Hanging should it be allowed?

[Steve Bettesworth]

I do hope this is not a stupid question, but here goes. ‘Management’ has’ requested’ less floor space is taken up by guitars on stands. If I hang them from the wall will they suffer in any way or is hanging a guitar by its neck safe? I have  a few Hercules guitar hangers knocking around from a closed down music shop that would do the trick. Cheers, Steve

[Frank Ford]

Keeping guitars on stands is a good way to encounter damage.

Hanging on the wall is safe, secure, and attractive.  Damage to the neck due to the stress of hanging is simply not an issue.

A simple leather thong around the tuners and a regular picture hanging hook is best, in my opinion. 

My least favorite place to keep instruments is in stands. They are more in the way because they take floor space, they can fall, and they may have some problems if the finish interacts with the "protective" vinyl or rubber on the stand. If you're going to use a stand, it's a good idea to check whether the instrument's finish is potentially reactive.

[Steve Bettesworth]

Thank you very much for that Frank. As you say accidents do happen, - especially when you have a 3 year old with a pedal car!  Steve

[Mark McLean]

+1 for the recommendations on hanging your guitars on the wall. 

I got the same complaints about guitars cluttering up the place.  I have had one major and a few minor instrument injuries from accidents with stands.  No problems since I bought a few wall hanging hooks from StewMac.  They actually hold the guitar a little off the wall to avoid "bumping".  You cannot hurt an instrument by hanging it from its neck.  Just make sure that whatever is holding the instrument is well anchored into the wall.  I have plasterboard walls and I don't trust a screw that only goes into the sheeting - but one that goes into a timber stud behind the sheet will be just fine.  Even my non-guitar playing wife likes the look of them on the wall. 

[RETROROD]

Hey, its always a good thing to keep 'management' AKA 'wife' happy! I am lucky as my wife allows me the entire bonus room over the garage for all my stuff. She rarely visits.....But also, I have taken over part of the bedroom closet and over half of the garage! And she 'thinks' I'm a hoarder?.....JEEeeesshh!....:-)

[Ned Knepp]

  "Just make sure that whatever is holding the instrument is well anchored into the wall." 

This is easy to underestimate. My brother and I repaired a 1920's F4 Gibson mandolin that fell from a hook on the wall that was not secure. It had been hanging there for weeks in a friend's shop when the hook's anchors just popped through the dry wall. The mandolin fell straight down to the floor,  jamming the end pin tight and snapping the headstock.   

Don't guess on how strong the mounting is on the hooks, Make sure they will hold before you trust instruments to them.

[Paul Verticchio]

Hi Steve.

Well, it looks like it's unanimous on the thumbs-up for hanging.

The only thing I'd like to suggest is a nod toward regulating the humidity in the "hangin' room", especially if you're displaying acoustic instruments. You probably already have that under control, though. I only mention it as no one else has.

Have a great weekend (:

[Eric Steven Johansen]

I live in earthquake country and the only caveats I'd add are these; 1 If you can, use the hangers that close in front when the weight of the guitar pulls down. 2 Glue a small square of carpet to the wall behind the lower bout so if you do have movement the guitar has a soft spot behind it. I hate having guitars on stands and do so only for short periods.

[Steve Bettesworth]

Thank you all for your words of wisdom, it really is appreciated.  Thanks for the advice on earthquakes Eric, but Essex in England is not a hotspot for seismic activity, although a believe Colchester had a tremor am bout 150 years ago. I don’t know that humidity is a huge issue here Paul, the room is rarely heated and English air is far from dry. Thanks all once again, management, AKA 'herindoors, will be happy!

[Hesh Breakstone]

I hang some of my personal guitars and I use Hercules hangers as well and have been doing so for over five years now.

But.... most of my guitars are in my humidity controlled "bubble" aka my shop.  It's 42 - 50% RH in the shop and associated spaces year round so I don't worry about the guitars drying out.

Regardless of what I do I'm not so sure that hanging em is the best for the guitars even in a humidity controlled space.  Why?  Because being in the cases would be far better protection from my great nephew and his radio controlled helicopter or any one of a plethora of different accidents that these guitars may be exposed to if not in a case. 

I also always advise my repair clients that cases are not only a safer place to store an instrument to prevent damage but cases also add a bit of a buffer to rapid temp and RH changes.

As such hanging is fine I agree but cases are better IMHO although not as much fun to look at.  Also although low RH is by far the worse for wooden stringed instruments very high RH is not great for them either.  I recall the weekend that the AC quit at the store and on Monday morning we had bridges pealing off of a brand new instrument....

Cases may not be fun to look at, you may not have enough of them either, but being in a case that is stored in a safe, environmentally appropriate location is likely the best that it gets.  Although a rather morbid comparison.... when we die are we hung on a Hercules hanger in a position of prominence on the wall of our homes or.... conversely... are we (some times, not always....) placed in a case.....? ;)

[Russell Vance]

I second that in the strongest possible way, Hesh has dealt with all the significant issues - if instruments were put back or kept in cases a significant amount  of my repair business in dollar terms (read Les Paul and similar neck breaks) would disappear overnight - guitar stands in particular are the repair-mans friend - they give us so much business.

Guitar cases stack nicely and you can put a vase on top of the heap if you are concerned about the aesthetics but other than showing off your tools of trade while watching the strings go rusty and the environmentals take their toll I can think of no good reason to hang up a domestic guitar.

Rusty.

[William F.Eden]

I once had A man bring me a very fancy old B. Rose wood Guitar that he had left to him by a great grandfather, He thought so much of that Guitar he hung it on the wall in the living room. lo-and behold one morrning he was awaken by a very loud bang only to find the guitar laying on the floor in pieces .I recived the guitar in three garbage bags. When I took it back all repaired I told him to never hang it on the wall again... Bill.........

[Ned Knepp]

Having a guitar on a stand in my house makes me play more often... BUT the only guitars I ever keep on stands are beaters. All my good/favorite guitars are stored in cases.

 If I had a shop floor where customers come in to see my products, I would hang them on the wall and control the environment as well as possible to protect my investment.