Question About Shipping and Checking on Finish

Rich Cohen

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I know that one, especially in winter, after receiving a guitar, should allow the box and its contents to acclimatize to the temperature of the house, then open the box, then allow the case contents to further acclimatize before opening the case. My question is is there a risk to checking when the shipper sends off the guitar, when the warm guitar is exposed to winter temperatures while in shipment?

Thanks!

Rich
 

AcornHouse

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There could be, if it’s a sudden temperature change. But, since most shipping is by land, those temperature changes will be somewhat gradual; and being in a case, in a box, with (hopefully) packing material, there is enough insulation to further make it gradual.
After all, when going from cold to warm, like the acclimation process on receiving a shipment, it takes a while for the warmth to permeate into the guitar.

It would be an interesting experiment to put a wireless thermometer inside a case, with a guitar, and pack it in a box; then submit it to sudden temperature changes, and see how quickly the inside temperature drops.
 

richardp69

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I've heard stories from other players regarding checking that happened in shipment. I've never had the issue myself either shipping or receiving. I think if the proper precautionary steps are taken (like you described) the chances aren't great. I also agree with everything Chris said in his response.

That being said, I try to no longer ship more upper end guitars between the months of December and April. I will, if I have to but would prefer to not do that.
 

West R Lee

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Chicago Music Exchange asks that you do all of the things you've mentioned. They will NOT ship in weather in the mid to low teens or colder, and they ship a lot of guitars. They shipped my Collings while it was around 20 degrees in Chicago. No problem........other than looking at that box in my music room for 24 VERY long hours!!!!!!!!!!!!

West
 

GardMan

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My D-55 shipped Fed Ex ground from NJ thru a winter storm with temps well below 0F while in transit, spending several nights well below 0F as it crossed the plains. It arrived with substantial checking that (according to the seller) must have occurred during shipping. I allowed it to warm for a full day before opening the box, and it was already checked. I believe it was the cold temperature itself, not thermal fluctuations, that caused the checking... consequently, I will not ship a guitar if the temp will fall below freezing, and avoid buying during the winter. When I bought my DV-72NT in January of 2016, I asked the seller hold it for more than a week waiting for a brief warm spell before he shipped.
 

chazmo

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Rich, the normal crazing that you see with finish checking is almost always caused by sudden exposure of a cold guitar to a warm environment (or possibly vice versa). If a guitar is in any kind of case, and especially if that case is in a box (hopefully) surrounded with insulating material, it's almost impossible for that to happen since the temperature change is quite slow.

So, it's almost always the recipient's fault if he/she opens the case too quickly while the guitar has not been given time to (slowly) adjust to the recipient's environment.

All that said, I'm sure there are exceptions out there. I think that if the guitar were subjected to prolonged sub-zero environment during shipping, I think that could cause damage. Same for the opposite (desert-like) extreme. In those cases, it wouldn't be a sudden exposure that was responsible.
 

Nuuska

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Hello

My F-512 was put in airplane cold department few times - on a 6-8 hour flight it is guaranteed to get throughout cold. It has been transported around Finland both summer and winter in any kind weather. Always in it´s original case with no extra protection. After all these years the top finish looks like this:

img_3265.jpg


As you can see - some checking. Dings - scratches - dirt - filth - etc - you name it . . . Sun went away some hours ago - if needed, I could take another picture in bright daylight.

There is absolutely no way to remember, when those few checking lines appeared.


And yes - I have seen finish checking/cracking when it happened. Told this before. In MN deep, cold winter month - a customer brings his Les Paul into our store and opens the case. After short while we can hear it go cracking. Entire finish went into "cobweb". Turned out he had it in his trunk for three days before he brought it in. Poor fella. He lost about 400USD right there.
 
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Rich Cohen

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Rich, the normal crazing that you see with finish checking is almost always caused by sudden exposure of a cold guitar to a warm environment (or possibly vice versa). If a guitar is in any kind of case, and especially if that case is in a box (hopefully) surrounded with insulating material, it's almost impossible for that to happen since the temperature change is quite slow.

So, it's almost always the recipient's fault if he/she opens the case too quickly while the guitar has not been given time to (slowly) adjust to the recipient's environment.

All that said, I'm sure there are exceptions out there. I think that if the guitar were subjected to prolonged sub-zero environment during shipping, I think that could cause damage. Same for the opposite (desert-like) extreme. In those cases, it wouldn't be a sudden exposure that was responsible.

Thanks Chazmo, and everyone else who has weighed in on my question.
 

F312

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Hello

My F-512 was put in airplane cold department few times - on a 6-8 hour flight it is guaranteed to get throughout cold. It has been transported around Finland both summer and winter in any kind weather. Always in it´s original case with no extra protection. After all these years the top finish looks like this:

img_3265.jpg


As you can see - some checking. Dings - scratches - dirt - filth - etc - you name it . . . Sun went away some hours ago - if needed, I could take another picture in bright daylight.

There is absolutely no way to remember, when those few checking lines appeared.


And yes - I have seen finish checking/cracking when it happened. Told this before. In MN deep, cold winter month - a customer brings his Les Paul into our store and opens the case. After short while we can hear it go cracking. Entire finish went into "cobweb". Turned out he had it in his trunk for three days before he brought it in. Poor fella. He lost about 400USD right there.

Tell me about that saddle, please.

Ralph
 

Nuuska

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Tell me about that saddle, please.

Ralph

Hello

Bridge is original. Unless Guild replaced it - they did not say they did . . . NO - WAIT - it is original, because of those two Hot Dots.
Those two dots are Barcus-Berry Hot Dots, which are permanently glued in with epoxy sometimes 1977-1980. I did that.

Later, when I lived in MN for three years, I sent my F50R, 512 & 212CSB to Guild. They installed those new compensated saddles with pickups under. There was also a preamp with Volume & Tone. It was installed next to neck. Those days the pickups were not for sale - you had to let them install them. Bonus - naturally - is compensated saddle. Especially good on F50R.

Since then - very quickly actually - I ditched the preamps and added the soundhole pickup. Jack is stereo, with soundhole PU in tip and under saddle piezo in ring. I have two passive volume controls, that use the holes, that were left after preamp removal. This lets me use any preamp of my choice for either pickup. I have a Y-cord - stereo-plug on one end and two mono plugs in other end. These days I usually just plug into two HIGH-impedance ACTIVE DI-boxes and go to my digital mixer from there.

Reasoning for wiring soundhole PU to tip is simple. If I go somewhere without my own preamps, the magnetic PU works - using regular guitar cable - somewhat good with just about anything, whereas the piezo is very finicky, as many of us know.
 
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