Guitar case storage is something every guitarist has to consider, once their collection grows past a single guitar. Whether you have only one or multiple, guitar cases can take up a lot of floor space. So how can you best store cases without them taking up a ton of room in your home or studio?
There are lots of options for you to take. If you’ve ever been to a big name concert you’ve definitely noticed the guitar case racks the musicians come with. Some guitarists travel with an impressive collection of guitars, so they need an equally impressive way of storing them.
Double stacked racks with a hard shell case that go on top to cover all the guitars, that’s the pinnacle of guitar case storage. But, what if you’re not traveling from coast to coast, across continents spreading your crazy guitar licks?
For us meager hobbyists and enthusiasts, we want to ensure we’re keeping and maintaining our equipment in a way that will ensure it lasts a life time. We don’t need to drop thousands on top tier guitar case storage solutions. But we can rub a couple brain cells together and come up with some pretty awesome affordable and DIY case storage options.
How Should I Approach Guitar Case Storage?
How you approach guitar case storage depends on how many guitars you have and how much space you have access to. What kind of cases do you have? How much is your equipment worth? How much do you want to spend on storage? Are we talking long term storage, or do you need daily access?
Of course, if you have a lot of expensive guitars you’ll want to make a smart choice that ensures everything is taken care of. Storage solutions can depend on the type of guitar, and the area you live.
The environment you store your guitars in make a difference. from extreme environments, to damp or dry environments, you want to store guitar cases in a climate-controlled environment. Humidity and temperature are two major concerns when considering guitar case storage. Humidity can wreak havoc on guitars, acoustic guitars in particular. Temperature usually isn’t too much of a concern, until temperature swings start to occur. A fast change in temperature can really do damage.
I know a guitarist who was out on the road, and left their gear in their trunk overnight, in the winter. After pulling their electric guitar out of the trunk, they opened up the case in a nice warm room. Within 5 minutes the body of the guitar had a newly formed crack running through it. Guitar finish damage is something we all want to avoid.
Proper storage for your guitars in weather conditions of all kinds is something you should consider. How you store guitar cases matters. Even most entry level gear can last a life time, if maintained correctly. With the correct guitar case storage, you could ensure that your guitar collection can be passed down to the next generation for them to enjoy.
Storage of Different Types of Guitar Cases
Not all cases are created equal. Acoustic guitar cases, and electric guitar cases are different. you might have a soft shell or a hard shell case, even these can be different depending on the thickness of the case lining.
How you store 10 electric guitars in soft shell cases will vary from how you store 10 acoustic guitars in hard shell cases. The space required for acoustic guitars is usually double or more than their electric counterparts.
If you have a lot of cases that need to be stored, I’d recommend making a list of everything. Not only will this make you more organized with storage, but it will help when maintenance time rolls around.
How to Store Empty Guitar Cases?
Years of teaching guitar lessons taught me that people love and care for their guitars, and then treat their cases like a burden impeding them from playing their guitar at a moments notice. Cases are an often overlooked aspect of protecting your guitar. So, what is the best way to store empty guitar cases?
Empty guitar cases can be stored pretty much the same way you’d store a case with a guitar in it. A clean climate controlled environment is best. Avoid places that are prone to temperature and humidity swings, such as garages and basements.
If you have soft shell cases, you can easily fold them in half and store them under a bed or couch. I’ve even use a soft shell case that I didn’t need, as a work surface mat, so that I had something under the guitar I was working on.
How do you store your guitar cases?
Personally, I keep my guitars in their cases, as an added level of protection. This keeps them in excellent condition and keeps me worry free. I keep the cases in a neat row along one wall of my studio. Sure, it isn’t as nice as having them out on display on hangers or stands. However, I know what my guitars look like and prefer added protection to my enjoyed viewing.
Once I get a studio with better a better climate-controlled environment, I’ll work to find a better solution. For now I’m happy keeping my guitars in their cases. The cases don’t stop humidity or temperature swings from occurring, but it does drastically slow down the swing from reaching the guitar.
Humidity and temperature is a factor, but big, quick swings is most dangerous for the longevity of your guitar. A case will slow down the swing, the thicker the better!
Guitar case storage ideas
Now that we’ve covered why guitar case storage is important, let’s go over some of the practical options you have to store your guitar cases. There are many options to choose, from floor racks to wall racks, storage cabinets or a DIY project. No matter your budget, you have a guitar case storage option.
Guitar case floor rack
You’ve seen these before at concerts, it’s usually a wood or metal rack with two boards that have 3 or more pole running horizontally between them. Super simple and super secure. Guitar case floor racks are likely the easiest and cheapest option for buying a case storage solution. Floor racks can also be moved around a little more easily than other options.
Guitar case wall rack
A wall rack is similar to the floor rack, except it is mounted to the wall. Storing guitar cases on a wall rack means they’re up off the floor. If you are concerned about water damage this is a must! The downside is that they’re mounted to the wall, so this option is not ideal if you need your storage rack to be portable.
If you have a permanent studio, I like this option as you get some additional storage under the rack for other gear like amps or other instrument accessories.
Guitar Case Storage Cabinet
This is the most extensive storage solution for guitar cases. Guitar case storage cabinets offer everything a rack can offer, except for portability. Having a full cabinet that can open up to reveal your guitars nicely packed away in the cases is the ultimate storage method. This is an excellent guitar storage option for anyone who has a few guitars to store.
The cabinet itself will act as a sort of additional case around your case. This means that any humidity or temperature swings will be slowed down far more than on a rack or outside of a case.
Sure, it’s bound to take up extra room. It might not be the best option for a bedroom studio, but for someone with a nice studio, it can be a nice looking piece for the studio. Like a nice elegant furniture piece!
DIY Guitar case storage
DIY options are plentiful and honestly, pretty simple and cheap to make! If you have access to a decent set of tools, are a little handy and have some time I’d build a guitar case storage rack yourself.
A storage cabinet will take a lot more work and expertise, but a simple rack can be built on the cheap.
All you need are a couple of boards and some wooden dowels to run between them. A quick search online will show you some great options that can be easily replicated.
My only recommendation when building a DIY guitar case storage rack is to add supports mid-way for the dowels mid-way between each end. You can build it as long and tall as you’d like, just ensure that once you get guitars on the rack it doesn’t sag down to the ground with all the weight of your fine instruments!
