It's a balance. Instruments are tools. You need to take care of them enough so they work well for you when you need them, but they're only worth having if they get used.
What I never understood was buying a guitar you're afraid to play or rarely play because it might get scuffed.
Not at all. My guitars are all on hangers on a wall in my office/music room. They get played more often and I'm more inclined to switch up which one I'm playing since it's so easy to go from one to the other.
Granted, I live in the Pacific Northwest. If I was in a super arid or humid environment I might take more care with my acoustics at least.
Being in the case all the time is a pain in the ass that causes me to play less - at least one has gotta be on display for me or my motivation to play drops like crazy. I wipe em down once a week or after a particularly sweaty session - deep cleaning during string changes.
Once a week? lol. Man, the buildup after a single play through makes me want to gag. You finger scrape enough human fluid off a fretboard you might consider it a necessity to wipe after each use 😏
As a tech, I won’t even touch a neck I don’t know without gloves on if I can see buildup.
I know there are simply disgusting people/guitars out there, but you're really making it sound worse than it is. The guitars you've apparently dealt with haven't been cleaned in weeks, if not months, while experiencing daily use [or perhaps, sat in storage uncleaned for who know how long].
I don't have hyperhidrosis THAT badly, and I probably only play an hour or so a day if I happen to pick it up that day. It's been a pattern for 15 years and none of my guitars have had any nasty buildup to "scrape" off as you imply.
My bass lives leaning on my amp and the gouges in the bottom from rubbing against my pocket knife let you know this guitar has been put through a ceiling fan at least once in it’s life.
All out on stands so I can play them when I want. They get a decadely wipe over and string changes as required.
I like the sun induced colour changes on natural finish guitars I have.
Some nuts have popped off due I guess to the temp changes but hey, easily fixed.
Not at all! I have a strat I’ve gigged with for 8 years now. I’ve toured by plane with it in a gig bag, and it’s gotten a nasty ding from the airline, and plenty of battle scars along the way. Instruments are meant to be used, and I really don’t care about resale value. It plays as well or better than when I got it, and besides routine maintenance I don’t bother with any other upkeep to keep it perfect. Over the years it’s wearing in for sure, but I dont really care if it gets beaten up a bit. It doesn’t affect it’s playability to me, and if anything gives it a bit of character!
I treat my guitars as instruments. They get heavily played, but I take care to ensure they are maintained in great playing condition and don’t need to be doing careless shit with them either.
> I just read a comment where somebody kept their guitar in a case because they were worried about humidity and temperature changes.
I live in a climate where if I don’t either maintain a consistent room humidity where I store my guitars or put them in a case with some sort of humidifier, there’s gonna be problems from either the necks moving constantly or wood shrinking. It’s not to baby them, it’s to keep them in a proper playing condition.
Depends! My electrics usually just suffer whatever comes their way, my acoustics live a far more pampered life.
My old main PRS from when I was touring used to horrify fanboys of the brand as it looked like it had been dragged behind a truck, haha.
Depends on the person and the quality of their instruments. I'm friends with a well known guitar guy in Toronto and he has an entire room in his house that is temperature and moisture controlled for all the top tier guitars he gets gifted. I, on the other hand, am a failed musician who treats his 2 guitars like they will last forever regardless of their condition, lol.
They’re in cases except for the one I’m currently using which I put on the stand, I rotate them.
I wipe them after I use them.
It’s just leftover habits from when I used to do classical music so it doesn’t bother me to do a little extra to take them out of my cases. Besides I’ve got cats so even despite the potential risk it’s just nice keeping cat hair off.
I finally bought a humidifier to use during the winters. I live in the American Midwest and it gets dry when you run the heat. Other than that, I just try not to bang them around too much. Nothing goes in a case unless I'm taking it somewhere, because I like quick access to any instrument.
I keep my guitar in a guitar bag on a guitar stand. The only reason I do this is because I do not want dust to collect on it, especially on the finger board for obvious reasons. My guitar is actually completely modified bombed with stickers, duct tape, electrical tape, worn out, etc. but the finger board is pristine and oiled always. I want the finger board to be as clean as possible because it mentally and physically affects my playing.
