Do you wait? Or do you dive right in?

[mrcbass]

That's the most cruel sticker in the music world!

I'll typically follow the rules (better safe than sorry), but it depends on the weather. Stuff coming west in the winter will always get my attention - shipments cross two formidable mountain ranges getting to me with pretty severe changes in temps than my locale.

 

[Obese Chess]

I don't live somewhere with extreme temperatures and almost never buy instruments that need to be shipped, so no, I haven't done this. Forgot it was even a thing!

 

[primusfan1989]

Or is this total bs?

Not BS, drastic temp changes are not good for wooden instruments(warped necks, damage to nitro finishes etc). During extreme temps-particularly winter- I would follow their advice.

 

[Mantis Tobaggan]

I got a bass with a nitro finish so I gave it a couple hours to avoid checking.

 

[Charlzm]

A number of guitar/bass companies will include a sticker on the outside of the shipment saying something to the effect of “Don’t open your new guitar for 24 hours.” They want the new axe to acclimate to its new climate gradually.

My question is, do you wait? Do you throw caution to the wind? Or is this total bs?

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Never seen anything like that on anything I have purchased.

 

[verstft]

It's mostly just an issue during the winter where it could have gone from extreme cold temperatures to warm temperatures. Keeping it in the case helps make that gradual thermal shift slower. I wouldn't do it with an electric, but I would absolutely do that for a high-end solid wood acoustic.

 

[JW56789]

But the real thing at work here, at least for me:

If you think I'm going let the the UPS, FedX, etc., guy drive off, me babysit the thing and open it 24 hours or whatever later and THEN find out it got mangled on the way to my house?

No. We're BOTH going to see what kind of shape it's in before he leaves.

 

[bobyoung53]

A number of guitar/bass companies will include a sticker on the outside of the shipment saying something to the effect of “Don’t open your new guitar for 24 hours.” They want the new axe to acclimate to its new climate gradually.

My question is, do you wait? Do you throw caution to the wind? Or is this total bs?

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Depends on how cold the case is, if you can feel the cold emanating from the case, I will wait a few hours until it's warmed up, I've had to play cold bases a few times though with no waiting, never had a problem that I can remember. 24 hours is a little ridiculous to me though.

 

[Billoney]

I heared it here first.

 

[knadles]

I'd be more concerned with an acoustic instrument than a solid body. And I think it would be a bigger deal if it was sitting on a truck in the winter and you brought it into a warm house. If it's 70 degrees outside and 70 in the house, what's the point?

That said, I think I've purchased exactly one bass* ever without playing it in person. It was used and delivered in the summer, so it didn't even occur to me to wait.

Pete

*Just realized, it's the P-bass I'm holding in my profile pic. Ha.

 

[Dr_dB]

A number of guitar/bass companies will include a sticker on the outside of the shipment saying something to the effect of “Don’t open your new guitar for 24 hours.” They want the new axe to acclimate to its new climate gradually.

My question is, do you wait? Do you throw caution to the wind? Or is this total bs?

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Unless it is a water tight package their point is moot.
If it is sealed up: It is all about the dew point. IF the new environment has a lower dew point than the item has it will condensate. Of course, this is an issue anytime you move it indoors or outdoors for its entire life.
I learned all about this through photography gear decades ago.

 

[WebJunk]

Anyone here been on tour? Gear moved about in hot conditions with the truck/trailer having the sun beat on it. Or freezing cold, snow & ice covering the truck. Sometimes you've got minutes to get it inside for a soundcheck.

Waiting is not a bad thing but not 24 hours. Just enough for conditions to aclimate. Just on the off chance the finish or something with the instrument wasn't cured properly. But if it wasn't cured properly you might have a problem further on after the Return window has lapsed.

 

[GreyEagle]

A number of guitar/bass companies will include a sticker on the outside of the shipment saying something to the effect of “Don’t open your new guitar for 24 hours.” They want the new axe to acclimate to its new climate gradually.

My question is, do you wait? Do you throw caution to the wind? Or is this total bs?

