Taking your guitar outside when its cold?

You'll need to retune when you get to your lessons. It's likely your strings will have gone sharp from the contraction of the metal in the cooler temperature. When you get home, just let your guitar have an hour or so to warm up.

Have you considered a hardshell case? I think it would offer your guitar a bit more protection.

Thanks for the info MF.

I probably should get a hard shell if I am going to start taking it out now. When I got the gig bag I wasn't sure how often I would be taking it out. This will be the first time but I'm sure it won't be the last. Do you have any recommendations as to what to look for or stay away from when it comes to a hard shell?

For durability molded hard shell cases with metal edges and lips are what I prefer.

I try to stay away from the ones made out of wood as they can be broken where as the molded ones will dent.

It can come down to price also depending on how much you want to spend or how much you can afford to spend.

I also try to stay away from generics that have multiple uses. They don't seem to be able to cradle/protect the guitar as well as a form fitted kind.

All the above is just reiterating my previous experiences with guitars and cases. I have absolutely no data to backup my statements. :D

Is there anyplace at work where you can keep it a room temperature??? I would be leary of any sudden 20 degree change. If you take a cold guitar into a lesson in might "act up" for the entire half hour while it warms up.

Put some blankets on top or something.

Is there anyplace at work where you can keep it a room temperature???

I second that thought.

You will never keep it in tune during your lesson. I also wouldn't like a guitar to warm up that quickly. I would prefer to keep it in it's case to reach room temperature.

I ended up doing as Patrick suggested. I put a heavy blanket over it and tried to park so the sun could shine into the back seat floor area where I put it. I also arrived to the lesson about 30 minutes early and opened up the bag to allow the guitar to warm up slowly. It actually held tune pretty good even with the temps barely at 40 F.

I wasn't able to take it inside while I waited for the lesson time because I had several appointments before hand. I also work second shift so I am just now getting to work.

While I was at the lesson I looked at a molded case and one of the traditional style cases. The traditional style being the pressed wood or fiber board with the leather or faux leather wrapping. They were both Gator brand cases. Anyone familiar with these brands?

I have a Gator Case.
It is the molded dense foam with canvas covering. It is a good case for most applications, I paid about $60 for it.

The molded one I saw was close to that price.

Looks like I may have to put that on my Christmas list :D

I appreciate this post, because I have been wondering why my Montana has been so out of tune lately. But I have one of those really old houses that gets cold in the winter, esp in the room that my guitar is in.

This explains it.

Thanks

Geoo

At 42 degrees F, I wouldn't worry too much. Much colder and I would.

I NEVER leave a guitar I care about out when it's really cold (and living in Minnesota, I get a few really cold days here and there). If you do, you'll find that when you open it up in-doors all the metal parts are going to get a large amount of condensation on them.

The water can cause wiring shorts and all kinds of nastiness. But more frightening is that it can seep into any small cracks in the wood. Now, if you should take the guitar back into the cold and it would freeze again, the small amount of water in the wood cracks can expand and split the wood heavily.

Also, sudden temp changes -- going from a -20 degree case to a 75 degree house for example -- can be enough of a shock to some components to simply cause them to split.

So my rule of thumb is simple -- above freezing no worries. Below freezing, guitar stays with me in-doors.

SKB makes really good hard shell cases. A little pricey but the quality is there. I don't know if it would be much more protection against the cold than what you already have though.

i have an SKB and it even protected me from when i got caught in a freak rainstorm with the guitar. not single drop of moisture got in there. Luckily i was only in it for a few minutes. but overall that is a nice, molded case that can take a beating and the gutiar fits in it nicely.