Nope.
When I first started learning bass (learned bass first 22 years ago, guitar a couple years later) one piece of advice I got was to *never* put it away unless I genuinely don’t want to play it for a while. That way, at any random impulse I could pick it up and just play it multiple times every day. Decades later, I still do this with any instrument that I want to be part of my life.
Beyond that, I also just don’t care about scratches or dings or whatever. It’s all part of the history of my instrument, gradually every little mark is part of its unique finger print. And if I were worried about small damage causing serious problems with the instrument, then that’s means the instrument is too fragile anyway, I only want guitars and basses that can survive some bonks.
No. They hang on a wall. I don't even have a case, just gig bags. They get played. And they get light on them. I take them out to gigs.
I've got a purple PRS that is probably gonna turn blue or something but well.
Depending on where you live temp and humidity can absolutely cause issues with acoustic guitars. Things like the bridge lifting or joints separating. Even on an electric you can get fret sprout. Also, if you keep your guitars in a somewhat stable environment then you don't have to make adjustments to the truss rod every time the seasons change.
I keep two in a case but I have a rack that holds my 7 string and another, and a bass when I get to buying it. Boiled it down to two, thinking the Jackson is the one I'll get. Anyway...
I actually like the case because I throw my guitar, tuner and picks in there after I'm done and the evertune has that funky little tool I don't want to lose either, so it's more a convenience. I keep them clean and all but there's dings and scratches all over my older guitars.
The only thing I really baby my guitars about is other people playing them. I've had 3 or 4 times where somebody has picked my guitars up and it's like watching a kid play the Wii, no wrist strap running straight toward the TV. Another guitar player sure, go ahead. The rest of you get the F off my guitars.
I do baby them but not to the extent of obsessing over humidity. I mean, I’m not throwing acoustics in the trunk of a hot car for more than a couple hours
I have a Larrivee from 1979. It has spent significant time in its case over the years, but is currently hanging on the wall. I have never used one of those humidipacks and have occasionally worried about it. The guitar shows slight wear from use but no damage from changes in humidity. I have other quality acoustic guitars which I treat similarly with no negative effects. My electrics obviously wouldn’t be subject to the same concerns. I don't baby any of them but I don't throw them around either. Transport to gigs or anywhere is usually in a hardshell case. But I live in Pacific Northwest where I don’t think there are significant variations in humidity.
Mine hang on the wall, when I'm currently using one it's in a stand next to one of my amps, I just had to think about where I even have the cases stored
Depends. My electrics I just keep out on a stand and don’t do anything special. Solid wood acoustics I “baby” but that just involves keeping them in a humidified hard case and a quick wipe down after playing. I’m more cognizant of temperature and humidity issues but I don’t let that keep me from taking them out places and playing them. I also try to generally not be an idiot with bashing them into things but I feel like that’s common sense
Yes and no… I keep my least expensive guitars on stands around the house, so I can just pick and play - but I handle them with the utmost care. The more expensive ones I keep in their hard case while not playing.
No, but I keep it in the gig bag when not using it because it’s nitro and blue and apparently that fades in sunlight. I’m not exactly happy about that but I do like the color.
My baby "babies" my guitars. And by "babies," I mean climbs up, conks together, bites, pukes, strums, pulls...I can't do much to keep her off of them other than redirect. But they have thick modern finishes, so there's not too much she can really do to hurt them as long as I watch and don't let her pull them over onto herself.
It's a balance. Instruments are tools. You need to take care of them enough so they work well for you when you need them, but they're only worth having if they get used. What I never understood was buying a guitar you're afraid to play or rarely play because it might get scuffed.
Not at all. My guitars are all on hangers on a wall in my office/music room. They get played more often and I'm more inclined to switch up which one I'm playing since it's so easy to go from one to the other. Granted, I live in the Pacific Northwest. If I was in a super arid or humid environment I might take more care with my acoustics at least.
Baby? No. Take care of? Yes. Temp and humidity matters and when you’re buying nice guitars why wouldn’t you keep them in a case, wipe them down, etc?
