Another temperature question

[MaggieMae]

I apologize for contributing to the proliferation of newbie questions currently on the board. I do so appreciate the years of wisdom present here. Anyway, I just received delivery of my new mandolin (!!!), and took it out of the box. I saw some fogging on the metal of the tailguard, wiped it off, and realized that it is cold outside and we brought it into the warm house. The weather has been so mild, I forgot we had a cold snap last night. I quickly placed the instrument back inside its case. How long should it take until it has safely achieved equilibrium? I want to touch it. :grin:

Also, living in Florida, what care should I take to protect it (and my other mandolin as well) from humidity and temperature fluctuations? It will generally be in my air conditioned house, car, or studio where I will take lessons. The transition to the car, where it will be initially a million degrees in summer, gives me the most pause.

[avaldes]

Advice on a shipped mandolin seems to be let it sit in the case for a day. I don't know how cold it was in FL (we are in the single digits here, and then it gets really cold). The problem of warming too quickly is finish checking (crackly pattern develops in the finish). If this did not happen, you are probably OK.
In winter, where I am, low humidity with central heating is the problem and I have various room and in-case humidification solutions. AC in the summer does not dry the air out too much here, but could be a problem in Arizona I suppose. I have a Planet Waves hygrometer for measuring humidity, to let me know if I need to step up my humidificaiton measures. I strongly recommend you get one to see what you are dealing with.
I would not leave a string instrument in a car in summer (or winter, at least around here). When I have a lesson or jam after work, I bring it from the car into my office.

[allenhopkins]

Whatever damage might have occurred to your mandolin, already happened when you took it out of its box and case. What causes low-temperature-to-warm-temperature problems, is the sudden change; different parts of the instrument warm up at unequal temperatures. The most common is that less-flexible finishes expand or contract at a different rate than the woods they cover, causing what's called "lacquer checking" or "alligatoring" -- a network of fine cracks in the finish, very common on older instruments that've been through years of changes.

Gradual temperature changes -- within reason -- usually don't cause damage. Doubt it ever gets cold enough in FL to do much harm to a mandolin brought indoors from -- what? -- maybe 45º to 70º?

Excessive heat could easily be a summertime problem in your state. And there it's not just a "sudden change" problem; an instrument baking in 100º+ temperatures in your car can develop serious problems. Mahogany, the usual wood used for mandolin necks, can get pretty pliable when it's that warm, and the tension of the strings can pull a nice bend into the neck, even one with a decent steel truss rod. And at the higher temperatures, glue joints can soften and let go, again under string tension. There's a lot of force stored up in eight concert-tuned steel mandolin strings.

Rule of thumb: you're comfortable, the instrument's OK too. Keeping the mandolin cased when moving it from house, to car, to studio, will minimize the effect of environmental change. Get a decent hygrometer and thermometer, keep them either in the instrument's case or at least where it's usually stored, and check the values, perhaps daily. Be careful, but not paranoid. And, in FL, remember your main concerns should be too-high heat and humidity in the summer. A little condensation on a tailpiece brought into your house shouldn't indicate a serious problem.

[MaggieMae]

Allen, you are right - it was in the thirties this morning, while it was on the truck, but was up to the upper-40's by delivery, and about 65 in the house. I just didn't even think about it, because our lows have been in the upper 50's and 60's until today.

I will never leave either instrument in the car in any weather. I just worry about that first few minutes until the A/C can get the car down to a reasonable temperature. I will keep it cased, get a thermometer and hygrometer, and see what they recommend for humidity control for summer at the local store.

Thank you for your help.

[Mike Bunting]

None of the temps you mention are cold.

[MaggieMae]

Mike, this is Florida cold. You are correct that it isn't "actual" cold. In Chicago, we would wear shorts in this weather, but here most people bundle up in their winter gear and are sad.

[Mike Bunting]

Your mandolins live in a world where the actual temperatures are the relevant ones.

[lenf12]

I just worry about that first few minutes until the A/C can get the car down to a reasonable temperature.

Open the car windows until the A/C is blowing cold and strong. If the mandolin is in its case, this should pose no dangers whatsoever. You're correct about never leaving the instrument in the car in any weather. It's likely to be stolen long before any temperature related damage occurs. Allen's advice above is correct; prolonged exposure to excessive heat is the enemy of wooden stringed instruments. Thermal inertia of wood takes quite a while to overcome. They should however be absolutely fine going from your a/c home, outside to +90 degrees temps and humidity, to your +120 degree car parked in the FL summer sunshine before the a/c kicks in and back inside to your a/c destination. Everything is air conditioned here in FL (thankfully) and your transition from one temp to another is too brief to cause any damage so don't worry.

Len B.
Clearwater, FL