- Thread starter T-bone
- Start date
GreyDad
Well-known member
Balls out for me
I like to play with my Balls as frequently as possible, so I leave them out for all to see.
No point in having a great pair of Balls if no-one ever sees 'em...
I like to play with my Balls as frequently as possible, so I leave them out for all to see.
No point in having a great pair of Balls if no-one ever sees 'em...
shastaband
Well-known member
I also like to have my instruments ready to hand, able to be instantly played when inspiration strikes. So I usually keep one SR4 and one SR5 out on stands. The rest stay in the cases.
There are downsides to leaving your basses uncased. There is, of course, the omnipresent chance that one could be knocked over, especially if one has dogs, cats, and/or kids running around the house. Another danger lies in the effects of climate. I live in the mountains of Western Maryland, which has very cold winters. I heat with a wood stove, which tends to dry out the air considerably in winter. Despite having a humidifier in my music room, two of my SR5's exhibited fret sprouting over this last winter caused by fretboard shrinking in the dry environment. Both had to have the frets filed to remove the sharp edges. My guitar/bass tech recommended keeping the instruments cased with a case humidifier to prevent this from happening again.
Our summers vary quite a bit in both temperature and humidity, and these changes can cause the adjustment of bass necks to shift around a bit, necessitating more frequent tweaks of the truss rod on uncased instruments (at least that's easy to do on my Balls).
In general, my experience is that the instruments that I leave in the case require fewer adjustments than those I leave out.
There are downsides to leaving your basses uncased. There is, of course, the omnipresent chance that one could be knocked over, especially if one has dogs, cats, and/or kids running around the house. Another danger lies in the effects of climate. I live in the mountains of Western Maryland, which has very cold winters. I heat with a wood stove, which tends to dry out the air considerably in winter. Despite having a humidifier in my music room, two of my SR5's exhibited fret sprouting over this last winter caused by fretboard shrinking in the dry environment. Both had to have the frets filed to remove the sharp edges. My guitar/bass tech recommended keeping the instruments cased with a case humidifier to prevent this from happening again.
Our summers vary quite a bit in both temperature and humidity, and these changes can cause the adjustment of bass necks to shift around a bit, necessitating more frequent tweaks of the truss rod on uncased instruments (at least that's easy to do on my Balls).
In general, my experience is that the instruments that I leave in the case require fewer adjustments than those I leave out.
timmy5strings
Well-known member
Mine is always sitting out and ready when inspiration strikes.
Psycho Ward
Well-known member
I have most of mine hanging on the walls in my music bunker. Then I have one on display in the piano room. I also keep an old P-bass by the bed for protection.
TSanders
Well-known member
Nope. I case mine up.
Seems to hold a setup, so thats what Ive stuck with.
Seems to hold a setup, so thats what Ive stuck with.
Art and Music
Member
I only have one Ball (one is better than none), so I want to take good care of it. Since I live in very dry Arizona, I don't want my one ball to dry out, start cracking and fall to pieces . My Ball, like the rest of my equipment likes a little humidity, so I keep it tucked away with one of those little low tech humidifiers for company. You have to keep your Balls happy!
(one is better than none), so I want to take good care of it. Since I live in very dry Arizona, I don't want my one ball to dry out, start cracking and fall to pieces . My Ball, like the rest of my equipment likes a little humidity, so I keep it tucked away with one of those little low tech humidifiers for company. You have to keep your Balls happy!
Bill
Well-known member
Up until now, I've always had my instruments in their cases & stuffed in a closet. I dunno how long I'll be able to keep my 3 Balls out on the Rockstand, though...we have a 2-year-old and a 5-month-old who's about to start crawling.
EBMM7181
Well-known member
I agree Bill - I have a 4 year old, If I left my bass out on its stand, I'd be so nervous she would knock it over!
Aussie Mark
Well-known member
I dunno how long I'll be able to keep my 3 Balls out on the Rockstand, though...we have a 2-year-old and a 5-month-old who's about to start crawling.
I feel your pain, with a 17 month old climbing, grabbing, throwing machine in the house, plus his 3 month old apprentice-in-waiting. I'm thinking balls on the wall (out of reach) might be a good option for the new house.
bovinehost
Administrator
Well, not to lord it over you guys or anything, but my basses and guitars have almost always been on stands. When Jeremy was a newborn and learning to crawl and walk in San Antonio, they were even in the living room.
Every time he'd head toward them, I'd say, "Not if you want to live until first grade."
And he got it. He grabbed one by the neck ONCE and he knew by the look on my face that it was better to just catch and release. No harm done.
At five years old - coming up on six - they're such a part of his environment that he only notices if there's a new one. But he doesn't touch them unless I pick one up for him and ask him if he wants to.
Moral: they can be trained!
Jack
PS: I had the 20th sitting backwards on a stand the other day and he got all pissy because he thought I had HIS bass downstairs, mucking around with it. All he saw was the black back. He's got a black Fender Bullet upstairs. "Hey, that's MY bass" he says. The moral of the story remains the same, I guess.
Every time he'd head toward them, I'd say, "Not if you want to live until first grade."
And he got it. He grabbed one by the neck ONCE and he knew by the look on my face that it was better to just catch and release. No harm done.
At five years old - coming up on six - they're such a part of his environment that he only notices if there's a new one. But he doesn't touch them unless I pick one up for him and ask him if he wants to.
Moral: they can be trained!
Jack
PS: I had the 20th sitting backwards on a stand the other day and he got all pissy because he thought I had HIS bass downstairs, mucking around with it. All he saw was the black back. He's got a black Fender Bullet upstairs. "Hey, that's MY bass" he says. The moral of the story remains the same, I guess.
Bill
Well-known member
[geek] Yep, I previously had 2 telescopes in the office/music room, but my oldest daughter was always pulling the wires on the RA/dec drive controllers. [/geek] I learned not to keep expensive toys sitting around! Too tempting.
Psycho Ward
Well-known member
I've always kept most of my equipment in a studio separate form the rest of the house. In the piano room I encourage my kids and their friends to play, even though my piano is a handmade Charles Walter Grand and signed by Charles himself. But let me catch a cell phone or God forbid a drink on it, and there will me a southern exorcism! (That’s taken outside and having the devil beaten out of them.)
azzy_wazzy
Well-known member
Once I get around to buying some hangars ours will be on the wall - after we've finished fighting about WHICH wall they should go on...
I have all my Guitars out on stands,I have 13 (most of them are old stuff i got over the years ) no wait its 14 now I forgot i bought the flying V Bongo!!!
No matter what room I am in I always have a bass beside me and like Jack my 2 year old never goes near them unless i pick it up for her.
so far anyway!!!!
No matter what room I am in I always have a bass beside me and like Jack my 2 year old never goes near them unless i pick it up for her.
so far anyway!!!!
Dead-Eye
Well-known member
I get withdrawal if my JP (and my 7-string too) are out of arms reach for any length of time
Goofball Jones
Well-known member
