![]() ![]() This bulge in the top will raise the strings even higher, which will further accelerate the now well-established-and possibly fatal-distortion of the whole instrument.”Īs a preventive measure, if you’re storing a guitar in its case for a short period of time, like a few weeks or months, loosen all of its strings by anywhere between a half step and a whole step. Here the strings are pulling the bridge from a steeper angle, causing it to rotate and belly the top behind it. Richard Hoover, the founding luthier of Santa Cruz Guitars, explains, “As the action rises, the change in your instrument’s geometry decreases the guitar’s resistance to the string pull and in turn increases the forward movement of the neck. They might be protected from hazards like wayward antlers but are susceptible to the undesirable influence of string tension. (Figure about 12–15 pounds for each guitar and case.)ĭon’t be lulled into the false sense of confidence that your guitars in cases are impervious to damage. If you’d like to store your guitars horizontally, use a heavy-duty shelving unit, and, of course, make sure that the weight of the instruments in their cases does not exceed the maximum recommended weight of the shelves. A product like String Swing’s CC29 Folding Hardwood Guitar Case Rack (from $59.99) is an excellent solution for storing guitar cases upright, with or without instruments inside. Instead, store them vertically, side-by-side, positioned in such a way that they won’t be prone to topple over like dominoes. As obvious as this might seem, if you have multiple guitars, don’t stack them one on top of another in their cases. Generally speaking, the safest way to store a guitar is in its case-ideally, a good-quality hardshell, as opposed to a gig bag or ill-fitting chipboard case. One way to keep tabs on the humidity level inside your guitar’s case is with D’Addario’s Humiditrak, which has a Bluetooth sensor for connecting to a free smartphone app with push notifications. And with even just a little thought into how you store and display your guitars-whether short- or long-term, on a limited budget or with an expansive one-you can keep them in optimal shape, primed and ready to receive your ideas when inspiration strikes. Had these instruments been carefully tended to, they would have avoided those hideous injuries. ![]() Keith says, “The most egregious situations I’ve encountered have typically been people bringing me guitars without cases, walking through freezing rain with the instruments barely covered by garbage bags.” But that’s not the worst he’s seen in terms of damage. “I couldn’t help but say, ‘Well, in order to properly conduct the repair, we’ll have to know what animal previously owned the antlers,’” Sills says, laughing.Īround the same time, Martin Keith, a luthier and repair guru based in Woodstock, New York, fixed a Ribbecke guitar that had sprung apart at the lower bout, the result of having been in extended contact with a radiant floor heater. ![]() A pair of antlers had fallen off of a wall and onto his F Model, goring the back of the instrument. Several years ago, Carolyn Sills of the Santa Cruz Guitar Company got a phone call from a guitar owner in great distress.
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