Enjoy the benefits of a premium membership!
Upgrade Account
-
TalkBass has been independent since 1998. Add your voice.
Create a free account to reply to discussions, view embedded media, and browse with fewer display ads.
Join free Log in
Want zero display ads or expanded classifieds tools? Compare plans.
Bass in car during work day in winter?
- Thread starter glocke1
- Start date
PaulCISSA
Unsweetened, highly-caffeinated
I took a gigbag into my office for 15 years (every Wednesday) at a Fortune 500 Company HQ. I once had an executive ask me if I'd be performing at lunchtime. I told him that they don't pay me enough for that (delivered with a smile). Made an instant friend.
I'd never leave my bass in the car, for any reason.
I'd never leave my bass in the car, for any reason.
Buy a case that looks like a gun case and take it into the office. When someone asks what it is, just smile.
In Winnipeg one day in a winter cold car would shatter that bass like a pane of glass, never be the same again.
I remember reading a warning decades ago about allowing a cold bass to warm up too fast because the finish could develop "finish checking", i.e., small cracks. The recommendation was to briefly open the case and fan the lid a few times, then wait, repeat, etc.
Edit: Should have added "close case" after fanning.
Edit: Should have added "close case" after fanning.
Last edited:
As long as the instrument is safe, get yourself a decent unassuming gig bag; and then just take it in, shove in the corner of your cube, and don't make a big thing about it. You'll be fine.
I would get a beater for that kind of service! Or something you can replace easily.
Last edited:
I won't leave a bass in my car warm or cold, if I get home at 3 am and am too tired to lug my amp inside I'll leave the amp but not any basses and especially not in a parking lot or a garage or worse yet the street. Anyway the first two or three times you bring it in the office it will be a novelty and you'll get a lot of questions but after a few days, it will be ho hum. People generally like musicians anyway, you'll probably be seen as an individual not just another faceless number.
I have a Squire stashed at a remote office that I travel to, taking it to the hotel for the few days I'm there and returning it to the office when leave. Stored in a gig bag, vertical in the closet. When the CEO found out that I spent some time adjusting each time he asked me if maybe the AC being off during the weekend was affecting the neck...he then offered to take it home to his house when I left, one of his kids had an guitar stand...you may have more friends than you know...
Gradual temperature changes are no big deal.
Taking it out of the case, however, really does require a warm up if its been in the cold, as stated above particularly nitro finishes.
That said, if you give it time to warm up, you should be okay. Not giving it time to warm up can cause issues, not the least of which is condensation. Pulling a bass out and watching it steam up or get wet without any stimulation is not a good scene. Gradual is the word.
Taking it out of the case, however, really does require a warm up if its been in the cold, as stated above particularly nitro finishes.
That said, if you give it time to warm up, you should be okay. Not giving it time to warm up can cause issues, not the least of which is condensation. Pulling a bass out and watching it steam up or get wet without any stimulation is not a good scene. Gradual is the word.
NO!
You'll finish check and I doubt you'll have enough time to let it recover to room temperature before taking it out of the case.
Bring it inside, and chain it to something.
Keeps honest people honest.
I know you wanted NOT to bring it in but the chances of having issues leaving it outside is more risk than I would feel comfortable taking.
Playing a cold bass sucks, it sweats with the condensation.
I'm curious what "cold" is. To me, cold is anything below -10 f. I don't have a problem leaving a bass out in the cold, but that's mainly my beater basses.
I have brought a bass to work several times, and found out how many other musicians work here. Nice conversation starter.
One winter long ago I received a bass. Not thinking about the finish, I opened it up immediately. Cracks developed in the finish right before my eyes.
So now anyone reading this will at least be aware of the possibility. Abrupt climate changes can wreck havoc on wooden instruments. Can, not will. I've never tried my luck again since my experience. I can wait.
In the OP's situation I'd take the bass in. If people asked me to play a song I'd politely say no. I have a bunch of "noes" at my disposal so I doubt I'd run out anytime soon. Potential theft and climate are two excellent reasons not to leave a bass in a car.
Back in the 80's I had a headless bass that came in an actual shotgun case. Took it into my bank several times, never a problem.
As a number of folks have pointed out, nitro can crack from sudden temperature changes. That's not an issue with poly.
Just wanted to mention one thing. It's not the most common thing, but there are some basses (like my Sadowskys) that have a poly finish on the body, and nitro on the neck. Best to be careful about that.
Yes, mixing finish types is becoming more popular. We mad Luthiers here in the Secret Underground Lab have been successfully doing instruments with most of the layers of finish in water-base polyurethane. But the last few top coats are nitro lacquer. This makes for a finish that is much tougher and more wear resistant than all nitro lacquer. And it's more temperature resistant too. The thin top layer of nitro will still crack if exposed to extreme temperature changes, but not as easily. And at least the poly layers underneath don't crack, so the wood stays sealed up.
I think OP should also have a little countdown timer on the outside of it, powered by the battery in the bass, (so he'd need to run some wires out of the case to the timer) that counts down to when you'll be removing the mysterious large black rectangular box at the end of the day, so in case anyone is worried about it being in the way, they'll know it'll be gone soon. Tuck it somewhere out of the way, and try to make it so it won't be quickly noticed. Don't tell anyone about it, and if someone notices and asks, it's best that he not claim it publicly. You don't want to call attention to yourself.
Last edited:
