Acclimatizing a uke

Patrick Madsen

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I just received a Giannini bari from Minnesota. I live in rainy weather Washington.

I let it set in the box with top flap open to acclimate; 4 hours later I opened it. Realizing it was still cold to the touch, I checked it out and put it in a padded case.

I've never received an instrument from a freezing climate. Is there a correct way to acclimatize a solid wood instrument? Is putting in a case right away making a difference and how long should I leave it.

It's like having a new toy at Christmas and the parents forgot to buy batteries for it.
 
When I got the Moon Bird on Tuesday, it was in the midst of an ice storm. The UPS driver forgot to have me sign, because he was so focused on trying not to slip on the ice, and when I mentioned that it needed a signature, he got a look of panic, and then asked if he could sign for me, instead of walking a few feet back to me, (and he kept telling me it was too dangerous for me to walk out there at all.)

So, probably colder than you're experiencing, anyway, if you've got rain. I had googled how long to wait, and found answers ranging from 4 to 6 hours, 12 hours, and 24 hours.
I think the 24 hours was from music stores, who were being extreme, knowing that people wouldn't really wait that long, I would guess.

I waited 8 1/2 hours before opening the case. I let it sit for 6 hours, then opened the box a bit, then a bit more, then it was in an open box in the case. No problems with that process, other than really, really wanting to open the box sooner. LOL.

We're supposed to have a high temperature next week of -12, so I'm glad I don't have to worry about a ukulele surviving a road trip in a UPS truck this coming week.
I hate winter, but am glad to have ukuleles to keep me smiling in spite of the snow, ice, and cold.
 
The folks from HMS suggested that I wait overnight to let a new ukulele acclimatize. Even better would be a whole day. I received one from them that spent the night in the UPS truck in minus -10 to -15 degs F because the delivery arrived the day before they said it would and I wasn't home. I took the case out of the box after 4 hrs. Opened the case to check that the uke was in good shape. Then I left it in the case for 14 hours in a room that was at 67° F. The case was room temp when I removed the uke and slowly tightened the strings over the next 2 hours. The humidifier had the room at 41%.

I sent HMS an email and asked if that was a good way to adjust the uke to its new environment. They replied that it was just right for a uke that was in sub zero temps for two days.

It's minus 9° F right now in Western Wisconsin. Minus 22 with wind chill. Humidity inside is 27% without a humidifier running. 41% at 72° in the music room. (Spare bedroom.) Brrrr! Where's my brandy...
 
The folks from HMS suggested that I wait overnight to let a new ukulele acclimatize. Even better would be a whole day. I received one from them that spent the night in the UPS truck in minus -10 to -15 degs F because the delivery arrived the day before they said it would and I wasn't home. I took the case out of the box after 4 hrs. Opened the case to check that the uke was in good shape. Then I left it in the case for 14 hours in a room that was at 67° F. The case was room temp when I removed the uke and slowly tightened the strings over the next 2 hours. The humidifier had the room at 41%.

I sent HMS an email and asked if that was a good way to adjust the uke to its new environment. They replied that it was just right for a uke that was in sub zero temps for two days.

It's minus 9° F right now in Western Wisconsin. Minus 22 with wind chill. Humidity inside is 27% without a humidifier running. 41% at 72° in the music room. (Spare bedroom.) Brrrr! Where's my brandy...

When I got mine from Elderly in December they had a warning right on the box that said not to open it for 24 hrs. So I waited. Why not, I'm not a child? But when it comes to USPS, FedEx, UPS trucks and airplane cargo holds, how cold do they let it get inside? Ukuleles are not the only temperature sensitive things to get shipped. I can not imagine that they let it get to minus degrees. My wife gets wine shipped to her all year long. We get liquids all the time. So I don't know, but if it got that cold I'm afraid that the fruit boxes that we have sent to my in-laws every month would show up ruined in the winter, and they don't.
 
When I ordered my first all-solid wood uke it was a buy it now or miss out situation so I couldn't wait for a more weather friendly time of year. Unfortunately at the time the uke shipped, we were in a massive cold snap. The highs for the day were below zero for the entire time it was in transit. I was paranoid the whole time because it wasn't even shipped with a case for added insulation. (The temperature swing between the outdoor temps and the indoor temp was about 80 degrees.) When I finally got the delivery I wasn't going to take any chances because I didn't know what kind of temps the box might have been exposed to. I waited 36 hours before I opened the box which was really tough. Thankfully all was well but I'm glad I waited as long as I did.
 
