Enjoy the benefits of a premium membership!
Upgrade Account
-
TalkBass has been independent since 1998. Add your voice.
Create a free account to reply to discussions, view embedded media, and browse with fewer display ads.
Join free Log in
Want zero display ads or expanded classifieds tools? Compare plans.
1 hour in the box.
Unbox it.
1 hour in the case.
Open the case.
1 hour exposed to the air.
If that cracks the bass, then you bought a bass that will be impossible* to tour/travel with, so grats.
EDIT: If, after an hour, the surface of the box/case is still cold, then give it another hour.
*rilly rilly tuff
Unbox it.
1 hour in the case.
Open the case.
1 hour exposed to the air.
If that cracks the bass, then you bought a bass that will be impossible* to tour/travel with, so grats.
EDIT: If, after an hour, the surface of the box/case is still cold, then give it another hour.
*rilly rilly tuff
Last edited:
I'm in North Dakota, too, an hour north of Ryan L. When I was a teen in the 70s I left my brand-new Fender P in the band trailer over a -20 degree winter night by mistake and when I took it in had its first bit of crazing in the heavy poly on the back. Temperature extremes can definitely cause thick poly finishes to crack and craze. Whether this happened from the sub-zero cold or the quick warm up, I don't know, and I can't say whether it would happen after a ride in the UPS truck, but I wouldn't rule it out. I had a terrible time keeping myself from unpacking my Dingwall almost exactly a year ago today. It was in a gig bag inside the box, and I took the gig bag out right away, but didn't open it for a few hours. I reached in and felt it every now and then, and when I finally took it out it was still pretty cool to the touch, but I couldn't wait any longer.
On the way to gigs these days I keep my basses in the cab of the truck when it's cold out. Everything else goes in the trailer or the pickup box. Maybe not necessary, but I do it.
On the way to gigs these days I keep my basses in the cab of the truck when it's cold out. Everything else goes in the trailer or the pickup box. Maybe not necessary, but I do it.
Last edited:
Do you wait 18 hours to let your instrument acclimatize before a gig?
A few weeks ago, I drove 5 hours north of Toronto, Canada to do a gig. We were driving through a snowstorm with something insane like 20 meters of visibility and ended up stuck in a snowbank on the side of the highway for an hour before we were able to get pulled out. Then, we got to the gig (late!) had to whip all of our gear up onstage, soundcheck and start playing within 20 minutes of our arrival. My bass had been in it's gig bag, in the unheated trunk the entire 7.5 hours of travel time in this frigid Canadian winter weather... and surprise! It didn't fall to pieces once it hit the warm room. This bass is a Warwick.
And this isn't the first time I've had to do something like this... A few years ago I had some christmas gigs in Toronto, followed by a New Years gig in Bermuda. Then when I returned, I had to fly to Vancouver and then San Francisco for gigs, followed by a train ride to Chicago and then Windsor, Canada and then aaalllll the way up to North Bay, Canada which is about 3.5 hours north of Toronto (or, close to 9 hours from Windsor). All with the same bass and never had an issue other than needing to tune it up. No finish cracks, no neck warping, no fret sprout, etc. This bass is a Fender Precision.
I really think that some folks here get more than a little umm... fussy? About things like this. Any instrument that is built with even the slightest care could and should be able to withstand the rigors of touring, let along the short trip of shipping from warehouse A to customer B. If upon inspection, the instrument has a crack in the finish, I'm willing to bet it was either a manufacturer's defect or a careless shipping/handling accident, and most likely not a product of you not taking the requisite 18 hours of acclimatization time before taking it out of it's case.
This is, of course, just my $0.05 - since we no longer use pennies up here in the "True North, Strong and Free."
Fair enough.You obviously don't know much about me or you wouldn't put the word "gig" in a question to me
I'm a jobber. I gig constantly and my gear gets miles and miles and miles put on it every year... this stuff is pretty tough, in my experience.
Last edited:
BurningSkies
CRAZY BALDHEAD
- Feb 20, 2005
- 27,956
- 20,348
- Disclosures
- Endorsing artist: Dingwall Guitars
Yep...I have a Dingwall coming next week. It's going from Saskatoon (hopefully gone), to Florida then to me. I actually don't have hard case coming with it, so I'll be extra careful. We've been right around -10 to 5f this week with more of the same planned. I'll have it delivered at work, and let it sit for a good while, then open the box, let it 'breathe' for a while then unpack it.
Ouch. Although that looks prettier than mine did when it cracked.
I also had a 73P that showed signs of this too, but well before it was mine:
ive got a yin yang deluxe literally on a fedex truck at -21 f waiting for next business day for delivery..i will stare at that box for a maximum of 7 seconds before the knife starts slicing cardboard to get to the case to open. If the wood rips off, vinnie and crew have a new repair project. In all seriousness i have lived in cold forever and basses survive no problem..a little retune and maybe a truss rod turn and all is fine, some of the suggestions im reading are very comical.
I live in brutally cold Minnesota and I always open my guitars and basses right away! No problems (yet)
BurningSkies
CRAZY BALDHEAD
- Feb 20, 2005
- 27,956
- 20,348
- Disclosures
- Endorsing artist: Dingwall Guitars
Interesting responses given there are people posting who have not only had this happen but have also posted photo proof. But do what you all like, certainly. Should be an interesting week for more than a few people, given the current temperatures.
I'm in Ontario, Canada and we're seeing similar temperatures. I just received a bass with Nitro Lacquer finish and diverted it to the FedEx Shipping facility for pickup. Otherwise it would have sat on my porch for 6 hours at -22 degrees Celsius. That -7.8 degrees F for my friends to the South!
Disaster averted. I let the bass warm up for about 3 hours after getting it back. It was perfect. But I really was worried!
I live in the deep South, have owned hundreds of instrument shipped from all over the world. Never waiting 24 SECONDS before opening and never will. Most people here that say "I wait X hours before opening the box, X more hours before opening the case, etc", I'm positive your bass would be fine if you didn't. Wait 24 hours or 24 days, whatever makes you happy.
This guy is also from the Deep South:
Thinking same thing all my cheap bass come from all over the country notice nothing bad about them.
I do often wait several days, even weeks before opening bills.
Just hearing a creek from my bass, I figure I am up one without a paddle and I'd sent it back .
Of course, you may have made a tiping error.
Keeping concentration is difficult when writing in a hurry...were you?
I must say I DO think you make a valid point, but why bother, ya know?
No, maybe your points are NOT valid but I am not being argumentative, OK?
Gawd forgive me for making this cheap reply to you, Nev375.
Last edited:
