Displaying your guitars...neck strain?

[Daywalker]

On several occasions i have considered displaying my guitars on the wall or even just lining them up on stands etc., but i always come back to the same conclusion that they are safer and cleaner kept in their respective cases.

Will they not suffer long term damage if strung up by their necks 22 hours a day? (especially in those horizontal wall hangers)

What do people think regarding this? - Thanks

[quakana]

Mine have been hanging on the wall for two years and they are all fine. A guy at a local music store says its the best way to display them. Make sure the room is not too hot--cold--humid--or dry. I keep the room around 68 degrees and 55% humidity and it seems to work. I think being strung is a good thing. It keeps the right amount of tension on the neck and help keeps it in line. Of course the bast place is in the case all safe and snug, but I like lookin at em and being able to pick one up at the drop of a hat and plug in!!

[Dave L]

I´ve kept all my guitars hung on the wall basically since day one. No problems anywhere, and I basically live on the north pole with semi-hot and dry summers and cooold, snowy winters. But climate and environment may, of course, vary your mileage. I wouldn´t worry about it, though. When I got one of my Soloists in March 2001 it came from sunny Calif to Nashville, to rainy Chicago, to Stockholm and all the way up to my freezing home in a matter of days without shifting a bit... Jacksons are tough cookies.

[Sanctuary]

I'd be more worried about what sunlight/moisture is doing to the finish.

[wilkinsi]

from what i could see on another post, the horizontal hangers (which support the body) won't be any trouble. my concern is the stress on the neck from using veritical holders (whereby the only contact the hanger makes is with the neck at the nut. i am hoping to find a horizontal one (or two), but am not sure they're available in the uk. i'm checking that out later.

[Daywalker]

from what i could see on another post, the horizontal hangers (which support the body) won't be any trouble. my concern is the stress on the neck from using veritical holders (whereby the only contact the hanger makes is with the neck at the nut. i am hoping to find a horizontal one (or two), but am not sure they're available in the uk. i'm checking that out later.

This is the thing... i guess the guitars may be ok hanging by their necks but i cannot believe it is necessarily good for some of them in the long run.

I think the horizontal cradle ones are going to be the best bet.

You'd think i'd have stopped caring quite so much when i gave my Jackson headstock the ceremonial 1/2 inch chip on the pointy bit...but somehow it feels like that was meant to be there all along ;-)

Let us know if you find the horizontal ones in the UK - Thanks.

[Zerberus]

Consider that the neck is purpose built to compensate tension, and that most players with their light guage strings (11s and under) are nowhere near the limits of the design. You honestly run a significantly higher risk of damage using a trem, because the tension changes are much greater AND much more errant.

If hanging guitars by the necks were as dangerous as some would like people to believe, do you really think that music stores would still be doing it after so many decades? Especially vintage dealers? Or that professionally trained luthiers would still be doing it after literally centuries

I would be much more worried about sunlight, moisture, nicotine smoke, and other factors.

......
Will they not suffer long term damage if strung up by their necks 22 hours a day? (especially in those horizontal wall hangers) .....

BTW, Welcome to Earth. Here the days have 24 hours, I hope that doesn´t mess with your daily rhythm too much

[Daywalker]

BTW, Welcome to Earth. Here the days have 24 hours, I hope that doesn´t mess with your daily rhythm too much

I play them the other two hours a day...so they are not on the stands.
(24 - 2 = 22)

[Daywalker]

Consider that the neck is purpose built to compensate tension, and that most players with their light guage strings (11s and under) are nowhere near the limits of the design. You honestly run a significantly higher risk of damage using a trem, because the tension changes are much greater AND much more errant.

If hanging guitars by the necks were as dangerous as some would like people to believe, do you really think that music stores would still be doing it after so many decades? Especially vintage dealers? Or that professionally trained luthiers would still be doing it after literally centuries

I would be much more worried about sunlight, moisture, nicotine smoke, and other factors.



BTW, Welcome to Earth. Here the days have 24 hours, I hope that doesn´t mess with your daily rhythm too much

Fair comment - Can't really argue with that.

[Zerberus]

I play them the other two hours a day...so they are not on the stands.
(24 - 2 = 22)

Whawhawhaaat??? You PLAY them and you´re worried about damage?

J/K, btw. I just kind of forgot that not everyone has too many guitars to play each one 2 hrs a day

[Daywalker]

Whawhawhaaat??? You PLAY them and you´re worried about damage?

Another good point!

[Bengal65]

My only concern is hanging guitars finished in nitrocellulose lacquer and some acrylic lacquers. I have some stands I made that isolate the body from the stand. If you notice music stores over the years have reported having some finish damage from hanging the guitars by the neck. You can find a lot of older Fender's and even newer Gibson's that have this finish damage from hanging for long periods of time. A lot of this damage is due to the reaction of the "padding" material used on the hangers with the guitar's finish.

[secks]

this is also valid for flor stands as well. if your guitar has nitro on it, place a cotton cloth on the hanger/stand before you put the guitar on it, otherwise there is a very good chance that it will eat the finish.

[Zerberus]

My only concern is hanging guitars finished in nitrocellulose lacquer and some acrylic lacquers. I have some stands I made that isolate the body from the stand. If you notice music stores over the years have reported having some finish damage from hanging the guitars by the neck. You can find a lot of older Fender's and even newer Gibson's that have this finish damage from hanging for long periods of time. A lot of this damage is due to the reaction of the "padding" material used on the hangers with the guitar's finish.

this is also valid for flor stands as well. if your guitar has nitro on it, place a cotton cloth on the hanger/stand before you put the guitar on it, otherwise there is a very good chance that it will eat the finish.

+1 to both, either cover the hanger /stand rests or leave the nitro finished axes in their cases

[slash-ed]

"Rockstand" brand stands are apparently nitro safe. I had a Gibson LP Std on a 7-guitar Rockstand, no problems there.