Who uses a guitar case at home?

[Gabor]

If I used cases, then how could I stare my guitars all day?

[drbhrb]

I've been playing and owning guitars for 25 years in the northeast and never have done anything for humidity during winter or worried about dust when on stands. Even if guitars were damaged by being out (I haven't seen any) I'd rather they be damaged out in the open than pristine in a closet.

[Joeontheguitar]

Noisy pots are starting to annoy me and now that I know what a pita it is to take them out of an arch top and clean or replace them, I'm keeping my guitars in their cases now.

[sgosnell]

I have more guitars than I really need. It hurts to make that confession, but it's the first stage to recovery. I have no idea why I would need to recover, though. What I'm getting to is that I keep most of them in their cases, just to protect them over long periods of disuse. They live in a closet, and could get banged up. I keep two or three or more out all the time, because I don't want to spend the time necessary for getting them out and ready to play. The ones that are out hang on the wall or are on a stand, and they stay there full time. I periodically change the ones that are out and being played, but there are a few out all the time. Down here dehumidification is much more common than humidification, because the RH rarely goes below 50%, and the temperature rarely goes below freezing. It happens, but it's uncommon and doesn't last long. I don't worry about the humidity in the room or in the cases because it's very stable. I understand the concern in other parts of the world, but not where I live. I have no pets, and only the occasional visits from grandchildren, so I'm unconcerned about damage while the guitars are out and available. YMMV.

[bluejaybill]

The guitars I'm not currently playing are always in cases.

Same here. In the case (no pun intended!) of arch tops and Martins especially I like to keep the climate sort of steady, that is without extremes.

Plus my dog is rather rambunctious!

If I need to have a guitar out in order to feel like playing something is wrong!

[vernon]

I take them out of the case, and put them back in the case… always… every time… no exceptions.

[nevershouldhavesoldit]

My archtops and flat tops live in their cases with D'Addario Humidipaks. But I was very surprised years ago to discover that my wife likes the way my guitars look on the walls. So my National tricone lives on the living room wall, my Fiesta Red '57 P-bass sleeps on the wall at the end of our hallway, and I keep either my Raines Tele or my LP on the wall hanger in the den. I keep Vornado humidifiers going from fall through spring, and I have humidistats in each room.

[Donkeyhead]

I keep anything in a case except for what I’m playing a lot and that hangs in the wall. In the winter I keep any hollow guitars in a case with a humidifier. I almost never use a guitar stand on the floor. I’ve had too many close calls over the years. Luck doesn’t last forever.

[citizenk74]

I keep anything in a case except for what I’m playing a lot and that hangs in the wall. In the winter I keep any hollow guitars in a case with a humidifier. I almost never use a guitar stand on the floor. I’ve had too many close calls over the years. Luck doesn’t last forever.

[citizenk74]

Just got two new hardshell cases today for my '30s acoustic archtops. The entire herd is now cased or gig-bagged. A red-letter day. Yay!

[iim7V7IM7]

I find the following:

1) Guitars that are visible and out on racks get played more.
2) I find humidifying a 10’ x 20’ room from late October to early May not to be difficult and easier to remember to maintain.
3) The most significant damage I have made to guitars was during placement to and removal from a case.

I use cases to transport my instruments when they leave the house with them.

[ccroft]

Unlike many here, I live in a wood-friendly climate. I keep an eye on the hygrometer and haven't needed humidity controls. Got a couple old beaters that are cased, but my 2 faves are on the wall.

The most significant damage I have made to guitars was during placement to and removal from a case.

Me too. Just one example: the stay that holds the lid open back past 90° on one was too short. The case rocked and the lid closed while I was going in and left a nasty dent from a latch. I took revenge with a knife to that strap. Always case and de-case on a level surface.

If needed, climate controlled room gets my vote. What's good for wood is good for us too. And everything else in the house.

