Double Bass Leaving my carved bass for two months - store in bag or out in the room?

[oren]

I’m getting ready to go traveling out of the country for the next two months, and I’ll be leaving my carved bass at home. It will be in my music room and our house sitter will be keeping the temperature between 65 and 70, and I don’t anticipate any major humidity shifts (climate in Oregon is usually pretty benign). Would it be better to leave it in its padded nylon bag, or should I leave it out of the bag exposed to the air? Usually it’s out of the bag while at home so I can easily grab it to play.

 

[Chris Fitzgerald]

Just leave it out, IMO.

 

[jjcarswell]

Leave it out. The only time my basses go in a case is when I’m headed to a gig.

 

[bassmanbrent]

I would leave it in the bag, myself. That way, if there happens to be an abrupt shift in temperature or humidity, your bass will acclimate more slowly and hopefully be less likely to pop a seam or crack. My 2 cents...

 

[Ludwig]

I would loosen the strings slightly and put in the bag for best protection against anything unplanned happening...

 

[jj.833]

I just leave my two basses as they are whether I play them or not. The school bass keeps being left alone for two months every summer in quite a hot room, no issues ever. I think the basses are made to stand under pressure, but when you keep detuning the strings and/or dancing with the bass to put it in a gig bag, there's a lot of unnecessary risk of damage.
Just don't put it in a moisty cellar.

 

[Gilmourisgod]

Get a few of those little silica gel packs, throw them in the case with the bass and don’t worry about if. Any bass left out on a stand or hanging is subject to damage. Maybe tune it down 1/2 step, but I don’t think it matters much short term.

 

[AGCurry]

I don't think it makes a bit of difference.

 

[Lee Moses]

I would personally vote against silica gel packs. Putting objects designed to suck out moisture in direct contact with a carved double bass doesn't seem like something I would want to do.

 

[DanDBassist]

I have always understood that any string instrument should be kept at playing tension of the strings. What you do regularly should be fine (in or out of the case). The only difference while you are gone is that it won't be speaking (singing).

 

[Gilmourisgod]

I don’t recall saying the silica gel packs should be in “direct contact” with the bass, just in the case. This is exactly how most basses, cases, and gig bags are shipped. It would matter not one iota if they were in direct contact anyway.

 

[Lee Moses]

@Gilmourisgod Are you sure you're talking about double basses?

 

[DJ Bebop]

Leave it out if you think the house sitter won't mess with it.

 

[Don Kasper]

So, an equitable compromise might be that the bass be stored with the COVER ON, but with the cover left UNZIPPED.
Everybody happy now?
Allll...righty, then. Let's move along, people.

"Forget it, Jake; it's TalkBass..."

 

[oren]

Leave it out if you think the house sitter won't mess with it.

View attachment 7033863

Did I need to see that?

 

[DJ Bebop]

Did I need to see that?

Yes, a coautionary tale.

 

[DJ Bebop]

Yes, a coautionary tale.

Did I need to see that?

Yes a cautionary tale

 

[Mark_T]

I left my bass for a year in 2021 when I was out of the country and I am away again for a few months now.

The first time, we had renters so I packed the bass in the case with a couple of Boveda packs and had my teacher store it with his bass.

This time, we have a house sitter who can monitor humidity and temperature. I still have the bass in its case, tuned down by like a half step, and still have Boveda packs hanging inside.

My bass lives in its case whenever I am not playing anyway so it makes sense to me to have it there now. I like the case for slowing temperature and humidity changes and giving the Boveda packs a little less volume to contend with. The case also makes the instrument a little less tempting to mess with, although I trust my house sitter.

Good luck!