I don't like hanging my guitars on the wall. Only either in cases or multi stands. I had a guy give me 1989 Gibson SG. Sitting in his mother basement since then. Thru flooding an etc. He gave to me. Pulled it out if the case. With the same strings. And it played beautiful. And still intonated. Hurray for Gibson on that one
I had a whole-house humidifier installed a few years ago. It kind of just attaches to the furnace, and humidity is controlled from my thermostat. I live up north, so the heat runs 5-6 months out of the year and does a remarkable job of keeping the house at 45% during the long winter. Additionally, I have a room humidifier in my "guitoffice" that keeps that one room above 50%. During the summer, it can get pretty humid here and the A/C usually takes care of that, but I have a portable dehumidifier that I run during the summer to assist. In addition to having healthy guitars, having proper humidity in my house has also made things better for the humans. Winter time caused dry itchy skin, nosebleeds, and other things, and having a dehumidifier in the summer means I can be comfortable at higher temps in the house, which is good for net energy savings.
Recent Gibson guitars have plasticizers in the nitrocellulose that prevent finish checking. That--and the fact that the nitro finishes are much thicker than they used to be--are why you don't see checking as often.
I actually posted a question about this on Strat-Talk a few weeks ago. Most of the folks in-the-know agree with what you're saying. Thanks. Your video is very helpful.
By and large guitars are made from hard or super hard woods. Good furniture too. Mahogany, maple, rosewood etc. So these pieces of furniture can go hundreds of years without warping or twisting so ditto for your guitar, which we love more than grannies sideboard.
Q. Why don't I have a nice acoustic? A. I can't afford carbon fiber and live in Iowa. I try to keep my guitars off an outside facing wall, and away from windows. Never very close to a bathroom. (or if you're fancy the indoor pool) I've had few problems. I had to rent a very humid, hot room lost a squier strat. Changed the strings and 3 days later the neck popped right off the screws. I play .13 wound 4ths so I know I have to be a little more cautious and again...f-ing Iowa... It snowed last night and was freezing today feels like sping has sprung.
I literally saw that Strat in the thumbnail for this video and thought: "I sure hope I get to see that one." Just like in all your other videos, you deliver! Lol. For someone who is obsessed about tone and pickups I cannot wait for the video on the first pickups you ever made! How cool! Thank you so much for all your great videos!
Thank you, Dylan. Taylor Guitars stresses humidity and temperature often, and has demonstrated how much water is held within an acoustic guitar, and the wood hard shell case (twice as much as the guitar). The wood hard case saved an acoustic guitar shipped from the east coast last summer via Texas and Arid-zona over ten days to the Spokane, Washington area. I'm a fan of the Music Nomad Case Humitar and HumiReader, and over three weeks the guitar's 'fret sprout' vanished. Reducing string tension has been the preferred method for shipping guitars to prevent headstock breaks due to impacts in shipping, and that's likely the only reason for it. Keep on, keepin' on...
This is actually how I found you a few years ago. I was trying to figure out how to store my guitars. Thanks to you I just leave them out :p ...but now you have helpful links!
Great video, exactly what I observed over 2.75 years with the electrics & acoustic electric I have. As long as you maintain a constant home environment for temperature, the humidity changes in FL from 40-62% as a range, the massive drop extremes are rarer and not very long in duration. Within 24 hours that extreme drop begins to return back to the constant of 55-58%. I invested in a thermometer that has the humidity gauge too. Don't need a fancy digital one that costs more, a $ 3-5 plastic, made in China, thermometer w/ humidity gauge is pretty accurate for anyone's lifetime. So I have monitored the RH in the house, daily, at different hours of the day and it rarely changes & stays constant & between 55-58%. Once a year, I oil the fretboard(s) & that serves 2 purposes. First, cleans the fretboard of any gummier residue of crud that begins to accumulate. Second, hydrates the Rosewood (Ovangkol in the case of the acoustic). I leave the strings tuned, whatever they drop from pitch is whatever they're going to do regardless of anything I can control. Even if it drops 10/20/30 cents over longer periods of time, that's what it's going to do. I found what the truss rod does, I set that to be near flat with any relief being the good type of relief & not back bow. The neck isn't going anywhere and the strings really aren't appreciably going to pull the neck or keep it from back bowing with or without tension, because the truss rod is holding the neck where it is. The humidity is really the worst enemy of the guitar. And it's really now hostile of a battle/war as long as the HVAC in the house is consistent. Since I'm in FL, humidity of the Southeast USA is always relatively wetter. I don't need the humidifier thing with water in a sponge. My guitars stand a better chance of being over-hydrated than they do dried out. I've found that instruments that warp and come apart, are generally travelers. By that I mean they are left in a car on a hot sunny day for extended time periods. They are in & out of controlled environments. A garage is better than leaving the guitar outside, but that garage storage is not nearly what the inside of your house is. If you save a few bucks on a power bill by opening the house up for windows, you might as well keep the guitar in the garage. The reason your guitars are in great shape for storage, I'd be willing to bet that environment was maintained at a constant environment & in a similar range of what mine are housed for. Homes today the ceiling & walls are insulated for efficiency really. Homes are more stable products than are cars. Even your mobile home is way better than the cars anyone uses as a daily driver.
I bought a trans blue Kramer deluxe pacer in 198384-ish played it to about 1989 put it in the case went off to college forgot about it. It sat at my mom’s house until I took it out of the case bought three years ago. Played absolutely fine and now it’s back in the case for probably my son to find 20 years from now. Lol hope he keeps it.
Well, you just showed me (articulated) what I kinda knew... but couldn't say... I'm in Sydney Australia, and it gets sticky in January. But - I've always stored them in pitch. Before putting them away they get a full clean & re-stringed. But that's just for the next time they come out. If it's dirty and the strings are bad, there's no incentive to play it/them.... rather, once unpacked; if they look good, and sound OK, then there's way better chances I'll have a go - rather than be apathetic and just put them away again. Recently I got some hanging forks to wall store them. Much better to see them than think " I wonder if they are OK locked away in a case, in a wardrobe..... thanks for the video mate !
Very timely video for me. I have a home studio with a bunch of guitars hanging on the wall. But I'm retired now, and next year my wife and I are planning on heading out in our RV for a couple months at a time. I have good temp control (heat pump) in the studio, but it's very dry where we are, so I am having a humidifier system installed, just to make sure my guitars don't dry out. I did not know about the differences in the finishes, gonna have to do a bit of research on what my guitars have... so thanks!
I found your recommendations for leaving guitars under tension to be comforting, since that is what I have usually done; HOWEVER, if someone has a guitar that does not have a truss rod for adjusting neck relief (like my Danelectro - Original Factor Spec 1959 DC, or my Manuel Rodriguez B) I would recommend backing off the tension to avoid forward bow that would require clampings and fairy dust to bow back again. And if it bows back too much, no problema; I could increase the tension thru tunings or string gauges.
I have the same E-Series '86 Fender Japan Strat but in sunburst and play it frequently. No problems at all. Really rings. Original pickups sound excellent, but may be time for an upgrade to Dylan pups! Recommendations?
I would like to say that for most guitars releasing string tension is futile, however a lot of older guitars benefit, it can give the instrument more time before a neck reset, reduce the bellying. Also whilst your point on bellying with humidity is perfectly fine I do think it is important to state that it usually occurs naturally from string tension. Hence why it can be a good idea to de tune older guitars between playing/storing. Good vid though!
I wouldn't exactly say "futile" (resistance is futile), but I agree that it may not matter all that much. I've done both with guitars that were left on their stands for years, and when I went back to those that were tuned and those that were de-tuned, they all came to life very well just the same.
Totally agree iv had same string tension on mine from 20 years yet never had a problem and how people say gibson is worst for staying in tune think they need to learn how to set there guitar up properly as mine never goes out of tune and I could leave it hanging on the wall for months even a year yet it stays in tune perfectly and even when I play it I'm very heavy handed with her yet holds tune better than any guitar iv ever owned and iv owned a lot lol
thx for the video... just got my entire collection present some kind of fwd bow... it sits in the basement and for years has been stable but havent checked on them for a while, cold as hell now in MN so heater (also in basement) is running wild... thought it was high humidity issues but a crap hygrometer i found tells me it is the opposite.... onto to buy decent hygrometers, humidifier and dehumidifier... protect the collection!
graphite like statuss basses or some guitars are weather proof 100 perc/can use as a paddle / but not all like the sound / apollo make s acoustic , bass and mandolines for bottom graph price around 1400 doll ,,they sound great too all other is a matter of time and how humid/ dry etc//
Great info, thanks! I use Those Boveda 49% Humidity packs in my acoustic cases and no matter when I open them up the humidity is 50 - 55% (I keep a miniature hygrometer in the cases) so far so good!
Good advice, especially on the electric, solid body guitar. Not so much on the acoustic... A piece of good instrument wood is kiln dried to around 8-12% humidity. That's the standard. In the factory, the humidity varies from location to location, but in an experienced factory it's low. Wood expansion takes place perpendicular to the grain line, not along the grain axis. [ very little]. A bridge popping off is due to a lousy glue job on that bridge. Gluing properly will make the bridge-body bond stronger than the wood itself, so if the bridge is glued properly, and comes off, it will tear a hole in the top of the guitar, or come off with a lot of wood attached to it. A poor glue job has the bridge glued onto the top finish [ horrible ], or the bridge footprint is not covered properly with glue [ common ]. So, ideally, an owner should try and match the humidity of the builder's location to be safe. Difficult. A guitar built in Michigan will have a very different humidity content than one made in Vietnam. Nitrocellulose is an organic product, while poly and acrylic finishes are essentially plastics. Nitro is a lot more sensitive to humidity, but is very, very sensitive to heat and cold. So we see the interesting patterns of nitro 'checkering' on older guitars, which is part of their character. Repairing these finishes is a stone nightmare, because chemicals and heat will melt the nitro very quickly, while the poly finishes just get milky over time, and some careful heating can reduce the milky effect. Thanks for this video. It has a lot of good, practical advice for guitarists.
I have the Squier version of that Strat. E series Japanese made With the trem stamped with Fender. It was also my first guitar. I got it at Guitar Center Hollywood on Sunset.
You should talk about humidity control in RV’s and mobile homes where it’s much more difficult to control climate. I have a buddy who had all kinds of issues with his guitars when he was living in an RV in texas and when he got a hygrometer, it was reading over 90% RH inside!
All the guitars I have had were or are tuned down a whole step below 440.... I capo the second fret, for most of my songs, others I need the lower pitch, voice reasons.!! Never have had a neck problem or body problem that was not easily fixable in over 50 years.
Good video, thanks. I have a Rainsong I travel with primarily so I can avoid any temp/humidity issues. It goes up 36000 ft and comes down in exactly the way it went up.
You took off the locking string retainer at the top. I have E60674x. Excellent craftsmanship. Neck is still fantastic. Have you received any messages from those that want to purchase the Kahler trem. I do all the time. Apparently the fine tuning screws strip easily. I think Fender calls is System 1 tremolo. Got mine back in mid 80s new at Guitar Center on Stevens Creek Blvd.
Got the same Japanese strat, from new, 1986! Same colour as well. It’s great! Just replaced the pots and switch this year, first changes in 35 years. Mine is a bit more battered than yours though!!!
Oct 19th 1977 I stood 2 feet from Steve Gaines. His blvk les paul had huge cracks not checking it had cracks. I just assumed all these years it was cold to hot to cold over road miles. It sounded incredible in Steve's hand but was cracked bad. In 24 hours he would be dead.
Dude I am as I watch you right now, i am replacing the electronics in my 93 Squier by fender japanese-made Strat Style guitar which I believe was made in the fujigen factory as well. It has been through hell and back and I've never had to adjust the neck or do anything to it other than now replacing the electronics that are just old and cruddy. The nut has never needed any work or anything else period that is a beautiful Stratocaster you have. I wish I could find one for myself. Don't ever sell that thing or call me first! And thanks for the vids. Love the information you provide. Happy New Year Edit: this 93 japanese made squire im talking about was also my first electric. Paid $350 for it and it has been a solide guitar for 2 decades. Really want to find a Strat (did they do Teles ?!) of the same origin and era.
I had that exact same Strat (CAR Kahler)! Great video. I find the stable zone around 40-60% with acoustics. I think a lot of people think acoustics are easy, but they are not. A solid body electric is much easier
Since to stabilize is to minimize changes it stands to reason that the state of tension balance requires the string to neck tension is not altered between playings - regardless of time interval.
One cautionary note: I used to leave my white EBMM bass on a stand. The stand had surgical tubing to cushion the parts that contacted the bass. The white paint stained. Don't Worry, after leaving the bass in its case a couple of years the stain has faded away. Check your light colored instruments for stains from time to time and take any stickers off unless you plan to leave them on permanently.
On my electrics on the floor rack,underneath I have a large cookie sheet with a large absorbent gel "puppy sheet" slide out and add a cup of water every couple day's work great
I've never detuned my guitars to store them, and have a dehumidifier keeping the humidity around 50 percent. You cam store them for years without harm!
Thanks, I’ll was wondering about slacking the strings when storing the guitar. I am working on a 70’s Hohner that has high action. (The top has a pot belly, the braces are tight). The finish is perfect. It really needs a neck reset, but Im going to recommend shaving the bridge. It’s humid s here in Hawaii (65-80%) until he decides he wants to spend that money.
D'addario HumidiPaks are what I use in my acoustic case. I live in a very humid, very hot climate where the AC is on all the time. So, dry-ish and cool indoors, moist and hot out. The humidipaks adjust for too dry or too humid conditions inside your case, which eliminates most needs for regular monitoring. I swapped my first set packs at around 3 months.
My basement is my bedroom and I keep a couple guitars down there, but when I take them upstairs to play them, def different. No harm, but different tuning.
I was 13 when I got my first Guitar in1976. The following year, I purchased a '72 White Les Paul ("silver hardware") - kind of rare -everyone wanted it. I was hired as a singer in 79 and was basically on the road for 3 years - pubbin and clubbing- and 3 arenas. What a time!!! I was a teenager for most of it and because they were worried about club owners letting me in at 17 I almost did not get hired. Very close to all the boys 40 years later. But my Les Paul I actually gave to a kid in my neighbourhood - STUPID. I regretted it the evening I did it, and have since. Sad, Stupid story. Never sell or give away any, ANY instrument - you Will regret it.
Wow this explains why my acoustic guitars have issues. They were like that when I bought them used. Seperation near the binding, raised behind the bridge, and some raised frets. This will make me think twice before buying a more expensive guitar. My temperature and humidity change so much in my home. But if I keep the guitars in the case they just won't get played. Great video
The only guitar I have relived string tension for storage was my Samick made late 80s early 90s Epiphone Les Paul and that was because it fell off a regular guitar stand and the headstock cracked.. go figure so I un-tensioned the strings well because of the structural failure at the neck\headstock it sat in the case tension relived headstock cracked not totally busted for years until I finally had a local luthier fix it and you would never know looking at it now, it plays great kicks ass and yes I store it at standard tuning and yes the strings are well past expiration when it is removed from storage
Another great video! Really good information. I use 2 of those same hygrometer/thermometers in 2 different areas in my home studio...works like a charm. Thankfully that particular room happens to be naturally in that 45-65% range consistently.
Great video. Just a point of note, the System 1 tremolo was made by Schaller, not Kahler. There was a statement on Kahler's parts website for a long time indicating that they can't supply parts for the System 1/2/3 tremolos because Schaller was the manufacturer. Beautiful SG. Need one of those...
Years ago, I asked a few talented luthiers about guitar storage. They said that wherever a human being would be comfortable is fine, to loosen the strings if it's not going to be played for a long time, and not to store it in a case. They said that cases are for transportation only and that the upright position is best, either hanging or on a stand. My first electric guitar in January 1965 was a 1957 Gretsch Streamliner with one "Patient Applied For" Flitertron at the neck position, possibly one of the first Gretschs with this pickup. It had "cloud" inlays and was sunburst with a Melita bridge. It was in virtually new condition, sounded incredible, (Duane Eddy watch out), and played like a dream. I always had Gretsch Medium (.10s?) flats on it. I used it on many gigs and my first recording sessions. Damn, I wish I still had it.
@@biohazard8295 Just don't store it in the case for anything more than transportation. Humidity is the key. Too much, or especially too little is very bad for wood. There are sites here that will explain it in detail for you. Always research any questions that you may have until you are satisfied that you have a good, clear, and true answer. Cheers.
Two things: One: Where are the string locks from your system 1 setup? I have an '87 MIJ E series Squire that stays in tune amazingly well. Two. I have been told it's cool to hang your guitars, but not to hang them on an exterior facing wall because they are more susceptible to temp and humidity changes than an interior wall. Thoughts...?
I had a MIM Strar in Vegas where humidity is hardly over 20%, it was very fine until I moved to a more humid climate (average 50% with pick up to 70 indoor) and within 3 weeks it was unplayable
Question, I live in a very dry climate, Canada, much of my time has been in the northern parts. During the winter 20% humidity is normal and the summer it’s variable 40-80%. I’ve noticed that guys I know that don’t stress over humidity don’t have issues and those that do stress do have issues. How can you explain that? It’s a question that prevents me for getting a nice acoustic. Thx:)
Wow, I also have a Japanese -85 Strat in the same color. It has an old 6-point bridge though. Although it was the cheapest Fender Strat I could buy at the time, the quality of it is crazy good! The only thing I don't like is the traditional "screw in" tremolo arm.
I always thought the idea of taking the tension off of strings and truss rod etc an odd one and never made sense. If you didn't put it in storage and played every day, it'd be constantly under all of that tension without fear of it breaking apart. So why would it do so when not being used and under proper tension?
Great looking strat. Was wandering as I'm always looking for older guitars, most all brands are built in high humid climates. Gibson moved to Montana about 25 years ago does this seemed to prevent the guitars from cracking the way most guitars do
I like to keep all my guitars in their cases just because I feel that is where they’re best protected. One year when my collection was much smaller I got fret sprout on my American Telecaster thanks to the very dry Chicago winter. After that I started dampening small sponges and sticking them in zip lock bags with many holes poked through placing it inside the case with the guitar. Not only did the fret sprout disappear from that guitar, but all my guitars have stayed in great condition and are always in perfect tune when I grab one to play. It is a very inexpensive yet effective way to store guitars. Just make sure to keep dampening the sponges every few weeks.
Put 1/2 a sponge wrung out in the case and keep the guitar in a case. All the factory finishes are waterproof and usually polyurethane. I get a pack of sponges at Dollar Tree for $1 and cut the 6 in half. All guitars need a case kept closed and humidified and not damaged...
An acoustic guitar has a force of over 10 stone from string tension, the force added to the neck if layed flat is so little in comparison it really would not affect the guitar, same goes for electrics.
Great video. Question. I have a les Paul standard 2016 t. I store it in a closet in its case. Play everyday. My humidity reading is low in the apt. 28% today. Should I put a humidifier in the closet. Or is this guitar modern enough to not worry.
Question: Firefly p90 Les Paul copy. Is there a real tone difference if the stock P90s are replaced with high end P90s? Is it worth it to change the stock P90s?
I use a humidifier because I live in a pretty dry place. The downside is that we also have pretty hard water, so I get this fine white powder all over everything after a while. 🙄
I don't like hanging my guitars on the wall. Only either in cases or multi stands. I had a guy give me 1989 Gibson SG. Sitting in his mother basement since then. Thru flooding an etc. He gave to me. Pulled it out if the case. With the same strings. And it played beautiful. And still intonated. Hurray for Gibson on that one
I had a whole-house humidifier installed a few years ago. It kind of just attaches to the furnace, and humidity is controlled from my thermostat. I live up north, so the heat runs 5-6 months out of the year and does a remarkable job of keeping the house at 45% during the long winter. Additionally, I have a room humidifier in my "guitoffice" that keeps that one room above 50%.
During the summer, it can get pretty humid here and the A/C usually takes care of that, but I have a portable dehumidifier that I run during the summer to assist.
In addition to having healthy guitars, having proper humidity in my house has also made things better for the humans. Winter time caused dry itchy skin, nosebleeds, and other things, and having a dehumidifier in the summer means I can be comfortable at higher temps in the house, which is good for net energy savings.
Recent Gibson guitars have plasticizers in the nitrocellulose that prevent finish checking. That--and the fact that the nitro finishes are much thicker than they used to be--are why you don't see checking as often.
I actually posted a question about this on Strat-Talk a few weeks ago. Most of the folks in-the-know agree with what you're saying. Thanks. Your video is very helpful.
By and large guitars are made from hard or super hard woods. Good furniture too. Mahogany, maple, rosewood etc. So these pieces of furniture can go hundreds of years without warping or twisting so ditto for your guitar, which we love more than grannies sideboard.
Q. Why don't I have a nice acoustic?
A. I can't afford carbon fiber and live in Iowa.
I try to keep my guitars off an outside facing wall, and away from windows. Never very close to a bathroom. (or if you're fancy the indoor pool) I've had few problems. I had to rent a very humid, hot room lost a squier strat. Changed the strings and 3 days later the neck popped right off the screws. I play .13 wound 4ths so I know I have to be a little more cautious and again...f-ing Iowa... It snowed last night and was freezing today feels like sping has sprung.
The string tension when stored thing makes perfect sense, now I gotta get my stored guitars and retune them!
I literally saw that Strat in the thumbnail for this video and thought: "I sure hope I get to see that one." Just like in all your other videos, you deliver! Lol. For someone who is obsessed about tone and pickups I cannot wait for the video on the first pickups you ever made! How cool! Thank you so much for all your great videos!
Thank you, Dylan. Taylor Guitars stresses humidity and temperature often, and has demonstrated how much water is held within an acoustic guitar, and the wood hard shell case (twice as much as the guitar). The wood hard case saved an acoustic guitar shipped from the east coast last summer via Texas and Arid-zona over ten days to the Spokane, Washington area. I'm a fan of the Music Nomad Case Humitar and HumiReader, and over three weeks the guitar's 'fret sprout' vanished. Reducing string tension has been the preferred method for shipping guitars to prevent headstock breaks due to impacts in shipping, and that's likely the only reason for it. Keep on, keepin' on...
This is actually how I found you a few years ago. I was trying to figure out how to store my guitars. Thanks to you I just leave them out :p ...but now you have helpful links!
Great info as always, Dylan. You’re a very clear presenter, I always enjoy your material.
Great video, exactly what I observed over 2.75 years with the electrics & acoustic electric I have. As long as you maintain a constant home environment for temperature, the humidity changes in FL from 40-62% as a range, the massive drop extremes are rarer and not very long in duration. Within 24 hours that extreme drop begins to return back to the constant of 55-58%. I invested in a thermometer that has the humidity gauge too. Don't need a fancy digital one that costs more, a $ 3-5 plastic, made in China, thermometer w/ humidity gauge is pretty accurate for anyone's lifetime. So I have monitored the RH in the house, daily, at different hours of the day and it rarely changes & stays constant & between 55-58%. Once a year, I oil the fretboard(s) & that serves 2 purposes. First, cleans the fretboard of any gummier residue of crud that begins to accumulate. Second, hydrates the Rosewood (Ovangkol in the case of the acoustic).
I leave the strings tuned, whatever they drop from pitch is whatever they're going to do regardless of anything I can control. Even if it drops 10/20/30 cents over longer periods of time, that's what it's going to do. I found what the truss rod does, I set that to be near flat with any relief being the good type of relief & not back bow. The neck isn't going anywhere and the strings really aren't appreciably going to pull the neck or keep it from back bowing with or without tension, because the truss rod is holding the neck where it is. The humidity is really the worst enemy of the guitar. And it's really now hostile of a battle/war as long as the HVAC in the house is consistent.
Since I'm in FL, humidity of the Southeast USA is always relatively wetter. I don't need the humidifier thing with water in a sponge. My guitars stand a better chance of being over-hydrated than they do dried out. I've found that instruments that warp and come apart, are generally travelers. By that I mean they are left in a car on a hot sunny day for extended time periods. They are in & out of controlled environments. A garage is better than leaving the guitar outside, but that garage storage is not nearly what the inside of your house is. If you save a few bucks on a power bill by opening the house up for windows, you might as well keep the guitar in the garage. The reason your guitars are in great shape for storage, I'd be willing to bet that environment was maintained at a constant environment & in a similar range of what mine are housed for. Homes today the ceiling & walls are insulated for efficiency really. Homes are more stable products than are cars. Even your mobile home is way better than the cars anyone uses as a daily driver.
I bought a trans blue Kramer deluxe pacer in 198384-ish played it to about 1989 put it in the case went off to college forgot about it. It sat at my mom’s house until I took it out of the case bought three years ago. Played absolutely fine and now it’s back in the case for probably my son to find 20 years from now. Lol hope he keeps it.
Well, you just showed me (articulated) what I kinda knew... but couldn't say... I'm in Sydney Australia, and it gets sticky in January. But - I've always stored them in pitch. Before putting them away they get a full clean & re-stringed. But that's just for the next time they come out. If it's dirty and the strings are bad, there's no incentive to play it/them.... rather, once unpacked; if they look good, and sound OK, then there's way better chances I'll have a go - rather than be apathetic and just put them away again. Recently I got some hanging forks to wall store them. Much better to see them than think " I wonder if they are OK locked away in a case, in a wardrobe..... thanks for the video mate !
Very timely video for me. I have a home studio with a bunch of guitars hanging on the wall. But I'm retired now, and next year my wife and I are planning on heading out in our RV for a couple months at a time. I have good temp control (heat pump) in the studio, but it's very dry where we are, so I am having a humidifier system installed, just to make sure my guitars don't dry out. I did not know about the differences in the finishes, gonna have to do a bit of research on what my guitars have... so thanks!
This is EXCELLENT - covers all the bases - thanks do much for sharing this valuable and very well-presented and clearly explained information!
Dylan's right about the dangers of detuning. Stored a Peavey Tele that way; neck developed a back-bow and twist. Ended up being a total loss.
I found your recommendations for leaving guitars under tension to be comforting, since that is what I have usually done; HOWEVER, if someone has a guitar that does not have a truss rod for adjusting neck relief (like my Danelectro - Original Factor Spec 1959 DC, or my Manuel Rodriguez B) I would recommend backing off the tension to avoid forward bow that would require clampings and fairy dust to bow back again. And if it bows back too much, no problema; I could increase the tension thru tunings or string gauges.
my E6 Japanese made contemporary Strat was my first guitar and had the same bridge. I still have and enjoy the guitar
That MIJ Strat you have looks amazing! Im digging the matching chrome on the pickups with the Candy Apple Red.
Hold on to it forever!
I have the same E-Series '86 Fender Japan Strat but in sunburst and play it frequently. No problems at all. Really rings. Original pickups sound excellent, but may be time for an upgrade to Dylan pups! Recommendations?
I would like to say that for most guitars releasing string tension is futile, however a lot of older guitars benefit, it can give the instrument more time before a neck reset, reduce the bellying. Also whilst your point on bellying with humidity is perfectly fine I do think it is important to state that it usually occurs naturally from string tension. Hence why it can be a good idea to de tune older guitars between playing/storing. Good vid though!
I wouldn't exactly say "futile" (resistance is futile), but I agree that it may not matter all that much. I've done both with guitars that were left on their stands for years, and when I went back to those that were tuned and those that were de-tuned, they all came to life very well just the same.
Totally agree iv had same string tension on mine from 20 years yet never had a problem and how people say gibson is worst for staying in tune think they need to learn how to set there guitar up properly as mine never goes out of tune and I could leave it hanging on the wall for months even a year yet it stays in tune perfectly and even when I play it I'm very heavy handed with her yet holds tune better than any guitar iv ever owned and iv owned a lot lol
My favorite guitar has been sitting on a cotton linen wrapped $14 guitar center stand the last 6 years...no complaints.
Ok. This advice makes sense. Glad i came here. Was about to store my guitars will loosened strings.
thx for the video... just got my entire collection present some kind of fwd bow... it sits in the basement and for years has been stable but havent checked on them for a while, cold as hell now in MN so heater (also in basement) is running wild... thought it was high humidity issues but a crap hygrometer i found tells me it is the opposite.... onto to buy decent hygrometers, humidifier and dehumidifier... protect the collection!
So, a poly finish with a roasted maple neck is probably ideal (as far as being less susceptible to environmental conditions).
Shoot my tele is good then
graphite like statuss basses or some guitars are weather proof 100 perc/can use as a paddle / but not all like the sound / apollo make s acoustic , bass and mandolines for bottom graph price around 1400 doll ,,they sound great too
all other is a matter of time and how humid/ dry etc//
Great info, thanks! I use Those Boveda 49% Humidity packs in my acoustic cases and no matter when I open them up the humidity is 50 - 55% (I keep a miniature hygrometer in the cases) so far so good!
Good advice, especially on the electric, solid body guitar. Not so much on the acoustic...
A piece of good instrument wood is kiln dried to around 8-12% humidity. That's the standard.
In the factory, the humidity varies from location to location, but in an experienced factory it's low.
Wood expansion takes place perpendicular to the grain line, not along the grain axis. [ very little].
A bridge popping off is due to a lousy glue job on that bridge. Gluing properly will make the bridge-body bond stronger than the wood itself, so if the bridge is glued properly, and comes off, it will tear a hole in the top of the guitar, or come off with a lot of wood attached to it. A poor glue job has the bridge glued onto the top finish [ horrible ], or the bridge footprint is not covered properly with glue [ common ].
So, ideally, an owner should try and match the humidity of the builder's location to be safe. Difficult.
A guitar built in Michigan will have a very different humidity content than one made in Vietnam.
Nitrocellulose is an organic product, while poly and acrylic finishes are essentially plastics. Nitro is a lot more sensitive to humidity, but is very, very sensitive to heat and cold. So we see the interesting patterns of nitro 'checkering' on older guitars, which is part of their character. Repairing these finishes is a stone nightmare, because chemicals and heat will melt the nitro very quickly, while the poly finishes just get milky over time, and some careful heating can reduce the milky effect.
Thanks for this video. It has a lot of good, practical advice for guitarists.
I have the Squier version of that Strat. E series Japanese made With the trem stamped with Fender. It was also my first guitar. I got it at Guitar Center Hollywood on Sunset.
I stored an acoustic guitar under a trailer house in Minnesota for three years outside of a case and It was just fine
You should talk about humidity control in RV’s and mobile homes where it’s much more difficult to control climate. I have a buddy who had all kinds of issues with his guitars when he was living in an RV in texas and when he got a hygrometer, it was reading over 90% RH inside!
I’d be curious about the same topic but for shipping and traveling
Just ordered humidifier and Sweet Water humidity control bags for Acoustic guitars thanks for info.
All the guitars I have had were or are tuned down a whole step below 440.... I capo the second fret, for most of my songs, others I need the lower pitch, voice reasons.!!
Never have had a neck problem or body problem that was not easily fixable in over 50 years.
Good video, thanks. I have a Rainsong I travel with primarily so I can avoid any temp/humidity issues. It goes up 36000 ft and comes down in exactly the way it went up.
You took off the locking string retainer at the top. I have E60674x. Excellent craftsmanship. Neck is still fantastic. Have you received any messages from those that want to purchase the Kahler trem. I do all the time. Apparently the fine tuning screws strip easily. I think Fender calls is System 1 tremolo. Got mine back in mid 80s new at Guitar Center on Stevens Creek Blvd.
Got the same Japanese strat, from new, 1986! Same colour as well. It’s great! Just replaced the pots and switch this year, first changes in 35 years. Mine is a bit more battered than yours though!!!
Oct 19th 1977 I stood 2 feet from Steve Gaines. His blvk les paul had huge cracks not checking it had cracks. I just assumed all these years it was cold to hot to cold over road miles. It sounded incredible in Steve's hand but was cracked bad. In 24 hours he would be dead.
Dude I am as I watch you right now, i am replacing the electronics in my 93 Squier by fender japanese-made Strat Style guitar which I believe was made in the fujigen factory as well. It has been through hell and back and I've never had to adjust the neck or do anything to it other than now replacing the electronics that are just old and cruddy. The nut has never needed any work or anything else period that is a beautiful Stratocaster you have. I wish I could find one for myself. Don't ever sell that thing or call me first! And thanks for the vids. Love the information you provide. Happy New Year
Edit: this 93 japanese made squire im talking about was also my first electric. Paid $350 for it and it has been a solide guitar for 2 decades. Really want to find a Strat (did they do Teles ?!) of the same origin and era.
I had that exact same Strat (CAR Kahler)! Great video. I find the stable zone around 40-60% with acoustics. I think a lot of people think acoustics are easy, but they are not. A solid body electric is much easier
Since to stabilize is to minimize changes it stands to reason that the state of tension balance requires the string to neck tension is not altered between playings - regardless of time interval.
One cautionary note: I used to leave my white EBMM bass on a stand. The stand had surgical tubing to cushion the parts that contacted the bass. The white paint stained. Don't Worry, after leaving the bass in its case a couple of years the stain has faded away. Check your light colored instruments for stains from time to time and take any stickers off unless you plan to leave them on permanently.
Same happened with an 82 Gibson in red...black tubing black 'rest' marks...
I never leave a nitro finished guitar on a stand, or touching anything made of plastic or rubber.
On my electrics on the floor rack,underneath I have a large cookie sheet with a large absorbent gel "puppy sheet" slide out and add a cup of water every couple day's work great
I have a 1985 Japan made P-Bass and she is awesome. Bought her new when I was in High School. My 1st "Good" bass.
I got an 88 Japanese J-bass.
@@shanewalton8888 bet she is awesome too.
I've never detuned my guitars to store them, and have a dehumidifier keeping the humidity around 50 percent. You cam store them for years without harm!
One night even say decades.
Thanks for the info. Really took a lot of stress off me.
Thanks, I’ll was wondering about slacking the strings when storing the guitar. I am working on a 70’s Hohner
that has high action. (The top has a pot belly, the braces are tight). The finish is perfect. It really needs a neck reset, but Im going to recommend shaving the bridge. It’s humid s here in Hawaii (65-80%) until he decides he wants to spend that money.
.. yes! Thank you sooo much! It would be a hassle to completely untune and later to retune any guitar any time
Thanks Dylan, really good information. Always very complete and well discussed.
D'addario HumidiPaks are what I use in my acoustic case. I live in a very humid, very hot climate where the AC is on all the time. So, dry-ish and cool indoors, moist and hot out. The humidipaks adjust for too dry or too humid conditions inside your case, which eliminates most needs for regular monitoring. I swapped my first set packs at around 3 months.
They say “Donut Eat” but trust me, taste nothing like donuts
My basement is my bedroom and I keep a couple guitars down there, but when I take them upstairs to play them, def different. No harm, but different tuning.
I was 13 when I got my first Guitar in1976. The following year, I purchased a '72 White Les Paul ("silver hardware") - kind of rare -everyone wanted it. I was hired as a singer in 79 and was basically on the road for 3 years - pubbin and clubbing- and 3 arenas. What a time!!! I was a teenager for most of it and because they were worried about club owners letting me in at 17 I almost did not get hired. Very close to all the boys 40 years later. But my Les Paul I actually gave to a kid in my neighbourhood - STUPID. I regretted it the evening I did it, and have since. Sad, Stupid story. Never sell or give away any, ANY instrument - you Will regret it.
Wow this explains why my acoustic guitars have issues. They were like that when I bought them used. Seperation near the binding, raised behind the bridge, and some raised frets. This will make me think twice before buying a more expensive guitar. My temperature and humidity change so much in my home. But if I keep the guitars in the case they just won't get played. Great video
Just purchase a humidifier for the room the guitars are in.
The only guitar I have relived string tension for storage was my Samick made late 80s early 90s Epiphone Les Paul and that was because it fell off a regular guitar stand and the headstock cracked.. go figure so I un-tensioned the strings well because of the structural failure at the neck\headstock it sat in the case tension relived headstock cracked not totally busted for years until I finally had a local luthier fix it and you would never know looking at it now, it plays great kicks ass and yes I store it at standard tuning and yes the strings are well past expiration when it is removed from storage
Another great video! Really good information. I use 2 of those same hygrometer/thermometers in 2 different areas in my home studio...works like a charm. Thankfully that particular room happens to be naturally in that 45-65% range consistently.
You should see my humidity changes in my home, you would be sick for your guitar
Have you ever done a video of the proper way to ship guitars?
Beautiful MIJ strat! Everything I’ve found says keep humidity between 45-55, which is why the 2-way packets are set at 49%.
Great video. Just a point of note, the System 1 tremolo was made by Schaller, not Kahler. There was a statement on Kahler's parts website for a long time indicating that they can't supply parts for the System 1/2/3 tremolos because Schaller was the manufacturer.
Beautiful SG. Need one of those...
Great info, I just tuned up all my guitars. Thanks!
Thanks for the storage tips for guitars
Congrats on finally " Settling in " Dylan !! And lovely guitar !!
Whole lot of great info - thanks for the video Dylan - cheers from Canada
You left the squire in the trunk in that weather? You're a brave man Dylan! ;) But glad the experiment worked out fine, even if just for a night.
The condition of that 85 Strat is proof that you can take care of an old instrument and not make it look like it has been in a hurricane. Nice axe!
Years ago, I asked a few talented luthiers about guitar storage. They said that wherever a human being would be comfortable is fine, to loosen the strings if it's not going to be played for a long time, and not to store it in a case. They said that cases are for transportation only and that the upright position is best, either hanging or on a stand.
My first electric guitar in January 1965 was a 1957 Gretsch Streamliner with one "Patient Applied For" Flitertron at the neck position, possibly one of the first Gretschs with this pickup. It had "cloud" inlays and was sunburst with a Melita bridge. It was in virtually new condition, sounded incredible, (Duane Eddy watch out), and played like a dream. I always had Gretsch Medium (.10s?) flats on it. I used it on many gigs and my first recording sessions. Damn, I wish I still had it.
Why not keep it in a case?
@@biohazard8295 Just don't for many reasons, check it out.
@@Glicksman1 if i play it daily and keep the humidity in check do you think it's still bad?
@@biohazard8295 Just don't store it in the case for anything more than transportation. Humidity is the key. Too much, or especially too little is very bad for wood. There are sites here that will explain it in detail for you.
Always research any questions that you may have until you are satisfied that you have a good, clear, and true answer.
Cheers.
@@Glicksman1 ok thanks
Good video, thanks. I am wondering how a 2021 guitar has been in storage for 2 1/2 years!?!
Great tips that debunk all the nonsense on other videos, thanks!
Two things:
One: Where are the string locks from your system 1 setup? I have an '87 MIJ E series Squire that stays in tune amazingly well.
Two. I have been told it's cool to hang your guitars, but not to hang them on an exterior facing wall because they are more susceptible to temp and humidity changes than an interior wall. Thoughts...?
Thank you, Dylan. Good, solid advice. Much appreciated.
really great info, thanks!
Putting aside humidity and temp, how does direct UV light affect the guitar?
What about for acoustics that I want to keep hanging on the wall for regular playing?
I had a MIM Strar in Vegas where humidity is hardly over 20%, it was very fine until I moved to a more humid climate (average 50% with pick up to 70 indoor) and within 3 weeks it was unplayable
Thanks for the great info on guitar storage. Always appreciate your guitar info its spot on!
Question, I live in a very dry climate, Canada, much of my time has been in the northern parts. During the winter 20% humidity is normal and the summer it’s variable 40-80%. I’ve noticed that guys I know that don’t stress over humidity don’t have issues and those that do stress do have issues. How can you explain that? It’s a question that prevents me for getting a nice acoustic. Thx:)
Excellent video. I really enjoyed watching this and pretty much agree with the vid.
Wow, I also have a Japanese -85 Strat in the same color. It has an old 6-point bridge though. Although it was the cheapest Fender Strat I could buy at the time, the quality of it is crazy good! The only thing I don't like is the traditional "screw in" tremolo arm.
How did your dad get such a great guitar for your first one? To those not in the know Japanese Fenders from the early to mid 80s are fucking awesome.
I always thought the idea of taking the tension off of strings and truss rod etc an odd one and never made sense.
If you didn't put it in storage and played every day, it'd be constantly under all of that tension without fear of it breaking apart. So why would it do so when not being used and under proper tension?
What if I live in the desert? Do older guitars stabilize? If so, at what age?
Your the man Dylan. Thank you for all the videos and (Reliable) information. I have learned a lot from you.
Great looking strat. Was wandering as I'm always looking for older guitars, most all brands are built in high humid climates. Gibson moved to Montana about 25 years ago does this seemed to prevent the guitars from cracking the way most guitars do
I like to keep all my guitars in their cases just because I feel that is where they’re best protected. One year when my collection was much smaller I got fret sprout on my American Telecaster thanks to the very dry Chicago winter. After that I started dampening small sponges and sticking them in zip lock bags with many holes poked through placing it inside the case with the guitar. Not only did the fret sprout disappear from that guitar, but all my guitars have stayed in great condition and are always in perfect tune when I grab one to play. It is a very inexpensive yet effective way to store guitars. Just make sure to keep dampening the sponges every few weeks.
I will take your advice. I just had to dress some recent fret sprout on my Am Pro Tele which I keep in the case in Southern Cal climate. Thanks.
@@tjyoung8069 best of luck to you.
I've been doing the same thing for a few years and it works like a charm. Great advice for dry environments!
That’s what I do. I put them away after playing. I have a case humidifier for each.
Great Info. Thanks a bunch.
Good morning from Kankakee Illinois!
Thanks for this
Put 1/2 a sponge wrung out in the case and keep the guitar in a case. All the factory finishes are waterproof and usually polyurethane. I get a pack of sponges at Dollar Tree for $1 and cut the 6 in half. All guitars need a case kept closed and humidified and not damaged...
I'm surprised you didn't mention this:
Is it okay for them to lay flat or if they must be stored vertically in their case?
Any ideas in this? I've done/do both...
An acoustic guitar has a force of over 10 stone from string tension, the force added to the neck if layed flat is so little in comparison it really would not affect the guitar, same goes for electrics.
@@joesharpe7685 thanks. mine are laid flat, but 2 or more brains are smarter than 1.
Thanks for the links Dylan!
Great video. Question. I have a les Paul standard 2016 t. I store it in a closet in its case. Play everyday. My humidity reading is low in the apt. 28% today. Should I put a humidifier in the closet. Or is this guitar modern enough to not worry.
I store and ship guitars in tune, for the very reasons Dylan said--they're made that way to begin qith.
Thank you for this information.
Violins don't have truss rods - so I was always told to release the tension on them, and I guess that was mistakenly carried over to guitar?
Can not wait for this one!
Great video sir!
Really good information. Thank you, Dylan.
Question: Firefly p90 Les Paul copy. Is there a real tone difference if the stock P90s are replaced with high end P90s? Is it worth it to change the stock P90s?
Very cool guitar and story!
I worry about my classical because of the humidity around here in winter. I know I shouldn't let it sit out all the time without doing anything.
I use a humidifier because I live in a pretty dry place. The downside is that we also have pretty hard water, so I get this fine white powder all over everything after a while. 🙄