Jump to content
Gibson Brands Forums

Best way to store an SG


jimmiJAMM

Recommended Posts

Haha! Nah, been playing that bad-a$$ plenty but was just curious about safe long-term storage of guitars in general. I've spent quite a bit of money on my babies, all six of 'em. Nothing wrong with protecting my investments and storing them the best way possible. May tuck a few away for a spell and bust 'em out from time to time.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I would play the ever living hell out of that SG. If you're not going to play it, sell to a purist for a profit and buy something you'll actually play. but if you absolutely have to store and not play it, store just like the guy you bought it from. Stick it in the case in a closet. It's made it 40 plus years that way...

Link to comment
Share on other sites

But if you play it every day for the next 20 years' date=' then there would be normal string tension for 20 years -- so why detune (unless you're playing Black Sabbath)?[/quote']

 

Because, all Sabbath aside, if a guitar's being stored for any great length of time it's probably best to lessen all unnecessary strain the on the neck. If it's to be played every day for the next 20 years, then it's not exactly in storage, right? #-o

Link to comment
Share on other sites

There is no need to de-tune the guitar, in fact that may well cause problems if you store it like that, they were designed to have string tension on them and if you play one for 20 - 50 years it would have tension on it for all that time.

 

If you wrap the case (or even worse, the guitar) in cling-film/plastic-wrap or whatever you are creating a sealed barrier so any increase in temp will drive moisture out of the case and it's lining into the small volume of air inside the case and thus drastically increasing the RH (Relative Humidity) which can and will be absorbed by the wood of the guitar, causing more problems. I hate to think what would happen to a guitar wrapped in the stuff.

 

Just clean off the fingerprints and make sure it is dry (i.e. no sweat on the fretboard from playing it at last nights gig) put it in it's case and leave it in a room with a relatively constant temp and RH, out of direct sunlight and extremes of temp, and maybe take it out and check it every 4-6 months or so if you are worried about it.

 

I have guitars that have been in their cases for way over 12 months, which travelled in a container on the deck of a ship in all weathers enduring temps from -6C when they left the UK in winter, crossed the equator and ended up 12,500miles away on the other side of the planet in a New Zealand hot summer in temperatures of 35C the whole journey taking 8 weeks including sitting on the dock in NZ for 14 days, no strings were loosened, no plastic wrapped round anything just put in their cases as you normally would do and they are all fine so storing a guitar at home shouldn't be a problem if you do it sensibly.

 

Cheers

T21

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I agree don't loosen the strings. As I see it the truss rod is working against the string tension' date=' so if you take that tension away it will warp the neck. Correct me if I'm wrong[/quote']

You are correct…leave it as it is, keep everything in equilibrium.

“to every action there is an equal and opposite reaction”, some clever bloke in a pub said that one night[biggrin] and he's right..

Link to comment
Share on other sites

There is no need to de-tune the guitar' date=' in fact that may well cause problems if you store it like that, they were designed to have string tension on them and if you play one for 20 - 50 years it would have tension on it for all that time.

 

If you wrap the case (or even worse, the guitar) in cling-film/plastic-wrap or whatever you are creating a sealed barrier so any increase in temp will drive moisture out of the case and it's lining into the small volume of air inside the case and thus drastically increasing the RH (Relative Humidity) which can and will be absorbed by the wood of the guitar, causing more problems. I hate to think what would happen to a guitar wrapped in the stuff.

 

Just clean off the fingerprints and make sure it is dry (i.e. no sweat on the fretboard from playing it at last nights gig) put it in it's case and leave it in a room with a relatively constant temp and RH, out of direct sunlight and extremes of temp, and maybe take it out and check it every 4-6 months or so if you are worried about it.

 

I have guitars that have been in their cases for way over 12 months, which travelled in a container on the deck of a ship in all weathers enduring temps from -6C when they left the UK in winter, crossed the equator and ended up 12,500miles away on the other side of the planet in a New Zealand hot summer in temperatures of 35C the whole journey taking 8 weeks including sitting on the dock in NZ for 14 days, no strings were loosened, no plastic wrapped round anything just put in their cases as you normally would do and they are all fine so storing a guitar at home shouldn't be a problem if you do it sensibly.

 

Cheers

T21

[/quote']

 

Wow! Thanks, dude. Totally appreciate your reply. Very insightful.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.

×
×
  • Create New...