tuning down for a long flight....?

[bass349]

hi all,

i will be travelling to europe in a few months and i am planning on taking my axe with me. i have a flight case, but my question is, should i tune down the bass to relieve the tension on the neck? i had a guy at uni tell me the other day that when he travels he always detunes at least a full turn of his machine heads. it will be about a 20 hour flight all up (from aus . i searched the forums, but i couldn't seem to find anything about this.

thanks in advance for your help

Andy.

[cgworkman]

No - I wouldn't think. Especially not for just 20 hours.

May be wrong though

[Suburban]

No need to detune!
Actually, it would only give you trouble...

When you release the tension in the strings, you need to compensate that with the same tension release in the truss rod. Otherwise, the neck will relax and get a backbow! Which means that you need to re-setup your bass, when you unpack it again.

After having basses sent back and forth over the Atlantic and intraeurope, I can safely say that none has taken any damage from travelling in tune. They actually arrived in tune, too... However, one woody travelled detuned to me, and it took me two weeks to get it back in order (wood is a rather "live" material, that must be carefully approached, and will play tricks with you (sometimes you'd wonder if it's really wood, or a cat)).

[cgworkman]

This is what I had always heard - but never had it confirmed, etc.

[bass349]

thanks heaps for the help.

will keep her tuned up for sure

cheers again,
andy