• 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.

How do I store my Nitro-finished P-Bass

#21
I have to agree... If you are the type that requires a pristine looking instrument at all times, a Nitro finish may not have been the best move.

With that said, aging is going to happen. How much or how little can maybe be controlled with some of the above suggestions.

I wanted to chime in and just make some suggestions for the cracking/chipping that often happens with Nitro finishes. This occurs as a result of the change in temperature of the instrument. So, just having nitro in cold weather or hot weather in it of itself won't harm anything. It's when you take it from a warm room to a cold outdoors and then to a scorching hot stage with bright lights and don't allow it to acclimate that you end up with finish checking. So to help with that, my recommendation is always have your bass be the last thing you load into your car (once it's warmed up or cooled off to "room temperature") and have it be the first thing you bring into the club out of your car. However, when you arrive at the club, keep your bass in the case/gig bag and allow it to slowly acclimate to the temperature of the stage/club, set up your cab, amp, pedals, etc... Help the other guys load in the drum kit, guitar rig, and whatever all else is needed, and only when everything really is all set and you're ready for soundcheck, then pull the bass out.

That's my $0.02. But in the end, Nitro will be Nitro and will never react like Poly.
 
#22
I love that old Ludwig kit. As far as storing a P-bass, you don't store them. You flog them. That's what they are for. My P-Bass started life as a RW, and it looks a lot more beat up now. I don't deliberately damage it, but for some reason, it just collects picturesque damage. The Ric doesn't, and it's a nitro finish, too. The EB-2 doesn't seem to wear the same, either. I don't know what it is about Fender nitro, but it must be a whole lot thinner or something. So, the point is that it's inevitable.
 
#23
I agree that if you are looking for more of a show piece, a Poly finish would be better for you. Nitro will change over time, and not much you can do about it.

My NOS '64 CS Jazz was a studio bass before I got it, so it had been sitting on a guitar stand unused for a couple years, and the rubber padding left some discoloration. That saved me about $1000 on the cost. Not a problem for me, as it's my #1 player. After about 5 years of playing, the white finish is really starting to take on a yellow-ish color, and the back that rests against my body, and the arm contour are starting to take on a little bit of pink. I'm in TX, so lots of hot sweaty gigs, and I don't "wipe down" after gigs. I have more than a few little marks, and a little bit of checking.

I had a AVRI P for a couple months and got some black marks on the finish where I pass my cable thru the strap. This happened after just a couple gigs.
DSC02593.jpg


If you are really worried, keep it in the case, and control the temp as much as you can. But even if you put it in the case in a closet and didn't touch it, it would still change a little over time. It's all MOJO!
 
#24
Gbass75 said:
Hey there, Y'all...

I've got an AVRI '63, and (in so much as I'm able) I want to prevent any odd discoloration or strange marking on the finish; as I've seen/heard happen to other Nitro-finished basses...

Often, folks talk about the finishes reacting to the type of material lining the case a bass was left in, or the rubber padding on a guitar stand that it was sitting on...

So, what could/should an owner do to protect his bass, and prevent these nitro-anomalies from occuring?!?

Any thoughts would be very much obliged!

(Btw... right now my '63 is sitting in a Fender "deluxe" gig bag... should I get it the hell outta there?!?!?!? YIKES!!!!)
Click to expand...
A buddy of mine has a "nitro-bass" and has searched for a nitro-friendly stand.
He found this:
Invalid Link Removed

Now, this is just an example.
The main message is, there are professional stands that are nitro friendly! :)
 
#26
Yup to above....recently got first Nitro after 45 years playing poly and totally dig new dings and smell won't go away. And for first time ever don't worry about not keeping instrument perfect.

Worry free, finally
 
#28
High Camp said:
A buddy of mine has a "nitro-bass" and has searched for a nitro-friendly stand.
He found this:
Invalid Link Removed

Now, this is just an example.
The main message is, there are professional stands that are nitro friendly! :)
Click to expand...

231446.jpg


I find this style stand protects my nitro guitars well. However, I left my 62 AVRI P sitting on one of the single guitar stands with rubber tubing for a spell, and it ate right through the finish in most corrosive manner. I'll have to get a photo.
Isn't there a road rash thread on the site featuring fetishistic shots of messed up nitro? The one way to reconcile yourself to guitar damage is
to embrace its inevitability and even fetishize it, as many here suggest.
 
#33
Gaolee said:
As far as storing a P-bass, you don't store them. You flog them.
Click to expand...

I do agree with this sentiment. Basses that live in the case are basses that don't quite make the cut. The best ones are always out and at hand
because you can't keep away from them.
On the other hand, nothing beats opening up a case and being hit with the revelation of a hot bass. Better still if it is accompanied by a blast of
that nitro smell. That moment is about as fetishistic as it gets, and why I reckon the Custom Shop stuff fares so well, because so many of us are trying to chase that early peak experience. And doing so is the essence of fetishism.
 
#35
I own a bunch of nitro finished instruments. They are softer than poly and often ding and chip easier. They are more sensitive to changes in heat and humidity. They are UV reactive where whites will yellow and blues will green. Don't store the instrument where it gets hit with sunlight. If you want to display your instrument keep it someplace away from a direct source of heat. Don't put it next to a radiator or above baseboard heating.

Hercules stands are nitro friendly. I own their wall hangers, a collapsible tripod stand, and their 5 guitar stand. Never had an issue.

G&G makes a good case and I think are the ones supplied with the custom shop and av series basses.

Also be wary of storing your bass with a strap attached. I've seen a lot of them made from synthetic or poorly dyed materials stain lighter finishes.
 
#38
Thanks for the responses, everyone. Just to clarify...

When I acquired the instrument, I knew what would eventually happen in terms of finish wear and tear... and this is what I want. In fact, this is precisely why I have always kind of thought that RW instruments were odd. I mean... I want to earn the look, not buy it!

I'm not concerned about my instruments looking pristine... and, as others have stated, I buy these to be tools and not museum pieces. I'm especially fond of chips and cracks; as my former '78 P-Bass could attest.

That said, I don't want to turn my blue bass orange (if I can avoid it) by putting it on a stand made of damaging materials.

MusicStoreLive said:
If you are the type that requires a pristine looking instrument at all times, a Nitro finish may not have been the best move.
Click to expand...

Again, I'm not... so, all good there.

Jah Wobble Fan said:
I do agree with this sentiment. Basses that live in the case are basses that don't quite make the cut. The best ones are always out and at hand because you can't keep away from them.
Click to expand...

This bass absolutely DOES make the cut... in fact, if I could only have one of my current three, this would be the winner.

I am actually dealing with an old injury and some nerve damage (oh, and AGE... did I mention AGE?!? ...ugh.); so I'm not playing or gigging nearly as often as I was just a few months ago.

Also, storage space is limited in my house, and I don't have a great display area that's out of the sunlight... these are the reasons why the bass is currently in a soft-case, where I can grab it easily when I want it. Though, it sounds like everyone agrees I should not keep it in the gig bag! :eek:
 
Last edited:
#40
Some one else mentioned about storing with a strap attached and I wanted to chime in with that as well. I refinished a friend of mines frankenstrat with reranch Daphne Blue nitro. He put it in the case with the strap underneath it. This was a leather strap with a Celtic Knot pattern in it. a few weeks later he pulls it out and that Celtic Knot pattern was running diagonally across the back of his newly refinished guitar. Apparently the oil in the strap that keeps it supple reacted with the lacquer.
 

Latest posts

Top Bottom
Back