Hi all,

I've been wondering recently how I should protect my tele, and not so importantly, my strat(it's MIM standard after all). I would like my telecaster to last for years and years without warping or breaking. Currently, they sit on stands on the floor. They are not exposed to direct sunlight, but there is little I can do about changes in humidity. Should I get a hard case to store my tele in? Does that have to be an airtight hardcase or one like this: http://www.hiscoxcases.com/standardguitar_hiscox.htm

Or do changes in humidity like water condensing onto the window in the morning not affect my guitars particularly? Temperature varies by about 6 or 7C mostly between winter and summer, and maybe 1 or 1.5C in a day, so I'm not worried about that.

If I had a hard case with humidifier, surely the guitar would be exposed to large changes in humidity every time I play it, and that can't be good?

I know it's been done before, I searched the forum but couldn't find what I'm asking here precisely. It seems a bit of a silly question, but I don't know and I'm sure some people here do.

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"reach for the sky and aim for the moon, for if you miss you will end up among the stars"

Zoom MS50G
72 tele dlx RI
2011 standard strat
Blackstar HT-5R
Taylor Big Baby

http://www.youtube.com/user/Almungo/videos?flow=grid&view=0

You are correct in assuming that changes in temperature and humidity will have an affect on your instruments. Storing them in a case does slow down the rate at which your instruments experience these changes. Acoustic guitars are more sensitive to these changes than electric guitars.

I took a quick glance at the link you provided. I saw no mention of "air-tight" although I imagine air tight cases may very likely exist. They would likely exist as molded cases with no holes drilled into them for handels or latches and with a rubber or neoprene seal of some sort. I don't know that I have ever seen a 100% sealed guitar case.

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Just think of how awesome a guitar player you could have been by now if you had only spent the last 10 years practicing instead of obsessing over pickups and roasted maple necks.

Thanks for the reply.

Sorry, I meant does it have to be an airtight hard case, or would a case like this, that is not airtight, suffice? I think we had a little communication breakdown there

So do people that store their guitars in hard cases use normal hard cases then, not airtight? Sorry, this is all new to me, I thought I was fine until I saw some articles on the internet about how to properly store a guitar, they worried me...

_________________
"reach for the sky and aim for the moon, for if you miss you will end up among the stars"

Zoom MS50G
72 tele dlx RI
2011 standard strat
Blackstar HT-5R
Taylor Big Baby

http://www.youtube.com/user/Almungo/videos?flow=grid&view=0

If this thread gets enough hits you will get a couple of schools of thought on how to properly store your guitar but all will agree that storing it in it's original hardshell case is the first step. If you don't have the original Fender hard shell case and you are shopping for a case I strongly suggest you do not shop online unless you can be confident the seller is offering you a significantly better than average product. Buying a case is like buy a guitar, you should try a few with your own guitar. You are looking for a case that has ample protection from being thrown around by baggage handlers at airports, having other, possibly heavy objects placed on top of it, etc. You are also looking for a case that is as snug as possible without putting pressure on the guitar. When the guitar is inside its case it should stay put with no room for it to move or jiggle around inside. Cases advertised to "fit Strat style guitars" should be avoided because they will very likely be a sloppy fit. You also want to avaid any case that has an open accessories compartment. It the compartment does not have a closable lid, don't buy the case. You don't want your trem arm or your side cutters or your tuner floating around in the same space the guitar lives in.

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Just think of how awesome a guitar player you could have been by now if you had only spent the last 10 years practicing instead of obsessing over pickups and roasted maple necks.

you could get one of those vacuum packing machines

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If you look back earlier this year there was quite a controversy on this subject. As it turned out there are as many opinions on this subject as there are members. My opinion is this. If you aren't planing on playing it and you don't like looking at it. Stick it in a hard Case and slide it under the bead and forget it. Otherwise hang it on the wall admire it /play it / keep it clean & in tune. And love it forever like one of your family members. Hows That?
----Danny,

Think about all the well-preserved Strats and Teles from the '50s and '60s that you've seen. Most of those guitars were doubtless stored in their original Victoria Luggage or G&G cases -- and they seem to have weathered the decades just fine.

Arjay

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"Here's why reliability is job one: A great sounding amp that breaks down goes from being a favorite piece of gear to a useless piece of crap in less time than it takes to read this sentence." -- BRUCE ZINKY

Exactly, hence the term Closet Classic.

As far as Danny's suggestion goes I don't think I'd want to leave a guitar hanging for years at a time. I suspect the foam or rubber or plastic cushion on the hanger fork would eventually affect the finish..... if that's what he meant.

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Just think of how awesome a guitar player you could have been by now if you had only spent the last 10 years practicing instead of obsessing over pickups and roasted maple necks.

+1 I am with Double D on this one, hang it on a wall and keep it dusted and maintained. I have had my guitars hanging on the wall for over 15 years without a single problem from this. Now I would get a good G&G casefor transport if you are giging regularly. Humidity, while it can affect an electric guitar, it is not any where near what it can do to a solid wood acoustic.

I have lived in South Carolina, Florida, and Southern Illinois all places with wild swings in humidity and I have not had a single humidity related problem with any of my Fender or Gibson electric guitars.

Stop worrying and enjoy that guitar.

T2

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What time is it? It's Fender Time.

Like I said. Everybody's got an opinion. Or should I say, Opinions are like A#$%^*@@#$ Every body's got one.
----Danny,

Thanks for all this help. So the general consensus is that I should get a hard case for it, to store every day when I'm not using it.

I still see how this could make it worse-by putting the guitar in perfect humidity etc inside the case, then taking it out to play, surely I will expose it to lots of change in conditions?

And finally, apart from the fender hard case (it's quite expensive, and I don't want to carry around something with the label "there is an expensive guitar inside", especially when I have to leave it for a couple of hours), is there a case people would recommend for my tele? It's a 72 deluxe RI, with tremolo(and large strat headstock). If it fits my strat(MIM standard) thats a bonus, but not a must.

All your help is appreciated, I know everyone here sees this as common knowledge, but you gotta learn it at some point!

_________________
"reach for the sky and aim for the moon, for if you miss you will end up among the stars"

Zoom MS50G
72 tele dlx RI
2011 standard strat
Blackstar HT-5R
Taylor Big Baby

http://www.youtube.com/user/Almungo/videos?flow=grid&view=0

Ageneral rule of thumb is that any environment that you are comfortable in should be satisfactory for a guitar.I suggest the case for the guitar too,a guitar that is permanently on a stand is suseptable to being knocked over plus getting very dusty.

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'65 Strat,65 Mustang,65 Jaguar,4 more Strats,3 vintage Vox guitars,5 Vox amps,'69 Bassman with a '68 2-15 Bassman cab,36 guitars total-15asst'd amps total,2 vintage '60s Hammond organs & a myriad of effects-with a few rare vintage ones.

+1

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Good Vibes To Y'all!



Screamin' Armadillos
Texas Roadhouse Music
Guitar/Slide Guitar/Harp/Vocals

The molded ABS plastic cases may be slightly less bulky, but the rectangular cases are easier to stand or stack for storage......



Arjay

_________________
"Here's why reliability is job one: A great sounding amp that breaks down goes from being a favorite piece of gear to a useless piece of crap in less time than it takes to read this sentence." -- BRUCE ZINKY