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Hung by the neck until........


lowlandtrees
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......your bass resembles a spiral staircase. I have always stored my instruments hanging on the wall but my MM SUB...which I really like seems to now have a neck problem. Strings are all over the place E is high and A low and buzzing. Is this a bad policy? I prefer to have them hanging because of a space issue and access. Guitars seem Ok but maybe the weight of bass bodies is not designed for this. Only played bass 5-6 years

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I can't see how hanging a bass can cause such problems. If you think about it a bass body will weigh around 7lbs, which will be pulling the body away from the neck, but the combined tension of the strings will be pulling the body towards the neck with a far, far greater force. In short, if the bass is warped, it's far more likely to be due to the string tension than a wall hanger.

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It MAY be the case IF the wall hanger is fitted so as not to allow the bass to hang 100% perpendicular. In which case you MAY get some very small changes to neck relief from a slight uneven pressure on the truss rod which would result in the effects you noticed.

Edited by discreet
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[quote name='discreet' timestamp='1391335894' post='2355796']
It MAY be the case IF the wall hanger is fitted so as not to allow the bass to hang 100% perpendicular. In which case you MAY get some very small changes to neck relief from a slight uneven pressure on the truss rod which would result in the effects you noticed.
[/quote]

I've actually thought of this with my Hercules grabby-neck-hanging stands. The neck grabber doesn't rotate to ensure a proper vertical hang, and with both my headstocks being offset, I didn't like this. I unscrewed the grabber and then drilled and screwed into place at the correct angle.

I think most wall hangers are the rotating type though.

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The only thing I notice about hanging guitars/ basses on the wall is that they usually need re-tuning slightly when I take them down to play. I think that's due to the temperature being slightly greater higher up in the room rather than a problem with the method of storing.

Jazzyvee

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I'm not sure that perpendicularity is necessarily a good thing. Unless the bass body was exactly symmetrical in terms of mass distribution around the line of the next, then I think a hanger would cause some sideways force on the neck. I reckon the best arrangement is for the hanger to be able to pivot so the bass effectively hangs like a pendulum.

Only a guess though, and I still think that the tension of the strings will vastly exceed the effect of gravity acting on the body.

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[quote name='discreet' timestamp='1391342442' post='2355913']
You could check the perpendicularity (is that a word?) with a plumb bob.

[url="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plumb_bob"]http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plumb_bob[/url]
[/quote] Or if you dont have one tie a heavy nut on to a bit of string :) does the same job

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If anything its probably going to be more to do with the temp in your room being higher nearer the ceiling than the rest of the space affecting the stability of the neck. I used to have a SUB which was slightly susceptible to heat change and weather conditions. Sold it to a guy down your neck of the woods... wonder if its the same one.

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Do a search on Talkbass for this subject, you'll see hundreds of threads and hundreds of answers all saying no, it can't possibly cause any damage to your bass.
Guitars and basses are hung on walls all over the world in shops and luthiers workshops, I've never read anyone saying categorically that they've discovered that hanging a bass or guitar will cause any neck problems.

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Is it an exterior wall. Are there damp Issues etc. Is the hanger placed over a radiator or even near one where the room is warm then cool and a little damp. I can't recall a bass ever warping due to being hung, however I do recall a bass I bought a while back which I received played for 10 mins to check it out, it was perfect. I then placed it in my garage in a gigbag with strings tensioned for a few months (schoolboy error, I bought it to ravage for parts for a project that didn't happen ).... Anyway when I went back to get it a little later the neck was badly bowed. I tried leaving it adjust slowly in a drier environment for a few weeks but it got worse. I had to dump it. In my experience it's environment that warps necks. Or of course it may be a dodgy neck. How old is it.

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[quote name='Ou7shined' timestamp='1391344173' post='2355953']
If anything its probably going to be more to do with the temp in your room being higher nearer the ceiling than the rest of the space affecting the stability of the neck. I used to have a SUB which was slightly susceptible to heat change and weather conditions. Sold it to a guy down your neck of the woods... wonder if its the same one.
[/quote]

Interesting Rich. I've operated a few subs that are susceptable to depth changes.

Never had a problem with a bass being hung by its neck. Mine have always been well hung.

Edited by GreeneKing
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[quote name='Happy Jack' timestamp='1391335846' post='2355795']
Try taking advantage of the problem: [url="http://littleguitarworks.com/torzal-natural-twist/"]http://littleguitarw...-natural-twist/[/url]
[/quote]Nice… thanks for sharing. This is a new one to me, at first I though someone had photoshop and a spare 5 minutes. Anyone tried one?

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[quote name='Happy Jack' timestamp='1391335846' post='2355795']
Try taking advantage of the problem: [url="http://littleguitarworks.com/torzal-natural-twist/"]http://littleguitarw...-natural-twist/[/url]
[/quote]

Interesting idea. Reminds me of the 'cranked shaft' paddles that many kayakers use to reduce bending stress on their wrists.

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