Safely Displaying, Storing and Organizing Guitars
I am trying to find a way to get all of Cliff’s guitars, amplifiers and the rest out of a big pile leaning against walls and at least a little more organized. There are a lot of posts and pages on the subject, but most articles are more about how to display guitars than how to store and organize guitars.
Guitar Store
Photo by Vistor7, Wikimedia Commons
Guitars may look great on the wall in the right room. I will not argue that. But we need a bigger house to have the right room.
Having every single guitar out of it’s case and hung on the wall will be a nightmare to keep clean, dusted and un-spiderwebbed.
A wall hook or floor stand is great to keep the guitars in daily use within reach. Cliff has floor stands that hold three guitars at a time. But our dog is a klutz and I really like to vacuum.
Display at C.F. Martin Guitar Factory
Photo by Joseph Brent
Actually, this is what he would really like to have. A shrine. These guitars are behind glass, but I bet they still have to be dusted.
I think it makes more sense to have most of the guitars stored safely in their cases.
Taylor Guitar Factory
Photo by Marcin Wichary
This stores guitars in cases. A lot of guitars in cases. If we had a spare temperature controlled warehouse, this would be the solution.
The Fender Guitar website had an article on storing guitars. They agree. Keep the guitars in the cases. And they say that the guitar cases should stand up.
Storage Tips to Save Your Guitars
What’s best for both daily and long-term storage?“Store your guitars in their cases, standing up — not lying down with one case on top of another.
“If possible, store your guitars in a room or a closet nearer to the center of the building rather than near an outside wall. This helps maintain a constant temperature…”
Anything is better than what we have now. The pile keeps growing. We’ve got to do something different.
This looks better. Guitars in cases on a rack. Then do something about the cardboard boxes full of accessories and cables and picks and everything else.
Guitar Case Racks
I have found guitar case racks that store the guitars in the case, standing up.
The least expensive one I found is by String Swing. Their guitar case rack folds, but I am not going to hold that against it. It comes in Oak or Black Walnut.
String Swing makes all kinds of hangers and stands sized for guitars, ukuleles, banjos, violins, cellos and dulcimers.
This is the side that goes by the wall.
String Swing Guitar Case Floor Rack CC29-P
The String Swing CC29 Folding Hardwood Guitar Case Rack is 36″ wide x 30″ high and 13.25″ deep. It is designed to fold flat for travel or storage (Storage of the rack, not the guitars, guitars don’t fold flat). With guitars on the rack, the guitars will be 20″ to 21″ or so off the wall.
This handcrafted guitar case rack is a beautiful addition to any home or studio. Maximize your space while preventing unnecessary wear and tear on your gear. Neatly organizing up to 5 guitar cases (with or without guitars in them) on this one of a kind rack.
- Folds flat for easy transport
- Free-standing
- Handmade from solid USA hardwood
- Made in the USA
- Backed with a limited lifetime warranty
It doesn’t have the dowels, like the next one does, but it costs about a 20th as much.
The next one is made by A&S Crafted Products. They make racks for 6 or 8 guitars. The pegs are far enough apart to fit hold cases upright.
They are sized to hold guitars in the case without taking as much space.
The smaller Studio 6 rack is 37.6” wide x 37.25″ high x 23.25″ deep.
The Studio 8 is 49.5” wide x 37.25″ high x 23.25″ deep.
You need to allow up to 5″ behind that rack because the guitars lean past it.
A&S Crafted Products Studio 6 and Studio 8
If your guitar cases are making a mess of your music room or studio, here’s just the solution you need to get organized: the Studio Guitar Case Stand. This rack is designed to fit the full range of styles, from hardshells and gig bags to road cases and more.The adjustable hardwood dowel separators will securely hold your cases of all different shapes and sizes. And you can quickly and easily assemble this product with just a hex wrench (included). Additionally, if you’d like to be able to easily move the rack around the room, we now offer an optional wheel kit add-on (drill required for assembly).
