SEMI HOLLOWS

[Karloff]

hey guys, I'm sure this has been asked, but ...

should a semi hollow guitar (335, etc.) be kept in its case along with a humidifier pack or whatever they're called, much like an acoustic or are they okay to keep hanging on the wall ?

[Sgt. Pepper]

I never used one with my BB King. 

[kidblast]

hey Doug,  I don't think it's quite as critical as a standard solid wood acoustic. 

However if your house is really dry, you may start to see fret sprout, and perhaps some issues with the neck being a bit askew. 

adding.  Not sure if a humidifier is needed , keeping it case if very dry or very humid will help to control the extremes  which is really all you'd need I think.  My ES135 just stays in the case, when I'm not playing it,, it's been fine for 20+ years.  My sheraton not as old, but treated the same way.   it's extremely dry in my house until spring/summer comes around.

 

 

 

 

Edited May 13, 2020 by kidblast

[brad1]

Hang it!

[jdgm]

I am against wall hangers after a bad experience.

Back in the 80s I used to hang my acoustic guitar up....one day the hanger gave way; the guitar dropped and the endpin smashed through. Big mess and repair.  The guitar has definitely changed in tone slightly since.  I'd hate to read about that happening to your beautiful ES so if you use a wall hanger, make sure you can put plenty of weight on it and that it's over-secure, so to speak.

I keep mine in the cases when they are not being used, except for my old Tele which is always right next to my bed.  As I am in UK, no humidifier.

[zigzag]

I don't think putting guitars in cases offers much of a buffer to high humidity or lack thereof, and only slightly to temperature changes. I keep all of my guitars in cases just because I think it lessens the potential for damage. I never had any desire to display them except as pictures on guitar web sites.

[Twang Gang]

Yes a semi hollow should be kept in it's case and humidified if you live in a dry climate.  Optimum humidity for guitar is about 45%.  Most (if not all?)  335s are maple/poplar/maple sandwich of body wood which is pretty stable, but as mentioned extreme dry can cause fret sprout and neck relief issues.  Keeping them in cases also protects from dog/cats bumping into them (or grandkids) and knocking them over, and keeps dust off.  I never liked the idea of hanging guitars on a hook as all the weight of the guitar is stressing that joint between the neck and headstock.

I never understood guys who would spend thousands on a nice guitar and then not be willing to take the 30 seconds to take it out of the case to play and 30 seconds to wipe it down and put it away when done playing.  An old guy that I worked in a factory with when I was young told me "tools were meant to be used - not abused".  

Edited May 15, 2020 by Twang Gang

[Big Bill]

On 5/13/2020 at 2:17 PM, brad1 said:

Hang it!

That's what she said.

My 339 has been hanging on the wall for quite awhile no issues here/

[jaxson50]

I  have been caring  my 1947 L-4 for 44 years, I keep it in a case when not playing, I use an inside the case humidifier during winter months ( we live in a high desert), and during times of low humidity. 

No different from the way I care for any of my guitars,  I do have a cheap gutbucket on a stand ready to play, but, I'm only into it for $100.00, 

General rule of thumb,  if your skin is dry, so is your guitar.

[SteveFord]

I keep my 335 and Lucille in their cases and chuck  in a wet sponge in a perforated pill bottle during the Winter.

It's easy enough to do and I look at it as cheap insurance.

[Larsongs]

My home Temperature is constant 76-78 degrees year round. Humidity is moderate.. 

I have Guitars that I play regularly. Some of them almost every day. A few that I do play daily. They are displayed on Wall Hangers & Guitar Stands in my Studio. Including my 335, vintage D35, J-160E, Ric's, Casinos..

Also, one on a Stand in my Bedroom.. 

Some of them for 20, 30 & one for 40 years.. 

Guitars I don't play regularly I keep in Cases..

I do try to rotate them..

I haven't had a problem. But, I live in a Goldilocks climate....

Too much humidity can also be harmful to Guitars.. Ideally you don't want too little or too much... 

Keeping them in their Cases does keep them pretty. 

[mihcmac]

Too much moisture can be very bad, nitro really doesn't like it. My semihollow Gibson BluesHawk deteriorated very quickly here, so I had to sell it. I have a 7 rack in a nook usually covered by a large silk Sarong and run a dehumidifier constantly under it.

I can't leave them in cases because they will turn green very quickly.

Edited May 21, 2020 by mihcmac