New guitar handling

[GregK]

I purchased a new 418-e R online last week and due to arrive tomorrow.  The shop/dealer that I purchased the guitar from advised that I should only crack the case and let the guitar acclimate for 12-24 hours before removing from the case to avoid surface cracks.  Is this for real?  Is the guitar finish that sensitive?  The guitar is being shipped via ground UPS from Wisconsin to Colorado.  I would think it should only need to adjust to the room temperature prior to removing from the case.  Any thoughts?

[mgap]

I usually remove the case from the box and let it acclimate to room temperature for 24 hours.  Of course, this is always hard to not open up the case and take a peak, but Wisconsin is a pretty cold and so is Colorado, so have patience. This has always worked for me.

[SoCalSurf]

Congrats on the new guitar! I would definitely consider taking some precautions when you receive it, as (mostly sudden) changes in temperature and humidity can in fact damage a guitar. I haven't experienced it personally because I try to respect the process but have heard horror stories from others.

The biggest thing I try to do is to contact UPS the day before and arrange to have the guitar kept at the local UPS pick-up and notify you when it arrives. That way it doesn't sit on a truck outside all day. I would try to pick it up as soon as you are notified that it is in. Then be as patient as possible when it arrives-- it'll be coming from a long trip through the cold into your warm, possibly low-humidity house.

Enjoy the NGD and please post pictures when you get a chance.

[Taylorholic]

I've never waited that long under the same conditions but that's probably foolish of me and I've just been lucky.  Not sure if this is related or not but when I received my 514ce LTD last year after letting it warm up for as long as I thought was necessary (probably not long enough) I took it out of it's case, tuned it up and started playing.  That first night I was positive it was going back.  It was just dead and lifeless with no sustain and sounded like an all laminate guitar.  The next night it sounded completely different and by the end of the week it became a guitar I will never part with.  The granadillo / cedar combination is truly magical.  No, it was not my imagination and me just getting used to the sound.  I already had a 414ce R for comparison and it was that guitar that made me want another Taylor.  The only explanation I can think of for this experience is the guitar spent two whole days in a truck in below zero conditions and I hadn't let it acclimate to it's surroundings long enough before opening the case and playing it.  I'm lucky I didn't damage it and fortunate I kept it for a week to let it acclimate to it's new home because man, this guitar is hard to describe!  I know another guy on another forum who feels the same way about his.

[LK17]

When I purchased my 2017 Taylor 814CE it was shipped directly from the Taylor factory to my local Taylor dealer. The sales guy called me about 10 mins after it arrived that I could come pick it up when I’m ready. I drove straight to the store and picked it up. When I was walking out the store another sales guy said do you not wanna open and take a look before you leave the store? My sales guy said, he’s taking it home to acclimate before opening it. The other sales guy was like, well we only have a 48 hour return timeframe so just checking - I did find 48 hours very short to test a guitar but yeah it was brand new directly from the Taylor factory and it sounded amazing and flawless.

I went on to work after picking it up and let it acclimate all day at the house for 24 hours. In 24 to 48 hours you should be great.

[Edward]

....I would think it should only need to adjust to the room temperature prior to removing from the case.  Any thoughts?

This, sir!  Unbox it, leave the case in your room for a few hours, and you should be perfectly fine.

The old mantra applies more to laquer/laquer-based fins that some guitars still use (e.g. Gibson) that are temp sensitive so sudden temp changes can --and do-- cause "checking."  Taylor's finish is a UV-cured poly fin that is both stronger and less-temp sensitive.  I've still, in these few decades that Taylor has been using its poly fin, yet to hear of any Taylor checking from weather changes.  Enjoy your new guit!!

Edward

[mgap]

....I would think it should only need to adjust to the room temperature prior to removing from the case.  Any thoughts?

This, sir!  Unbox it, leave the case in your room for a few hours, and you should be perfectly fine.

The old mantra applies more to laquer/laquer-based fins that some guitars still use (e.g. Gibson) that are temp sensitive so sudden temp changes can --and do-- cause "checking."  Taylor's finish is a UV-cured poly fin that is both stronger and less-temp sensitive.  I've still, in these few decades that Taylor has been using its poly fin, yet to hear of any Taylor checking from weather changes.  Enjoy your new guit!!

Edward

I can totally understand what Edward is saying, and I did not think about the finish material change that Taylor has made.  I do think that the guitar wood should warm up before judging the tone of any new acoustic guitar.