Official Luthiers Forum!

As a rule, I don't leave my guitars in a car on a hot day, but as the summer approaches, and I am playing out more I find the need to do this. They are all in a hard case which I would think helps a little bit, but how hot is too hot, and how long can I leave it in the car before I need to start worrying? I currently only build electrics, and I would think that the main concern there is the glue joints. Probably a little concern with the neck warping, but I would think that is secondary. As for my acoustics, I really have no idea, will the tops/backs warp? Obviously the glue is also a concern. I know that guitars get shipped all over the world in hot trucks and ships, so am I being a little paranoid?

thanks
John

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John Thiessen
http://www.iszacguitars.com

A good rule of thumb we always tell our repair clients, "If it's too warm for your kid, it's too warm for your guitar."

Not paranoid at all. A friend of mine who worked in a repair shop told me a story about a guitar he'd gotten in for repair. It had been left in a hot car, and at the moment when the owner opened the case, to his horror, it imploded. Apparently, the top of the case had been sort of holding it together, but when the top of the case was raised, the top peeled up from the sides at the tail. The neck joint was compromised and the bridge had lifted too. This is an extreme example, but no, you're not paranoid at all.

Pat

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formerly known around here as burbank
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http://www.patfosterguitars.com

If you check out the maximum temperature the glues we use and put a thermometer in a closed car in the sun you will see why we don't want to do this. There are thermal case covers available that will help, but long periods of time in a hot car still need to be avoided. I even am nervous when traveling, to stop at a restaurant for a meal on a hot day, if there is no shade to park in I will not eat there.

As stated above if its too hot for your children or pets it is too hot for a guitar.

Fred

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Fred Tellier
http://www.fetellierguitars.com
Facebook page http://www.facebook.com/pages/FE-Tellier-Guitars/163451547003866

I've had good success wrapping my instruments in a blanket or better a sleeping bag. I've left my truck parked in the sun using this system and found the instrument stays cool. I love to play at lunchtime and I do whatever it takes.

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Hutch

Get the heck off the couch and go build a guitar!!!!

Pre-tinted window days a friend drove home to Atlanta from Key West in an air conditioned '66 Barracuda fast back. His 1950's Martin D-28 was under the back glass in the original black case. The following Saturday he brought it to me complaining about buzzes and rattles. I had recently re-fretted this guitar. I checked the frets and set up and found no problems. Upon further investigation I found several loose braces by muting the strings and thumping the top and back.

I believe it was the black case sitting in full sun even with the A/C on absorbing heat during the ten or twelve hour trip home on I-75.

Having Been a member of the Stage-hands Union and loading in and out shows I noted that most music productions on the road use either white or silver road cases for instruments for additional insurance from heat absorption.

Thus the "Black instrument case conspiracy" was born.

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"Try to be the person your dog thinks you are."

http://sites.google.com/site/bertsguitarshop/