How many of you guys always put your guitars back in your cases?
Just wondering what people's preferences are. I have family and animals, so my guitars always go back in the case as a safety precaution.
Posted Oct 15, 2014, 6:45 PM UTC
1168
We have 2 dogs, but both are short (corgi & pomeranian) so I keep my instruments on a "guitar tree", the cheapies at the bottom level and my acoustic, electric & banjo on the top. I used to keep them in the cases, but I found myself playing less due to the hassle of taking them out/putting back in (lazy, I know). That being said, I do notice that the strings have to be changed more often as they get grimier quicker.
9
I keep my cars in their cases in the open. That usually works for me. How much less did you play with it in a case!
1
You really shouldn't leave your car open for too long.
6
Sorry, autocorrect. I know I can edit it, but fuck it.
3
No worries, just poking fun :P
Doesn't leaving the case open kind of defeat the purpose though?
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Unfortunately a fair amount less, small apartment - little floor space. I had to put them closed in the cases under my bed. It became a juggling act to get them out.
2
Back in high school I had the same set up. Really terrifying if you have a gal with you.
1
I leave them on stands so they're always out and ready to be played
7
Same. I play everyday but sometimes only 15 or 20 minutes at a time. That can still add up to an hour or more daily. If I put it back in the case every time I played, I wouldn't play very much.
4
The ones I use most often are hanging. The others live in their cases, in the dark, and I often imagine them repeating their quiet prayer, Maybe today will be the day I get to come out and play.
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That made me sad about the ones I haven't fooled around with in a while.
1
I just opened to the cases to make sure they were okay. I don't think they can breath in there.
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Mine goes up here.
5
Beautiful set up. How long did it take you to that?
1
Well, I bought/built the guitars under a loong time. Just putting them on the wall took maybe an hour, including the lights.
4
How do you like that Bugera? I was looking at one for a while.
1
Well, it's more for blues than rock. I need a distortion pedal when I use it.
1
This rack with a large blanket to cover them up when not in use.
I do have 2 dogs, but this is a very sturdy, stable rack so really no chance of them knocking a guitar off the rack. Highly recommended. I find I'm playing a lot more often when I can just grab a guitar off the rack and go.
3
How many guitars do you have? I have four, do you think it'd be worth it?
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I keep 4 electrics and an acoustic racked up. I think it's worth it. Seems like the perfect excuse to buy another guitar. :).
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I used to until I got my rack. Now the cases sit in the garage until I need to transport one.
2
I always keep my acoustics in their cases because I live in Colorado where it's typically pretty dry. I also have two cats and a dog so having them in a case is important. It keeps them safe from accidents and helps keep them humidified.
2
I've gone through phases. I used to NEVER put my guitars in cases when I was a kid, except when I left for practice or gigs. One was almost always on the bed, some were on stands or leaned against amps.
For a few years, I was playing gigs 5-6 nights a week, and my guitars didn't leave the case at home.
Now, I play out slightly less, but only take guitars out when I play them. One stays in its case in the studio, the rest get put away after i use them at home-I may leave one of them on a stand in the living room for 1-2 nights tops. The ES-335 and guild acoustic never get stand time- always put away after use.
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I'll ask you the same question. Did you notice more movement in your guitars when they weren't in cases?
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On electric guitars? Not really. I very rarely have ever needed to adjust neck relief- once every few years or so. Fret sprout (on my un-bound boards) happens the first winter after a refret kept in case or not, once you file them down there are no real problems.
The acoustic is another story. My guild acoustic was always out- for maybe 20 years. It badly needs a neck reset now. If I had cased it, would it be in better shape? Maybe, maybe not. It also spent many nights in front of a campfire, was played on a porch under an umbrella during downpours, walked to/from city gigs in the rain (in it's battered, less than water proof case(- lovingly drug through the trenches of life. All of that probably contributed to its current malady. Worth it though. The saying "Ships are safe at harbor, but that's not what ships are for" comes to mind- Either way, I'm a little more conscious of, at the very least, minimizing potential damage due to laziness at home. It takes 5 seconds to undo 3 latches.
1
I put mine on the stand unless I'm done for the day. Then I'll wipe her down and put it in the case.
