hmm..uh...you do not know what you are missing......Nah we're just friends; I'm not that into seabirds.
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SirMjac28
Patiently Waiting For The Next British Invasion
I only wait for acoustic instruments for the first half of the day I left it in the shipping box and for the second half of the day I took it out of the shipping box cracked open the case a bit and let it sit.
I wish I had gotten so lucky with my Fender Starcaster, but instead I got impatient and it has a nice 8 inch finish crack to show for it.
If you know it has actually been in the cold, i would probably give the full 24. I wouldn't want checking. I chanced with mine and was okay, but it went from tennesee to florida and it wasn't quite as cold ...
When I was up in Minnesota with my guitarron, the temp went from above freezing to about -20F overnight. I was at work and the radiator was slow to kick in, apparently. Returned to find checking galore all over the back side!
Always remember to bleed your radiators, those of you who live in old houses
Always remember to bleed your radiators, those of you who live in old houses
What's the difference between leaving a bass in the box and taking it out? Honest question..I can understand not playing it and letting it sit for a while
I believe it has something to do with exposing the bass to a sharp change in environments. So if you live in a harsh winter climate your bass might be very cold in its case when it comes off the mailman's truck. If your house is nice and toasty you might not want to open the case too soon as it can put some cracks in the finish.
LOL! Yeah, I was just talking about when a new instrument gets shipped to you. I think the presumption is that for gigs your instrument didn't spend several days unattended in the truck!
When I travel to a gig in sub-freezing weather I usually let it acclimate for ~20 minutes in the bag/case, and then another 10 still in the bag/case but with the lid propped open. So a half hour total. But I'd still be the first one to arrive even if I didn't do that.
But what matters is the temperature change, not how long it was in the cold... whether it was at -10 for a week or just a couple of hours doesn't matter. Your ~30' regime sounds sensible and I wouldn't wait longer than that.
I've never heard of this practice, and I've been a gigging musician with over 100 purchases in my lifetime. My basses have cost from $500 upwards of $2000, and I've never WAITED to open and play a new instrument. I live in the northeast, so the temps can get into the single digits and below.
Meh...old wives tale.
Meh...old wives tale.
Just let it sit for four to six hours and you should be fine. I'll +1 w/ @BIGEJ2 . Overnight might be better, but that's me. Besides, an opportunity to exercise a little self-discipline is never a complete waste.
Excersising self discipline and NBD are mortal enemies.
A hour at least if not more.Waiting for it to CLIMATIZE before you can open it! DANGIT!.
I saw that UPS truck with no doors, I know this bass is <10 degrees F right now...
How long must I wait? :|
Bless that UPS driver, Up since dawn driving with NO DOORS on his ride all day, everyday, in Maine, in January.
My Bluesman Vintage arrives today.
It's 6 degrees out... but I'm all good, since it's a relic'd bass, right!?! Any more finish cracking, etc., is just gravy!
It's 6 degrees out... but I'm all good, since it's a relic'd bass, right!?! Any more finish cracking, etc., is just gravy!
I thought so too, until it happened to me! It's bad enough that I was convinced someone had dropped it on its back at first. But hey, at least it's "reliced" now
NicJimBass
Flossin'? I thought your name was Munson!
What do you guys who live in areas that get cold in the winter do when you have a gig? At the very least my basses are in the cold trailer for a few hours, but this past weekend, I left them in there overnight, got to the gig, set my gear up, then pulled my basses out. Didn't wait hours upon hours, just pulled them out, and tuned them up. No issues whatsoever. So this whole idea of over-acclimating an instrument seems silly to me.
There's a big difference between being in a cold van for a few hours and sitting on trucks and unheated heated shipping terminals and docks for three or four days in freezing weather plus some time spent sitting on your back porch while waiting to be taken in (if you're not home all day like most of us) before being brought into a 65 degree room.
How important is this "acclimation period"? Call me weird but I have never employed this in my 25 years of playing bass.
Many times on the road my basses are in a truck or trailer and I take them in the venue for sound check. Sometimes this involves a 50 degree or better temperature change. I have never expierenced an issue other than having to tune as the neck comes up in temperature from playing.
Many times on the road my basses are in a truck or trailer and I take them in the venue for sound check. Sometimes this involves a 50 degree or better temperature change. I have never expierenced an issue other than having to tune as the neck comes up in temperature from playing.
NicJimBass
Flossin'? I thought your name was Munson!
I understand there is a time difference, but cold is cold. Shouldn't matter if the bass has been in 'X' degrees for a week or a couple days or overnight. I sincerely doubt that a bass has a core temperature that only drops after a certain amount of time. I had both my basses in the trailer overnight, meaning a good 18+ hours, in an unheated trailer, in close to 15 degree temps (wind chill being in the single digits), and I didn't need to acclimate them. I would wager that I could leave them in the trailer from one weekend to the next and still not have an issue.
Whatever works best for you. I don't have a horse in this race. A lot could depend on the finish formulation. A poly is going to respond differently than another finish. Number of coats and how each was cured may play into it, as well as the relative humidity in the wood when it was sealed. Too many variables and not enough knowledge on my part to say what is or isn't significant or true. Suffice to say it costs me nothing to wait a bit as the makers suggest. So I don't get my dander up about it. If it seems dumb to you - or your experience tells you otherwise, that's fine. And you could well be right. No such thing as two completely identical situations, set of environmental conditions, or basses so it all comes down to probability and your tolerance for risk while playing the odds.