Turtlerock Forum

So guitars should always be in cases, everyone tells you that. But everyone who spends more than a few minutes in a studio realises they get picked up and put down regularly.

I'm curious to know if you follow the rules and case them every time or have them on a rack next to you.

Who leaves them out? Humidity? Convenience?

i first read that as where do you store your exes....
woops..
ill leave the guitar guys to make some serious responses.
;-)

So guitars should always be in cases, everyone tells you that..............

........and everyone is wrong!

As a guitar builder at Maton in the 70's I was, and still am of the opinion that in the home environment, where safe to do so, guitars are best left out of their case, especially in the first few years while the spruce's resins are still in the process of crystallizing. I have always let my guitar's strings hum along to the sounds of the stereo speakers or whatever else might excite the strings. If this is done you will have a more resonant guitar as it ages. I do the same with my electric guitars.

The caveat is that you don't want a resonant guitar that is broken or dinged so you don't leave it on the floor for someone to stand on.

^ What Chris said. There's a well-known trick of "breaking in" new acoustic guitars by setting them up with a loudspeaker directly up against them and pumping them with music for a few days. I've never tried this myself but a good mate who I trust has done it and reckoned it really opened up the sound. I should try it one day and see what I think.

As a guitar tech for the last 8 or so years I've seen a fair few guitars that have been "stored away in teh case, nice n safe!!" and come out with de-lammed fingerboards, warped necks, rust/mould etc etc. If something is in it's case and not used for a while (which does happen with studio axes) they need to be properly stored with a lot of moisture absorbers in a good stable climate. Like, say, a studio ;-)
I personally think it's actually safer for regular instruments to be in the air as long as the studio is semi-climate controlled, i.e. at least an insulated room - again, like a studio. As long as it's not going from bone chilling cold to blazing heat/humidity then they're fine to be out of the case long term.

Just don't mount them on the wall directly under the main AC unit, as one customer of mine had done. Guitars don't like that....

The other factor to remember is that the strings do generally go off quicker in open air, so it's always good to have a quick peek before a session. I've been to too many studios where their rack of house guitars are all missing important strings, or the strings are rusty as ****

Fantastic, thanks for the replies guys very helpful.

Chris i remember you writing on here years ago you were a Maton guy so was hoping you'd reply. Very helpful thanks!

The studio is well insulated so temperature fluctuations would be very slow.

Not a guitarist but I would add that the type of case can make a major difference - beware of aluminium cases - I have had a few thing corode badly when stored in aluminium cases. Thinking that it is some sort of galvanic action and the stored item is acting as a sacrificial plate so the case is saved and the item is sacrificed..... Also, living near the ocean does not help....

Guitars should always be out, to look at, talk about, pick up and play, and should be covered in dents and scratches and sweat and stories...

Here's what I do:



They're out of harm's way, but they clip in and out in 5 seconds, and are always at the ready.

If I had a $15K vintage Martin that'd be a different story though.

Guitar cases are for bringing a guitar in and out of the house or car .
If you leave them in the case is kinda like cryo sleep coffins for them
Thats pefect for the walt disneys of the world and i am sure that applies
To some guitars and owners its ok if thats your thing


But They dont age a day in a case

Its totally true that they age faster if left out to vibrate .. i have had it happen noticably
Buts also true that if they fall off the rack or hangers they get dented and stuff that can cause some people to freak out and the strings rust must faster if left out .

Pick your poison .

I have a bunch of relatively expensive vintage guitars
They ALL live out of their cases all the time.

Nice stuff Rick!

Is that a Brauner stereo microphone down in the corner?

I keep my guitar in its case due to the close proximity of the beach.

Yeah i have both the vm1 and the vm2 stereo .
To make a guitar get that "thing" you either have to play a guitar
Or let it sit out in the air
Untill the wood forgets it was a tree .

Guitars are made to be played. If you want an artifact, go to the museum.

I have seen videos of freshly made K Yairi acoustic guitars placed in a room where music is piped in. The logic was the same as mentioned earlier in this thread. K Yairi (the luthier) seemed very confident of the merits in doing this.

Just bought one of those K Yari's for my son. He absolutley loves it and decided its too good to take up to Port Headland where he is working so he went out and bought an Indo Epiphone and left the Yari with me to look after
Stunning guitar, built for medium/light strings.........


........and taking my own advise, the case is empty.......guitar case, not the wine case!

So are we doing guitar porn now? Meet the Dolphin.

Here's one I bought on my recent trip to the States.
I leave my guitars out in the open where possible.
I find that if they don't get played, they forget that they are supposed to be guitars and not furniture or plain lumber.
Especially Gibsons and other glue in neck guitars. It's like they fall asleep and have to be woken up again!
Cheers, Paul

No porn on this site !!!
But guitars .. sure

1957 lespaul special , its had a hard life so it was well please to move in with me