LP Case Storage

[Brooklyn Zeke]

I'd have to agree with Not Scott, above. I place them in cases or gig bags only for transport. Otherwise, they hang from their headstocks on wall hangers. I think that maybe the weight of the guitars, concentrated in their bodies, may serve to limit any tendency for necks to bend, twist, or warp due to varying climatic conditions.

 

[dspelman]

Where did you get this info from. All hog wash and jibberish you are speaking! Never heard of a guitar getting squeezed and having damage done from any case! PU selector tip could break? What are you taking for your condition?

Any good tech will tell you the same thing. Some cases put enough pressure on the strings that they get smashed into the frets. You'll begin to notice that you have dents in your frets that look like the wound strings, for example. ESP ships its guitars with a fret protector of hard plastic between the frets and the strings. I use these for guitars that go on tour in trucks or aircraft.

A lot of manufacturers will put the pickup selector tip in the case separately in case pressure from the case damages the case or the switch.

Floyd Rose-equipped guitars can often cause dents in the case top, and in one case (an aftermarket installation on a Les Paul) it actually broke through the case top. In any case the pressure can damage the mount/installation.

Just because you've "never heard of a guitar..." doesn't mean the rest of the world isn't aware of it.

 

[dspelman]

So I’m curious. Are guitar vaults an option for long term storage or are there issues that can come about from that as well?

I'm not sure what level of "vault" you're referring to, but...

I have 8 or 10 guitars that are worth silly money (mostly just because they've been sitting around for a long time) that are kept in climate-controlled (it says here) storage, away from the house. In a few instances, the cases themselves are pretty valuable. An increased level of security keeps the insurance company happy, and they'll saunter by about once every two years and inspect things and take photos, thanks to the replacement costs I've specified.

I'm just a slave caretaker to the stupid things.

 

[theresstrange]

Any good tech will tell you the same thing. Some cases put enough pressure on the strings that they get smashed into the frets. You'll begin to notice that you have dents in your frets that look like the wound strings, for example. ESP ships its guitars with a fret protector of hard plastic between the frets and the strings. I use these for guitars that go on tour in trucks or aircraft.

A lot of manufacturers will put the pickup selector tip in the case separately in case pressure from the case damages the case or the switch.

Floyd Rose-equipped guitars can often cause dents in the case top, and in one case (an aftermarket installation on a Les Paul) it actually broke through the case top. In any case the pressure can damage the mount/installation.

Just because you've "never heard of a guitar..." doesn't mean the rest of the world isn't aware of it.

I use fret guards on all my instruments. Saves the strings and frets during transport. In response to this thread, I assume that common sense rules and well fitted cases are used with the instruments. There are plenty of "junk" cases out there that serve no protection or are detrimental. Obviously you wouldn't store or use those cases, but I've seen things that make you scratch your head.

 

[Donnie55]

I also

All of my guitars are on wall hangars. None of them ever see the inside of a case unless they are being transported. I have done this for decades in the hot and humid state of Florida with high end, Gibsons, Fenders, Gretsch, Martins, Dobros and others and have never had any neck issues or other catastrophes I read about on the Internet.

Worry less, play more.

I also live in Florida and have hung mine for years in my studio never had a problem.

 

[lead]

Dehumidifier in the summer and a humidifier in the winter is a must. Your babies will stay happy at 40 to 50 humidity. Even left In the case may not help without this control.

 

[adam79]

Thanks again for all the replies. This was definitely a sudden change in both temp and humidity.

Can someone explain what the difference between a twisted and warped/bowed neck?

Like I mentioned earlier, it had a significant bow on the low string side only, which gave the impression of the neck being twisted when I held it.

Once the heatwave ended it bounced back to about 90% of it's normal shape. Now it's just slightly bowed on the low string side and straight on the other side.

 

[theresstrange]

Dehumidifier in the summer and a humidifier in the winter is a must. Your babies will stay happy at 40 to 50 humidity. Even left In the case may not help without this control.

Best method to regulate your humidity inside a case.

 

[theresstrange]

Thanks again for all the replies. This was definitely a sudden change in both temp and humidity.

Can someone explain what the difference between a twisted and warped/bowed neck?

Like I mentioned earlier, it had a significant bow on the low string side only, which gave the impression of the neck being twisted when I held it.

Once the heatwave ended it bounced back to about 90% of it's normal shape. Now it's just slightly bowed on the low string side and straight on the other side.

A twist is the wood bending side to side. A bowed neck it the angle by which the neck is bent forward or backward better know as relief. This can usually be remedied by adjusting the truss rod. Twisted necks need to be taken into a luthier and have the neck heated while under pressure. One of the reasons many manufacturers have started to use torrefaction in order to stabilize the neck wood from warping.

 

[landguitar]

As you can see in the video Jimmy Page has his prized Les Paul in a case. End of discussion.

I have never seen this. Very cool, thanks for sharing this! I imagine that guitar is essentially priceless, but I am sure there will be a price someday!

 

[landguitar]

You might consider a couple of these. They make a few different designs and sizes. Here is an example.

