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A couple weeks ago I purchased a new guitar, and it came with a real nice case. I currently just play at home (older home = dust) and was wondering if it's a good idea to keep the guitar in it's case when I'm done for the day. My other guitars are all solid bodies that I leave out on stands and I don't worry about dust, humidity, etc. My new guitar is a laminated archtop and I know my other, much cheaper archtop acts up with the weather, etc. Or, will leaving it out make no difference?
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09-30-2021 02:33 PM
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when winter comes and the heat is turned on you need to monitor the humidity to prevent cracks, fret sprout, etc.
otherwise unless you have kids or pets that could knock it off a stand you should be fine
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I keep my guitars in their cases, and always have. Too much risk of them being knocked over if I leave them out on stands (which I don't really have room for anyway). I use (reinforced) gig bags rather than hardshell cases, so access is pretty simple (compared to hardshell cases). Dust has never really been a concern for this reason, but if it were I wouldn't be more of a concern for one kind of guitar than another. I've had guitars that go through noticeable action/fret-buzz changes from low humidity when the heat kicks in the winter, and have used humidifiers in the cases of these.
Originally Posted by Strbender
Last edited by John A.; 10-01-2021 at 11:37 AM.
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The case is the safest place for the guitar, IMO. Although, if I'm playing one a lot, I'll hang it on the wall, or lay it on my piano.
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I have been kid free for years, and now pet free. I went to the fabric store and bought a large section of nice fabric several feet across to cover them on the stands.
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I keep all of my guitars cased up except for what I'm playing. I will leave my classical and a Gypsy guitar our while I'm working so I can just grab one if I happen to get a break from work, but otherwise they are safely tucked away.
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I have kept my guitar out of its case for years. It means that every time I go in the room, I see it and that usually makes me pick it up and start playing.
I used to keep it in the case the whole time, but eventually realised that was a sort of disincentive to play it, especially when my time was a bit limited.
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The guitars I'm not currently playing are always in cases.
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the one hollowbody I have goes in the case, the rest in gig bags, none of them out in the open.
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My dog sneezed on one once that I had sitting out. I'm not a chemist, but the spray definitely interacts with the nitro. That's the last time I left one down at dog level. It's beyond my dog training skills to teach him to cover his snout!
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I am either playing the guitar or it is in the case. I even used to gig with the case under my seat to put the guitar in whenever not playing and right away. Even at home it is far better to have it in the case.
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what case? My Les Paul classic has a fluffy white bed to sleep in..
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Mine are out on stands all the time, except when the humidity drops. Then the carved arch tops go in their cases with humidifiers.
Excess humidity is never a problem in Arizona.
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If I am not playing one of my guitars it is either safe in its hardshell case or in a gig bag on the way to or from a gig.
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My guitars are in cases when not being played. It doesn't seem like a big deal to move a guitar in and out of a case, to me.
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I always leave it out. Within reach of the living room seat. I've made lots of unexpected connections, found great voicings, figured out new ways to get from one end of the neck to another in the times when I'm very casually picking it up. I find it's a good habit not to have any obstacles between my hands and the strings of the guitar.
I always seem to make the best music when I know there are only 8 minutes between now and when I must go catch the bus. Don't ask how many busses I've missed though!
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I remember back in the day when I was studying my teacher told me to keep a guitar in my lap even while watching TV. Play along w commercials etc to keep yourself familiar w the instrument.
I still do that today.
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I've had a couple fo guitars react with the cases or seem to. Discolouration of the binding or the gassing issue with vintage Japanese stuff. For those reasons I always leave them out.
They are after all works of art and radiate a natural beauty, that should be enjoyed.
In the UK the weather doesn't seem to effect them. I've never had weather damage to an archtop or acoustic.
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This would be an excellent time to remind every guitar owner, and particularly those of us in the northern hemisphere, to humidify your environment.
The cold is coming and the moment the heat goes on, the humidity plummets, wood changes-radically.
I have an ultrasonic humidifier that I keep on for my own health. It keeps my nasal membranes moist. It's better for my skin. It's better for breathing. And, most importantly, I need it for my guitar.
I have a solid top spruce guitar that breathes and changes, but even on laminated guitars, those wood parts need to be treated like the wood fibres they're made of.
Without getting into the microbiology of wood, just know, when the heat goes on, you need a humidifier.
I've worked a long time as a luthier and this is the season of sad. Not one of the steady march of guitar owners coming through the door with cracked sides, backs and (gulp) tops ever thought it would happen to them.
Enough said. Just do it.
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If you keep your guitar in a hardcase (like I do) it's important to verify that the case is not too tight so that it doesn't bend the neck. This has happened to me twice with very expensive guitars. Once I identified the problem I had to figure out how to adjust padding and neck support. A tight case is good for transportation, not necessarily for storage. But if you keep your guitars in upright cases (like I do) you still have to prevent them from falling. A very loose fit is not any better.
Note that wooden cases are also affected by weather...a tight fit could get even tighter.
Whenever you put an archtop or semi-hollow in a case with fur lining, make sure that the case is vacuum cleaned. This is so important, because otherwise all that dust and fibres will get into your volume and tone pots that will go scratchy. You don't want to have to replace them, it's a painful process.
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Most of my guitars these days are in their hard cases, but i have 3-4 good gigbags around and i use them for whats being played the most. I like the facility of having a multi stand with the guitars out (have had one for years), however you get dust, possible accidents, you have to watch temperature humidity a lot, etc, i feel the guitars are better off in a case. I have the cases standing up in the room and in closets.
BUT, make sure you open them every now and then to check there's no problems with corrosion, pickguards, oxidation... things can go very wrong if a hard case is left unopened for months..
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My guitar is in my hands day and night.
no need case!
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I always use a case at home when not playing. And always use case humidifiers. It is too easy for accidents to happen.
And I have had my share over the years,
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Guitars are too pretty to remain stuck in a case
And cases are so ugly, for most of them.
I have the luck to live in a country with a guitar friendly climate, so my guitars can breath naturally out of their cases
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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.
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