Cold weather and Rics in transit

melibreits · Post by **melibreits** » Mon Jan 05, 2004 5:33 am

Right before Christmas the 325 of my dreams came up on eBay, which my husband immediately jumped on with "Buy It Now!" This one is the V59 model with the factory Bigsby, and is one of only 10 made in the rare "Cloverfield green" color, which according to the seller was custom ordered for Dave's Guitar World in LaCrosse, WI. So here is my dilemma....the guitar is scheduled for delivery tomorrow via UPS, and we are having our usual northern Minnesota cold snap, with predicted high temps of -2 degrees fahrenheit! When would it be safe to open the case? I know that 48 hours is the recommended time for coming out of the cold, but this is really, really cold! To be honest I'm really frightened by the thought of this beauty sitting for long hours in the back of a truck or in an unheated warehouse somewhere.... it has been sitting in Eagan, MN since Saturday evening now.... Anyway, I would just cry if there was any damage to the finish on this beautiful guitar! Waiting the full 48 hours will be hard, but I don't want to take any chances! Any advice would be greatly appreciated!

melibreits · Post by **melibreits** » Mon Jan 05, 2004 6:03 am

Here's a link to the auction, so you can see why I am feeling so frantic about this!

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=2368184203&ssPageName=ADME:B:EOAB:US:6

I will try to post some of my own pics of this guitar after I actually do open the case and have appropriately welcomed it home!

paul_yan · Post by **paul_yan** » Mon Jan 05, 2004 6:30 am

Congratulations, Melissa.
Ultra-Gorgeous 325! A classy babe.

Take it easy in those (highly recommended) 48 hours.

admin · Post by **admin** » Mon Jan 05, 2004 7:00 am

Melissa: Your guitar is going to be fine. The gradual 48 hour warm-up, leaving the instrument in the packaging case, will be sufficient. The gradual warming up to room temperature is important. I have had several guitars shipped during extreme weather conditions, that certainly rival yours, and I have not had a problem with the finish. I have never broken the 48 hour rule, and it has paid off.

squid · Post by **squid** » Mon Jan 05, 2004 9:15 am

Peter's right, Melissa. It's amazing how much insulation is provided by the packing crate and the guitar case itself. If the shipper has done even a half-decent job of packing the guitar, it will have cooled down quite gradually. Forty-eight hours at room temperature should be enough time for it to climb back up again. The difference in temperature (beween the "core" of the package and the air in the room) should be nominal at that point... certainly not enough to crack or craze the finish. A few degrees at most. I sometimes ask to have a Dampit or some other humidifier put in the case during shipment to the Great White North, but it's not a necessity unless the guitar is inherently fragile.

Beautiful guitar by the way. I wish my spouse was as supportive of my "gear acquisition syndrome".

atomic_punk · Post by **atomic_punk** » Mon Jan 05, 2004 10:24 am

Melissa...
WOW! Can't wait to hear how it turns out...and I have been following the 48 hour rule and it works, and Michigan gets about as cold as Minnesota (used to live there!)...just try and be patient and please post pictures!

grsnovi · Post by **grsnovi** » Mon Jan 05, 2004 4:36 pm

Sure is purdy...

...but I'd have to put "oven" knobs on it

ojobob2 · Post by **ojobob2** » Tue Jan 06, 2004 7:48 am

dont worry about temperatures.....unless its going from say - 20 to +20 degrees!!, here in England the temperature can alter a lot, especially in the winter. I can carry my 4003 in a gigbag from my house, on the bus, in the rehearsal room, then out to the street again (now WAY cooder as its late), in the subway etc etc....no finish problems and my truss rods never need tweaking ever.

corey · Post by **corey** » Tue Jan 06, 2004 7:53 am

I've taken my Rics into the studio quite a few times after a 5 block walk to the subway, then back outside into the chill for a few more blocks. Just give the case plenty of time to get use to one environment, and everything will be super keen.

atomic_punk · Post by **atomic_punk** » Tue Jan 06, 2004 11:04 am

By the way, here in Detroit today, it is 7 degrees and windy. Why do I live here?

ojobob2 · Post by **ojobob2** » Tue Jan 06, 2004 12:33 pm

By the way, here in London, it is 3 degrees C, and cold and nasty. Why do live here?

haha

melibreits · Post by **melibreits** » Tue Jan 06, 2004 12:39 pm

Thanks, guys.... The guitar arrived at 1pm today, and I am patiently waiting, waiting, waiting, longingly eyeing the box, like a kid at Christmas! It is 7 below here, why do I live here (because it is beautiful!)?

philco · Post by **philco** » Tue Jan 06, 2004 3:04 pm

Forget about the guitar, grab your x-country skis and binoculars, and enjoy the winter scenery. You and your friends could also do some TT racing on your snow cats (Tavern to Tavern on the snowmobiles, for those of you unfamiliar with Scan Speak). You could also break out the lefse, lutefisk, Swedish meatballs, venison stew, walleye filets, a keg of Grain Belt, and all those old polka records in the back of the record cabinet (heck, just invite the local polka band over), and have a waiting-to-open-my-Rickenbox party.

Sometimes I wish I were back in Minnesota instead of here in Texas..........but not when it's 30 below zero.

dave4004 · Post by **dave4004** » Tue Jan 06, 2004 4:30 pm

That's a real beauty!

admin · Post by **admin** » Tue Jan 06, 2004 5:55 pm

You are so right Dave. You have to love the Cloverfield Green.