Max / maximum temperature for electric guitar storage?

ajm · From: Los Angeles

Ok, this is the off the wall topic for the day.
I did a forum search and didn't see anything related.
I also did some Google research.
I thought about putting this in the Music forum, but thought that it might get a little more exposure here.
Yes, I know the old rule about not leaving your guitar where you wouldn't want to sleep.

So the question: What is the maximum temperature for storing electric guitars for a couple of days?

I'm going to have my house tented for termites.
I'll be out of the house for a couple of days.
I might be paranoid, but I have several guitars that I don't want to leave unattended in case someone sees an opportunity to break in.
I have an acoustic which will be taken care of. That is not an issue.

The rules:
- I have several solid body electrics, all with hard shell cases.
- They each have a home made humidifier in their cases. (A soap dish, holes drilled into it, with a wet sponge inside.)
- Outside temperatures should not be above 80 degrees F.

One possibility I'm thinking of is hiding the guitars in the attic. So obviously they will in no way be exposed to direct sunlight.
- I measured the temperature several times recently.
On an 80 deg F day outside, the attic maxes out at about 100 deg F.

Anybody have any experience with this?

Thanks in advance.

Related search terms:
storage storing temp temperature max maximum

Donny Hinson · From: Glen Burnie, Md. U.S.A.

Humidity is probably far more mportant than temperature, and the humidity should go down as temperature goes down. I can't imagine anything less than 100 degrees Fahrenheit causing a problem as long as the humidity is kept at 40%-50%. (Keep in mind the "normal" human body temperature is 97-99 degrees Fahrenheit.). And based on my experience with antiques, I'd think that the critical temperature would be anything greater than 110-120 degrees Fahrenheit. Above those temperatures for any length of time, many glues and adhesives will soften, and some finishes will degrade.

(I know from my own experience that the temperature in some attics can exceed 150 degrees if the outside temperature gets into the upper 90s.)

Ron Pruter · From: Arizona, USA

The way to dis-assemble a guitar is to soften the glue by heat and/or steam. Guitars are under pressure from string tension. I don't even leave them in the trunk when it's real warm. Soft glue will let things creep. With solid bodies there's not many glued parts but the finger boards are glued to the necks on many models. I wouldn't do it to my guitars. RP
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Zach Turner · From: Carmel Valley, California, USA

If you can find a place where they only maintain the ambient temp of 80 you'll be fine. Personally, I would rather take the risk of them being stolen than damaged. I've heard of people breaking into fumigated houses, but they don't seem to live long enough to get away with the stolen goods anyway.

Dave Mudgett · From: Central Pennsylvania and Gallatin, Tennessee

In general, I don't like to leave my guitars and amps sitting for a long time anywhere I would be real uncomfortable sleeping myself. Like anything outside the 40-80 degF range. I've been known to schlepp my stuff into a hotel room when everyone else left stuff in the van. Electric guitars are a bit more tolerant, but I'm more careful with my better guitars and vintage tube amps. YMMV.

Now - an acoustic guitar, either archtop or flattop, is another story altogether. The glue is exceptionally critical there, and will creep or even completely fail. One of my playing buddies left his old D18 in a hot truck for a couple of hours - a middle of July 95 degF day in Pennsylvania. He came back and it was completely unglued - totally fell apart. It was the best modern - early 1970s - D18 any of us had ever played, and it was completely destroyed. The best luthiers could not put Humpty Dumpty back together again. OK, they got it back together, but it was never right. He sold it and has spent tens of thousands of dollars trying to find something else as good.

Larry Dering · From: Missouri, USA

Dave is right. I had several guitars stolen and hidden in the woods mid summer. The acoustics came apart and it warped the neck on my archtop. All were in quality cases. I don't trust weather and the attic is out of the question. I bought large gun safes and store my high end guitars there when gone. Do your best to protect them.

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