16 replies to this topic

[Gododdin]

Hi all - first post to this forum...

Mostly I've been a singer, but I've been messing around with guitar for decades and finally decided it was time to get 'serious'! So I recently bought myself a decent guitar (Martin 000-16) and I'm practising every day. I absolutely love this guitar, and I understand it will get even better in a couple of years or so. But I don't keep the guitar in its case (unless I'm playing out) - it's mostly on one of those 'Hercules' wall hangers that keeps it secure but easily accessible. But the other day another guitarist I know said that hanging an acoustic like that can damage it in the long term, so now I'm worried about my pride and joy! Is this true, or was he talking through his you-know-what?

Thanks, G

Edited by Gododdin, 22 March 2011 - 02:59 AM.

[okiejohn]

It's my opinion that he's talking out his ass. I have guitars that have been out of the case and on a stand where I can easily have access to them for years. They're just fine, thank you.

[Gododdin]

It's my opinion that he's talking out his ass. I have guitars that have been out of the case and on a stand where I can easily have access to them for years. They're just fine, thank you.

Thanks OkieJohn - Yeah, he has his guitar on a stand too and says that's okay - it was the hanging by the neck bit that he said was bad. I guess it's just possible...?

Edited by Gododdin, 22 March 2011 - 05:40 AM.

[dadfad]

I've heard it said before too, but I've never had a problem doing it. I've heard it said a few times the chemicals in the protective padding on the hanger might react with the finish of the guitar neck, etc, but I've never had that happen and I've had guitars (some quite old and valuable) hanging for a long time, some for years, with no problems. I've also heard a few times it was structurally bad for the guitar, which is complete nonsense.

I've never had a problem caused by hanging a guitar on the wall, or keeping one on a stand. Not to say it's impossible (possibly some finish just might react with some padding chemical, which would also be the case for most stands as well), but I've never had it happen. One thing I would like to mention though is that when guitars are hung up or in stands for long periods of time, they are of course exposed to whatever temperature and humidity there is in the room they're hung in. So if the room is exceptionally warm, cold, dry or damp the guitar is subject to that of course. (I keep my house moderately warm and I have a humidifier.) Winter, with warm dry forced-air heat can dry out a guitar too much, so that should always be kept in mind.


These guitars, a Martin and Gibson, have been hanging here
on my office wall for over fifteen years. No problem!

.
So I'm with Okie on this one. I think the most important thing is for a guitar to be safe of course, but also easily accesible to play (and therefore more likely to practice, etc), and a wall-hanger (or stand) makes that more possible. I use my guitar-cases mainly just when I transport a guitar, or for storage when I know I won't be playing that guitar for awhile.

And welcome to GuitarZone.

[wooooogiecrisp]

I agree, I've had a couple guitars on a stand for years without any issues. I know they aren't the same as wall hangers but they are still exposed and the guitars just get a bit dusty and need to be cleaned more often. Anyway, as DADFAD said it's not bad for a guitar (structurally) to hang on a wall. Besides, if that myth were true then surely playing the guitar with a guitar strap would be equally damaging.

[dadfad]

I agree, I've had a couple guitars on a stand for years without any issues. I know they aren't the same as wall hangers but they are still exposed and the guitars just get a bit dusty and need to be cleaned more often. Anyway, as DADFAD said it's not bad for a guitar (structurally) to hang on a wall. Besides, if that myth were true then surely playing the guitar with a guitar strap would be equally damaging.

That myth can go right along with "tuning your guitar using harmonics" is the most accurate way to tune!

[wooooogiecrisp]

The harmonic tuning thing works better on electrics, at least for me, because they are easier to make and have better sustain than an acoustic. Though I don't tune just by harmonics, sometimes I use this video.



If that's unavailable to me I'll tune my A string to the bell of AC/DC's song Hells Bells.

I could by a tuner, but I am cheep and lazy.

[okiejohn]

Oh, Yeah, and like dad said, welcome to the site.

[dadfad]

The harmonic tuning thing works better on electrics, at least for me, because they are easier to make and have better sustain than an acoustic. Though I don't tune just by harmonics, sometimes I use this video.



If that's unavailable to me I'll tune my A string to the bell of AC/DC's song Hells Bells.

I could by a tuner, but I am cheep and lazy.

Wog, the thing is using harmonics is tuning your guitar incorrectly. The harmonics are the perfect ratio divisions of one octave, and those perfect divisions don't allow for the imperfect variations between scale notes as it moves through different keys, which are not exactly evenly spaced like for frets (or keys on a piano). This gives left over (and unequal) oscillations between notes on a fretted instrument. This is "just-temperament" (or Pythagorean). Those differences are compensated for by using what's called "equal-temperament" which gets rid of what's called "woof-notes" (or wolf-notes) that get progressively worse. So what's called "equal temperament" was developed to deal with that.

