Rickresource Rickenbacker Forum

Hi, folks. I just received a 2015 360/12c63 from a seller in Minnesota. He strongly suggests I leave the guitar in the shipping box for 24 hours before opening it. I've looked online and I've seen all kinds of opinions on this - leave it 24 or 12 hours, open it up right away, let it warm up for a couple of hours, etc. I guess it also depends on what kind of finish the guitar has. Does the 360/12c63 have vintage style nitro or is it the same modern finish all other Ricks come with?

I found this on the Rickenbacker web page:

"Following many coats of sealer and color coats, numerous applications of a super high gloss finish are made. Providing not only great visual appeal, this surface treatment protects the guitar from dings and scrapes; the unique chemistry of the material makes it both hard and flexible at the same time. Impact areas do not craze or radiate like polyester, nor does this material turn cloudy or finish-check in cool weather like nitrocellulose." <emphasis mine>
http://www.rickenbacker.com/factory_finish.asp

The last sentence might indicate I'm perfectly safe opening it up right now, but again, does this text about the modern Rick finishes cover the 360/12c63? And should I play it safe anyway, considering the guitar's been in cold trucks and warehouses for the past week?

Thanks!

Jesse

I'd probably let it slowly come up to room temperature, overnight, or whatever seems to work. Other than the frustration of not getting to play with your new guitar for a bit, it won't hurt to be cautious. On the other hand, back in the days when we were on the road, our guitars (including both electrics and a bunch of Martins, which would seem more vulnerable) would sit overnight in a van in a motel parking lot in places like Minnesota in the winter. The next day, we would bring them in, open the cases and start a sound check fifteen minutes later. We never had any finish cracking issues. My Martin D12-28, fretless Les Paul bass, and RIC Capri all made it through unscathed.

Guitar sellers are so used to assuming that any premium guitar is finished in nitro (and promoting anything possible as being nitro-finished), that they often don't bother to do any real homework.

The UV-catalyzed finish on your 360/12C63 should be just fine if you pop the case open now, but it's good that you're thinking cautiously about it. No harm in allowing the box to come up to room temperature first -- you're exercising your "patience" muscle which has atrophied in most of us.

Wouldn’t it be more fun to unwrap it on Christmas morning, anyway?

I still do the 24 hour thing, better safe than sorry. I just did the 24 hr wait on my 4003CMB... not easy!

jdogric12 wrote:I still do the 24 hour thing, better safe than sorry.

This.

I’d give it at least 12 hrs. in closed case removed from shipping box.
Then Crack case and peek inside. If finish starts to cloud up close case and try again later.
After no finish clouding, open all the way and feel the wood. Is it cold? Shut case n wait.
Is it warm? Take it out n play.