Hanging basses or on stands which is best?

[thestick 67]

Is it better for the necks to be on a stand long term or hanging on wall ?

 I have two basses hanging in my bedroom and notice the truss rods need adjusting a little. 
I rotate my basses and leave the others in there cases until I play them but keep two ready just to pick up at anytime. 
 
Thanks you for any advice 

[hubrad 141]

Personally I have a couple of wall hangers, some hanging stands and some body support stands, and I like them all. I notice more difference in necks for not playing the basses and the atmosphere they've been kept in than for choice of hanger/stand/case.

[Newfoundfreedom 4,124]

I've never tripped over a wall hanger. 

[paul_c2 1,111]

I've never tripped over a guitar stand or guitar case.

[Newfoundfreedom 4,124]

5 minutes ago, paul_c2 said:

I've never tripped over a guitar stand or guitar case.

Really? It's a daily occurrence in my house. 

Incidentally I use both. I hang them when I'm not using them, and put the current one I'm using on a stand for easy access. 

I don't think it makes a jot of difference with regards to the condition of the bass. 

[la bam 982]

I've recently put wall hangers around the room. Makes a big difference to space etc. No tripping over stuff or having to tip toe around so you dont damage anything. And I've played my basses more as they're right there ready to play, not hidden away in cases etc.

[goblin 273]

I use wall hangers, and when on stage my stands are the Hercules hanger sort. Never had any issues... You often get people talking about how you should never hang any guitar or bass by the neck, but I've NEVER had any issue, and some of them have been hung on the wall untouched for long periods of time (I'm talking over a year), and are still absolutely fine. On top of that, you often see top end builders and showrooms keeping their instruments on wall hangers as well. If it's good enough for them, it's good enough for me! 

[Big_Stu 112]

Long term? In it's case, stored vertically.

Otherwise, on a stand.

 

And just to open another can of worms.......... long term storage with strings tuned or slackened off?

[Maude 6,118]

We've had this question a few times and simple physics would suggest hanging vertically is best.

Although in real terms it makes no discernable difference compared to the tension the strings put the neck under. 

[thestick 67]

Thanks guys I will just carry on with hanging some and the rest in there cases vertical 👍

[paul_c2 1,111]

I don't think it makes any difference to wear etc. The main wear seems to be on the pickguard, neck/frets and buckle rash (although I try to avoid playing it with eg zips, buckles etc rubbing the instrument). I don't "do" the owning but not playing of a bass so I don't know how you'd store this kind for preservation, although unless its hisorically significant etc it seems a shame to not play it.

[Woodinblack 4,830]

1 hour ago, paul_c2 said:

I've never tripped over a guitar stand or guitar case.

I have, many times

[Woodinblack 4,830]

1 hour ago, Big_Stu said:

Long term? In it's case, stored vertically.

Long term?

Nothing like that here, if an instrument isn't going to be played it might as well be sold.

[Grangur 663]

1 hour ago, Newfoundfreedom said:

I've never tripped over a wall hanger. 

I've never had a floor stand fall off the wall.  😁

A lot of this can depend on how good your walls are. Mine are useless for holding anything. Even curtain rails in my house are screwed to wood battens held to the wall by No-Nails.
So, it's "horses for courses". Neither is a bad idea. Both are better than leaving the bass in a precarious place where it can get damaged.

Edited July 8, 2020 by Grangur

[goblin 273]

2 hours ago, Grangur said:

I've never had a floor stand fall off the wall.  😁

A lot of this can depend on how good your walls are. Mine are useless for holding anything. Even curtain rails in my house are screwed to wood battens held to the wall by No-Nails.
So, it's "horses for courses". Neither is a bad idea. Both are better than leaving the bass in a precarious place where it can get damaged.

A very good point to consider! All of mine are screwed direct into brick or studding. If you've got poor walls, I certainly would NOT recommend wall hanging!

[fretmeister 2,521]

2 hours ago, Woodinblack said:

Long term?

Nothing like that here, if an instrument isn't going to be played it might as well be sold.

Mine are littered all over the lounge and the bedroom.

I'm amazed my wife hasn't had a bonfire yet.

[Woodinblack 4,830]

6 minutes ago, fretmeister said:

Mine are littered all over the lounge and the bedroom.

I'm amazed my wife hasn't had a bonfire yet.

Mine are all neatly bolted to the walls, in the hope if she doesn't trip over them, they don't annoy her!

[fretmeister 2,521]

2 hours ago, Woodinblack said:

Mine are all neatly bolted to the walls, in the hope if she doesn't trip over them, they don't annoy her!

After 20 years of marriage annoying each other is all the emotion we get.

Don't take that from me!

 

 

[Baxlin 1,008]

If I lean any of mine in a corner (without a stand) I always put it face to the wall, to ‘relieve’ the strings.  Daft, I daresay, both expecting it to make a difference, and of course not using a stand.

[Bassfinger 1,684]

I've a daughter and a boisterous labrador - the basses go up on the wall.

[bassbiscuits 1,233]

I tend to stand mine up in their gig bags or cases. To protect them from two kids. 

I figure I’d only have to store the cases somewhere else where they’d be the way otherwise. 

[mcnach 2,814]

On 08/07/2020 at 11:58, thestick said:

Is it better for the necks to be on a stand long term or hanging on wall ?

 I have two basses hanging in my bedroom and notice the truss rods need adjusting a little. 
I rotate my basses and leave the others in there cases until I play them but keep two ready just to pick up at anytime. 
 
Thanks you for any advice 

 

Judging by the amount of instruments kept hanging by the neck (in homes and shops) and held in stands and cases, for so many years, and we don't have a clear indication that any option is bad... I'd say that it doesn't matter much. Whatever is most convenient. Needing to adjust the truss rod from time to time is not unusual. Some of mine I never touch, but there's a few that *ideally* I'd tweak twice a year or so, although the difference is so tiny that I sometimes don't. I don't go for super low action, so that may be a factor too, as the basses can play buzz-free if I increase or decrease relief a little, so seasonal changes don't matter to me so much.

I wonder if hanging them, being higher in the room, makes them more exposed to higher changes in temperature and humidity. But in normal circumstances I can't imagine it's a drastic change.

[mcnach 2,814]

15 hours ago, Bassfinger said:

I've a daughter and a boisterous labrador - the basses go up on the wall.

 

A friend of mine's labrador discovered that guitars make noise when you hit their strings, and loved it. In that house guitars need to be kept hidden.

[NancyJohnson 2,422]

I've used those rack things, stands, propped up against sofas, left in cases etc.and can't say that any method seems to be better or worse; never noticed things going awry.  I suppose my basses are all well set up, truss rods doing what they're supposed to be doing.  No issues.

Currently they're all on those Ultimate stands, at pitch, they hang from the headstocks, slightly angled back.