Worked for a large manufacturer. The truss is a big part of it. There’s no benefit to loosening strings for storage. If there was, manufacturers would do it. If there was, guitar techs would do it.
In a perfect world it won’t help or harm.
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.
Long term storage of basses
- Thread starter totalnoob
- Start date
In a perfect world it won’t help or harm.
Apparently, there is a lot you have not "clearly explained" from the responses to your query.
Are the bags pure LDPE, or does the material contain plasticizers?
Storing Old Photos in Ziploc® Plastic Bags
Storing Old Photos in Ziploc® Plastic Bags
I would wipe it down, put it in the case, and put the case in the best most stable environment I could find for it.
I would NOT loosen the tension on the strings, adjust the truss rod, and I would NOT put anything in plastic.
I would NOT loosen the tension on the strings, adjust the truss rod, and I would NOT put anything in plastic.
Store it in a coffin full of styrofoam peanuts and leave it in the tool shed 
3 words- Epoxy Resin TableMoldStore it in a coffin full of styrofoam peanuts and leave it in the tool shed
46%???
Im sticky at 46.
Comfort range is 30-50, so I’m going with an even 40 as ideal.
I think piano factories all tuned at 40, except if the piano was going to a higher humidity region like Florida or something.
For nitro you are simply incorrect. You might be able to buff out all the damage though. Most poly guitar finishes will probably be fine.
But frankly if you're storing them in a non-humidty and temperature controlled space, that could wreck them anyway. Quite a few vintage instruments survived without AC but they have patina consistent with their care and maintenance.
If you take off the strings loosen the truss rod too, and if the instrument could be left in the heat and humidity for extended periods then doing both is a decent idea to help keep the glue joints from trying to migrate as much as you can.
I live in a relatively hot and fairly humid part of the world and see instruments severely damaged from being left in sheds and other non-climate controlled places quite regularly.
IMO the expectations you'd need to have is that they might all be irreparably damaged but at least you'll still own them.
Last edited:
I had some years long periods where I was overseas and could not see or interact with my basses. When I got back to them, they needed a setup but were otherwise fine.
Based on that experience, nothing special you need to do other than store them in an environment devoid of wild shifts in temperature and humidity. Not a bad a idea to get them out of their cases every couple of years and oil the board and check for any issues. No idea on the plastic bag being worthwhile or a problem but not sure it's necessary. I did not do it.
Based on that experience, nothing special you need to do other than store them in an environment devoid of wild shifts in temperature and humidity. Not a bad a idea to get them out of their cases every couple of years and oil the board and check for any issues. No idea on the plastic bag being worthwhile or a problem but not sure it's necessary. I did not do it.
I have a similar inclination. I have instruments I stored long term at full tension, and yeah, some neck pull. Enough so that maxing out the truss rod just about puts it right. Not even that, on one. I like to play with slightly heavy strings. So for me, loosening the strings some makes sense. So that's my 2 cents.
But I'd be willing to bet the whole 5¢ you own/wear a trench coat?
It is so dry here but since the basses are all acclimated., I have kept some in a leak proof storage shed, strung up and loosened 1/2 step and they have not warped or bowed. Knock on wood
Seems like loosening the tension by a semitone or even a full step, could be prudent and not not hamful.
Thank you for asking a pertinent question. LDPE bags do not contain plasticizers. In fact, the article you linked to is incorrect, LDPE bags do not contain plasticizers, be that Ziploc or otherwise.
I was going to tap out of this thread (and I'm still going to), but I used to be a blow molding machine operator. We worked with LDPE and HDPE.
To the best of my knowledge (and its somewhat extensive) while LDPE doesn't contain plasticizers, it does - under certain conditions and over time - start to break down and could cause some issues in the context of long-term storage.
Of course, I'm assuming we're talking about multiple years of storage.
Okay. I'm out. Peace and good luck!
To the best of my knowledge (and its somewhat extensive) while LDPE doesn't contain plasticizers, it does - under certain conditions and over time - start to break down and could cause some issues in the context of long-term storage.
Of course, I'm assuming we're talking about multiple years of storage.
Okay. I'm out. Peace and good luck!
That's true, and I have reproduced the circumstances that cause LDPE to break down. Those circumstances would be detrimental to the bass as well, but the disintegrating LDPE is still inert. Well, the problem that it causes is just the mess that it causes.
