Guitar Storage
Published on 08/07/2009 by Elwood | 1,038 views.Don’t…
- Don’t store your guitar in a car for a prolonged period of time.
- Don’t store your guitar in a basement!
- Don’t store your guitar in an attic!
- Don’t store your guitar near windows, where it can get heavy exposure to light.
- Don’t store your guitar below an anvil being held up with dental floss.
Guitar storage is vital to the importance of keeping your guitar’s sound like new. The first thing to remember is that your guitar is made of wood. You need to keep your guitar at a moderate temperature. Too cold it may crack, too hot it may warp. If it gets wet, you are screwed. Keep you guitar in a dry area, at moderate temperature. I do not recommend storing it in a basement or an attic if you can help it.
Some guitarists may tell you not to keep the guitar out in the open, on a stand or hung on the wall. Others may recommend keeping it in a case. From my personal experience, the differences from keeping a guitar in a case versus on a stand or hung on the wall are negligible. The most important factors are keeping your guitar dry, safe, and at a good temperature.
Humidity
Too much humidity will do damage to your guitar over time. It is usually best to keep your guitar any where from 35-55% relative humidity. Remember that too much humidity will warp your guitar, and too little humidity will dry your guitar out. In the case of humidity, it is usually best to have lower humidity than higher.
Some guitars require a specialty humidifier. This is usually the case when the body of the guitar is unfinished. There are devices for helping maintain humidity inside your guitar.
Your strings, pickups, and internal wiring is all made out of some sort of metal. If they become exposed to water, they may oxidize (lose electrons). If this occurs, atomically speaking, the metal components will deteriorate, or rust. Ultimately you will wind up with a worse sound, or a broken guitar.
Options
I recommend keeping your guitar out in the open, on a stand or hung on the wall if the chore of removing it and putting it away in it’s case means you playing less. Personally, keeping it out in the open (hung on the wall) makes it more accessible to play, and a functional piece of art too. The following are a few products you might try using.
I’ve used the String Swing wall guitar hanger for over a year. It’s very sturdy and displays your guitar out where it can be admired….and easily played.
Highly recommended.
You can get the wall hanging hooks at your neighborhood super hardware store for less. Also buy scrap wood and screws while you are there. The hooks will go into wood blocks which will go into the wall and that will give your headstock clearance. You’ll end up saving 40% going this route.