Buying a guitar in wintertime

[Russian Guy]

Hey, folks! S-100s are giving me serious GAS pains (pun intended) at the moment. The thing is I've made a promise to myself not to buy another guitar this year but I'm almost certain that at least one of you has broken such promise when you saw a guitar that you liked and it was glowing with a yellow light, had an aura to it so to speak.

The thing I dread the most when it comes to buying a guitar in wintertime is a threat of finish checking plus I just don't want to expose a guitar to cold temperatures. For example right now the temperature outside in Blagoveschensk is around 5 degrees Fahrenheit and as the winter season comes along it is only gonna get much much lower.

So I guess my question is the following: Do you have experience buying a guitar in winter and/or had it shipped to you during cold temperatures? Was it a bad experience? What tips would you give me?

 

[beinhard]

Hi

I have many times transported guitars outdoors in temperatures lower than what you have now, and so far I have not experienced sudden finish checking or other problems because of cold.

However I am always careful to avoid quick temperature changes, always use a good case with tight-fitting lid, and wait several hours after returning indoors before opening the case.

Of course, almost all my older-than-20-years guitars have finish checking to some degree anyway.

beinhard

 

[Russian Guy]

Hi

I have many times transported guitars outdoors in temperatures lower than what you have now, and so far I have not experienced sudden finish checking or other problems because of cold.

However I am always careful to avoid quick temperature changes, always use a good case with tight-fitting lid, and wait several hours after returning indoors before opening the case.

Of course, almost all my older-than-20-years guitars have finish checking to some degree anyway.

beinhard

Hi, beinhard. Thank you for your answer. Your tips pretty much go in line with what the others tell me. OHSC is a must for me always. And the fact that you're from Norway gives your statements a lot of credibility. But the fact that the guits you got have finish checking already makes it hard to see if it came be during the previous ownership or not.

It's just I never bought a guitar during winter.

 

[GardMan]

My D-55 was shipped to me in winter thru a New England freeze (highs of <15F or <-25C, lows much lower). Despite allowing >8 hrs to warm up before opening, it suffered from moderately severe finish checking. In this case, I think it was the absolute low temp, not a sudden change, that did it.

I am very wary if shipping in extremely cold temps.

 

[Ravon]

My D-55 was shipped to me in winter thru a New England freeze (highs of <15F or <-25C, lows much lower). Despite allowing >8 hrs to warm up before opening, it suffered from moderately severe finish checking. In this case, I think it was the absolute low temp, not a sudden change, that did it.

I am very wary if shipping in extremely cold temps.

Odd that Europeans are describing temps in Fahrenheit and Americans are describing temps in Celsius :? :lol:

 

[fronobulax]

Odd that Europeans are describing temps in Fahrenheit and Americans are describing temps in Celsius :? :lol:

Just trying to make everyone feel at home :wink: but yeah, that is an amusing observation.

 

[Russian Guy]

My D-55 was shipped to me in winter thru a New England freeze (highs of <15F or <-25C, lows much lower). Despite allowing >8 hrs to warm up before opening, it suffered from moderately severe finish checking. In this case, I think it was the absolute low temp, not a sudden change, that did it.

I am very wary if shipping in extremely cold temps.

That is exactly why I didn't do it in the past and afraid to do so in the future.

Odd that Europeans are describing temps in Fahrenheit and Americans are describing temps in Celsius :? :lol:

I think everyone just tries to make it easier for one another which is why that happens. Thanks to the temperature converters we're good

 

[Russian Guy]

bump

 

[Zelja]

I hadn't even thought of this & I need 3 guitars to be transported from NJ to Australia within the next 4 or 5 weeks.
Should I be worried?

 

[Russian Guy]

I hadn't even thought of this & I need 3 guitars to be transported from NJ to Australia within the next 4 or 5 weeks.
Should I be worried?

I don't know, man. I think both seller and buyer should be concerned about this.

I guess I posted the thread in a wrong subforum. I thought a lot more people would chime in because after all it is a "heated" topic.

 

[fronobulax]

I guess I posted the thread in a wrong subforum. I thought a lot more people would chime in because after all it is a "heated" topic.

There are a lot of anecdotes but very little "hard data". Because of that, if you are at all worried then the only safe thing to do is not ship in the cold. No one wants to be the person to tell you it is safe and then have you follow the advice and end up with finish crackle.

Pun noted ;-)

 

[Ravon]

Didn't mean to single GardMan out. Just another example of my attempts at comedy failing miserably .

 

[GardMan]

Didn't mean to single GardMan out. Just another example of my attempts at comedy failing miserably .

No worries! I justed noticed the OPs location, and did a quick (estimated) conversion... later I noticed he had posted in F!

 

[Russian Guy]

There are a lot of anecdotes but very little "hard data". Because of that, if you are at all worried then the only safe thing to do is not ship in the cold. No one wants to be the person to tell you it is safe and then have you follow the advice and end up with finish crackle.

Pun noted ;-)

That makes sense. Man the GAS is strong with me. I guess I'll have to tell my wife to tie me to something each time I want to buy S-100 till spring :lol: