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To keep or not to keep basses in their cases

#21
Yes and no.... they're all in the case EXCEPT..... there are two main players that stay out. Then I take the others out to make guest appearances. I'm good about rotating them though. I've played them all within the past 2 weeks.
 
#22
If the room where they hang is stable temp & humidity, all is good. If your instruments are stored in a non-temp controlled room / building, cases provide a buffer that slows temp changes if they do happen. That's about it. Keeping humidity up around 40-50% is also good, but not as critical for solid body electrics as it is for solid wood acoustic instruments.
 
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#23
I leave mine out in a rack. (Would love to do the "hang on the wall" thing, with a nice lamp above each one, but didn't think about it when I moved in). I live in the PNW at the 45th parallel where humidity and temp fluctuate quite a bit and never had any issues.

I find the cases to be too cumbersome to mess with on a daily or semi-daily basis. One is shoved in a closet and the others are in the garage.
 
#24
Mine are on the wall (Canada, west coast). I prefer having them out where I can easily pick them up (which I do, almost daily). No issues to date and only one truss rod adjustment required (on the AC6) in 10 years.

20210904_173516.jpg
 
#25
I leave all my basses out in stands or lying on top of stuff ready to play and it gets quite humid out here. Did a luthier tell you a bass neck cracked because of humidity?

Edit: I do this because when I walk into the room they are the first thing that catches my eye and the one that beckons to me the loudest gets played. Out of sight, out of mind.
 
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#27
my jam space is in a hot loft, dominated by central air, temperatures' might fluctuate, dust will settle in control crevices causing annoying static, felines with hair and dander, luckily their all fixed and not spraying anything......anywhooo i keep 4 in gig bags and 1 out...i play them all tho.
 
#28
Knavery said:
Ok, so some of you know I have a major crack on my Stingray Special and it'll cost about a grand to get it fixed via a new neck at EBMM. With that said, the repair tech I took my bass to said that I should keep my instruments in their cases at all times when not in use. Now, I have them hanging on hooks on the wall in my office. I do keep my ES-335 and my acoustic in their cases at all times, but all of my solid body instruments are left out.

I guess I'm curious what all of you suggest. I would love to keep them out and just get a room humidifier, but this is where I work where I have computers, amps, etc. I'm not sure how humid it can get without running into issues with electronics. My wife suggested we get one of those Honeywell humidifiers you attach to the furnace, which I'm not opposed to. I just don't know if that will do the trick.

My cases are crammed in my closet, and to access any of them, I need to pull a bunch of stuff out. So, I'd prefer not to have to keep them tucked away at all times. Not to mention I switch between them quite often. :)

So, what does the intelligencia say? I'm in Colorado where it's drier than a popcorn fart. I'd sure like to know what works best to protect my instruments, but would also like to avoid a huge inconvenience. Thanks!
Click to expand...

I can relate. When I lived in Denver I loved the dry climate but it wreaked havoc with my basses, fret sprouts galore. I bought a good sized room humidifier that solved the issue.

My neighbor is an HVAC contractor. He says the only whole house humidifier systems that actually work right are the super expensive ones, and that the ones found at Lowe's or HD for ~ $500 aren't worth bothering with. Disappointing, as it would be an easy DIY project for me. Instead I snagged a small non-wicking humidifier online for $159 that sits on an end table in the living room. Amazingly, it keeps 1600 sq feet well humidified without breaking a sweat, and it's quiet. Good luck.
 
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#31
Get a hygrometer for the room before you invest in a whole-house humidifier. Maybe you need one, maybe you don't. I find in western Oregon it's easy to maintain 45-55% relative humidity year-round. I run dehumidifiers sometimes when it's super damp, but not cold enough to run the furnace. I did have a mold problem on my old P-bass that was in case in the basement once. Learned that lesson the hard way. Saved the bass, but lost the case.
 
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#32
I keep 1 or 2 out at a time. Always. I don't leave out more because they get I the way or get knocked over. I keep 2 hooks on the wall. That's where they go when I'm done playing. They're fine in a case and they're fine on a stand or leaning against the book case and they're fine in the trunk of the car.
 
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#38
My shed basses live in floor racks, and I wouldn't be opposed to wall hangers. I'm playing and switching them so often I can be bothered to monkey around with putting them in and of cases. Plus, I don't want their bulk in the shed... my bulk is quite enough, thank you very much. .

My gig basses live in their gig bags, ready to go when I'm called upon to perform a technically challengeing bass solo (which most normal people call "intermission").

My collection basses live in cases that are put in places in their spaces free from leaky vases.
 

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