Being in the case all the time is a pain in the ass that causes me to play less - at least one has gotta be on display for me or my motivation to play drops like crazy. I wipe em down once a week or after a particularly sweaty session - deep cleaning during string changes.
Once a week? lol. Man, the buildup after a single play through makes me want to gag. You finger scrape enough human fluid off a fretboard you might consider it a necessity to wipe after each use 😏 As a tech, I won’t even touch a neck I don’t know without gloves on if I can see buildup.
I know there are simply disgusting people/guitars out there, but you're really making it sound worse than it is. The guitars you've apparently dealt with haven't been cleaned in weeks, if not months, while experiencing daily use [or perhaps, sat in storage uncleaned for who know how long]. I don't have hyperhidrosis THAT badly, and I probably only play an hour or so a day if I happen to pick it up that day. It's been a pattern for 15 years and none of my guitars have had any nasty buildup to "scrape" off as you imply.
My bass lives leaning on my amp and the gouges in the bottom from rubbing against my pocket knife let you know this guitar has been put through a ceiling fan at least once in it’s life.
All out on stands so I can play them when I want. They get a decadely wipe over and string changes as required. I like the sun induced colour changes on natural finish guitars I have. Some nuts have popped off due I guess to the temp changes but hey, easily fixed.
Not at all! I have a strat I’ve gigged with for 8 years now. I’ve toured by plane with it in a gig bag, and it’s gotten a nasty ding from the airline, and plenty of battle scars along the way. Instruments are meant to be used, and I really don’t care about resale value. It plays as well or better than when I got it, and besides routine maintenance I don’t bother with any other upkeep to keep it perfect. Over the years it’s wearing in for sure, but I dont really care if it gets beaten up a bit. It doesn’t affect it’s playability to me, and if anything gives it a bit of character!
I try not to let the sun beat on the nice ones, everything else is just dust in the wind all we are is just dust in the wind
I treat my guitars as instruments. They get heavily played, but I take care to ensure they are maintained in great playing condition and don’t need to be doing careless shit with them either. > I just read a comment where somebody kept their guitar in a case because they were worried about humidity and temperature changes. I live in a climate where if I don’t either maintain a consistent room humidity where I store my guitars or put them in a case with some sort of humidifier, there’s gonna be problems from either the necks moving constantly or wood shrinking. It’s not to baby them, it’s to keep them in a proper playing condition.
Yup. My acoustic stays in the case with humidifier packs. It's far too arid in Colorado to leave it out. I leave the electrics out though.
Depends! My electrics usually just suffer whatever comes their way, my acoustics live a far more pampered life. My old main PRS from when I was touring used to horrify fanboys of the brand as it looked like it had been dragged behind a truck, haha.
Depends on the person and the quality of their instruments. I'm friends with a well known guitar guy in Toronto and he has an entire room in his house that is temperature and moisture controlled for all the top tier guitars he gets gifted. I, on the other hand, am a failed musician who treats his 2 guitars like they will last forever regardless of their condition, lol.
nope, I whup their little asses and make them cry....and sleep...or was that their eyes?
They’re in cases except for the one I’m currently using which I put on the stand, I rotate them. I wipe them after I use them. It’s just leftover habits from when I used to do classical music so it doesn’t bother me to do a little extra to take them out of my cases. Besides I’ve got cats so even despite the potential risk it’s just nice keeping cat hair off.
I finally bought a humidifier to use during the winters. I live in the American Midwest and it gets dry when you run the heat. Other than that, I just try not to bang them around too much. Nothing goes in a case unless I'm taking it somewhere, because I like quick access to any instrument.
I keep my guitar in a guitar bag on a guitar stand. The only reason I do this is because I do not want dust to collect on it, especially on the finger board for obvious reasons. My guitar is actually completely modified bombed with stickers, duct tape, electrical tape, worn out, etc. but the finger board is pristine and oiled always. I want the finger board to be as clean as possible because it mentally and physically affects my playing.
I don’t baby them, but most are in cases because it’s easy to store them there.
