Storing basses in their cases or on the wall?

[shadven]

I have about a dozen vintage basses. They all live on wall hangers in my climate controlled music room at my home.

I only gig with two or three of the basses regularly, the others I play once a month of so, sometimes less. I love seeing them when I walk into the room and if they were stored in cases I would certainly play them less.

Vintage music stores display their basses and guitars by hanging them on the wall. But they need to have them out in the open for potential customers to view.

Is it better to store them in their cases or on the wall?

 

[Maxdusty]

I don't think it really matters all that much, but a few things about hanging them on the wall. They are more susceptible to dust, perhaps oxidation if there is too much moisture and uv damage if exposed to direct sunlight.
I keep my basses in a cedar wardrobe I found. I have them in their gig bags but perhaps can also rig up a guitar rack in there - just haven't done it yet. Cedar repels any potential insects that may wander in. lol.

 

[xUptheIronsx]

I have always heard that if they stay in the cases, the necks are lees likely to warp? Is that for real? I don't see how the case would keep that from happening.

Wall hanging them can't be too bad. I keep mine in their cases mostly to protect hem from stuff falling on them for now. When I get back into my house, I will go back to wall hanging and/or stands

 

[lz4005]

I have always heard that if they stay in the cases, the necks are lees likely to warp? Is that for real? I don't see how the case would keep that from happening.

A good case will give you a little extra insulation against sudden changes in temperature and humidity, which aren't good for a neck, but overall it won't make much difference in terms of neck warping.

 

[Pilgrim]

I have always heard that if they stay in the cases, the necks are lees likely to warp? Is that for real? I don't see how the case would keep that from happening.

No, it's BS...not more or less likely.

Wall vs case? It makes no difference.

Wall hung basses are slightly more exposed to damage, but much easier to access. Cases are more protective but take up more room and are inconvenient to access.

If you hang them, make sure that you don't have any padding on the hook which will react with nitro finishes (if you have nitro on any basses.)

Also - MOST IMPORTANT WHEN WALL HANGING - Do Not Expose Them To Sunlight!! Not even for an hour a day. Sunlight will fade any finish much faster than you can believe.

Dust? Simple: dust them occasionally.

 

[Baird6869]

I have stored my basses on walls for years.

Having said that, make sure your hanger is attached to a stud or a piece of horizontal wood attached to studs.

My 1 month old custom Fodera fell off a hanger that pulled out of drywall. The hanger had been there for at least 5 years. Miraculously I was there and caught it in midair. Not making this up. I almost passed out with shock. Hell of a catch if I might say so myself.

 

[Son of Wobble]

I have stored my basses on walls for years.

Having said that, make sure your hanger is attached to a stud or a piece of horizontal wood attached to studs.

My 1 month old custom Fodera fell off a hanger that pulled out of drywall. The hanger had been there for at least 5 years. Miraculously I was there and caught it in midair. Not making this up. I almost passed out with shock. Hell of a catch if I might say so myself.

Nice catch!

 

[warrplayer]

I have stored my basses on walls for years.

Having said that, make sure your hanger is attached to a stud or a piece of horizontal wood attached to studs.

My 1 month old custom Fodera fell off a hanger that pulled out of drywall. The hanger had been there for at least 5 years. Miraculously I was there and caught it in midair. Not making this up. I almost passed out with shock. Hell of a catch if I might say so myself.

No matter where you put them, make sure you have insurance! Two years ago I had a tree take out half my roof and two rooms. one of them my home studio. Which by a miracle I had decided to rearrange that day and had all my equipment out in the hall way. Talk about dodging a bullet.

 

[Mediocrity Man]

A good case will give you a little extra insulation against sudden changes in temperature and humidity, which aren't good for a neck, but overall it won't make much difference in terms of neck warping.

I have concerns about this in my house. I keep my basses in bags and cases in my rec room downstairs. The humidity levels are fine but we keep the temperature around 55 degrees when were not down there. I often bring them up into the living room to practice which is around 65 degrees. Some times I leave them upstairs overnight. So this temperature swing seems safe enough but I still wonder as I tend to be over cautious about things.

 

[JACink]

I have mine hanging on the wall, but admittedly I don't have any expensive basses.

If I had a collection of vintage basses, then maybe I would go for something like this:

 

[nostatic]

floor stands/racks. I play all of them every day and don't have enough wall space. No way I store them in cases...any that spent significant amounts of time unplayed and in a case would get sold.

 

[mikeswals]

I keep them put away in hardshell cases, out of sight and out of light. I don't have to dust them but once a year when I change their strings and batteries. I'll never hang them on a wall, lived in earthquake country most my life, don't want to give them a reason to fall. And don't want peeping eyes nosing thru windows or to the pizza guy to see I have anything of value worth a return visit when I'm not home.

 

[gln1955]

The instruments I'm using regularly are on floor stands, the rest wall hangers. The only time they see a case is if they're going for a ride.

 

[Laurie Bass]

I keep my inexpensive basses in soft cases (not gig bags) up stairs in my living room. Temp in there is somewhat constant and in their cases they are protected from the sun/kids/pets.

 

[Jaco D]

All of my basses/guitars are in hardcases, though I have a couple of hangers on the wall for times when I plan to use the instrument for extended periods of time. The thing about keeping them on hangers (and floor stands for that matter) is you run the risk of kids or animals running wild in the room and knocking the basses off their stands/hangers.

 

[tangentmusic]

Yeah - I keep mine on wall hangers or on floor stands in my studio for easy accessibility (and they look nice displayed).
Have for many years. Never had a neck issue.

Like many have said - keep them out of direct sunlight.

If you have a climate controlled room, you're good.

 

[JACink]

(snip)... The thing about keeping them on hangers (and floor stands for that matter) is you run the risk of kids or animals running wild in the room and knocking the basses off their stands/hangers.

Much better to keep kids or animals in cases, and leave basses on their stands!

 

[AaronVonRock]

I only have two basses. One stays on a floor stand and is covered with a light sarong when not being played. The other bass is kept in a MONO gig bag. Both are easy to access.

 

[novak7]

well if you are going to hang them on a wall make sure they are anchored. i build t wall anger to hold 8 instruments in my bedroom once…

fast forward 6 months at 3 in the morning i awoke to what sounded like a piano falling down the stairs
i have now screwed the rack in with 4 inch nails into the studs and caulked it to the wall

 

[Pilgrim]

What a miraculous catch!!!! (See post #5 above)

If you wall hang, DO NOT EVER trust screws that go into sheet rock. I don't care if you have a screw anchor the size of a dinner plate, don't trust it.

Wood screws into solid wood ONLY.

When I set up this room for hanging basses, I used oak 1x4 strips as a mounting base. Each oak strip was secured to wall studs by a dozen 3-inch sheetrock screws; then the hangars were mounted on the oak wood strips.