Hanging a bass on the wall

brianh · #1 06-03-2008, 01:46 PM

Hi,

I'm curious to know some opinions on hanging basses on the wall. I've always kept them in the cases, but it could really free up some space in my tiny NYC apartment. I've always been afraid it could warp the neck, damage the finish, etc....but then guitar stores do it all the time.

Whats the verdict on this? Can any experience repair guys or luthiers weigh in?

tomvelsor · #2 06-03-2008, 01:47 PM

its harmless..and convienent.

PSPookie · #3 06-03-2008, 01:50 PM

~200 lbs of tension in the strings
~8 lbs of weight from the body of the bass
The neck will be just fine.

I hang my basses and haven't had any problems. Definitely convenient.

tZer · #4 06-03-2008, 01:54 PM

Convenient, harmless and it just plain looks cool!

Rich L · #5 06-03-2008, 02:21 PM

Wife got tired of tripping over guitar stands, so I hung my basses. Saves alot of space AND looks killer!

Just be careful. 1st attempt didn't go very well as the hardware that came in the mounting kit didn't secure as it should and my Zon came crashing to the floor! Luckily took the others down before the rest came crashing down. Make sure you're tapping into studs if you're hanging on drywall, or use tap-cons for block walls.

Thunderthumbs73 · #6 06-03-2008, 02:33 PM

I've never doubted the weight of the bass, and the neck's ability to hold that weight. My question is with regards to instruments which are not completely symetrical (aka Jazz Bass or others) that would/could hang a bit skewed or off-center. I wonder what the long-term is on that?

Great question!

Bardley · #7 06-03-2008, 02:37 PM

I don't think that the shape of the bass would be an issue at all. Most of the hooks swivel to evenly distribute the weight to both sides of the neck.

Darkstrike · #8 06-03-2008, 02:38 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Thunderthumbs73

I've never doubted the weight of the bass, and the neck's ability to hold that weight. My question is with regards to instruments which are not completely symetrical (aka Jazz Bass or others) that would/could hang a bit skewed or off-center. I wonder what the long-term is on that?

Great question!

They won't hang off-center, gravity dosn't work that way.

Bardley · #9 06-03-2008, 02:39 PM

I've never seen one hang at an angle on a swivel hook. Some of the hooks in stores do not swivel and that can cause the bass to hang to the side a bit. Just buy nice hooks that swivel.

UbuntuMatt · #10 06-03-2008, 02:44 PM

My Squire P causes the wall-mount to have to swivel to accomodate, but it's solid on the wall. I hang it right above my bed, so it better be. :P

Darkstrike · #11 06-03-2008, 02:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bardley

I've never seen one hang at an angle on a swivel hook. Some of the hooks in stores do not swivel and that can cause the bass to hang to the side a bit. Just buy nice hooks that swivel.

I believe they are adjustable too, just not free moving, you have to set them up.

()smoke() · #12 06-03-2008, 03:35 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Darkstrike

They won't hang off-center, gravity dosn't work that way.

if i were to hang a framing square from the hole at the end, it will hang at an angle from plumb...a bass with a center of mass not coinciding with the centerline of the neck will do the same, it's just not as pronounced as the framing square in any bass i've ever seen

...but i agree there is no harm in it, and i hang my instruments

Pilgrim · #13 06-03-2008, 08:15 PM

My position on this is clear.....

Petebass · #14 06-03-2008, 08:53 PM

I'm int the process of organising a wall hang for my SR5. The paint is drying on the MDF backing as I type.

My only concern was that someone might walk by and accidentally bump the bass hard enough to make it fall. So I bought one of those Hercules wall brackets with the "Auto Grab" feature.

brianh · #15 06-04-2008, 12:05 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Petebass

So I bought one of those Hercules wall brackets with the "Auto Grab" feature.

Whats this?

Petebass · #16 06-04-2008, 12:58 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by brianh

Whats this?

Have a look here:-

http://www.herculesstands.com/guitars/GSP39WB.html

It's a simple idea, but it's effective. The weight of the bass causes the two brackets to move in front of the bass near the nut, and effectively closes the gate.

Similarly, to remove the bass, you first lift upwards. This opens the gate so you can then pull the bass away from the wall.

BrisvegasBass · #17 06-04-2008, 01:40 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Petebass

Hercules wall brackets with the "Auto Grab" feature.

Got the same thing going on, works sweeet.

Blues Cat · #18 06-04-2008, 01:54 AM

Frees up a lot of room. I mounted mine so the body was right above my head so they wouldn 't get knocked around. I have 12' ceilings.

Ezbass · #19 06-04-2008, 02:14 AM

Yeah it's the best way forward and you dont have to worry about finding pictures to put on your walls. If you have any nitro cellulose guitars you may want to cover any rubber parts on the hangers with some lint in case of a chemical reaction dulling the nitro. Having said that I don't bother with my old P Bass. I apologise in advace for the 2 trebles in the picture, what can I tell you? Sometimes I play them too.

Kujibo · #20 06-04-2008, 06:22 PM

I've been hanging my instruments up for a while now. I've never worried about the neck bending or such.

They are however hung in a room that at the very least exposes them to indirect sunlight. As well they might be more open to humidity changes than in a somewhat sealed case. I've always thought this can't be great for the instruments compared to being in a case away from sunlight?