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Should I open my new bass immediately?

#21
DO NOT OPEN! Go buy a large meat thermometer, stab in onto the box. Make sure you jab hard enough to penetrate the hardshell case. The the tip of the thermometer needs to be close to, but not touching the body. Anything more than 1/4 of an inch will not suffice. (You may need x-ray guided help, you can get a good x-ray machine with table for about 20k, totally worth it if you buy more than a few basses a year.) Wait until the internal temp matches the outside temp. When that's been achieved it's safe to open the box. DON'T take the case out. Just open the box to let it breathe. After 48 hours carefully slide the case out of the box but do NOT open. Now take a a scanning thermometer (like used for babies foerheads) and scan the entire case. If there are any discrepancies within .5 degrees Celsius, box it up and send it back. If it passes that test then get ready to get really excited, now you're just 24 hours from seeing your new bass!
 
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#23
philthygeezer said:
I would unpack it very slowly.

First I check for dents, and then slowly unpack the delivery slip, read it in a whispered tone.

Then I would run my fingers along every seam, looking for the places where I could separate the tape without being rough on the package.

Then I would very slowly unzip the flaps where I know there is another layer of protective material, keeping the precious object out of sight and reach a little longer.

Then I would slip it out of the box, slowly and carefully removing the remaining packaging.

Then I would attentively undo the zipper/unfasten the clasps.

Finally, I would examine every surface and curve very closely, and then plug it in and take it for a drive at slowly increasing volumes, playing with each knob and button until I am fully satisfied.
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Yeah, baby, tell me more. You know I like it when you talk dirty to me....
 
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#29
Scarysharkface said:
I like to give it a few hours to acclimate if the package feels noticeably warm or cold. Usually it's been in an air-conditioned delivery vehicle and there's not reason to wait to open it.

John
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What delivery service has air conditioning??...

I sure don't, and every ups driver I've talked to says the same...and I have delivered several instruments
 
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#30
spencejm said:
I'm having a new bass delivered this afternoon. It should be in a hard case inside the shipping container. I've heard I should not open it right away to allow the temp and humidity to stabilize. I understand the reasoning for this but is it really necessary? I REALLY want to at least look at it!

Thank you for your advice.

Joe
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Unless it's been in super cold or super extra hot shipping conditions, I wouldn't worry about it.
 
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#31
This time of year? Don't worry about it. It most likely was delivered by FedEx or UPS ground, and there's no place in the country with a difference in humidity and temperature that's enough to cause a problem. Even if it was delivered by air (it can get really cold at altitude, and I don't think cargo holds are heated), it had to be processed at the airport, and transferred to the ground delivery service. And there wouldn't have been enough time for the bass to acclimate to the cold cargo hold, so it wouldn't need time to acclimate to your place.
 
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#33
The only time I've heard of this actually mattering was when the instrument had been allowed to get VERY cold in transit, and was suddenly exposed to room-temperature heat, where differential expansion between the wood and the finish caused the finish to crack. Unless you're running onto the FedEx/UPS plane yourself and grabbing it at the airport fresh out of the stratosphere, I don't see that being an issue in Missouri in June. It's probably more humid, but sudden vs. gradual exposure to greater ambient humidity is unlikely to make a difference - though you might want to put off doing your final bridge/neck setup until the bass has been acclimatized.

On the other hand, as someone else said, half in jest, you *do* want to verify ASAP after delivery that it really is what you ordered and that it really wasn't damaged in transit.
 
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#35
I'm probably overly careful, but I would open the box part way and leave it for an hour or two before fully unpackaging it. In the winter I would definitely do this.

Look up "finish checking"; per Google: "A crack in a guitar or bass's finish. Checking can result when the temperature changes. As the temperature increases or decreases, the instrument's wooden body and neck expand or contract at a different rate than its finish, causing the finish to crack."
 
#36
spencejm said:
I'm having a new bass delivered this afternoon. It should be in a hard case inside the shipping container. I've heard I should not open it right away to allow the temp and humidity to stabilize. I understand the reasoning for this but is it really necessary? I REALLY want to at least look at it!

Thank you for your advice.

Joe
Click to expand...

Just open it.
 
#37
mrjim123 said:
I'm probably overly careful, but I would open the box part way and leave it for an hour or two before fully unpackaging it. In the winter I would definitely do this.

Look up "finish checking"; per Google: "A crack in a guitar or bass's finish. Checking can result when the temperature changes. As the temperature increases or decreases, the instrument's wooden body and neck expand or contract at a different rate than its finish, causing the finish to crack."
Click to expand...

Did I miss the -5 degrees day?

Its summer. Open the damn thing.
 
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