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08-03-2011, 01:01 PM
| | Registered User | | Join Date: Feb 2010 Location: Triangle Area, NC | | | What Have I done!
At about 2:30pm today I realized that I had left my 1940s Kay in the back of my hatchback when I came in last night! It's about 100 degrees F. here today, and my poor bass has been baking for hours! When I took it out and the metal parts were hot to the touch!
Right now it's outside in the shade cooling off before I bring it inside to air-conditioning. There doesn't appear to be any damage, and the bass actually sounded really good when it was hot to the touch! So far I haven't found any problems, though my bow is too hot to hold, so I don't know if it survived...
I hope my irresponsibly hasn't ruined my bass!
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08-03-2011, 01:09 PM
|  | quid verum atque decens
Builder: Rickett Customs | | Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: Southern Maryland | | | Just remember that what you are referring to is ambient temperature and not necessarily the temperature of the glue in the glue joint (like direct heat to the glue joint), you should be ok, where the glue is concerned.
Last edited by Rickett Customs : 08-03-2011 at 01:14 PM.
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08-03-2011, 01:14 PM
| | Registered User | | Join Date: Feb 2010 Location: Triangle Area, NC | | | I'm worried because the hatchback was like a greenhouse. It was hotter than sauna in there--surely more than 150 degrees! |
08-03-2011, 01:19 PM
| | quid verum atque decens
Builder: Rickett Customs | | Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: Southern Maryland | | Quote:
Originally Posted by Thumpie  I'm worried because the hatchback was like a greenhouse. It was hotter than sauna in there--surely more than 150 degrees! | Even then, dried glue (in most cases) take a higher temperature, unless water is introduced. I think you've lucked out, just keep an eye on it for a few days, just in case. |
08-03-2011, 05:33 PM
| | Registered User | | Join Date: Nov 2004 Location: Chicago | | | Time to play some hot jazz . . . |
08-03-2011, 05:36 PM
| | | | When you do something like this, it is best to leave it in the case for a day or two while it transitions to its new environment. The less drastic temperature/moisture changes the bass is exposed to, the better. Hope all is well with the bass. |
08-03-2011, 07:46 PM
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Bass Hobby'ist | | Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: Southern PA | | | |
08-03-2011, 08:04 PM
| | Registered User | | Join Date: Nov 2001 Location: Maui | | | It's a Kay. You're... well, you're O Kay. |
08-03-2011, 08:15 PM
| | Registered User | | Join Date: Sep 2010 Location: Pennsylvania | | | Mother of Dragons...
*Waits to see who will get that joke*
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"I am not a fearful person. I don't fear anything...except spiders." --Richard Davis
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08-03-2011, 09:07 PM
| | Registered User | | Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: Baltimore, MD | | | I've done the same thing where inside the vehicle it is well over 120 degrees F. My Kay has held up wonderfully. The rosin is a different story... |
08-03-2011, 10:37 PM
|  | So much flame, it burns............ | | Join Date: Feb 2002 Location: Las Vegas, NV. | | FWIW, here in Vegas where 110 or more in the summer is not uncommon, the local news always shows the temp inside vehicles that are unshaded in the direct sun. They do this for the people that are forgetful enough to leave dogs and, believe it or not, children in their cars.  
Even on the hottest days (115 +/-) the highest temp I've seen reported was 145. 150 or more on a 100 degree day is probably not likely. 130's more likely.
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"Heck! Even Hulk Hogan plays a bass guitar. But, let’s be honest. As a bass player, the Hulkster is no Gene Simmons!"-Jeff Berlin |
08-03-2011, 10:40 PM
| | Registered User | | Join Date: Feb 2010 Location: Triangle Area, NC | | | I played the bass for about 30 mintues and I started noticing a rattling sound on the open A string. It's worse when I dig in on a B natural. I'm suspecting the bass bar might have separated from the top.
If it doesn't go away soon, I'll be taking it to my luthier.
It was so hot in that car that I knew I wouldn't come out of this unscathed.
I'm such an idiot. |
08-03-2011, 10:45 PM
| | Registered User | | Join Date: Feb 2010 Location: Triangle Area, NC | | Quote:
Originally Posted by PhatBasstard FWIW, here in Vegas where 110 or more in the summer is not uncommon, the local news always shows the temp inside vehicles that are unshaded in the direct sun. They do this for the people that are forgetful enough to leave dogs and, believe it or not, children in their cars.
