NGD - Reno F30Rce

[HeyMikey]

I was hoping to post a NGD earlier this week but it’s in a shipping black hole. Now I’m concerned about possible heat damage issues.

Default was kind enough to get me a phone number and I confirmed with the PO branch in PA it was shipped 5-Aug to the Philadelphia processing facility. No confirmation it arrived, no tracking, and the “assumption” is that it’s sitting in a container waiting to be processed.

What really concerns me more than the delay it that the guitar has essentially been in an oven all this time during a prolonged heat wave on the east coast.

I intend to have it looked at by a luthier if/when it arrives for visible signs of heat damage. However could there be long-term problems that don’t surface right away?

It is, but it isn’t a common model, being a one-off custom, so I really would hate to have to send it back. Then again I don’t want to have to pay for heat related repairs down the road.

 

[gjmalcyon]

The most common and obvious problem that I'm aware of from prolonged exposure to heat is a shifted neck block:

I've never worked with hide glue, and assuming that instrument is assembled with hide glue, I don't know what other hidden and latent damage you might encounter.

 

[davismanLV]

That's a scary situation. Especially since you just don't know. Symptoms of heat damage may not show up right away. Glad you're having someone look at it, but even that isn't foolproof. Neck block shifting from excessive heat over prolonged period is a huge repair and I'm not trying to spook you, but it is a concern. Let us know when it comes and what you see. Sounds like an amazing guitar! Good luck, Mike!!

p.s. - eh, gj beat me to the punch and with a GRAPHIC example!! YIKES!!!

 

[fronobulax]

I don't know how long it takes for lack of humidity problems to show up, but I would expect them to show up sooner if the guitar had been exposed to excessive heat. That would mean loose braces and cracks for starters.

 

[HeyMikey]

The most common and obvious problem that I'm aware of from prolonged exposure to heat is a shifted neck block:

That picture makes me sick to my stomach just thinking about it. I would be totally crushed if I saw that happen to a nice guitar.

 

[F312]

I wish you luck getting your guitar. Your going to like the Reno appointments.

Ralph

 

[bobouz]

Hopefully it was detuned before shipping, and is sitting in a temp controlled location. Best of luck on a good outcome!

 

[wileypickett]

As others have noted, excessive heat can cause glue joints to weaken. But for that to happen your guitar needs to be exposed to the kind of heat you'd find inside the trunk of a car in direct sunlight in the dog days of the summer. Your guitar is not likely to encounter that degree of heat.

Wherever the guitar is, it's likely in a place where people work, and generally those spaces are climate controlled. I was once in a UPS shipping warehouse in the height of summetime and it was quite comfortable.

I wouldn't worry till you need to worry.

 

[Rambozo96]

I kinda have this concern with the guitars I’m shipping out. Especially seeing two are headed from Texas to Arizona.

 

[gjmalcyon]

As others have noted, excessive heat can cause glue joints to weaken. But for that to happen your guitar needs to be exposed to the kind of heat you'd find inside the trunk of a car in direct sunlight in the dog days of the summer. Your guitar is not likely to encounter that degree of heat.

Wherever the guitar is, it's likely in a place where people work, and generally those spaces are climate controlled. I was once in a UPS shipping warehouse in the height of summetime and it was quite comfortable.

I wouldn't worry till you need to worry.

That's a good point. My nephew wrecked his Seagull by moving it in a shipping container in the summer during an east coast-to-Denver move. If it went in the car with the humans, it would have been fine.

 

[HeyMikey]

As others have noted, excessive heat can cause glue joints to weaken. But for that to happen your guitar needs to be exposed to the kind of heat you'd find inside the trunk of a car in direct sunlight in the dog days of the summer. Your guitar is not likely to encounter that degree of heat.

Wherever the guitar is, it's likely in a place where people work, and generally those spaces are climate controlled. I was once in a UPS shipping warehouse in the height of summetime and it was quite comfortable.

I wouldn't worry till you need to worry.

I sure hope you’re right and it’s not been parked outside all this time getting fried.

 

[jedzep]

More likely warehoused, not held in a shipping container, especially in direct sun or heat. The PO has enough troubles these days without cooking a batch of mail, much with the word fragile written on it.

Does anyone still ship a guitar tuned up? I've gotten 3 or 4 over the years.

 

[wileypickett]

I've always shipped my guitars with the strings slackened. But someone I shipped a guitar to a few years ago told me NOT to detune it, said emphatically, "That's the worst possible way to ship a guitar!" I honored his request and it got where it was going safely -- but so has every guitar I detuned before shipping.

Has anyone else heard this? Do the "volume" guitar makers -- Taylor, Gibson, Martin, etc., -- ship their guitars tuned to pitch or with the strings slackened?

 

[HeyMikey]

I wish you luck getting your guitar. Your going to like the Reno appointments.

Ralph

Thanks Ralf. When I was researching it I came across its original listing on Reverb when it was new with much better pictures. Besides the stars the rosewood looks to be exceptionally nice. So I’m hoping that the extra attention it got during construction will result in it having a really nice sound.

https://reverb.com/item/139491-guild-custom-shop-f-30rce-custom-star-acoustic-electric-guitar-ren-ferguson

 

[donnylang]

While I think your concerns are valid - Just to offer a counterpoint: The '68 F212 that I got about a month ago was shipped from MA to me in Oakland CA, about a week in transit. The guitar was not detuned, and no padding was inside the original case (where the guitar does not fit in totally snug top to bottom either). But guess what - it was basically still in tune and played fantastic right out of the box. Made a couple minor tuning adjustments, then recorded those videos in my other thread. It was definitely a warm day here in Oakland (no AC - don't usually need it) when it arrived, though certainly not "hot", but I assume there were some hot points along the way since it's mid July.

 

[HeyMikey]

I've always shipped my guitars with the strings slackened. But someone I shipped a guitar to a few years ago told me NOT to detune it, said emphatically, "That's the worst possible way to ship a guitar!" I honored his request and it got where it was going safely -- but so has every guitar I detuned before shipping.

Has anyone else heard this? Do the "volume" guitar makers -- Taylor, Gibson, Martin, etc., -- ship their guitars tuned to pitch or with the strings slackened?

I gave the seller step by step instructions on how to pack it. He never responded but I hope he at least made an attempt.

I also tell them to de-tune it about a step from an E to D but not much more. I had one arrive so loose the saddle and pins popped out and were rolling around the case.

 

[jedzep]

Tension should be maintained, just not tuned to standard, so I simply drop the tuning. a couple steps.

 

[donnylang]

... the main thing that sets my mind at ease a bit when I think about temperature, is that the guitar is inside the case, the case is in a box, and the box is likely between a bunch of other boxes. So any temp changes are likely to occur extremely gradually. I have always been told that issues with guitars come from extreme changes rather than high or low temps themselves (unless we get into crazy numbers).

 

[fronobulax]

Has anyone else heard this? Do the "volume" guitar makers -- Taylor, Gibson, Martin, etc., -- ship their guitars tuned to pitch or with the strings slackened?

This is when I really miss @adorshki because he remembers this stuff better than I do and has the patience to search. My recollection is that previous discussions reported the major makers shipped instruments tuned to pitch. No tension on the neck was deemed bad. Some tension was definitely good but tuned to pitch was likely to be better. That said, the discussion I recall also had different recommendations based upon what the threat was. Dropping it on where the end pin would have been if it wasn't removed and a sharp sideways blow to the neck seemed to give different suggestions.

 

[F312]

...and the fact there is a high and low temperature during 24 hours, which should give an average temperature there of.

Ralph