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How to store music instruments in storage unit

Sometimes being a musician has its own difficulties. For instance, your neighbors might not approve of your constant practice! Also, if you want to move your equipment on the 6th floor is a sure trip to the emergency room! And, worst of all, you do not have anywhere you can store your items. But, that’s the thing of the past! You will learn here the best way you can utilize a storage unit and keep your instruments in it.

Always store music instruments in storage units vertically

Sometimes leaning your guitar on the amp, wall or the guitar case sounds like a good idea! Oh, boy how wrong this is. You should put your guitar down like that only for a couple of minutes. Let’s not mention how much floor space you will free by hanging them on the wall. But, we should talk about how you can preserve the quality of your guitar for the time being. First things first, there is a metal rod in the guitar’s neck. The metal rod prevents the wooden neck to bend and/or crack through time. Although the neck bends over time, you can still fix it by tightening the rod within. When you hang your guitar vertically on the wall, you are letting gravity do its job. The sheer weight of the guitar will pull the rod enough not to allow any bending. Vertical hanging doesn’t apply only for guitars. You can also hang violins, violas or any smaller wooden instrument. But be careful! You have to be sure the instrument can withstand the gravity and it won’t be affected by the surrounding elements (moisture, air etc).

 

Guitar hanged on the wall
When you store music instruments in storage unit remember to use wall hangers

Another good use for vertical hangers is for cables, other smaller equipment and for books of course. These hangers are perfect for anything you might want to store. Consider getting them when you want to store music instruments in storage unit! There is one other option you can do for your instruments. If by any chance you own a garage and you do not use it, then this is perfect! Clean out your garage without problems so you can put your instruments and equipment there

Turn a small bookshelf into rolling storage for amps

This is a simple, yet very effective solution to a big problem many guitar players have. As a guitar player myself, I often have issues with carrying my big amp around. With its weight and girth, it is easy to bump into something or even damage it. Which is why I found out about this perfect little solution. Although it might be hard to find a bookshelf that is the precise size of the amp, you should give it some time. These bookshelves come on wheels and offer perfect protection from any damages that can happen to your amp. Why I can suggest for you is to find bookshelves with rubber wheels. This why the shelf won’t scratch the floor while being rolled. Also, the rubber wheels will prevent any possible vibrations that might distort the sound of the amp. This is a good idea you can use not only to protect your amp but the storage unit as well. Especially if the unit’s floor is fragile. There are other ways you can prepare your storage unit for your instruments. You can think about them while following a guide to finding a storage unit

Guitar amp
If the amp is not that big, put it in the small bookshelf

How to pick a perfect storage unit

When you want to store music instruments in storage unit you need to think about a lot of factors. The price should play little to no role in your judgment here. Music instruments are complex and delicate items. You can’t store them however you want. There are a lot of guides that would tell you to treat your instruments like any other items. Never follow them! These are the factors you need to think about when you are renting a storage unit:

  • Does the unit have a constant flow of fresh air?
  • How do they prevent any possible leakage and fire?
  • Storage unit temperature is very important.
  • How secure is the unit?
Papers with words bad and good
Make sure you know how to pick the right storage unit

These are very important issues you need to address with the storage unit owners. Most of the musical instruments are very prone to weather conditions! They can easily change shape or even break if there is too much moist or cold. This is especially important for wooden instruments. You must have this in mind when you want to store music instruments in storage units. One other thing you can use to protect your instrument is proper packing. Learn what kind of packing materials you should use for packing various types of items.

A violing
Violins are especially prone to bad storage conditions

Maintain your instruments constantly

Storing your musical instruments in storage units is just half a job! You need to maintain them regularly and almost on daily basis. As we mentioned before, they are really fragile items that need special handling and care. You can’t just leave them and leave for a time being. Although the storage unit provides protection from the mentioned factors they can still get damaged. Over time they will have enough dust in them that can seriously damage their integrity. The dust carries water particles on itself that we do not notice but the instrument does. And over time, it will just pile up. Usually, it ends up destroying the wooden parts or messing up with the electronics! Most of the time this happens due to bad packing skills.  As with every item, music instruments require the same care when packing and storing.  Learn how to prepare items for storage units as well as musical instruments with simple guidelines! This way, your music instruments will remain intact and undamaged!

There are several steps you need to follow before you store music instruments in storage unit! These are just some basics that will give you an idea of how you need to prepare for storage units. It does require a bit more attention and dedication, but once you are in it, it’s easy! If you already have experience in this field, feel free to share it with us!