Is my hercules stand streching my neck?

[mirageband]

Since hanging my IbANez Bass on a hercules stand, every time I pick my bass off the stand, always sharp. Has anyone noticed this or this my imagination? Thanks,

[PaulNYC]

your neck is not stretching.perhaps you leave the bass in an area with different temp than where you play it. even by a degree.

[J. Crawford]

No way Jose, thats not enough pull to mess with your neck. Must just be temperature difference, humidity, etc.

[Tom_RCJ]

I've always figured that if anything, the downwards pull would help keep your neck straight a little. But to actually stretch wood along the grain like that, especially hard woods used for necks, you'd need an instrument that weighs a ton. I could be wrong, but I really can't imagine wood stretching like that.

[Handyman]

A typical set of strings on a four stringer puts more than 150lbs of force on a neck. The force added by hanging your instrument by the neck is quite insignificant next to that.

You're not going to hurt anything with that sort of stand.

[FunkMetalBass]

My guess is that the bass body in the hanging position is bowing the neck ever-so-slightly to sharpen the strings. It should return to normal shortly after pulling it off the stand.

[mirageband]

It all makes sense, I can say change of the tempertures and the angle which the bass hangs on the stand proably whats going on. Going switch to a stand thats supports the bass from the bottom, angle stress at the nut I worry.

[Turnaround]

You are supposed to put your bass in it, not hang yourself in it.... Oh- you mean the neck of your bass!


Never mind.

[walterw]

Originally Posted by mirageband

It all makes sense, I can say change of the tempertures and the angle which the bass hangs on the stand proably whats going on. Going switch to a stand thats supports the bass from the bottom, angle stress at the nut I worry.

ha ha, no.

the stand has nothing to do with it.

when you put the bass down, the strings are at your body temp from playing. as it cools to room temp, the strings contract, and thus tighten, going sharp.

try this: next time you pick it up, before tuning it, hold your hands on the strings for 15-20 seconds to get them back up to your body temperature, then check your tuning. you'll likely find that it's close to OK.

[Muaguana]

+1 to Walter's comment. Also, I used to have wall hangers for my basses, and kept them hanging by the headstock whenever I wasn't using them. Did that for about a year and a half, and never experienced what you are describing. They stayed in tune as well as they always did.

[FunkMetalBass]

Originally Posted by mirageband

It all makes sense, I can say change of the tempertures and the angle which the bass hangs on the stand proably whats going on. Going switch to a stand thats supports the bass from the bottom, angle stress at the nut I worry.

Don't worry about anything - there's no risk. A bass and all of its components are much more resilient than most people give them credit for.

Originally Posted by walterw

ha ha, no.

the stand has nothing to do with it.

when you put the bass down, the strings are at your body temp from playing. as it cools to room temp, the strings contract, and thus tighten, going sharp.

try this: next time you pick it up, before tuning it, hold your hands on the strings for 15-20 seconds to get them back up to your body temperature, then check your tuning. you'll likely find that it's close to OK.

Brilliant. I was quickly dismissing the temperature notions, because 1 or 2 degrees is too minuscule to really notice, but I didn't consider playing temp vs. idle temp. BIG difference there.

[calshands]

If hanging a board would stretch it, you'd see a lot of woodworkers -- well, those who DIDN'T measure twice -- trying to get that kerf-width back.

You might also note where your hangers are placed; on or next to an outside wall will increase temperature variability.