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Always. My kids are a big enough issue. But I also like keeping dust out of the pots.
2
I have a Alvarez Yairi from the 80s, so it always goes in the case.
1
Depends on its value for me, or if i have a case for it. I don't put my epiphone les paul back in but i always put my music man back in the case. Its about 5 months old and still has the new guitar smell to it so its always nice to take it out of the case or put it away.
1
My guitars are all cheap or thrift shop/gumtree finds. Most of them don't have cases.
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Any cool guitar finds you've got at the thrift shop?
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I've gone through a few classic vibe squiers from where the guy didn't know what it was and sold it for ~£50. Even one that the previous owner had put SDs in (unfortunately the neck on that sucked so I sold it off as parts. gave the duncans to a friend for his birthday.) Most interesting/expensive thing was probably a Hamer LP jr. Style thing. Regrettably sold it when financial troubles came calling.
Mostly unbranded cheap stuff that feels good. To someone who doesn't play live and due to noise restraints plays through SS amps at home, tone is limited. I go for feel and visuals, and the vibe the guitar has. Every guitar has a vibe, be it good or bad. If it makes me want to play it, it's a good guitar, imo.
TLDR: not really.
1
That's an awesome way to look at buying guitars.
1
I don't even have a case for my electric. I have a soft "gig bag" I use when I take it to a guitar lesson so my electric just sits around the house mostly. I have a classic guitar that stays in its hard case unless I am playing it though.
1
My main axe always goes back in its case. My backup, not so much.
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never
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Any reason?
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not really, mostly convenience. I've got one of these nifty things which makes it easy to just pick up any guitar at any moment and start playing.
1
I find that the ones in cases do not get played nearly as much as the ones hanging. For that reason I bought some hanger things and play all of my guitars instead of pulling them out if the case every now and then.
My first guitar teacher had it right: "at home, don't put it in its case, and keep it near where you will sit."
So now when I'm just hanging out watching tv or whatever, I have a guitar nearby that I almost invariably pick up and noodle around with. It doesn't have to be a thing. It doesn't have to be 'ok time to practice now' it is just hey let's play without any stupid setup or really even intention. Never put them in cases anymore unless they are being transported.
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I put mine in their cases unless I'm playing them. My house is super dusty and humid at times so leaving them in the case just makes sense to me.
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there are no animals or small children in my house so i leave them hanging on wall hangers in my room. even then, the guitars are up fairly high so only i could reach them.
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I really envy people with their guitars hanging there. It looks beautiful and cool. But you never know what will happen in a house and I only feel safe with them in cases.
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I don't have kids or pets so all my guitars go on a rack in my studio room. I guess it really depends on your situation, but I rack them out of convenience.
Do you have an acoustic? Have you noticed that your guitars move less (as a result of humidity) with your set up? I'm just wondering if it's a set up I should move to.
I have an acoustic, it stays pretty stable for the most part once setup (when left out of the case). Though I do notice it does have a bit of a shift at least twice a year; in the fall/winter season and right at the start of spring and going into summer. I usually have to do a setup on my Acoustic at least twice a year due to the seasonal climate changes in my area. I'm not too anal about controlling humidity in my studio room either, so maybe some of the shifting could be avoided or lessened/minimized with some better attention to detail in regards to humidity on my part.
I notice significantly less movement with my acoustic in a case. I understand people with super expensive rigs control humidity in rooms and things like that. Thanks for your reply!
What kind of movement do you notice? Neck caving?
Yeah a little bit, as the seasons change I notice my general string action shifts around slightly. Not huge shifts that would make my guitar unplayable without a setup, but enough of a shift that you can feel it and know its about time for another setup due to the climate changing.
I usually just end up taking the time and changing my strings and doing a slight adjustment to the truss rod, then good as new.
This depends a ton on the climate where you live. I'm in southern California and we sit pretty much at 30 to 40% relative humidity most of the year. I can leave stuff out no problem most of the time. If it turns off super dry I'll stick them in a case. I did live right down by the beach for a while, and I learned in a big hurry to keep them in cases with a dehumidifier or my tops would balloon up with all the moisture.