Tips on Storing Your Guitar

Guitars suffer from permanent damage as a result of ignorance and carelessness. Storing your guitar properly keeps it in good condition for years to come. No matter how experienced you are with your guitar you have to take time and learn how to store it. If you have no idea on storing your guitar, consider mounting guitar on wall. The following are tips on storing your guitar.
Avoid Leaving the Guitar Standing Upright
Falling over may cause physical damages to guitars. Leaving guitars standing upright against something is the major cause of many falls. Avoid leaning your guitar against a wall, table, or any object when you are done using it unless you want a disaster. This also applies to guitars stored in a case or a gig bag. Even if they are padded damages can still occur when they fall.
Your guitar should be stored on the floor horizontally, this way you are assured it won’t fall if it’s already on the floor. In case your guitar is not in its case make sure it’s resting on its stand or wall mount. When storing in the case, keep the guitar on the side with the upper side pointing up.
Loosen the Tension on the Strings
The tension on your neck is caused by the strings of your guitar. It can cause some damages to the neck and end up causing warping after a long period of time.
You should listen to the tension of the strings if you are not planning to use it for the long term. Turn the tuning pegs one or two steps down before storing the guitar. Don’t completely loosen the strings it should have some string tension left.
Keep your Guitar in Safe Humidity Levels
This one of the most important factors to consider when storing your guitar. With extreme humidity levels, guitars can be permanently damaged since they are made of solid wood. Some of the damages include; fret buzz, fret sprout, high action, warping of the neck, damage to the finish, and more. The recommended humidity level for guitars is 45-55% range.
The humidity level shouldn’t be too high or too low. The wood of the guitar can react to extreme sudden changes so avoid moving your guitar from high humidity to low humidity within a short period. To monitor the humidity levels you can use a digital hygrometer. Keep your guitar away from direct sunlight as the sunny days can dry out the guitar and crack the wood after extended exposure.
Play Once in a While
Guitars are meant to be played and storing them for a long period of time is not good. Take your guitar once in a while and play it to ensure it’s still working and in good condition. To extend the lifespan of your guitar take it out and do some basic setup, adjustments, and even clean it.
You will notice after some time the guitar neck will naturally start to warp. Bring it out to make some minor tweaks truss rod to prevent it from warping beyond repair. Knowing the condition of your guitar is important to avoid surprises when it’s time to actually play it.…