software

I want to get a Tokai love rock gt, but its almost winter soon. It's going to come from japan. Do you guys think it's safe to ship guitars during winter or should I just wait till its spring?

Dont know if you allready the thread about that I just ordered a Tokai Love Rock LS-80 from Ishibashi, Japan. Paid it two days ago so I'm probably gonna recieve it sometime next week.

Asked the same question myself before I decided to order. (I have about 5 to 10 degrees celsius in the middle of the day right now) ...read below

Written by Skarekrough 10-27-2005, 01:34 AM

Typically you'll spend around $120 for shipping. The two individual Greco Les Paul Custom clones I bought were around that. The shipping carrier is caleld EMS and when they hit the states they hand off to the USPS, but do so to the top-tier of them; they delivered my first one on a Sunday morning. The website is about as current as UPS' tend to be.

The two orders of two guitars were packaged together and came to about $140 I believe, so if you've got a hankering for two then it would be a good plan to get you to save on shipping.

If you're getting it off of eBay it's the usual gamble. Buying a guitar without laying hands on itis a bet that you can make it play like you want it to, or at least pay someone who can.

Climate differences aren't a major issue; they have Winter there too and a pretty hot Summer now and again. It's wood; just make sure that if you're in the middle of a very warm or cold snap to let it acclimate IN THE BOX. Give it 24 hours and then open it up. It sucks to wait and 24 is probably overkill but I've never heard of major problems with finish cracking or other issues with that span of time.

Here's the whole thread: from : localhost//forum/s...ad.php?t=54403 if you feel that you'd like to read it

Yeah thats what I was thinking too already. Yeah I've been keep track of that thread. I was wondering about it being shipped in the cold weather, cause it will get really cold in the winter. I know sudden changes in temp is bad, but I was more worried about constant below freezing temperature. I just think it would bad to have a guitar below freezing temps even though its constant in the shipping process. Actually this might not happen, if carriers keep the trucks heated. Does anyone know if shippers keep their trucks heated for the packages?

Sorry I can't answer that.... Send a mail to EMS and UPS and ask both companies (if they are the ones that would deliver it) about if they have their deliverytrucks heated when they transport things because you was thinking abour ordering a item that is sensitive to climate changes.

I also read somewhere abour someone who wrote that a thing to consider might also be the temp in the airplane when it's in the air...it's quite cold outside then, how about the temp in the quot;luggage roomquot;?

Hmm, didn't think about the plane. The thing I'm most concerned is if anyone knows if its okay to have a guitar at below freezing temps, if the temps are not sudden but actually gradual.


Originally Posted by greendy123Yeah thats what I was thinking too already. Yeah I've been keep track of that thread. I was wondering about it being shipped in the cold weather, cause it will get really cold in the winter. I know sudden changes in temp is bad, but I was more worried about constant below freezing temperature. I just think it would bad to have a guitar below freezing temps even though its constant in the shipping process. Actually this might not happen, if carriers keep the trucks heated. Does anyone know if shippers keep their trucks heated for the packages?

Dude...you live in friggin' Rochester.....

Once you start looking at North of Manitoba for a package drop then there might possibly be concern on an especially brutal Winter.

I know, but I want make sure there's no problems that would happen like hanging frets or warped wood, basically anything that would happen with the coldness since it's almost winter. You wouldn't want anything to damage a new guitar you just ordered.

I e-mailed musican friends and they said

Response (Mike) - 11/08/2005 03:13 PM
Thank you for your recent inquiry.

It is not very safe to ship guitars in below freezing temperatures. Colder
weather may cause the instrument to tighten up or become very frail.

I think you might be worrying just a bit too much about this, but that's just my opinion. Tighten up or become frail? As long as you wait a day or so before you bash it against a wall you shouldn't have any problems.


Originally Posted by FretFireI think you might be worrying just a bit too much about this, but that's just my opinion. Tighten up or become frail? As long as you wait a day or so before you bash it against a wall you shouldn't have any problems.

Thanks for the information I just wanted to confirm it with someone who has experience.


Originally Posted by greendy123Thanks for the information I just wanted to confirm it with someone who has experience.Well don't take my word alone as gospel, I just think that guitars are more durable than people sometimes give them credit for.


Originally Posted by FretFireWell don't take my word alone as gospel, I just think that guitars are more durable than people sometimes give them credit for.

Well, my good ol' Squier has been through some fairly intensive temperature changes where I live, and always manages to settle back to where it was before. As long as things like frets are glued in properly, and the guitar is built well, it should survive the temps. Especially, as FretFire said, if you give it a rest at your room temps before you hammer it.

Bottom line: give the guitar a day to acclimate itself and you´ll definitely be good.....

But essentially, it´s enough to feel the case,... when the outside reaches room temperature, another half hour and you´re safe


Originally Posted by greendy123I e-mailed musican friends and they said

Response (Mike) - 11/08/2005 03:13 PM
Thank you for your recent inquiry.

It is not very safe to ship guitars in below freezing temperatures. Colder
weather may cause the instrument to tighten up or become very frail.

Think about it in these terms:

Say you shipped a water balloon or a jug of water; something that can actually freeze when it gets cold and you're probably more farmiliar with the general conditions and the effect it would have.

Now, how often and at what points in the process would you think you would be likely to find the jug of water or the balloon to be actually frozen?

Maybe...if it sat in a truck outside for an extended length of time and the truck hit a wormhole and got transported to Death Valley 6 months in the future.

Seriously....you're being a ****ing worry-wart. In Rochester you need to be just slightly less concerned with something like, oh, say earthquakes.

Well I really don't know much about coldness with guitars, I just know about basic stuff like quick changes in temp. are bad. I really like to know everything, so this more of a learning experience for me. Anyways I'm lower on cash now, I really don't want to waste any money.


Originally Posted by greendy123Well I really don't know much about coldness with guitars, I just know about basic stuff like quick changes in temp. are bad. I really like to know everything, so this more of a learning experience for me. Anyways I'm lower on cash now, I really don't want to waste any money.

Extreme temperature changes will cause problems. If you take a guitar that has been outside during a good old-fashioned New England cold snap and bring it into a house with a roaring fire and immediately take it out of the case then you're probably going to have a problem.

The key is to let it acclimate. Let it sit inside in its case for 12 hours. Put it in the garage, or some place that gets the benifit of the heat coming from the house but isn't quot;heatedquot; per se and let that be a stepping stone.

If shipping guitars in the Winter was a major problem then manufacturers and re-sellers wouldn't do business during those times of year. Musicians Friend wouldn't ship to cold environments; guitar shops wouldn't sell. But, as we all know, that's one of the busiest times of the year for them due to the holidays!

To put it in perspective....one of teh guys that does quot;relicingquot; of Les Pauls (Tom Murphy I believe) puts guitars into an ice cream freezer for 24 hours and then pulls the axe out at noon in the middle of Summer in Arizona to get the finish cracks he's known for. That's potentially 100 degree shift in under ten seconds!

Acclimating is the key. Guitars are resillient, but time is the factor they absolutely must have on their side.