Too cold?

[paste]

Ive heard about necks warping due to constant exposure to extreme heat but can it damage/hurt the bass if it's too cold? Would 60 degrees farenheit (15.56 degrees celsius) be too cold or alright for a bass sitting on a stand, indoors.

 

[soulman969]

No. When you take it out of your house to a gig it's gonna get a lot colder than that come winter time.

 

[Rockman]

For it to be too cold it would probably have to be at least freezing.

 

[CauliColin]

15 degrees Celsius isn't cold at all. That's hot.

 

[BurningSkies]

SUDDEN changes in temperature can be bad for your instrument. At least for how it looks. You can ruin the finish on a guitar or bass with rapidly changing temperatures as the wood and the poly (or nitro) expand and contract at different rates and at different temperatures. I took a bass from near-zero temperature to a hot stage once and heard the poly crack.

Or, here's the finish on my 1973 Precision:

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Extremes in humidity are bad for the neck of your instrument. Too damp or too dry and you can make your neck do some strange things.

 

[pica]

I live in Michigan too and I've never really had a problem transitioning from summer to winter and visa versa. I leave my bass in the basement where my man-cave is. I have to adjust my truss rod from time to time but that's about it. I went to Meijers and got a gauge that shows both temperature and humidity and just leave it on my table.

 

[MiJaKo]

What Burning said. Bring your bass inside, let the case warm to room temp and then give it another few minutes. Open it a crack. Let it stay propped open slightly (by a latch or two) for a few more minutes while the ambient air can slowly circulate over the bass.
That's the advice I got 20-some years ago and I've never had a problem with any of my instruments.

 

[SpecialBlender]

In my corner of Western Canada we go from 90 - 100 degrees in the summer to -20 to -30 in the winter. My bass stays in the house in its case (have a practise bass) and rides inside my truck to the gig. If it's winter time it stays inside the case while we pack our gear in and part way through set up I open the case slightly to let it ease into room temperature. Years ago I had a friend tell me how he cracked the finish on his real nice acoustic by not following the above procedure.

I've never had a problem with finish or neck issues as a result.

 

[paste]

15 degrees Celsius isn't cold at all. That's hot.

I must be super-sensitive to the cold becuase at 60 degrees farenheit I needa stick my hands in warm water or else my fingers dont properly function

Edit: BurningSkies, thats one narly crack you got going there

 

[P. Aaron]

Have gigged my 2002 MIA-P bass through all sorts of MI weather. Just keep it at around the same temp all the time. Don't let it sit out if you're ot playing it. I always case-the-bass when it's not being played. No finish problems here.

 

[Pilgrim]

Rule of handling: make all temp changes gradual. Use bags or cases and let basses sit before opening. But IME any temp variation of less than 30 degrees is unlikely to make any difference.

Common sense intrudes....

A change from 50 to 20 will matter more than 70 to 40, or 90 to 60. Crossing the freezing line is one place you do need to be more thoughtful.