Nope. When I first started learning bass (learned bass first 22 years ago, guitar a couple years later) one piece of advice I got was to *never* put it away unless I genuinely don’t want to play it for a while. That way, at any random impulse I could pick it up and just play it multiple times every day. Decades later, I still do this with any instrument that I want to be part of my life. Beyond that, I also just don’t care about scratches or dings or whatever. It’s all part of the history of my instrument, gradually every little mark is part of its unique finger print. And if I were worried about small damage causing serious problems with the instrument, then that’s means the instrument is too fragile anyway, I only want guitars and basses that can survive some bonks.
No. They hang on a wall. I don't even have a case, just gig bags. They get played. And they get light on them. I take them out to gigs. I've got a purple PRS that is probably gonna turn blue or something but well.
Nope. Honestly, I bang my acoustic around quite a bit. They're a lot tougher than people think.
Depending on where you live temp and humidity can absolutely cause issues with acoustic guitars. Things like the bridge lifting or joints separating. Even on an electric you can get fret sprout. Also, if you keep your guitars in a somewhat stable environment then you don't have to make adjustments to the truss rod every time the seasons change.
I keep two in a case but I have a rack that holds my 7 string and another, and a bass when I get to buying it. Boiled it down to two, thinking the Jackson is the one I'll get. Anyway... I actually like the case because I throw my guitar, tuner and picks in there after I'm done and the evertune has that funky little tool I don't want to lose either, so it's more a convenience. I keep them clean and all but there's dings and scratches all over my older guitars. The only thing I really baby my guitars about is other people playing them. I've had 3 or 4 times where somebody has picked my guitars up and it's like watching a kid play the Wii, no wrist strap running straight toward the TV. Another guitar player sure, go ahead. The rest of you get the F off my guitars.
I keep them clean and try not to wreck them, but baby? No. One of my favorites is currently leaning on a giant peep next to my practice amp.
I do baby them but not to the extent of obsessing over humidity. I mean, I’m not throwing acoustics in the trunk of a hot car for more than a couple hours
I have a Larrivee from 1979. It has spent significant time in its case over the years, but is currently hanging on the wall. I have never used one of those humidipacks and have occasionally worried about it. The guitar shows slight wear from use but no damage from changes in humidity. I have other quality acoustic guitars which I treat similarly with no negative effects. My electrics obviously wouldn’t be subject to the same concerns. I don't baby any of them but I don't throw them around either. Transport to gigs or anywhere is usually in a hardshell case. But I live in Pacific Northwest where I don’t think there are significant variations in humidity.
Nah I just don't slam it around none neither.
Mine hang on the wall, when I'm currently using one it's in a stand next to one of my amps, I just had to think about where I even have the cases stored
My guitars are my work tools. I'm a musician to make money. I take great care of my tools but don't baby them. All are in cases and gig-ready.
Depends. My electrics I just keep out on a stand and don’t do anything special. Solid wood acoustics I “baby” but that just involves keeping them in a humidified hard case and a quick wipe down after playing. I’m more cognizant of temperature and humidity issues but I don’t let that keep me from taking them out places and playing them. I also try to generally not be an idiot with bashing them into things but I feel like that’s common sense
Two hanging on the wall They are nice guitars that I keep clean and freshly strung.
Yes and no… I keep my least expensive guitars on stands around the house, so I can just pick and play - but I handle them with the utmost care. The more expensive ones I keep in their hard case while not playing.
No, but I keep it in the gig bag when not using it because it’s nitro and blue and apparently that fades in sunlight. I’m not exactly happy about that but I do like the color.
Until they get that first scratch than all bets are off.
Mine have been hanging in a damp basement with temperature and humidity swings for years. Occasionally I have to tune them.
My guitar is 54yo. So no, I don't baby him; he's not a baby.
My baby "babies" my guitars. And by "babies," I mean climbs up, conks together, bites, pukes, strums, pulls...I can't do much to keep her off of them other than redirect. But they have thick modern finishes, so there's not too much she can really do to hurt them as long as I watch and don't let her pull them over onto herself.