My new bass fell

[guy n. cognito]

Originally Posted by MysticMichael

Capiche?

MM

Yes, mike, I understand exactly what you tried to do there.....

[shrigg]

Sorry to hear about your MTD's bruise. I have had a few basses fall over without damage luckily. They can't fall if they are already down, so I now always lay my bass on the floor if left unattended. Preferably in the case or gig bag to also protect against clumsy bandmates.

[spiritbass]

My bass-playing cousin borrowed a Les Paul Recording bass to play a party which was involved in a decapitation accident. I was too far away to prevent it, but saw it happen. OUCH! The instrument's owner was incredibly level-headed and understanding about the whole thing.

I have been the cause of dings on my own instruments - sucks every time. Life happens, dings happen.

[Pilgrim]

Originally Posted by Mark Plays Bass

I live in New York City and seems to me that none of the rehearsal studios I've been in in Manhattan have guitar stands. I figure it's because anything that isn't nailed to the floor has a tendency to walk away in this town. When I rehearse in Westchester (a northern suburb) the studios have guitar stands.

Anyway, I had to leave the room and I didn't put the bass back in the case as I now wish I had. I had leaned the bass against a wall, cradled with a cab. I thought it was secure, but I was wrong.

Whether a studio is dumb enough not to provide stands should not be a problem. You should either have one with you or put the bass in a place where it's safe. Propped against ANYthing is not safe. But now you know that.

[gumbynotpokey]

Heart-in-stomach one night while playing out. I never figured out why, but suddenly the bass just falls right out of the strap at the bridge end, while playing. No crazy movement. I must have had that end of the strap twisted and didn't notice. The weight of the whole thing was suddenly in my left hand, and I am sure I looked somewhat like a golfer during a bit of the follow-through. Never dropped her, and she never hit the ground. What a sick feeling though.

Dings and stuff? I'm very careful, but like everyone else, from time to time, yes. Such is life.

[barginkov]

there ia a way to get dings out with a soldering iron and a wet towel, roger sadowsky shows you how, look it up here or on you tube

[DethByDoom]

Originally Posted by Swipter

Think that's bad? Wait until someone you don't know just picks it up and starts playing. I was a little more shocked than when it fell.

Word. I use a bass hanger temporarily at gigs but mostly, my basses are in hand or case. Been playing long enough I've seen broken headstocks from leaning instruments on stuff and from stands breaking.

[conqr]

Originally Posted by barginkov

there ia a way to get dings out with a soldering iron and a wet towel, roger sadowsky shows you how, look it up here or on you tube

Ditto on everyone's experiences, been there done that too. But I was also going to mention this - if it's just a small ding where the wood has compressed, the wet towel over soldering iron trick does work. Do it right and the wood expands right back into almost perfect shape.

[guy n. cognito]

Originally Posted by conqr

Ditto on everyone's experiences, been there done that too. But I was also going to mention this - if it's just a small ding where the wood has compressed, the wet towel over soldering iron trick does work. Do it right and the wood expands right back into almost perfect shape.

Be careful. Do it wrong, and you have a dent AND a burn.

I spent a few summers working in a furniture company, repairing furniture. The soldering iron trick works, but it's not foolproof.

[57pbass]

Originally Posted by Mark Plays Bass

I was at jam session yesterday with a brand new (for me) bass. It's an MTD 535, so it was pretty expensive, even used. It's the best (and most expensive) instrument I've ever had by far.

Anyway, I had to leave to studio for a minute and when I came back my bass had fallen to the floor. Fortunately there was not any major damage. But there is now an "imperfection" on the neck that, while it didn't bother me while I was playing, is bothering me emotionally.

I'm a relative newbie to playing the bass - I haven't gigged much, only four performances so far, and I'm the sort of guy who is very careful with my instruments, so this hurts.

I thought some you with more experience than I have might have something to share about similar experiences you have had.

If this is in the wrong forum, I apologize in advance.