Even on the hottest days (115 +/-) the highest temp I've seen reported was 145. 150 or more on a 100 degree day is probably not likely. 130's more likely. | You might be right, but I also wonder if the humidity here might allow the greenhouse effect to increase the inside of a car even more than Las Vegas. When I go to the sauna, it's often set at 180 degrees, and inside of my car feels much hotter than that! |
08-03-2011, 10:53 PM
| | Registered User | | Join Date: Feb 2010 Location: Triangle Area, NC | | | An observation from this experience:
The extreme heat caused the bass to go about 3/4 of a semitone flat. I assume this happened because the Spirocores expanded more then the body of the bass. Anyway, the bass sounded GREAT when it was flat. It's seems to be true that Kays really like low tension strings! It almost makes me want to start experimenting with playing with de-tuned strings. And having a lower Eb could come in handy as well... |
08-03-2011, 11:26 PM
| | So much flame, it burns............ | | Join Date: Feb 2002 Location: Las Vegas, NV. | | Quote:
Originally Posted by Thumpie You might be right, but I also wonder if the humidity here might allow the greenhouse effect to increase the inside of a car even more than Las Vegas. When I go to the sauna, it's often set at 180 degrees, and inside of my car feels much hotter than that! | Except 180 is not the actual ambient temp.
Either way, I hope your bass is OK.
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"Heck! Even Hulk Hogan plays a bass guitar. But, let’s be honest. As a bass player, the Hulkster is no Gene Simmons!"-Jeff Berlin |
08-04-2011, 03:06 AM
| | Registered User | | Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: Georgia | | | As was pointed out by Molly, the bass was made before air conditioning, it should be fine. I often wonder how much a controlled climate wreaks havoc on these instruments, and not the other way around. Someone else suggested keeping it in the case for a time for acclamation purposes. I know an acoustic guitarist who cracks his case open just enough to allow a temperature adjustment for the instrument without actually taking it out of the case. He checks it every 20 minutes or so, no longer than an hour, and it should be ready to go. I use this rule, and bring the bass in first, unzip the bag partialy, and go about the rest of the set up, and the bass is the last thing put in place. Mine is a fully carved instrument, and i have not had a problem so far.
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John
Hofner Double Bass; Spirocore Weichs; K&K Bass Max; MXR M-80; Ampeg BA115
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08-04-2011, 04:43 AM
| | Registered User | | Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: western MA | | | I left my bass in a hot car recently and I noticed how nicely it played too, perhaps the heat opens up the sound
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08-04-2011, 05:49 AM
| | Registered User | | Join Date: Dec 2009 Location: Sudbury,ON/Ottawa, ON Canada | | Quote:
Originally Posted by powerbass I left my bass in a hot car recently and I noticed how nicely it played too, perhaps the heat opens up the sound | i guess you don't need to warm up when your bass is already hot! 
seriously though, i hope your bass is okay, and that the rattle goes away.
eerbrev |
08-04-2011, 09:31 AM
| | Registered User
Bass Hobby'ist | | Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: Southern PA | | This in part is why a vintage instrument that has seasoned, aged tone wood sounds so good. Think of the temperatures and uncontrolled climate some of the best vintage instrument endured.
I often think of the instruments that came on boats with immigrants in the 1800’s. There were some mighty fine instruments that made that long voyage and survived. While we need to care for our instruments like we want them to last, I feel they can take a lot more then we think. Climate changes, playing time and where your instruments rest has a lot to do with how it will develop its voice.
A vintage instrument with seasoned tone wood is half your investment.  |
08-04-2011, 09:54 AM
|  | Journeyman Clam Artist Moderator | | Join Date: Nov 2002 Location: Winnipeg, baby | | | Some years ago at the Telluride Bluegrass festival -- which is held over the summer solstice -- I saw a friend's old mandolin start to come apart in the blazing afternoon sunshine. Blazing to this Canuck northerner, anyway. Turned out some goof had made "repairs" to it with some hot gun glue -- that yellow Martha Stewart goop. Another good reason for using tried and true adhesives.
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