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Leave it out or store it?


Wylie

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I practice a good deal and I never put the bass back in its case. Is there anything wrong with this? The room is humidified sufficiently, there are no children or other pets running around, and it sits out of traffic. Still, I wonder--after once again adjusting the truss rod a bit--whether I need to think again. Opinions welcomed. Thanks.

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It will eventually get dusty and need a good clean. My main gigging bass gets cleaned once a year because it lives in its bag when I'm not using it

I always thought that the strings would go dead quicker if left out but that could also be complete cobblers

There;s also less chance of it getting damaged if it's kept in it's case/bag 

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1 minute ago, Cato said:

All 4 of mine are permanently  propped against the wall in the music room (spare bedroom).

It doesn't seem to hurt them.  

My main worry was that its standing not quite upright was having a negative effect on the neck--nudging it out of whack a bit. Thanks, Cato and Delber.

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5 minutes ago, Wylie said:

My main worry was that its standing not quite upright was having a negative effect on the neck--nudging it out of whack a bit. Thanks, Cato and Delber.

If it's happening  (and I'm not ruling it out) it's happening very slowly.

Top tip, Jazz basses need to be propped up in a corner. If you just leave them against a wall they will fall over eventually, possibly many hours after you last touched them.

Don't ask me how many times I heard the ominous thud from upstairs before I worked this out.

Edited by Cato
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15 minutes ago, Cato said:

If it's happening  (and I'm not ruling it out) it's happening very slowly.

Top tip, Jazz basses need to be propped up in a corner. If you just leave them against a wall they will fall over eventually, possibly many hours after you last touched them.

Don't ask me how many times I heard the ominous thud from upstairs before I worked this out.

Yeah--that asymmetrical body. Thanks!

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I keep one bass out and ready to play at all times (a different one depending on my mood) I'd suggest using a decent stand (if you aren't already) mainly as whenever i lean my bass against something i find that it knocks the tuners and puts it out on one string which annoys me.

 

Matt

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If putting it away will reduce the spur of the moment pick it up and play it factor then leave it out, if you are a disciplined time set aside for practice person then maybe put it away, or if your leaving it out causes friction with other people then you have to put it away in the interest of harmony, but unless it is in a very dry place or damp place or in the sun then leaving it out will do no harm, and a good stand or wall hanger is sensible.

(most) People with kids don't put them (the kids) away when they've finished playing with them, thus leaving the opportunity for spontaneous joy and the occasional disaster that makes for whole life experience

 

Edited by Aidan63
clarity/humour
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My Dad has about 10 guitars all in hard shell cases. I have mine easily accessible in a rack - as such I play them all over the course of a few days. I'm sure he has some that haven't seen daylight in the last 12 months. I don't see the point in having them if you can't see them and want to randomly pick them up.

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Best present I have received in the last few years was a basic Stagg rack for six instruments. It means I can play any of my basses immediately. It also acts as a GAS barrier, as my wife is forbidding me from buying more instruments than can fit in the rack (it was a bit of a double-edged gift).

The process of taking the instrument out of a case, putting the case out of the way and then the process of putting the bass back in the case and storing the case away was constantly taking away from my time of actually playing bass. Also the cases take up a lot of space, so I store them in the attic. I also have stand to temporarily store the instrument I am in the process of playing. With a baby on the way though I will probably have to cut back to 'gigging bass' and guitar on a stand and everything else in a case. 

I never prop an instrument against a wall or an amp though (unless I'm at a gig and totally forgot to take a stand...which happens more often than it should). 

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This type of guitar stand:

https://www.gak.co.uk/en/stagg-sg-a100bk-guitar-stand/101737?gclid=Cj0KCQjwj9LkBRDnARIsAGQ-hUdgZiz-x7rYyFqa_-2nJ1tktSJ5i-wCSO0p_w7bLkOTEyM3UhtwQWIaAsjwEALw_wcB&gclsrc=aw.ds

is ideal for offset body instruments such as Jazz bass. 

I have two basses - one stays in the bag while its at home (rehearse 3x a week so its in and out of the car and at rehearsals a lot) and the bag can accommodate the above style of stand, kettle lead, guitar lead and tuner - just about. The other bass is out, kept at home on a 2nd stand of that style, so its available for use at any time I need it.

Both are Jazz basses but one is fretted and the other is fretless. Since the fretless is new I am 'forcing' myself to play it mainly, so it comes to 2/3 of the rehearsals, then for one of them I swap around to use the fretted for that rehearsal (so the fretless goes onto the stand at home). I used to have a hard case but its a bit more impractical - especially now I've changed to a smaller car - it would protect the bass great, but over time it damaged/scratched various bits of the car interior or seats.

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Mine all live in a rack on my desk, but the rack has a lid so they're covered (It looks like a coffin)

The mini bass is always chilling in the lounge so I can easily grab it and have a noodle whilst I'm watching Love Island

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One out on a stand and the others in gig bags or HSCs.  I alternate the one on the stand to make sure they all get played at least a couple of times a month. 

I don't like leaving basses on a stand too long as I'm always concerned that there could be some reaction with the paint.  I had a white MM ray react to the plastic on a stand some years back even though it was supposed to be unreactive.

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Mine are on rotation - some, currently 2, are on a 5 instrument rack and replaced (about 3 monthly) by one of those which otherwise live in their cases under my bed. It does take a while for some to "get their turn"...they are all loved and cherished, used or not.

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8 minutes ago, TheGreek said:

Mine are on rotation - some, currently 2, are on a 5 instrument rack and replaced (about 3 monthly) by one of those which otherwise live in their cases under my bed. It does take a while for some to "get their turn"...they are all loved and cherished, used or not.

Good to know I'm not alone in this system - I have two spaces permanently occupied by my skinny-strings, leaving three bass spaces on rotation. I was thinking just this morning that it might be nice to give the Schecter and the Shuker a bit of daylight...

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Oh, it's an agonising choice which I could swear prevents me from making it to my local jam night - the first question is, of course, "do I have enough energy this close to the end of the week?", but if the answer is "yes", then the next question is, of course, "BUT WHICH BASS DO I TAKE?", and I find myself weighing up different arguments for different basses until it's nearly midnight and the jam is finishing anyway...

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The only ones of mine that are in cases are the ones I take to band practice. The rest are either on stands, on a rack or hung on the wall. I play at least one a day, even if only for 5 minutes sometimes!

IMG_20190224_114333.thumb.jpg.644f81d9ee563f79f4c32521a59ef785.jpg

That photo doesn't include the 'departure lounge' 🙂

Edited by BreadBin
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1 hour ago, EliasMooseblaster said:

Oh, it's an agonising choice which I could swear prevents me from making it to my local jam night - the first question is, of course, "do I have enough energy this close to the end of the week?", but if the answer is "yes", then the next question is, of course, "BUT WHICH BASS DO I TAKE?", and I find myself weighing up different arguments for different basses until it's nearly midnight and the jam is finishing anyway...

thats quite sad

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