Consolidate your collection, save space, and get a nice piece of furniture too! And if you’re a searching for a great gift this Christmas, Birthday, Anniversary, etc., you’ll be sure to knock it out of the park this year with the Studio Standard.
A&S Crafted Products Studio 6 and Studio 8 Standard
This decorative case rack features hardwood rails and simulated wood grain royal cherry sides. It offers you the same capacity and functionality as our Deluxe model, but at a more economical price.
A&S Crafted Products Studio 6 and Studio 8Deluxe
The Studio Deluxe features imported herringbone inlaid edging and is available in Walnut Finish or Red Oak.
The ‘Special Edition’ features stunning Sapele Mahogany sides with Red Oak rails for a beautiful contrast in finishes.
A&S Crafted Products also makes these two-story guitar shelves. They are on wheels, so you can move them out to clean under them or even roll them all into another room. The website says that it will roll through our doorways, even with all the guitars on the guitar trolley. Although it might not make the turn in the hallway.
The shelves are 66.5″ or 68.25″ wide, a little over 5 1/2 feet. They are 29.5″ deep. They can be squeezed as close as 2″ from the wall, but they recommend you leave 6″. So each rack needs about 3-feet of floor space.
They are 6-feet high and the guitars add another 7 or 8 inches. You can take off the wheels and put the shelf directly on the floor to shave off a few inches.
There are two variations, the Band Room Double-Stack™ and the Session-Pro™ Double-Stack.
The Session-Pro Double-Stack is designed for heavier guitars with steel-reinforced cross rails and heavy duty wheels.
The Session-Pro Double-Stack is 66.5″ wide. The Band Room Double-Stack Guitar Case Trolley is 68.25″ wide. They are both 29.5″ deep x 71.5″ high including the wheels.
They both are available to hold guitars only, guitars in cases only, or guitars on one shelf and cases on the other shelf. Both hold 20 cases. Both are made in USA.
Both have guitar pick-shaped bookends on each shelf to keep the guitar cases upright so they won’t all lean over when you take one out.
The Band Room Double-Stack™ Guitar Case Trolley is 68.25″ wide x 29.5″ deep x 71.5″ high. It is designed for schools and can hold small, 3/4-size or full-size guitars.
You can put rectangle cases on the top shelf, but not on the bottom shelf.
It doesn’t hold as much weight as the Session-Pro Double-Stack.
The Band Room guitar trolley has brushed-aluminum finish high-pressure laminate sides. The cross-rails are hardwood.
It has a case theft deterrent system. I don’t see what that is.
The Session-Pro™ Double-Stack is 66.5″ wide x 29.5″ deep x 71.5″ high.
Rectangular cases can fit on both the top and bottom shelves.
It is designed for heavier guitars and cases with steel-reinforced rails and heavy-duty wheels with brakes.
The Session-Pro guitar trolley has black high-pressure laminate sides with a chrome-look edge trim. The cross-rails are steel-reinforced hardwood birch, reinforced by a double-brace design.
Someone just suggested one I had not seen, Gepartne 5 Guitar Display Floor Stand Foldable Guitar Rack. I already bought two String Swings, but if you are looking for something super-affordable, you can’t get any cheaper.
Does not Fit Guitars in Cases
I can find a lot of cases that store guitars, but they don’t fit the guitars in their cases.
Guitar Racks (Not Guitar Case Racks)
The String Swing CC34 Folding Hardwood Guitar Rack doesn’t hold the cases. The parts the guitar rests on is padded with a soft, durable tubing to ensure your guitar won’t move around or scratch. This rack is 25.5″ wide x 30.5″ high and 14″ deep. It is available in Black Walnut, Oak or Dark Oak
When the rack is full of guitars, the outside of an electric body is approximately 20″ from the wall. The outside of an acoustic body is approximately 21″ from the wall. These are both with 1″ tuner clearance from the wall.
Featured Photos by S Baimo
