Rickresource Rickenbacker Forum

I realize this topic has been beat to death, but mine might be a bit unique. I just poached a lefty Fender Precision Bass on "the Bay." It is actually a Fender Frankenstein, with a neck from an American 2005 P Bass, the pickguard and pickup from an American 2008 P Bass and a body from a 70's reissue Japanese P Bass. It appears to be Olympic White.

The bass was shipped FedEx Ground from Alabama to the Central Valley, California, so it is not traveling through any extreme winter weather, but it is January nonetheless. THERE IS NO CASE (the seller has excellent feedback and promises good packing).

So...that being said, what do I do when the carton is delivered to my office on Tuesday? Open it like a kid at Christmas (as if this was my first guitar)? Or do I let it sit for a while (and if so, how long)?

Anything unique to Fender Japan instruments with respect to the finish?

Not the finish expert some here are, but the easiest answer is just to let the box sit at room temp for a couple hours, and I think you should be fine.

Not sure what Fender was doing in 2005, but the current Am Std P Basses are urethane-finished, so I'm thinking your neck is urethane. The Japanese body is almost surely poly finished as well...some very high end Fender Japan instruments are lacquer-finished, but they're more of an exception. So the finish checking you can get on a lacquer finish from temp change extremes shouldn't be much of a risk.

Congrats on your bass!

Fender Japan instruments have the thickest, toughest polyester finish I've ever encountered. You should have no acclimation problems whatsoever with such a mild change; temps in aircraft holds are very cold, but by the time it's gotten to your door, it should be normalized.

If you're in doubt, or if you cut open the end of the box and the air and packing inside are very cold, do let it sit for several hours minimum, and you'll be OK.