I like my instruments out where I can get at them hung on the wall when the humidity is up and in the zone. It many many months here it is way to low so in the case they go. I do play more differing instruments while out and tend to focus on one or two when cased. I hate having them in cases but I hate seasonal set ups even more. Pulling one out a few hours in dry winter months doesn’t cause any issue as long as my case is properly humidified. Doing this has saved me a lot of guitar set up time.
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I now keep all my instruments in cases.
About 25 years ago I had a nice collection of Rickenbacker guitars that I used to keep on stands in my rehearsal studio . . . not realizing that the humidity in the studio got dangerously low in the winter. Consequently, all of my cherished (and expensive) instruments nearly got completely ruined, and I have been gun-shy about about keeping them out, ever since then.
Good instruments stay in their cases, while others alternate between 3 wall hangers, plus 2 for gig bags, but that includes mandos, guitars, and/or bass guitars, based on the current need.
This thread just got me to realize that everything that might hang is worth $400 or less (some way less) while everything that would be painful to replace stays cased except when being played.
- Ed
"Then one day we weren't as young as before
Our mistakes weren't quite so easy to undo
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Instruments in cases in my immediate environment are as much a reminder that they wish to be played, as would be one hanging on the wall near at hand.
The fact that they are protected in sturdy cases permits me to leave them in close proximity. Opening a case is not much more of a delay than snatching one off the wall.
Geology also enters the picture. In earthquake country, a wall-hanger is at somewhat greater risk from objective hazards. Winter/summer issues, with varying temps and relative humidity, makes case storage a sort of buffer against rapid changes of either variable. Silk also acts as a humidity buffer, absorbing and releasing moisture. That's why it is used in high-end violin cases. (I suppose wool would work as well, but there might be chemistry issues between any remaining lanolin and varnished surfaces).
In my neck of the woods, most people keep a beater out in the open on a stand, so that when the B&E occurs, they don't take the time to search out the good ones!
Last edited by John Soper; Jun-10-2019 at 10:05pm. Reason: spelling dammit
I keep a guitar and a mandolin on the wall by my practice chair. Most of the time it's a Taylor 614 and my Doug Clark unless the humidity gets too low. There was only one week last winter when the beaters were on the wall. I like being able to play for a minute or two several times a day. I bought them to play. I live alone so the risk of disaster is minimal. When I go out of town I hang a $100 Ibanez and a ukulele on those hooks and the better instruments go visit my luthier buddy with a bribe of fresh eggs and a Mason jar of untaxed beverage.
Out of tune and out of time.
I have had my mandolins on wall hangers for years. Never had one fall. The only thing they get is dusty sometimes. I cover the peg head/tuners with a hat. I play them less when stored in cases.
Jamie
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I leave my fiddle mandolin combination case open on my music room work bench. No kids at home in decades and the cat stays off my bench. Hanging an instrument on a wall has never appealed to me. Heat in a room rises up the walls. Yes if the room is humidified it's not a problem. And as stated earlier … gravity. Everything else stays in the case until I get it out to play. But that's me... R/
I love hanging out with mandolin nerds . . . . . Thanks peeps ...
I've been keeping my instruments in their cases since I was 11 years old (except for my drum kit!) and I average a couple of hours a day playing - only thing that interferes with that is extreme illness or the rare occasion that I'm traveling without an instrument. Cases have never prevented me from spontaneously picking up an instrument for a few minutes when I feel the need to play something quick. Having dogs, and spending the bulk of my youth living in chaotic rowdy punk houses probably informed my case keeping as well. Drunk punk rockers and instruments left out on stands don't usually mix well.
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2015 JP "Whitechapel" tenor banjo
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1969 Martin 00-18
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-- Johnson MA-100 Mando
-- Eastman MDO-305 OM
-- 3 Seagull Merlin dulcimers (2GDG, 1DAD)
-- 1952 Harmony Roy Smeck guitar
-- Ortega Lizzie Ubass
-- Leigh Campbell electric violin
-- Pfretzschner violin
-- Glaesel viola
-- Ibanez acoustic/electric guitar
-- Misc: a cello, 2 cigarbox guitars, charango, djembe, slide dulcimer.
Whenever I go cycling somewhere I always carry the mandolin in a case on the back of the bicycle. I’ve been knocked off a couple of times by punks in machinery -and they are not even drunk. I’ve had lots of near misses too, and was very nearly killed under a truck by a man who was in a rush.
My daughter said that it was just a visual problem, that they would slow down if they knew I was carrying a mandolin.
I know nothing at all about the wishes of intricate wooden constructions, but I need no reminders that I want to play mine. Being in a case is no deterrent whatsoever, regardless of whether it's here beside my desk or in the next room, waiting its turn amongst its fellow encased inanimate objects.
bratsche
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Hung on a wall (guitars on stands). My basement is a dedicated music space and we have no children and only a cat for a pet. If we have a party, all instruments go in cases to avoid kids and possibly inebriated friends causing accidents. The hangers are secured to the wall by two big-ass dry wall anchors and the whole basement is kept at a permanent 45% humidity. I understand the case for cases, but I'm pretty sure I've taken care of all the possible negative side-effects of such a decision.
Cases for all of my instruments for several reasons - 1) My mother did not name me "Grace" for a reason, 2) Cats, 3) Dogs, 4) Kids, 5) Murphy's Law. If any of my instruments would have an accident, it would be the most expensive one. So all go in cases unless they are being played.
I wouldn't hang any instrument on the wall if I was this guy...
the world is better off without bad ideas, good ideas are better off without the world
My mandolin is either hanging on me, lying in the couch, standing in a chair or is generally just left somewhere where it can’t be accidentally sat on. I pick it up more if it just hangs out near me, and I want to pick it up often. My heavier instruments such as my acoustic guitars are kept on stands. Just because of the space they occupy lying down. I’m not worried about the mandolin. I worried a lot for my (nice) acoustic for the first two years that I owned it. With time I just started playing instead.
This of course depends on multiple factors, like climate and humidity. Where I live we have very dry winters and humid summers. That should theoretically be really bad but honestly I’ve not seen any changes to my other instruments month to month, year to year. If I did notice anything I’d instantly rectify it.
Oh yeah; current room relative humidity is around 40%.
I do think the dryness of winter heating in northern climates is a risk for keeping your instrument out of the case 100% of the time ( on the wall for instance). I don't think a case does much to prevent from summer humidity, but I think its the dryness you have to watch out for. I did have 8 or so ( including guitars) across one wall in my man cave for a while, I dunno it was cool, but I would almost rather have them on stands or in the case. Personal note, having the mando in the case does not prevent from playing , if anything it forces me to take a break once in a while!
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"Mean Old Timer, He's got grey hair, Mean Old Timer he just don't care
Got no compassion, thinks its a sin
All he does is sit around an play the Mandolin"
I use a Hercules stand when I’m playing at church and will use it at home if I’m practicing multiple instruments in the same session, but they typically go in their cases if I’m taking more than a short break. Kids are out of the house (and generally were very careful, anyway), but the dogs don’t know the difference in a nice instrument and a beater. Also, back when my Kentucky 675-S was my only mandolin I left it leaning against an ottoman, from which it fell over. That resulted in the common headstock scroll break. It glued up well, but, lesson learned. That’s been long enough that I can’t remember if it was a dog’s fault or if I just didn’t balance it well, but I do remember the sickening sound of the crash/wood snapping...
Chuck
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