Caring for your Basses during winter

[Steel_bass]

Hey guys,

winter is coming, the heater is running and the air is getting really dry.
I already recognized a little, really only a little bit of fret sprout, but I wanted to ask you guys, what do you do during the winter month to care for your Basses? Do you put a humidifier in your case, or what´s the best way? Right at the moment it´s not much, so it wouldn´t be necessary to file the edges, but to keep it that way, or even get it back to the old 'smoothness' (Roasted Maple neck, Pao Ferro board).
It´s the first time and the only bass that I recognized it, the others don´t have any probs during winter, so I don´t have a glue.

Thanks for your input guys!

 

[Rod Trussbroken]

All my Basses are kept in their cases after use. I don't use humidifiers.

 

[Golem]

I do nothing, here in the great northeast.

If sprout gets annoying, I grind them down
and winter is the best opportunity for that,
as they are then maximally exposed.

BTW, maple sprouts the worst, and FL is
no problem at all

 

[mistercharlie]

I humidify the room. It's good for me, as well as the guitars. Keeps my skin nice and soft too ��.

I also keep guitars in cases when not being played. You can make a case humidifier with a little plastic box with holes punched in it, and a piece of damp cellulose sponge inside.

 

[Oldtoe]

My pal and luthier extraordinaire Corey Keller says the most important steps are to keep them in their cases away from outside doors & windows and, if possible, away from any HVAC vents blowing directly on them.

 

[AndyRage]

I too was told to keep them in their cases(I usually use walhangers). Other then that I have never changed habits, and have never had any issues with any of my basses.

 

[five7]

Keeping them in a case does not help here in colorado, the dreaded fret sprout will come no matter what. I have tried humidifiers in cases and those don't help either. Maple and ebony are the worse. My last sterling got so bad I parted ways with it. There was no room to file frets as the G string was already close to the edge on it. Other basses I have filed frets and that worked.

 

[AndyRage]

That was another thing. I'm in Missouri, where the winters are relatively mild.

 

[Ox Boris]

"Svmer is icumen in" here in North Queensland.
Every day I throw a bucket of water over my Bass to dry it off...

 

[backagain1]

Keeping them in a case does not help here in colorado, the dreaded fret sprout will come no matter what. I have tried humidifiers in cases and those don't help either. Maple and ebony are the worse. My last sterling got so bad I parted ways with it. There was no room to file frets as the G string was already close to the edge on it. Other basses I have filed frets and that worked.

What is "fret sprout?" Does anyone have any photos of this phenomenon?

 

[Smallmouth_Bass]

What is "fret sprout?" Does anyone have any photos of this phenomenon?

Fret sprout is when the neck wood contracts (usually due to dry humidity environmental conditions) and causes the ends of the frets to extend beyond the edge of the fingerboard, making sharp edges. Wood will contract and expand with humidity and the metal frets will not and that is why you get fret sprout.

This condition is just the nature of making instruments with wood and is not a reflection of the quality of an instrument. It happens to high end instruments and less expensive ones as well.