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I've got to put my guitar away for at least 4 months, is there any general advice on storage you can offer. It's kept in its hard-case anyway but what about string tension?

Thanks in advance,

Dean

Hi Dean,

Will the storage be in winter or summer? What's the local climate like? Will it be in a heated indoor room (i.e., a bedroom closet or something as opposed to a storage unit)? I don't think string tension will be critical, but I would be concerned about temperature and humidity, depending on the season and where you'll have to keep it.

-Stuart

There's no benefit to slacking your guitar strings when you go away because your guitar doesn't know whether it's being played or not. The guitar is braced and the neck is set up for a specific amount of constant string tension, so lessening that tension can only do harm and will definitely do no good.

Far more important than string tension is maintaining a reasonable level of humidity while you're gone.

sws626 wrote:

Hi Dean,

Will the storage be in winter or summer? What's the local climate like? Will it be in a heated indoor room (i.e., a bedroom closet or something as opposed to a storage unit)? I don't think string tension will be critical, but I would be concerned about temperature and humidity, depending on the season and where you'll have to keep it.

-Stuart

It's in southern England for the summer (from next week), in an unheated flat. I could minimise the temperature fluctuations by putting it in a closet. I think a humidifier will have to be invested in...?

Well, then I have a much simpler solution -- you couuld just leave it with me
Guitars get lonely and like to be played.

Seriously, though, the weather here is pretty mild in the spring and summer. You might put a Planet Waves humidipack in the case, which should last a good 4 months with the case closed. But I don't think you have too much to worry about.

Cool, thanks Stuart, Dennis, just a shame I can't take it with me...