Mandolin in Cold Car?

[NHA2005]

Hi All,

I had to leave my vehicle with a dealership for emergency repair while on vacation and had no other choice other than to leave my mando in the car. The vehicle, and the mando, have been sitting outside for 5 days in 30 degree weather. I assume this will not ruin the instrument at all, is this correct? And what do I need to do once I want to play the instrument again?

Many thanks!

[Matt DeBlass]

It should be fine, just make sure you warm it up slowly. When you bring it in the house, you'll probably want to leave the case shut for a few hours/overnight to let it warm up slowly. The cold itself is less danger than a sudden change in temperature.

[MikeEdgerton]

Actually, depending on the finish you may have some finish checking. There could be other issues. Don't open the case, bring it inside and let it sit for several hours to gradually warm itself up to the same temperature as the room. I have some guitars that look very aged now after spending time in a cold car and being exposed to a warm room suddenly.

[chris scott]

hello NHA, I live in Brrrrrrrr...... Minnesota and leaving my mando in in cold conditions is part of the norm. If you have the time just let the mandolin in case acclimate to the indoor temp overnight, but if your going to be using it shortly crack the case ever so slightly and let adjust to the room. Its alot like putting fish in an aquarium, let them adjust slowly. hope this helps Chris.

[NHA2005]

Thx everyone! Very helpful

[journeybear]

Would it help to keep the warming process as gradual as possible by first leaving the instrument (still in the case, of course) in a cold area, like the garage or basement, and letting it get acclimated to that intermediate temperature, before bringing it inside and proceeding as above?

Is that the longest, most meandering question ever? Probably not. But I tried ...

case

[Ivan Kelsall]

If the Mandolin is really cold,then a gradual acclimatisation is the thing to do. Even worse than the sudden change in temp.,if you opened the case up fully,is the chance of a good dose of condensation all over it - not good !. I've had that many times when i was gigging. Fortunately i was playing Banjo,an instrument much less prone to real damage,& a half hour at room temp.before i played,& a wipe down with a cloth did the trick.
My Lebeda Mandolin was freighted up to me from TAMCO in Brighton UK,a distance of 203 miles & was left over a weekend in the back of a van in very cold weather,before it could be delivered. It was in a TKL shaped case,inside a cardbord box,packed out with newspaper. I opened it up in my nice warm living room & it was fine. No finish damage & no condensation. I put this down to the insulation properties of the paper packing inside the box. However, i wasn't to know that there would be no damage & things could have gone much worse,i was just ignorant of the possibility of damage - not any more ,
Ivan

[John Soper]

The biggest threat from exposure to cold is to the finish when the instrument is re-warmed, as noted above. Gradual acclimation is the key. If the instrument has been out in the cold for several days, I'd really take my time in opening the case. Make sure that the surface of the case is room temp before opening the case to touch the instrument. If it still feels cold, wafting some room temp air into the case & closing it again for a while is reasonable. Having grown up & gigged in the Midwest, there's nothing better to instantly age your instrument (and distress you) than bringing the case out of the trunk after a trip in subzero weather and having to open it immediately & begin tuning 'cause you're late for the gig... Instant spiderweb lacquer checking. Been there, dunnit.

[Big Joe]

The same principle holds true when shipping a mandolin or leaving it in the car, garage, or unheated facility. Before you open it, let it have a chance to come up to room temperature gradually on its own. Leave the case shut and let it acclimate overnight or with plenty of time to warm itself. The gradual warming will usually forestall any damage to the instrument or its finish.

If you are receiving an instrument during cold weather, let the box warm to room temperature before opening it. Then let the instrument sit in the case until it has ample opportunity to warm to room temperature. I like to recommend leaving the package untouched overnight. Then it should be safe to remove the case from the box and open the case. The first test is to see if the case has reached room temperature. If so, you are fine. If not, then go slow or wait. Remember, just because the outside of the box or case are room temperature, it does not mean the contents are. However, if you leave it in the box/ case overnight you should be fine.

Most of us want to get it open right now and don't want to wait that little extra to open that package and check out the wonderful thing inside. However, if you open it too quickly and the finish becomes cracked, it is almost never going to be covered by any warranty and most sellers will not give you your money back if you purchased it with an approval period. If you screw it up, it is yours. It is well worth taking a little time to let it warm before opening the box and risk your investment.

Even worse than cold weather where you may damage the finish is letting an instrument sit in a hot environment. If you leave it in the car in the summer, even for relatively short periods of time, it can destroy or badly damage the instrument. NEVER leave your instrument in the truck of your car. The temperatures can easily exceed the temperatures needed to release glue and cause all kinds of damage to your instrument. Bridges can come loose, necks can come loose, tops or backs can become loose, etc, etc, etc. The rule of thumb is that anyplace YOU are uncomfortable, your instrument (and pets) will be uncomfortable as well. Treat your instrument as one of your children when you have it in the car and you will avoid an awful lot of damage that we see on a too frequent basis.

[Bigtuna]

Should you let the instrument come up to temperature on its own in a room or can up put it near a vent while its in its case to speed up the process? Personally, I think I wouldn't put it by a vent for fears of cracks. But, I would like to hear everyone's thoughts on that aspect of the question.

