Due to circumstances beyond my control, one of my guitars (thankfully, my cheapest one) got left in a car trunk overnight and the temp got down to the mid 20s. Im hoping it wont be damaged. Im trying to do the proper thing and slowly warm it up and all. What do I look for? I imagine they are probably more resilient than I think cuz Im sure over years, guitars were subject to all kinds of conditions as bands were trying to make it and touring in vans in all climates et cetra. But I try not to push my luck..
what are signs of cold weather damage?
- Thread starter BloodRose
- Start date
XSSIVE
OCDologist
Re: what are signs of cold weather damage?
Fret ends poking out and a bit of a back bow in the neck are pretty much a given for leaving a guitar in the cold. If you're real unlucky some frets may lift from the board and the neck can twist. If it's nitro painted you can get checking on the body. If it's poly finished the paint may crack but that's rare and very extreme.
The problem with cold isn't so much the cold as it is the lack of humidity present in very cold temps. All the moisture gets sucked out of the wood and it shrinks. The paint won't shrink so it pulls from the body and will check or crack. Frets won't shrink being metal so they poke out. As the neck shrinks around the truss rod in 9 out of 10 cases it causes a back bow. In some more rare cases it can add relief causing an up bow in the neck.
Fret ends poking out and a bit of a back bow in the neck are pretty much a given for leaving a guitar in the cold. If you're real unlucky some frets may lift from the board and the neck can twist. If it's nitro painted you can get checking on the body. If it's poly finished the paint may crack but that's rare and very extreme.
The problem with cold isn't so much the cold as it is the lack of humidity present in very cold temps. All the moisture gets sucked out of the wood and it shrinks. The paint won't shrink so it pulls from the body and will check or crack. Frets won't shrink being metal so they poke out. As the neck shrinks around the truss rod in 9 out of 10 cases it causes a back bow. In some more rare cases it can add relief causing an up bow in the neck.
9unslin9er
New member
Re: what are signs of cold weather damage?
It is very difficult for wood to get damaged in cold weather.
You can leave a guitar in a freezer all night and nothing will happen.
Heat is a whole other story. Leave a guitar under the hot sun or next to a hot radiator for an hour and you'll have a nice piece of firewood.
It is very difficult for wood to get damaged in cold weather.
You can leave a guitar in a freezer all night and nothing will happen.
Heat is a whole other story. Leave a guitar under the hot sun or next to a hot radiator for an hour and you'll have a nice piece of firewood.
ImmortalSix
John Mayer's Mankini
Re: what are signs of cold weather damage?
Confirmed by John Mayer, who put his #1 "Black One" in the freezer the first day he got it, because it didn't sound right to him.
He confirms that it changed absolutely nothing, and that he later figured it had a bad ground :laughing:
Go to 8:21
Confirmed by John Mayer, who put his #1 "Black One" in the freezer the first day he got it, because it didn't sound right to him.
He confirms that it changed absolutely nothing, and that he later figured it had a bad ground :laughing:
Go to 8:21
Powdered Toast Man
New member
Re: what are signs of cold weather damage?
The bassist in my first band used to throw his Squier bass into the back seat of his car - with no case or bag - and then drive to university and leave it in the car all day when it was -35º out. Then, he'd come to practice afterward and just bring it inside and tune it up and play. He did this all the time.
The bassist in my first band used to throw his Squier bass into the back seat of his car - with no case or bag - and then drive to university and leave it in the car all day when it was -35º out. Then, he'd come to practice afterward and just bring it inside and tune it up and play. He did this all the time.
ImmortalSix
John Mayer's Mankini
Re: what are signs of cold weather damage?
I will also chime in with real world experience:
In short, I have done this a ton, all sorts of guitars, all sorts of conditions, never had one single problem.
ALSO: If you are asking what signs of damage are, you don't have damage.
I will also chime in with real world experience:
In short, I have done this a ton, all sorts of guitars, all sorts of conditions, never had one single problem.
ALSO: If you are asking what signs of damage are, you don't have damage.
Powdered Toast Man
New member
Re: what are signs of cold weather damage?
LOL! no visible damage then.. was just wondering what to look for which was covered by Xssive. I figured about the paint cracking, but didnt know about the fret ends. I was in the low 20s last night.. Was in a gig bag..
I wish Id have bought one of those guitars that was made of that plastic stuff. Id like to be able to keep a guitar in my car much of the time.. I know the heat here in FLA would be terrible for one..
Thanks for the input..
LOL! no visible damage then.. was just wondering what to look for which was covered by Xssive. I figured about the paint cracking, but didnt know about the fret ends. I was in the low 20s last night.. Was in a gig bag..
I wish Id have bought one of those guitars that was made of that plastic stuff. Id like to be able to keep a guitar in my car much of the time.. I know the heat here in FLA would be terrible for one..
Thanks for the input..
jake_xms3_punk
New member
Re: what are signs of cold weather damage?
ye heat is far worse, especially if its kept in a case. gets like a green house inside a guitar case.
My sheraton had been left in the case over the summer. when I opened the case, all the hardware was oxidized and tarnished, the binding started coming off, the neck was warped, the frets were coming off, the guitar was soaking with condensation. that was a few years ago and I'm still trying to get it playable again
ye heat is far worse, especially if its kept in a case. gets like a green house inside a guitar case.
My sheraton had been left in the case over the summer. when I opened the case, all the hardware was oxidized and tarnished, the binding started coming off, the neck was warped, the frets were coming off, the guitar was soaking with condensation. that was a few years ago and I'm still trying to get it playable again
Bludave
New member
Re: what are signs of cold weather damage?