Thanks,
Mark

When I purchased my new car a few years ago...my friend told me.."it's all downhill from here"...the first scratch was the toughest to deal with... same goes for the bass.
My brand new Lakland USA Glaub fell off a table onto a concrete floor...bass was destroyed..I had to send it back to Lakland and have it repaired...new body, new tuning machines, new volume / tone pots...new pick guard...

[guy n. cognito]

Basses that get played get dinged. You can pretend that they are safer at home, or at the studio, but if you touch it, it will ultimately get a ding or two. You just have to get used to it.

[northernmonkey]

I was sat at my desk, with my bass on my knee and leaned forwards to turn the page to a different song I was learning, leant forwards and the bass fell forwards onto the edge of the desk. I now have an inch long ding in the top horn. I'm over it now, but could've nearly cried. My crappy Ikea desk is totally undamaged though

[ggunn]

Many years ago I was sitting on the couch in my apartment playing my 1964 Gibson B-25, the first "real" guitar I ever owned. I stopped playing to write something down and stood the guitar up next to me leaning against the couch. I leaned over to pull the coffee table closer and the couch moved. My guitar fell over face down and the nut was the first thing to hit the tiled concrete floor, and that snapped the headstock off just past the nut. I cried, but that cured me of leaning instruments, once and for all. You are fortunate in that your lesson came a bit cheaper.

[LM Bass]

You can probably get the dent steamed back out. Go to your trusted luthier for an opinion.

[malthumb]

I was playing my Alembic Series II at church one Sunday. We were between songs, so it was strapped on, but my left hand was not on the neck. My Schaller Strap Lock decided it didn't wanna be there anymore and just popped off, sending the bass, headstock first dropping towards the floor.

I used to be a hockey goalie. Gotta say, the reflexes are still there. Caught the neck about three inches before it would have hit the floor. Helluva glove save. The truly amazing thing is that I didn't blurt out was clearly on my mind at the time, being in church and all.

[Dr. Cheese]

There is nothing like dinging your prized bass, but it is inevitable. It's kind of like driving a beautiful car that eventually gets dings in it from rocks on the road.

[Bpark65]

Lead guitar guy was singing lead, lead singer was standing next to me, in my zeal to chime in on harmony I tried to dash the 8 or 10 feet to my mic. Would have been fine if the lead singer wasn't standing on my cable. Ripped the jack right out of the bass ruining the pick guard of the late 70's P bass I still play today. Went back to the vintage/used shop where I bought it for repairs. Wasn't particularly bothered until the shop owner (and a true musician playing bass) says "too bad, looks like that was the original". Sometimes I notice that the holes in the new pick guard don't match up, or where the finish on the neck is worn, or where I bashed the headstock in to something, or when I cut my finger and bled all over the thing. Point being is that these things have a history, better to play it than have it sitting in a case someplace...

[clbolt]

I had a 66 Guild Starfire fall off the top row of a 9 guitar (3x3) rack at the Columbus Vintage Guitar Show in 1994. I'd just walked away from my table, and had my back turned, so I didn't see it fall. Unfortunately, a couple hundred other dealers did. The crash silenced the entire hall. I walked back, picked up the bass, looked toward the ceiling, and yelled "Is that the best you can do?". That broke the tension, and everybody had a good laugh.

The bass had a slight ding, but nothing broke. Heck, it wasn't like those old Starfires were bringing a lot of money 18 years ago, so it didn't matter much in the resale. I long ago reached the conclusion that no matter how careful I think I'm being, crap still happens. In the end, it's all just wood, steel, and wires. If it's too valuable to ding, it's too valuable to leave the vault, and I'm not going to own anything that valuable.

[LM Bass]

Here's a how-to. I'd take it in to your luthier, though, if you are in any doubt about doing it yourself.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pDSQ7u_ii00

[Fishheadjoe]

A buddy of mine runs a music school... he had his 68 Les Paul sitting on a stand in his office. One of his students decided to pick up the guitar and noodle... he dropped it on the floor, head stock first and snapped the neck off just below the nut and not a clean snap, wood chips flying every where... it's now had the neck repaired, but the luthier said he wasn't sure about how the truss would work, if at all.
Not a pleasant day at music school!
Fishheadjoe