I'm glad I read this. I have one arriving on Tuesday, so I'll wait to open the box. It should be in the mid 30s on Tuesday, but I'll wait for the unboxing.

Lots online about that. Good article below.
https://artisanguitars.com/faq/temp...t-24-hours-open-my-newly-delivered-instrument

And more -
https://www.google.com/search?rlz=1...F7YvgAhVSVd8KHZ5pB30QBQgrKAA&biw=1920&bih=938

EDIT: This is odd: "(Note: This does not apply to resonator instruments, or those with a floating bridge, such as mandolins and some archtops)." From the "Good article" I referenced above.
 
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I took the case out of the box after 4 hrs. Opened the case to check that the uke was in good shape.

Using Dr. Google as my expert, my understanding was the opening the case and checking the uke too soon would be enough to cause damage, like finish checking. So, if your uke was OK at the 4 hour mark, my understanding, (limited as it is), is that it was OK to play at that point.

Since I know I'm quite likely wrong on that, can someone explain why it would be OK to take it out of the case, but still not OK to play?
 
We get liquids all the time. So I don't know, but if it got that cold I'm afraid that the fruit boxes that we have sent to my in-laws every month would show up ruined in the winter, and they don't.

Good point about the fruits and liquids. The trucks definitely aren't kept that warm, but there must be some protection there.
 
Using Dr. Google as my expert, my understanding was the opening the case and checking the uke too soon would be enough to cause damage, like finish checking.

During my paranoid wait for delivery in sub-zero temperatures, I was reading up on the temperature thing. One person told of their experience with a mandolin that they placed on the couch so they could go and answer the front door. The couch and mandolin were close enough to the front door that they were exposed to the cold blast of air when the front door was opened. They said that just that brief exposure was enough to cause crazing in the finish of the mandolin.
 
During my paranoid wait for delivery in sub-zero temperatures, I was reading up on the temperature thing. One person told of their experience with a mandolin that they placed on the couch so they could go and answer the front door. The couch and mandolin were close enough to the front door that they were exposed to the cold blast of air when the front door was opened. They said that just that brief exposure was enough to cause crazing in the finish of the mandolin.

Wow, that's unsettling.
 
Well it's not fair perhaps, but I just can't resist pointing out that this is not a concern for Klos or Blackbird ukes. (Or Outdoor Ukuleles too.)
 
So, Patrick, what did you end up doing? How did it all work out? And what do you think about your Giannini bari?
 
It's funny, but looking back over my purchases, I have bought almost all of mine during spring and summer. I wonder why that is.
 
It all came out great! No problems with the change in climate weather thank goodness. The Giannini looks like new even though it's a very early one, #379. The Favillas are a little more robust but the Gia. sounds really clean. I'm going to throw on some Nylon trebles and see if that'll bring out the old time bluesy sound a vintage mahogany with nylon stringsdoes.

Thanks for asking Joyful. Was sweatin' it a bit coming from Iceberg cold Minnesota to our "warm" 52o weather here today.
 
Good point about the fruits and liquids. The trucks definitely aren't kept that warm, but there must be some protection there.

I'm an environmental consultant in Montana. We ship water samples almost weekly and they need to be placed on ice inside coolers for transport per EPA guidance. In over 15 years of doing this, I recall about 6 times when samples froze on their way to the lab. In all but 2 cases it was due to having a shipment miss it's connection at an airport due to extremely inclement weather where the shipment presumably sat on the tarmac in a truck or cart overnight. The other two times were due to the samples being in the back of a truck either en-route or overnight during very cold weather (negative twenties or less).

So, IME, while freezing does happen it's rather unusual - but not inexpensive!
 
Thanks for bringing up this topic, Patrick, I've learned from it. I haven't had any problems as yet with receiving or sending ukuleles, but I do avoid buying and selling in the coldest part of the year, like now here in the Northeast. Though I have been tempted and have missed a couple on my wish list....
 
I had no idea... thanks!
 
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