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I have a new guitar coming tomorrow. I am very excited
and I was thinking back to reading here about waiting to open it for a while - I think it had to do with waiting for the temperature inside the package to reach the temperature of your home. Is this something I will need to worry about and if so how long do I need to wait? It is coming from California, it stopped off in Tennessee and it will be arriving here in NJ. I didn't know if this was just something to be careful with in the winter or summer when the temperatures are extreme or if there is more to it than that - I have not gotten a nice archtop by mail before so I want to play it safe, so forgive me if this is a stupid question.
Also, as a side note, man is it hard to wait for a guitar by mail. My only other experiences with it was waiting for a couple of inexpensive bass guitars and waiting for the nice partscaster I got from Frank here which had to travel overseas but the anticipation is killing me here...I'm sure it will arrive in good condition but I just remember the horror stories I have heard about broken guitars and since this is an archtop I know that it has the potential to get damaged more easily and I didn't think to ask the seller how he was packing it. The package is nearly 30 lbs so maybe that is all packing material because that is pretty heavy for an archtop in a case...
I'm hoping that the answer will be that it is ok to open it right away because man it is going to be hard to sit here looking at the box for whatever period of time it would need if that is the case.
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06-02-2017 01:33 AM
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If it were me, I would:
Take pictures of the packaging, noting every detail. Take pictures of the unboxing. At each step, check the temp with your hand, to see if it is at room temperature. If not, wait. Take pictures of the process. If you encounter any problems, contact the shipper and the seller, or both, as relevant. Chances are good everything will be fine, but you'll be covered, if not. Once you get to the instrument, check it carefully for any problems - rattles, especially, and that sort of thing.
Recap: Patience, pictures, room temps, thorough check.
Tune up, play, post a Happy New Guitar Day!
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That is great advice - thanks a lot. I will do all of that. And yes I will certainly be back with a ngd thread with photos
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You should video everything and have three witnesses present that were sworn in by a judge, or just rip the sucker open like a kid on Christmas morning.
Last edited by cosmic gumbo; 06-02-2017 at 03:22 AM.
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In the mail?! The first thing to do is block off the mailbox, if they stuff it in there it is all over..... check the door for letter slots and be prepared to intervene with the postal carrier.
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When it comes in, you should acclimate the unopened box for exactly the amount of time required to drink one beer.
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If the box is hot (or cold in winter) I let it rest until well after it has cooled down (warmed up). Good chance even after the box has acclimated that the case and guitar inside are still hot (or cold in winter). Once the box is cool cut open one end and feel the case, is it warm ?? Well let it acclimate with that box end open all night. If it's a keeper guitar treat it like a keeper. And I sure as heck do not tune it up until it's rested overnight. That's a house rule at Casa Big... I never regretted being this patient once...
Congrats on the score.
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Rio,
Tennessee? OK, if there are any holes in the box, there are probably snakes living in there..
Re-route it to my house and I will dispose of it.
All kidding aside, your biggest concern should always be obvious signs of damage to the box and shipping from opposing climates (hot to cold, cold to hot). Like our guys said, make sure you to let the guitar acclimate. It doesn't take long. A couple hours in the winter is all you really need.
Have a camera ready and if you see or hear any damage don't sign for it. Open the box in the presence of the UPS/FedEx driver. Take pictures! Try not to disturb the packing as it was.
One other thing, you may not be able to see damage to the box and still have a tragedy waiting for you. The box Boo-Boo was in looked fine to me and she had a broken neck.
Most likely it will go perfectly fine.
NGD's are mandatory around here. I have a feeling, we are looking at a couple of great ones around here in the not so distant future.
Joe D
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"The package is nearly 30 lbs so maybe that is all packing material because that is pretty heavy for an archtop in a case...
I'm hoping that the answer will be that it is ok to open it right away because man it is going to be hard to sit here looking at the box for whatever period of time it would need if that is the case."
like Big said, open it and feel the case before you take it out.
much higher probability of an issue in winter than this time of year.
I've shipped a ton of archtops over the years, 30lbs is just about what they usually weigh.
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Although it wasn't a guitar shipment, I did end up bringing a black rat snake into my house in a box that UPS left at my side door.
Originally Posted by Max405
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Here's mine:
Have it held at the carrier for pickup.
Invite some friends over for dinner.
Pick up guitar on the way home.
Walk in without guitar and say hello to wife and friends socializing, exchange pleasantries.
Make excuse about going to freshen up.
Go back out to the car, sneak the guitar in a different door, and hide it.
NOW go freshen up, relax, and go out and enjoy your company.
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hmmm, when i received my LeGrand from Japan in January i was so impatient that i let it rest for less than half an hour only despite the fact that the postman ordered me to wait until next day because i didn't have enough cash ready to pay for the customs fees at the time.
My big achievement was to persuade him into leaving the guitar at my house and come to collect the money on his next day's round as it might be harmful for the instrument to be stored another night in some cold warehouse etc. etc.
So there's no protocol for me, although i feel that it would be wise to listen to the folks here who really know.
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I got a factory replacement Gibson acoustic a few months ago (warranty replacement). It was unceremoniously dumped on my porch while I was at work via UPS -- no signature required! I had no idea that it was even coming. Fortunately, the wife was home so my new $2,000 guitar didn't sit on the porch all day! Their factory packing had a very nice double thick cardboard box, but no packing, just a couple of plastic holders to keep the case centered. The plastic holders had dislodged, so the case was loose in the box. No peanuts, no bubble wrap, no nothing. totally relying on the cardboard and the case. Fortunately the guitar was fine.
