How Long Do I Wait To Unbox a New Ukulele?

I left my new Homestead in the box for two days (plus a half day at the climate controlled FedEx desk at Walgreens).

That was much more about how sick I was than about how patient I am ;)
 
How long I wait depends on the temperature outside. Usually I try to have the Ukulele held at the post office or Walgreens so that it can warm up-or cool down to room temperature while I wait to pick it up.

I always have my ukes shipped in a case. Therefore I will open the packing and to let the case warm up or cool down, 6-12 hours always seems like enough. The case alone should be a sufficient thermal barrier to prevent thermal shock and speed up the process. I have only had two ukuleles get finish cracks during shipping. Both had experienced incredibly cold temperatures in transit like -20°F and a long bumpy ride from the west to east coasts. I’m pretty sure for these finish cracks happened during shipping. A lot of this depends on the finish also.
 
I've never waiting to unbox any of the 110 ukes I've bought over the past five years. I can understand waiting a few hours and unboxing in stages if there are extremes of temperature, but I haven't been in that situation. It is wood, after all, a pretty durable material.
 
Most of the time my ukuleles arrive while I'm at work. My mom is home and she receives them, and puts them inside. So they probably sit at room temp for several hours until I get home. However, if I am at home when they come, I unbox right away.
 
I'd tear that box open as soon as it hit my doorstep! If the box looks mangled, I'd take a few minutes to set up a tripod for an unboxing video in case of instrument damage. I received two crushed instruments in 2019 so a video is a necessary precaution for the return and/or insurance claim.
 
If it were me I don't think I would give it much thought unless the weather was extreme. I would probably open it up and enjoy.
 
If it were me I don't think I would give it much thought unless the weather was extreme. I would probably open it up and enjoy.

Me too but I guess I don't live in an extreme climate. The few times I have ordered from the US I have opened the package within minutes of its arrival. Never had any issues.
 
Thoughtful replies but some are way over the top IMHO. Has anyone actually had a ukulele crack or a finish crack because they failed to acclimate before they unboxed it? I've heard lots of concern but never an actual case of a ukulele failing because of not acclimating long enough.

The worst culprit to ukuleles by far is sitting in a hot car. The wood and braces expand differently and glue loves to let go in heat. Also, extremely dry environments can contribute to cracks but the vast majority of cracks happen because of dropping or banging a ukulele into something. I have many ukuleles that are 90-100+ years old and only a few have cracks which seem to have been caused by damage or by the wood selection being highly figured wood that moves when it dries (unlike a tight, symmetrical grain).
 
Ultimately I think the lesson here is to err on the side of caution.

My first all-solid wood uke was delivered to me when the pathway between the sender and me was experiencing temps from the 60's to highs in the the NEGATIVE teens and 20's! (with no case) That's a temperature swing of 80 +/- degrees! I was so paranoid that I waited 24 hours. Thankfully, all was fine when I opened it.
 
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If a package arrived the temperature of my deep freezer 0F/-18C, I'd want it to acclimatize, no matter what kind of object was inside. Well, popsicles and ice cream bars would be just fine.

Something above fridge temperature 40F/4C, I probably wouldn't concern myself too much... except popsicles and ice cream bars - messy.
 
Thank you to all for the excellent feedback!!!

I emailed HMS a couple weeks ago, just to try and get their official weigh in on the matter, but I haven't heard back from them yet.

Current turnaround time on full set ups is currently at 10-22 days, which has been extended some since I sent off my order. While I know my patience will be worth it in the end, this is feeling like an eternity.
 
Thank you to all for the excellent feedback!!!

I emailed HMS a couple weeks ago, just to try and get their official weigh in on the matter, but I haven't heard back from them yet.

Current turnaround time on full set ups is currently at 10-22 days, which has been extended some since I sent off my order. While I know my patience will be worth it in the end, this is feeling like an eternity.

It would be interesting to see what they say. As for the setup, the last time I bought from them, I got the faster setup. I suppose it depends on how particular you are and what brand of uke you're getting.
 
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