Storage question

[Greg Peterson]

My brother keeps his acoustic hanging on the wall in his main living quarters. I keep mine in a case. He plays his a lot more than I play mine, thus the convenience of keeping out.

Is one storage method inherently better than the other? Does it matter all that much?

[James Phillips]

My brother keeps his acoustic hanging on the wall in his main living quarters. I keep mine in a case. He plays his a lot more than I play mine, thus the convenience of keeping out.

Is one storage method inherently better than the other? Does it matter all that much?

If you live anywhere with humidity extremes (high or low) keep it in a case

[Greg Peterson]

Okay. Thanks James.

[Josiah Bartlett]

If the humidity is ok, I like to leave it out. Acoustic instruments seem to sound better when exercised regularly, whether it be by playing or by picking up and resonating with the in-room sounds. Besides, you are more likely to pick it up and play it when it is out rather than put away.

[John Coloccia]

The humidity in the case is GENERALLY the same as the humidity in the house. The case will greatly slow down the rate of change of swings, so it's generally just better to have any instrument in the case. The best nowadays is they have these little humidifiers that fit in the soundholes. They do a great job in the wintertime of keeping the top from caving in and screwing up a nice setup job, or at the extreme popping off the bridge or even splitting the top. That said, I have a couple of Martin and Taylors that are kicking around not in the case much of the time. I like to play...

[Rick Rutten]

I am worse than all of you guys. I have a plywood Yamaha that I leave out all the time. My Martin stays in the case which means I play it less. I do try to keep them away from outside walls in the winter. Not sure if that matters too much. In Colorado the humidity can change pretty quickly in the early summer.

[Roderick Gentry]

Not all walls are the same, such as bathroom walls, outdoor walls, and other hazards like heat registers. My preferred thing, and this is a woodworking forum, is a wall mounted case with a glass door I seal the back of the case to stop transferring moisture into the case from the wall. It is easy to just pull the guitar out and it is in your face so you don't forget about it, and it is protected. I got this idea from Richard Brune's displays that I saw in AL 52, though mine just holds a single guitar flat to the wall.

[Shawn Pixley]

As others have said, if the temperature and humidity do not vary much, and the humidity is high enough, you might as well leave it out. You'll play it more. I have seven guitars out right now, but I am building a cabinet to hold them. Play them often.

On a related note, has anyone else worn out an acoustic? My handmade '74 Giannini, is becoming done for. It is too bad, because it is a very good sounding guitar. But on the upside maybe I can talk the wife into a Lowden.

[Jack Briggs]

Guitars should be kept in cases when not being played. Problem is - most of us like to look at them, so we leave them out!


Cheers,