Important question :)....let it acclimate or rip it open???

[edhalen]

Okay - so I pulled the trigger on a brand new Cutlass from the vault (incoming thread already posted ). I figured this question should get it's own thread as I would like some advice. Some say that after receiving a guitar in the winter months after shipping (in this case from SLO all the way to my home in IL), one should "let it acclimate to the warmer temps inside whilst still in the box before opening." Others say "screw it and open that bad boy up and get on with it!!!" What say you????

 

[Norrin Radd]

Is it finished in Nitro?

 

[DrewH]

Put the box in the house and forget it exists for 24 hours.

 

[GWDavis28]

Let your wife or girlfriend hold it,

What DrewH said!!

Glenn |B)

 

[elvis2]

Take it slow. Nothing good happens fast.

 

[edhalen]

Is it finished in Nitro?

No - standard EBMM finish. It's the Natural Cutlass from the Vault.

 

[Vito Porkleone]

When I had my StingRay RS delivered, the high's were in the upper 20's/low 30's. It had seen some cold temps. Wifey brought the box in, and after it had been inside for 3-4 hours, I took the case out of the packaging and let it sit for another 4 hrs or so. I couldn't take it much longer so I ripped it open - no issues.

 

[DrKev]

Stick your hand in the case. If the guitar is obviously cold to the touch, close the lid and walk away for a few more hours.

 

[Sweat]

Be cautious but try and wait

 

[purpledc]

My majesty sat in sub zero temps for 3 days I opened the box took the bag out and let it sit for about an hour. Case is insulated so it warms up faster than in the box but not too fast. An hour certainly wasnt long enough. Because I opened the case and found it fogging over the second air hit it. I took that thing out of the case and plugged it in and played the hell out of it for 10 minutes and put it on my stand while I went and did some stuff around the house. No cracks or damage. No twisted neck or finish crack at the nut. Thing is a beast. First guitar Ive bought in the last 5 years that didnt need to have razor blade fret ends. And after playing it 10 days for about 2 hours each day its the most stable guitar I have as far as tuning. And I would say it has the most character and the ability to capture the nuances of your playing are unparalleled to anything ive owned in 34 years. Should I have done it? Probably not. Did anything bad happen? Not at all.
In fact it had one benefit. The case got so cold the interior liner shrank, and the glue separated from the foam interior. Which allowed me to use heat right away and use a roller to get the glue to hold and stretch the fabric and have it stay in place. Why is it good? because the odor of the adhesive was very strong even when ice cold. I didnt want the guitar going back in the case until I had that sorted and dried. I doubt the guitar would smell. But i have never had a problem with a poly finish or neck issues. And just to be clear I am NOT saying do what I did. I wouldnt recommend someone do what I did. But im impatient AF. And I had confidence in the guitar. I only told this story to assure you that these guitars are built extremely well. And you should wait by rule just to be safe. Because wood has water content. So you dont want to be adjusting a truss rod on a frozen guitar. Roasted maple is different as it has no water content to worry about but still. For those who want to make sure they can have the confidence they did not do anything wrong. You should wait. But I will never grow up. I'm a Toys R' Us kid forever, lol. And yes its totally hypocritical that I say not to do something I did. But I may have just got lucky. And again, I am impatient AF to a fault. So, I won't make excuses for myself. I know I can just as stupid as I am impatient.

 

[elvis2]

For me, I'd just be looking not to exacerbate neck pocket finish cracks and the like. The guitars are tough for sure, and in a pinch, I wouldn't give it a second thought.

 

[fbecir]

Illinois is near Canada, and Canada is full of BAD people ! (well, it's what I understand when I read the US News ...)
Thus the air in Illinois is bad for guitar acclimation !

The best solution is to send your guitar to Paris, where the air is PERFECT for guitar acclimation. @DrKev and I will take care of your guitar. And when the acclimation will be finished, we will sent it back. It can take some time ...

 

[purpledc]

Illinois is near Canada, and Canada is full of BAD people ! (well, it's what I understand when I read the US News ...)
Thus the air in Illinois is bad for guitar acclimation !

The best solution is to send your guitar to Paris, where the air is PERFECT for guitar acclimation. @DrKev and I will take care of your guitar. And when the acclimation will be finished, we will sent it back. It can take some time ...

Dude. I live 50 miles North West of Chicago. And I can promise you the bad air has nothing to do with Canada. And I'm upwind from the city. LOL