, be careful and be smart and you'll be fine.
 
Re: Shipping and the Cold?

Wait...It's a goldtop?! Crack it! That's the only guitar I think looks better cracked. :) The only LP I'd really want is a cracked goldtop (very green) with cream P90s.

Seriously a very new nitro finish should be a little softer and more rubbery, and be ableto withstand a little more cold. I would be more afraid to ship a nitro guitar that was several years old, and the finish has dried out a bit. Still, I've been working on guitars for a long time, and we have large temperature inversions here in Chicago. I've personally never seen a guitar crack while in my posession.
 
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