Thursday, November 1, 2012

Summer Heat

I think alot of people forget what makes up a guitar; I know I did. I bought an Asian made bass that's body was made of some wood I had never heard of [my grandfather was in the wood business, not knowing of a wood is a feat.] and with heavy finish on it it's easy to mistake for plastic. Under all that paint there is metal and wood that reacts to the atmosphere.   

This summer I had a hell of a time playing my bass. My bass would sit in my un-air-conditioned bedroom until the evening when I'd crank on the air and pick up my bass. After three minutes my bass would be horribly out of tune, so I moved my bass to the always air conditioned living room and didn't play it much. About the third time I picked up my bass I decided to plug it in and turned on my air conditioner afew hours before hand. Little good that did because when I plugged it in nothing happened.

I than began my active bass owner's first heart attack. I don't care how prepped you think you are, own an active bass and you will totally freak when the nine volt dies. I go buy said battery, unscrew the panel and try to pry it out with my fingernail. No dices, but is the life of every guitarist right? Than I have the genius idea to just flip over my bass and let gravity do the work. Gravity was not my friend that day. I left it in an armchair panel side down for a hour with no luck. Finally I said hell with it and grabbed a knife [Of the butter variety] and went to town on the back.

Knives go though paint.

Utterly defeated I asked my mom for help. Even her great mom powers could do nothing, that day. Randomly the next week she asked to see my guitar and with her miraculous mom abilities she got the panel off. Lesson learned, watch the weather channel for no other reason than to learn when you have low humidity.

Must have depending on climate.
  
  

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