When I bought my Henriksen 110er it was the same thing. Direct shipped from factory.
I opened it up to discover that the gig bag was the only packing! Crazy
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That kind of thing makes people run into walls and stuff.
Originally Posted by ThatRhythmMan
Although it wasn't a guitar shipment, I did end up bringing a black rat snake into my house in a box that UPS left at my side door.
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citizenk74 hit the important points, and there's other good advice in the replies that followed that.
Ususally the concern to acclimate is when the package has been in severe cold, as a sudden warm-up can cause finish checking.
IF you did get anxious and opened up the case to peek when the guitar is super cold, you might see a sudden clouding or "blush" appear across the finish, and that is a precursor to the finish checking. If you see that, close the lid quick !
Below is Gibson's description of checking caused by temperature change (booklet circa 1972.)
John
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I had almost the exact same experience with a warranty-replacement Les Paul Supreme back in 2005. Originally Posted by Longways to Go
The difference was that the replaced guitar was so poorly packed that the headstock had snapped off in transit!! Man, was I pissed! I called Gibson and read them the riot act!
The happy ending was the replacement of the replacement Les Paul was a stunning improvement over the first two...even though it too was packed poorly from the factory.
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This is all good info and also gave me a laugh. For the snake, what did you do with that?? Are there emergency snake handling services?
The package arrived an hour ago and I recorded it all with my phone just to be safe. The case felt the same temperature as my home so I opened it up - it was packed very well even though the guitar strings were still on (although detuned about a third on each string). It came with .010's on it and needs some cleaning so I will post some photos and a ngd thread later tonight when it is all out together. I'm really glad it arrives safely and that there are apparently not any issues.
And although it sucks to be separated in some ways, ordering guitars and having no one to frown about it is a plus. It was just my daughter and me here and she always appreciated instruments - thought it was "pretty"
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In my youth we did a test which showed that a healthy young male can drink one beer in exactly 8 seconds. Originally Posted by Longways to Go
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This is what I do but if at all possible I hold the guitar at the main UPS pickup/dropoff terminal. I live in NE FL and I try to avoid having it bounce around in a UPS delivery truck for 6-8 hours in 95+degree weather. At the main UPS terminal in Jacksonville, if I hold the package it will sit in conditioned air. In addition if the box is damaged I will open it right there in the presence of UPS personnel. The last guitar I received was a couple of weeks ago from Eastman in CA and it came double boxed with a semi-hard foam at the bottom and top of the case to hold it centered in the first box. Both boxes were a cut above the typical Uline box. Guitar was in perfect condition. Originally Posted by BigMikeinNJ
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Did anyone notice that this guitar was coming via USPS? IME the USPS is head and shoulders above both Fedex and UPS in package handling. The package might ride around in the mail delivery vehicle all day, but it shouldn't overheat. I have a gate at the front, which blocks sort of an atrium area, and I've had both Fedex and UPS just throw packages over it onto the concrete walkway, a fall of more than 6 feet, or just leave packages in front of the gate, without even trying to open it. The USPS carrier rings the doorbell on the gate, and if we're not home, either puts the package inside the gate or if it's locked, takes the package back, refusing to leave it in an unsecured area. They won't just put it on the ground in the open and leave like the others. I'll always try to get a shipment via USPS if I can, rather than use anyone else. I won't ship an expensive guitar any other way, or even a cheap one. The only time I will ship via Fedex or UPS is if it's a prepaid return.
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Klein oder gross ? Originally Posted by oldane
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The only items I have had disappear entirely and never ever heard from again have been via USPS. And where I live, USPS won't deliver to my door. My mailbox is 3/4 of a mile from my house and if it doesn't fit, USPS says they attempted delivery and provides a notice that I can pick it up at the Post Office after it spends all day in the drivers car. That is assuming they even took it with them in the first place i.e. I have had items show as attempted delivery before the driver even left the post office i.e. she/he knew it wouldn't fit. FedEx and UPS will deliver to my door. I have had 15+ guitars delivered by FedEx (overnight) and UPS in different parts of the country in the past 5 years and have not had one problem.
If I send it via FEDEX it is overnight I would never use FedEx ground. I use UPS for ground. That said, one can provide horror stories for all major shippers.Last edited by rob taft; 06-02-2017 at 07:34 PM.
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Sorry, I shouldn't have said "mail" - that is just my incorrect way to name anything being sent to me. It was UPS 2 day air - the seller was late shipping so he contributed extra to the shipping to get it to me before the weekend. Overall they did well. There were a couple of marks on the box that showed small impacts but it was packed well enough that it didn't make a difference.
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We call that shotgunning: Originally Posted by oldane
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While i can relate to what they say about checking, i find the idea to store the guitar for extended periods with "relaxed string tension" (as pointed out in the booklet) questionable.IMO loosening them for shipping is advisable because of hits it may take, but i feel that loosening them for prolonged storage means putting strain "in the wrong direction" on the neck/fingerboard because of the counter tension caused by the trussrod. Originally Posted by john_a
Below is Gibson's description of checking caused by temperature change (booklet circa 1972.)
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