Bach wrote extensively about the problems with just-temperament and developed a corrected scale in his "The Well-Tempered Clavier." (And there have been lots of extensive posts over the years in the Guitar Q & A forum by me and others explaining the difference and really getting into it in greater detail.)

Using harmonics to tune will get you pretty close. Close enough for some. But it won't get your guitar tuned optimally. (There have been several guitars built with like 144 or 168 tiny individual frets to be able to use just-temperament.)

(Actually, when I play I use slight adjustments to fit each key a little better than standard equal-temperament tuned. Keys of [E and A]; [G and C]; and [D] each get a little "tweak" of their own when I play in them. It only takes about ten or fifteen seconds.)

Anyway, using a tuner or that video (or even the old "fifth-fret/next-string method) is by far a more accurate way to tune.


Oh, and...

Quoting Woggie..."If that's unavailable to me I'll tune my A string to the bell of AC/DC's song Hells Bells.

I could by a tuner, but I am cheep and lazy."

Most telephone systems (in the US anyway) have a dial-tone tuned to A when you pick up the receiver.

[wooooogiecrisp]

I need a flabbergasted smiley That will do I guess.

The only reason I like using the harmonic tuning on the electric is because its easier for me to hear when its "in tune". Tune it until the noise stops wobbling, but I don't hear all that well to begin with, so that's why I like doing it that way. Besides, I'm no brilliant guitarist and I play because it's something to do.

Also, the dial tone thing, that never worked for any of our phones. I don't remember what note it was but it most certainly was not A. For that matter, train horns are not in F either.

[dorio]

Ah yes we too had a dial-tone tuned to A440 and I used to tune to that occasionally.

[Gododdin]

Thanks for all the replies guys and for the welcome. This is a nice active forum! Suffice to say that as I write this, the Martin is hanging next to me on the wall, which will continue to be its home when not being played! Dang it, now that I've seen it, I'm just going to take my darlin down and have a play...

As far as tuning goes, I know it's important but I'm lazy so I have one of those things that clips to the headstock (Korg I think) and that gets it close; then I play a couple of chords and use my ears for fine tuning notes that are fractionally out.

Cheers all

[dadfad]

Thanks for all the replies guys and for the welcome. This is a nice active forum! Suffice to say that as I write this, the Martin is hanging next to me on the wall, which will continue to be its home when not being played! Dang it, now that I've seen it, I'm just going to take my darlin down and have a play...

As far as tuning goes, I know it's important but I'm lazy so I have one of those things that clips to the headstock (Korg I think) and that gets it close; then I play a couple of chords and use my ears for fine tuning notes that are fractionally out.

Cheers all

That's kind of how I do it too. Actually, unless I'm going to be playing with someone else, or I happen to be working with another recorded piece of music or also working with a harmonica-rack, my guitars are rarely tuned to A440. As long as the tuning is correct in a relative sense, that's fine with me. I generally like my guitars tuned a little lower than standard anyway.

[okiejohn]

Thanks for all the replies guys and for the welcome. This is a nice active forum! Suffice to say that as I write this, the Martin is hanging next to me on the wall, which will continue to be its home when not being played! Dang it, now that I've seen it, I'm just going to take my darlin down and have a play...

As far as tuning goes, I know it's important but I'm lazy so I have one of those things that clips to the headstock (Korg I think) and that gets it close; then I play a couple of chords and use my ears for fine tuning notes that are fractionally out.

Cheers all

Keep us posted on how that wall hanger deal works out for ya, be sure and tell us if the neck falls off or something, maybe keep us from making the same mistake...

[dadfad]

Thanks for all the replies guys and for the welcome. This is a nice active forum! Suffice to say that as I write this, the Martin is hanging next to me on the wall, which will continue to be its home when not being played! Dang it, now that I've seen it, I'm just going to take my darlin down and have a play...

As far as tuning goes, I know it's important but I'm lazy so I have one of those things that clips to the headstock (Korg I think) and that gets it close; then I play a couple of chords and use my ears for fine tuning notes that are fractionally out.

Cheers all

Keep us posted on how that wall hanger deal works out for ya, be sure and tell us if the neck falls off or something, maybe keep us from making the same mistake...

(Kinda like a Saddam Hussein guitar.)

[gusdotcom]

I drop in a bit late but the tuning discussion is interesting. My tuner, actually it's an app for my phone, lets me chose what kind of temperament I want and the list is very long. I have two kinds of equal tempered, one perfect octave and one perfect fifth. Which should I use? Are the other versions actually useful?

[satriani08]

I also hang my guitars on the wall or just leave them standing on the stand and they are perfectlly fine. Just dont expose it to heat so it wont warp