[bluejaybill]

Unlike many here, I live in a wood-friendly climate. I keep an eye on the hygrometer and haven't needed humidity controls. Got a couple old beaters that are cased, but my 2 faves are on the wall.


Me too. Just one example: the stay that holds the lid open back past 90° on one was too short. The case rocked and the lid closed while I was going in and left a nasty dent from a latch. I took revenge with a knife to that strap. Always case and de-case on a level surface.

If needed, climate controlled room gets my vote. What's good for wood is good for us too. And everything else in the house.

Vintage dealers have a name for them, they call those "case bites". I have a really clean '50's D28 and a dealer once remarked "That's in exceptional condition, not even any case bites". I went home and noticed one on almost all of my guitars!

Hard to avoid, but shouldn't happen if you're careful!

In my area, if I left them out they'd either crack from the dryness, or an earthquake would occur!

[sicourtjon]

Hi,

I'm a home player now, married with children and four pets. When I'm not playing my guitars ( Prestige NYC archtop; Gibson Classic Les Paul and an Ovation acoustic, they are all stored in their cases. I recommend you do the same. ?

[Jimmy blue note]

I was moving some stuff around. Decided to put my guitar from the stand to the gig bag for protection. But between the stand and the case I started playing Like Someone In Love, then My One And Only, then I Remember You, and Jealous Lovers (great tune from the movie The Apartment). By that time, hours had gone by and I thought "Why would I ever put this thing in a BAG?"
Had it been in a bag, or a case, it may have remained there while I would have done something BESIDES play.
Finished, put the guitar on the stand. Felt much better.

[John A.]

The idea that one doesn't play guitars that are in cases and/or not specifically in view has zero resonance with me. I don't find cases to be either a physical or psychological obstacle to playing. Open case. Play guitar. ¯\_(?)_/¯

[Christian Miller]

I like to have them out so if I have an idea I can quickly play

[bobio]

I keep one or two on stands or wall hangers, the others live in hard cases under the bed and guarded by this vicious beast

[PaulW10]

Here's the best answer I've ever run across. You can keep guitar in the perfect humidity range while protecting it and enjoying looking at it all at once! It really looks classy in person!

[citizenk74]

I keep one or two on stands or wall hangers, the others live in hard cases under the bed and guarded by this vicious beast

[ESCC]

Living in the Wash DC area I leave the guitars out on stands May-Oct, in cases with case humidifiers Nov-April . . . except my Tele, I can hammer nails with that guitar it stays on a stand 365 days a year.

[Woody Sound]

They are after all works of art and radiate a natural beauty, that should be enjoyed.

.

You are quite the romantic..

[Woody Sound]

I generally don't-- I have a whole house humidifier that works quite well in the winter, and I keep the guitars I'm playing regularly on stands in our bedroom, which is off limits to dog and kids.

+1 on the whole house humidifier. They are surprisingly reasonably price reasonably priced. (As long as you already have a forced air heating system.) When we moved into our 70yo ranch, the hvac was ancient but it did have an also ancient Aprilaire whole house humidifier that actually worked ok. The originally white plastic was dark yellow from age, much like a very old binding guitar binding. When we had all new hvac installed last year we had them include a new Aprilaire (I think the 600 series, around $200.) and a top tier air filtration system. I also have a dehumidifier in the studio for the summer. Between that and the Aprilaire, it's always between 48-50 RH year round.

[coryB]

I love looking at my guitars so I never liked keeping them cased up.

My guitars are all on wall-mounted hangers and live in a humidity and temperature controlled room. That room was added for me when we built our house four years ago. The hangers go into studs or wood boards and have the flippy things in front to keep the guitar from falling out.

Most of my cases are safely ensconced in my attic and make sure the attic floor doesn’t float away. There are a few cases in the bedroom closet for times when I take a guitar out to play somewhere.

I rarely need to dust the guitars as they get played in rotation and wiped down before being played.

[Beaubs]

Almost always, one on the stand, two in the cases.