Maintenance/Decay over the long term

[PlayMoreBass]

Short-time lurker, first time poster.

I've been playing for a few years, still on my first bass, an Ibanez GSR 200. I've started getting serious: regular gigs with multiple groups, recordings, practicing like a demon, etc. It's time for an upgrade, and I've got about $1500 to make it happen. Thing is, come September, I'm shipping off for the year, and leaving most of my stuff behind.

So here's my concern: if I buy my dream bass now, play it all summer, and then leave it in a closet for the next ten months, will it come to any more harm than would normally come to a bass after owning it and playing it for a year? I don't know much about bass maintenance, but I'm not talking about just having to adjust the intonation or put on new strings. I'm talking about it requiring actual repairs or significant loss in value that would result from disuse.

(Ultimately, the question is whether to buy a new instrument now, or wait a year. But obviously, I don't want to wait.)

Thanks, guys.

[202dy]

An instrument stored in a hardshell case should have zero issues after a year. There are some misconceptions about storage that should be addressed.

Many will suggest taking the tension off the truss rod. This is not wise. The truss rod counteracts string tension. It creates a balanced system. Loosening the truss rod nut allows the strings to exert full tension on the neck. This is not wise because the neck can "take a set" and be difficult to adjust when it is time to readjust. At a minimum it can require a trip to the repair shop. Others will suggest removing the strings. This is the flip side of the coin. It will allow the truss rod to work on the neck with out the strings counteracting the compression of the rod. The caveats above apply.

If you wish to do one or the other you must do both. If you take off the strings loosen the truss rod and allow the neck to straighten. It is then safe to store. Personally, I have instruments that have been stored for twenty or more years at full string tension with properly adjusted truss rods that play as well as the day the were put into storage.

Environment: This is pretty simple. The manufacturers will tell you that instruments should be kept at an ideal of 72 degrees and 60% relative humidity. If you can do that it is ideal. Most people in most areas of the country cannot. Don't make yourself crazy over this. A good rule of thumb is to treat the instrument as you would a child or a small dog. Don't store it in a closet that freezes in the winter and is like a desert in the summer. Keep it in a reasonable environment. Again, some will suggest the use of silica gel. This is the stuff in the packets that are found in the box with consumer electronics. Do not put silica gel in the case. This removes humidity. That is a bad thing. The flip side of that coin is that virtually all methods of adding moisture to the environment (shy of whole house humidification) is labor intensive. Don't worry about it. Any swings in temperature and humidity can be taken care of with a setup when you return.

[62bass]

Exactly right.

[Phalex]

What 202dy said.

[Barkless Dog]

Get it now & enjoy if you can afford it.

[Pilgrim]

My 1963 P spent 25 years in a case with the strings at normal tension and the neck adjusted as per usual. In other words, it was put in the case about 1973 and I walked away. My brother played it for a year or so sometime when I was away.

I came back in 1997, pulled it out of the case, picked it up and played it. I'm still playing it - with the flatwound strings that were on it when I put it in the case in 1973. Alas, this year I actually had to adjust the truss rod a bit - the action finally shifted after 30+ years.

How's that for an answer?

[62bass]

Alas, this year I actually had to adjust the truss rod a bit - the action finally shifted after 30+ years.

[/quote]

I'd take it back for a refund if I were you.

[202dy]

[quote=62bass;5594306]Alas, this year I actually had to adjust the truss rod a bit - the action finally shifted after 30+ years.

I'd take it back for a refund if I were you.

[Turnaround]

Originally Posted by Pilgrim

Alas, this year I actually had to adjust the truss rod a bit - the action finally shifted after 30+ years.

If the darn thing has not settled down after 30+ years, I would say it is a piece of junk. Send it to me an I will dispose of it for you. No charge.

[GlennW]

Don't put it in the attic.

[62bass]

Or a hot closet. I had to heat straighten a jazz neck once for a guy who stored his bass for over 10 years in a closet right over a heat register. The heat finally bowed the neck. But that was extreme heat.

[Pilgrim]

Alas, this year I actually had to adjust the truss rod a bit - the action finally shifted after 30+ years.

I'd take it back for a refund if I were you.

Yeah, isn't it a shame that Fender's quality control is so lousy that a neck made 30+ years ago still can shift - even if it hadn't done so in 30 years? Gee, what's the world coming to??

But I agree about preventing exposure to temperature and humidity extremes - I believe instruments are most comfortable in the same temperatures that human beings are. They should be stored inside, and in climate-controlled conditions whenever possible. It just minimizes the chance for untoward change in the instrument.