And why are those 60-year old Fenders now so rare and valuable? Because most of the ones made got trashed over the years...
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.
Leaving your bass in a car
- Thread starter Yonni
- Start date
It survived worse between the factory and the store you bought it.
Just to be clear about this instrument. For the price it's a decent playing thing. My old teacher used to prefer the slap sound on it to her 3x more expensive active Ibby. This is the bass I don't mind if it gets a scratch, I'll play around with the electronics and hardware etc. It's decent but nothing special. Now my Läkland, that would never get left in a car on its own.
Pbassmanca
In the pocket n' thumpy. So woody, so greasy...
I do it in the summer. I do it in the winter. If this makes me a bad person, so be it.
Wrap it in tin foil.
I don't think it will help, but I think we'd all like to see the pictures.
I don't think it will help, but I think we'd all like to see the pictures.
I think the only issues with temp are freezing temps. Apparently freezing your bass is a good way to relic and "weather" check the finish. I wouldn't want to do that unintentionally. If it's not in direct sunlight and only 12-20 C I wouldn't worry about it.
Ive left basses in the covered bed of a pickup or bacseat of a car in a hardcase for weeks at a time thru Canadian winters and some hot summer months with no damages. I try to avoid it now, but none of my basses suffered
Many years ago I had a Washburn Status (headless) bass and left it in a car overnight. It was a rare humid night/morning in Wisconsin and even with the car windows all closed and the bass in a hardshell case the bass ended up getting some condensation on it. The set screws in the bridge ended up getting rusty as a direct result of doing so. I will never leave any music gear in a car overnight after that experience.
Last edited:
I can't see what would really get damaged. I think humidity is the important thing. Some of my basses action changes noticeably from summer to winter. Jaco used to complain that the humidity in Fla. would cause his double bass to blow up. I guess leaving it out on the front lawn isn't a good idea either.
I've found being away from playing for a short time can be a refreshing distraction.
2-1/2 weeks ain't nothin'.
It's up for debate. People are holding onto them. I used to get stock lists 4 pages long of strats and basses from a single dealer. One day a dealer told me it would be cheaper to buy 2 or 3 at a time. Nobody wanted a scratched up 62 p bass. He was exporting them to Japan by the dozen. People used to think it was a good idea to "restore" them as well.
I have a cheap bass I call the "trunk bass". It's in my vehicle all the time. It gets HOT and HUMID here. 10 years down the road, and it is as good as the day I bought it, in every way. Have no fear.
I'll call in Suicide Prevention, so we can talk it off the ledge...
Yeah, that's a pretty minor temperature change. In a hard case, which you should camouflage with a blanket as suggested, I wouldn't worry about it.
In my part of the world, the temperature in the summer can swing from 100*F during the day to 65* (or lower) at night. My house was built in the 1920s and doesn't have central air conditioning. I have yet to experience a neck issue on any of my instruments.
In my part of the world, the temperature in the summer can swing from 100*F during the day to 65* (or lower) at night. My house was built in the 1920s and doesn't have central air conditioning. I have yet to experience a neck issue on any of my instruments.
I'm like everybody else who says it should be fine. Wrap it up and you're good. It won't hurt a thing. The temperatures there won't be high enough to be an issue.
Maybe if you live in Arizona where the car temp with the windows up would be life threatening might be different. Or minus 10. I'd at least think twice about that. But you're in reasonable weather. No big deal.
I have a nice black G&L USA L 2500 that I paid decent money for. Shoot, you get on a gig facing the hot sun, 90 plus degree temps, high humidity etc. and that bass gets so hot you have to play it without touching the body. Man that thing gets hot. It doesn't hurt a thing.
Fast humidity and temperature changes are usually to be avoided. But if its in the case, wrapped, AND in a car, it's fine and I wouldn't worry about it.
Maybe if you live in Arizona where the car temp with the windows up would be life threatening might be different. Or minus 10. I'd at least think twice about that. But you're in reasonable weather. No big deal.
I have a nice black G&L USA L 2500 that I paid decent money for. Shoot, you get on a gig facing the hot sun, 90 plus degree temps, high humidity etc. and that bass gets so hot you have to play it without touching the body. Man that thing gets hot. It doesn't hurt a thing.
Fast humidity and temperature changes are usually to be avoided. But if its in the case, wrapped, AND in a car, it's fine and I wouldn't worry about it.
I certainly wouldnt here in Aust with its really high temps. As a matter of fact in the height of summer here I even worry about my guitars enough to keep them with me in my air conditioned lounge room.
I also know through TV advertising of the danger of temperatures just in the mid 20's (Celsius) inside of a car which can at least double that of the outside temps and that can stress a child badly enough to kill...so I wouldnt do it to my bass guitar either. Find another way.
I also know through TV advertising of the danger of temperatures just in the mid 20's (Celsius) inside of a car which can at least double that of the outside temps and that can stress a child badly enough to kill...so I wouldnt do it to my bass guitar either. Find another way.
Last edited:
