Leave guitar out of case in Summer

[Guest]

I got a Taylor and I remember the brochures recommending leaving the guitar in its case when not being used.

 

Question: now that it's Summer, can I leave the guitar out of its case and not worry about it? I hope this isn't a silly question.

 

Joe

[Tedster]

Somebody's gonna shoot me down in flames for this, but, my acoustic is my bestest buddy http://www.musicplayer.com/ubb/biggrin.gif, and I've got it sitting on a guitar stand right next to my favorite comfy chair 12 months out of the year.

[LiveMusic]

I have a new Taylor also and I have wondered about the humidifier deal. Like, is this REALLY necessary? I'm not much on maintenance for ANYthing I have. Character flaw. If it's not too much trouble, I'll do it but if it's much to it, I won't do it. Although, with this new Taylor, I'm more apt to do it if I feel I have to. It's pretty special. No, it's REAL special.

 

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Duke

[nrg music]

My 2cents

 

As long as the temperature is pretty consistant it doesn't really matter wether it's in the case or not... Only extremes will hurt your guitar other than that it's cooooolio

 

 

Simon

[txh194psu.edu]

Depending on where you live, it's usually a good idea to at least use a dessicant(fill up a little sock with a handful of dry rice and toss it into your case) during the summer, when the humidity's up. In extreme cases, guitars can get mildew if left out too long, and in lesser cases, you'll have to tune up every time you play the guitar and have tarnished strings. Leaving the guitar in the case does keep the humidity and temperature stable enough so that a cold snap or heat wave doesn't screw up your tuning and tension, and muggy days don't rust up your strings. Also, in winter, having a hygrometer in your case can prevent cracking and seams from coming apart. Hygrometers are easy to make. Any pet store that sells fish will have little 3" test tubes for testing water pH and all that. I take those, fill them up with water, and stuff a cotton ball in the end. That usually lasts about a week in the middle of winter, and it keeps a constant level of humidity in the case. That whole thing costs about 10 cents to make, by the way. If you want to go all out for a really expensive instrument, Stretto systems cost about $40.00 dollars and include a thermometer/humidity gauge, and humidifier bags. You can get those at www.sharmusic.com. Any of this may or may not be necesarry, but that's up to you, of course. At least try the homemade versions for those Taylors.

[Eric Worthington]

I agree, the real issue is humidity. In the winter, in the north, having the heat on all winter makes for a very dry air. It's already naturally dry in the winter, and radiators or electric heat makes the air very dry. So you do need to be careful WHERE you have your guitar IF you do leave it out all the time. This time of year, it's naturally humid, and you don't have the heater on, so dryness (which is the enemy) is no longer an issue.

 

This message has been edited by Eric Worthington on 05-12-2001 at 10:54 PM

[Lisa]

Too much humidity is also a problem, so just be aware of the temperature, humidity levels and how your guitar reacts to them. One thing I do notice when my guitars are left on stands is that my strings tend to get yuckier and need to be changed more frequently.

[rosespappy]

I am notorious for not taking care of things. However, I have begun to learn.Back in the mid-80's ma bought me a limited edition hand made Yamaha 12. Nice fiddle. Well rose started to pick it up and play it, then set it on the stand. What the extreme changes in humidity in our part of the country could not kill, her 3 year old little brother could. Over it went,snap went the neck. I would suggest keeping any fine instrument cased when not in use, and maintaining proper humity in the wood. I ended up gettin' a new Yairi 12 out of the deal, but what a waste of a nice fiddle.