All of you are wrong on so many levels. A guitar is made of wood. Wood will breathe with the amount of humidity available in the air. Granted a solid body guitar will not react like an acoustic guitar, but as Mike pointed out the neck will back-bow & the frets will begin to pop out of the end. Whats causing this is the wood is shrinking due to the lack of moisture in the air. I have seen so many guitars come in to the shop with serious neck & fret issues which are fairly easy to fix, but on acoustic guitars the top will sink causing the bridge to crack at the pins , pull off the top or even worse crack the top. All it takes is a bit of moisture to eliminate this from happening. A guitar should be kept in an environment of 45 to 50% humidity for optimum playing and minimal adjusting. I have two Humidifiers running constantly in my room where my electric guitars are stored. I check them daily and it is a struggle to keep the humidity where I prefer it. That said is I restrung 3 guitars this weekend and that is all they needed was new strings. A sure sign of improper atmosphere is all kinds of parts are moving in all different directions. I check intonation, relief and a few other things but because I am diligent about keeping my room properly humidified I have minimal adjustments necessary.
My acoustics I keep in the case & I hydrate them at least once a week. I also have a Hygrometer in the case so I can monitor temperature & humidity they have been exposed to.
All of you are wrong on so many levels. A guitar is made of wood. Wood will breathe with the amount of humidity available in the air. Granted a solid body guitar will not react like an acoustic guitar, but as Mike pointed out the neck will back-bow & the frets will begin to pop out of the end. Whats causing this is the wood is shrinking due to the lack of moisture in the air. I have seen so many guitars come in to the shop with serious neck & fret issues which are fairly easy to fix, but on acoustic guitars the top will sink causing the bridge to crack at the pins , pull off the top or even worse crack the top. All it takes is a bit of moisture to eliminate this from happening. A guitar should be kept in an environment of 45 to 50% humidity for optimum playing and minimal adjusting. I have two Humidifiers running constantly in my room where my electric guitars are stored. I check them daily and it is a struggle to keep the humidity where I prefer it. That said is I restrung 3 guitars this weekend and that is all they needed was new strings. A sure sign of improper atmosphere is all kinds of parts are moving in all different directions. I check intonation, relief and a few other things but because I am diligent about keeping my room properly humidified I have minimal adjustments necessary.
My acoustics I keep in the case & I hydrate them at least once a week. I also have a Hygrometer in the case so I can monitor temperature & humidity they have been exposed to.
XSSIVE
OCDologist
Re: what are signs of cold weather damage?
No, warping is not always going to happen that's worst case. I just listed typical things I've seen over the years. It's of course a guitar to guitar basis based on the wood it's made of, the finish, the temp, the humidity and the time out there in the cold etc etc...lots of variables. The most common thing (aside from needing a truss rod tweak) in the winter with shipping guitars is that the fret ends poke out and people call it a QC issue (which it is NOT) and they complain that their new guitar has sharp frets.
Check pretty much every guitar forum in the winter and you'll see someone mentioning "poor QC" and sharp fret ends on their new guitar that just came out of the box. In the summer when the humidity is up and the moisture in the wood increases you hardly ever hear people complaining of it. It's also not a QC issue at all and it's due to the lack of humidity in the cold weather causing the wood to shrink and the metal of the frets staying the same size...thus you get fret poke. No way around that when shipping a guitar in winter and it's a gamble from guitar to guitar, time out in the temp and all that as mentioned. It may not happen at all but if you want a "what could happen" answer then it's the most common problem after a night in the cold/dry or few days on a delivery truck in the cold/dry.
No, warping is not always going to happen that's worst case. I just listed typical things I've seen over the years. It's of course a guitar to guitar basis based on the wood it's made of, the finish, the temp, the humidity and the time out there in the cold etc etc...lots of variables. The most common thing (aside from needing a truss rod tweak) in the winter with shipping guitars is that the fret ends poke out and people call it a QC issue (which it is NOT) and they complain that their new guitar has sharp frets.
Check pretty much every guitar forum in the winter and you'll see someone mentioning "poor QC" and sharp fret ends on their new guitar that just came out of the box. In the summer when the humidity is up and the moisture in the wood increases you hardly ever hear people complaining of it. It's also not a QC issue at all and it's due to the lack of humidity in the cold weather causing the wood to shrink and the metal of the frets staying the same size...thus you get fret poke. No way around that when shipping a guitar in winter and it's a gamble from guitar to guitar, time out in the temp and all that as mentioned. It may not happen at all but if you want a "what could happen" answer then it's the most common problem after a night in the cold/dry or few days on a delivery truck in the cold/dry.
Re: what are signs of cold weather damage?
Help me about storing my guitars. I am storing my guitars in a controlled climate storage unit. Temperature 55 degrees to 80 degrees is this safe?
Help me about storing my guitars. I am storing my guitars in a controlled climate storage unit. Temperature 55 degrees to 80 degrees is this safe?
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SeaRefractor
New member
Re: what are signs of cold weather damage?
Some even do this on purpose... To "relic" a guitars finish to try and make it look like a long time player.. Course if it's a bolt on neck, probably remove that during the process.
Some even do this on purpose... To "relic" a guitars finish to try and make it look like a long time player.. Course if it's a bolt on neck, probably remove that during the process.
Re: what are signs of cold weather damage?
Thank you for your help I don't know how to message. Adieu are you answering Ronucci.
Re: what are signs of cold weather damage?
No
Guitars are safe enough in places where humans don't immediately die ( -50°C to +50°C or so)
If anything will mess anything up, it will be HUMIDITY
No
Guitars are safe enough in places where humans don't immediately die ( -50°C to +50°C or so)
If anything will mess anything up, it will be HUMIDITY
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