The Studio™ Deluxe Guitar Case Storage Rack

The Studio™ Deluxe Guitar Case Racks are the finest storage solution to hold your acoustics, electrics, basses and banjos. Wheel kit optional. USA Made.

www.guitarstorage.com

View attachment 628815

I saw these not long ago and was very interested. Problem for me is they take up a lot of floor space. I am fortunate to have a decent size (not huge) walk-in closet in my studio/music room which essentially works this same way. I keep most of mine in cases but will bring a few out when I am working on songs for bands, depending on what I expect to play on the song or what I want to practice on. They get rotated back to their cases though, and I keep almost all my acoustics in cases. Yes, that does mean I probably play them (the acoustics) less than I would if they were sitting out in front of me, but I know "exposure" doesn't add to steel/nickel strings' longevity, or keep the guitars dust-free, and one of the few things I literally loathe in life is changing guitar strings! I am sure many folks just love to do that, but it's 20-30 minutes - or more on my Bigsby equipped guitars - that I could be doing something fun instead!

In the Rick Nielsen (Gibson Collection with Mark A.) video, EVERY guitar Rick takes out (all in cases) has old strings and is out of tune! And Rick makes essentially no attempt to tune them and says it's been 40 years since he changed a guitar's strings. That was funny...and made me just a tad envious!
Wish I had room for a couple or 3 of this racks!!!

I am very careful with guitars, and I know if they are out on stands, they can be knocked over. Hanging from the walls? It's cool, but I'm too paranoid to even do that.
Is it easier for thieves to take a guitar in a case, or pull it off the wall or a stand and run? Probably doesn't matter...They might be able to carry more without cases?

 

[landguitar]

Interestingly enough, Phil X clearly keeps most of his out…
https://www.instagram.com/reel/ChfdHx0pLBI/?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y=

 

[Audrix]

Terminology is important here. A guitar with a twisted neck is in really bad shape. A guitar that needs a truss rod adjustment is a normal healthy guitar.

The choice of the wood for making guitar's neck is very very very important to avoid twist
( age, humidity, and grain : quarter sawn is the best)

 

[adam79]

Best method to regulate your humidity inside a case.

Cool. I'm gonna grab a couple of these, for my LP and Tele. Can u recommend a humidity meter, or do you trust that the Boveda packet will keep it at 40-50%?

Just to confirm, the 49%, 70g packet is the best for solid body electrics? Even though their website says it's for acoustic and/or hollow bodies....

Thanks.

 

[adam79]

You might consider a couple of these. They make a few different designs and sizes. Here is an example.

The Studio™ Deluxe Guitar Case Storage Rack

The Studio™ Deluxe Guitar Case Racks are the finest storage solution to hold your acoustics, electrics, basses and banjos. Wheel kit optional. USA Made.

www.guitarstorage.com

View attachment 628815

Do you own this? I want to make one, and I'm trying to figure out what angle the two base boards are at...any idea?

Do the two back boards go straight across? It's hard to tell from the pictures on their website.

Thanks.

 

[Bryansamui]

As you can see in the video Jimmy Page has his prized Les Paul in a case. End of discussion.

Yes .his #1 stored carefully.. .. as a side note ( not to hijack this thread) but Gibson didn't listen to a word he said here and wired up the 'eye watering expensive ' production model completely wrong .

 

[Pancreas]

Hey, I've been keeping my LP on a guitar stand instead of the case. I've kept it like this for my entire 2 years of ownership.

I've never had a problem until I went to play it the other day. I hadn't used it for a couple weeks and the neck is now twisted, w a concave bow.

There's been a heatwave here the past couple weeks, which is clearly the culprit, but my question is this...

Is it still better to keep the guitar in the case during the summer, or will the case make the conditions even hotter, and hence worse, for the guitar? I have no other options for storage.

Thanks.

I keep mine on stands & hangers. They look too good to hide away. Besides, the convenience is there. Sometimes I just don't feel like going in the other room and sort thru cases just to play when inspiration strikes.
But I also have central air, so......

 

[theresstrange]

Cool. I'm gonna grab a couple of these, for my LP and Tele. Can u recommend a humidity meter, or do you trust that the Boveda packet will keep it at 40-50%?

Just to confirm, the 49%, 70g packet is the best for solid body electrics? Even though their website says it's for acoustic and/or hollow bodies....

Thanks.

Yes, the 49% 70g is fine. They had to be replaced occasionally. Make sure they are stored in the pouches to prevent possible leakage. (won't cause any damage to the instrument). I do trust them. I use a monitoring wireless hygrometer made by D'Addario (Humiditrak) a little pricey but there's not many cheaper alternatives. Another similar unit (SensorPush HT1 Wireless) also is priced competitively.

 

[est54]

I'm not sure what level of "vault" you're referring to, but...

I have 8 or 10 guitars that are worth silly money (mostly just because they've been sitting around for a long time) that are kept in climate-controlled (it says here) storage, away from the house. In a few instances, the cases themselves are pretty valuable. An increased level of security keeps the insurance company happy, and they'll saunter by about once every two years and inspect things and take photos, thanks to the replacement costs I've specified.

I'm just a slave caretaker to the stupid things.

Hello,
So when I say vault I mean a proper tour vault built by Mitchell custom cases. Would it be appropriate to store it long term in a vault like this?