View attachment 3910515

I've never even heard of this!! Ordered a few basses online w/o any such cautionary note....

 

[RJI777]

A number of guitar/bass companies will include a sticker on the outside of the shipment saying something to the effect of “Don’t open your new guitar for 24 hours.” They want the new axe to acclimate to its new climate gradually.

My question is, do you wait? Do you throw caution to the wind? Or is this total bs?

View attachment 3910515

Not something that I have ever come across in Europe. However, I might well ignore it. You see, I've bought a few items this year e.g., a Squire bass, a Digitech pedal, etc. They were all manufactured in China and distributed through Europe, but for some inexplicable reason have labels attached to them due to some state legislation from California. According to the labels, these products can cause cancer and may damage the human reproductive system. Obviously, upon reading these messages, I sent all the items back - NOT. Seriously? Who comes up with this crap?; and why now?

 

[P Cheen]

Not something that I have ever come across in Europe. However, I might well ignore it. You see, I've bought a few items this year e.g., a Squire bass, a Digitech pedal, etc. They were all manufactured in China and distributed through Europe, but for some inexplicable reason have labels attached to them due to some state legislation from California. According to the labels, these products can cause cancer and may damage the human reproductive system. Obviously, upon reading these messages, I sent all the items back - NOT. Seriously? Who comes up with this crap?; and why now?

It’s just to cover all bases. I’m a healthcare professional and a resident of California and we just pretty much ignore it. Not professionally of course, but in our day-to-day lives. Even places like hotels or parks have notices like that.
Better to be safe than sorry, is how I see it.

 

[GonePlaid]

A number of guitar/bass companies will include a sticker on the outside of the shipment saying something to the effect of “Don’t open your new guitar for 24 hours.” They want the new axe to acclimate to its new climate gradually.

My question is, do you wait? Do you throw caution to the wind? Or is this total bs?

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We don't have "winter" so that's not a thing; it's been sitting in a non air conditioned truck or facility for 3-4 days; I wanna make certain there's no damage. I know the UPS/FedEx/whatever driver ain't gonna wait while I check it out, but CS needs to know if there's a problem.

 

[Low Main]

Some years back I bought a bass online from an individual seller in Texas. Payment was made, days went by, no tracking number, no bass. No returned phone calls or emails.

I finally reached the seller's wife by chance on the phone and told her that if finding a large enough box and packing the bass up was a problem, her husband could just take the neck off and send the bass in a smaller box. Ordinarily I would not make that suggestion, but I didn't think there would be any progress otherwise.

Luckily for me, it was a bolt on bass.

Some days after that, I got two boxes from Texas at the Post Office. The neck was packed in a rifle box. The body was packed in a Depends box.

When the clerk handed the boxes to me over the counter she said: "Which one are you going to open first?"

 

[DJ Dru]

A number of guitar/bass companies will include a sticker on the outside of the shipment saying something to the effect of “Don’t open your new guitar for 24 hours.” They want the new axe to acclimate to its new climate gradually.

My question is, do you wait? Do you throw caution to the wind? Or is this total bs?

View attachment 3910515

I open the main shipping box and take out the case or gigbag holding my prize. Then I allow it to acclimate the full amount of time it takes me to walk 60 feet from my office to where my guitars live at the back of the house. That seems to work fine. No, crazy twisted necks or blown finishes out of 16 guitars over the last 3 years.

 

[birminghambass]

I have a bass coming from New Mexico tomorrow. It'll sit in the sweltering truck all day (96 degrees tomorrow). I'll bring it inside my 72 degree house and open immediately. If my suspicions are correct, it will be just fine. Just like the 200+ other instruments I've purchased through the years.

 

[shammer]

A number of guitar/bass companies will include a sticker on the outside of the shipment saying something to the effect of “Don’t open your new guitar for 24 hours.” They want the new axe to acclimate to its new climate gradually.

My question is, do you wait? Do you throw caution to the wind? Or is this total bs?

View attachment 3910515

Just like women. Room temperature and fingers ready to explore