[pmadison]

The problem with 'putting it next to a fire' will be heating up uneven.
One side will be cold and the other warm/hot. If this occurs then the wood will warp.
This is especially bad if there is a higher humidity.

[stevenmando]

Hi im living in Texas at the present time and the weather is sooo cold and the house that i live in is an old house so between the time that i play my mando i keep it in the case at all times and during the day when im not playing i keep it on the bed under covers in the case because the house is so cold but i just wonder if i should put a humidifier in the case, got to protect my babys.

[Mike Bunting]

Hi im living in Texas at the present time and the weather is sooo cold and the house that i live in is an old house so between the time that i play my mando i keep it in the case at all times and during the day when im not playing i keep it on the bed under covers in the case because the house is so cold but i just wonder if i should put a humidifier in the case, got to protect my babys.

How cold can it get in Texas? It is 8F here. I'm thinking of going to Austin next month to be where it is warm next month.

[HddnKat]

How cold can it get in Texas? It is 8F here. I'm thinking of going to Austin next month to be where it is warm next month.

I was working on my property in Bastrop just south of Austin today, and it was a pleasant 69 degrees - Mike, if you come to Austin, give me a shout! I"m expecting to spend Christmas day in short sleeves and wearing flip-flops.

[stevenmando]

Hi Im in the north west by Ft Worth about 50 miles and the evening can get down in the low 20,s and the weather goes up and down some days its warm and some days it cold were about 100 or so miles north from Austin so it does get cold here .

[journeybear]

Well, Mike is being facetious, of course. And of course it gets colder and stays colder longer where he lives than in Texas - thought why anyone would want to brag about that is beyond me. Unless of course you play banjo, which accounts for a lot of things, including a certain apathy about cold weather and its effect on your instrument. But yes, it gets cold and snows and all that in Texas, and even in Florida - though not in Key West, where it has never gotten below 41F. I'm not braggin', I'm just sayin'. All right, I may be braggin' just a little bit, not that that's any of my doing. But I do remember the time it got down to 44 - hoo boy! That was a tough day ...

[ptritz]

Should you let the instrument come up to temperature on its own in a room or can up put it near a vent while its in its case to speed up the process? Personally, I think I wouldn't put it by a vent for fears of cracks. But, I would like to hear everyone's thoughts on that aspect of the question.

The point of leaving the instrument in the case is so it changes temperature slowly. Putting it near a heat source so it warms up faster would kinda defeat the purpose.

[Salty Dog]

My BRWs live in Caltons and I have noticed that you can get considerable temperature change, even in a Calton in a relatively short time. If its in the sun for even a short time, the case warms noticeably to the touch, and so does the mandolin. I cover it with a jacket or small blanket and that helps a lot - anything to absorb the heat of the sun. This can happen in a car as the angle to the sun changes, so I always cover the case. When traveling in the cold, I put it in the passenger compartment and cover it when possible and when we stop to eat, I take it inside. Sure, you get some looks and questions. In fact, today when returning home from Buffalo, a waitress actually asked me if it was a ba**o. If that's what strangers think, at least I don't have to worry about anyone wanting to steal it.

[journeybear]

I heard about a banjo player who left his banjo in his car with the window open. Once he realized what he had done, he ran back to make sure it was safe - and someone had put another banjo in there!

I was wondering - is there such a thing as an airtight, insulated case? Seems something like that might make a difference, particularly if it's in the cold (or heat) for just a few hours.

[Mike Bunting]

I heard about a banjo player who left his banjo in his car with the window open. Once he realized what he had done, he ran back to make sure it was safe - and someone had put another banjo in there!

I was wondering - is there such a thing as an airtight, insulated case? Seems something like that might make a difference, particularly if it's in the cold (or heat) for just a few hours.

Why not build a case with a solar powered heating/cooling system in it?

[journeybear]

I did think of that, but went with simplicity, feasability, and actuality in my question. Which is not to say that your suggestion couldn't be done, but mine might actually exist.

[cocaseco]

I heard about a banjo player who left his banjo in his car with the window open. Once he realized what he had done, he ran back to make sure it was safe - and someone had put another banjo in there!

I was wondering - is there such a thing as an airtight, insulated case? Seems something like that might make a difference, particularly if it's in the cold (or heat) for just a few hours.

Our cases and case covers are designed to "make a difference" for a few hours, but tghey are not airtight. There is generally very little air movment, so airtight isn't needed. But if you are looking to,protect from extreme temperatures, or rapid temperature changes then our line of insulated soft cases and case covers may be of interest to you.

[Mike Bunting]

Up here, where it is cold , I only have my mando in the cold a short while,but I use CoCa covers to mitigate temperature fluctuations. I use them when I fly southward too, I think that airline folk are more likely to think they are a soft case and less likely to have me check it. Works so far.

[journeybear]

Thanks, cocaseco. I would have been real surprised if someone hadn't thought to make cases of this sort.

[Ivan Kelsall]

Quote - From Salty Dog "a waitress actually asked me if it was a ba**o". I don't drive & use public transport a lot. Years back when travelling to a local Folk club & carrying my Banjo,the bus driver asked me what was in the case. I told him a Trumpet,meaning to have a laugh with him,but as he seemed quite satisfied,i didn't have the heart to disillusion him,
Ivan