Guitar-stand dilemma

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I keep several guitars on stands--one K&M and a bunch I bought at Chetfest years ago from a father-and-son small business (can't recall the name now). I've never had a finish problem with any of these. I also use an old plastic Guild stand I found at a show--it came in a flat plastic bag and assembles into an X-shaped floor cradle. Probably old enough that the vinyl-nitro interaction wasn't known to be an issue, but it has't damaged the guitar that lives on it, either.
 

adorshki

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I looked up other, similar stands on Amazon and they all issue the same warning. I also looked at the questions customers asked and found one that dealt with the finish issue. It seems that your NC guitar would be OK as long as you don't leave the guitar on it for extended (a month or two) periods of time. It seems like there's an issue with the neoprene or whatever they use coming off on the guitar. I'll have to investigate further. BTW, nielDA, the stand I got is a Fretrest, by Proline.
The source of the problem is that the same chemicals that keep synthetic rubbers and plastics soft are what are used to dissolve NCL for spraying and vice-versa.
NCL is always "outgassing" the solvents as it dries, it's why it keeps getting more brittle as it ages and is considered to be a reason it "improves tone" as it ages.
But the same "outgassing solvents" attack rubber and some vinyls, too.
Those actually also keep outgassing over time, it's why old rubber and vinyl gets dried out and brittle, too.
So the areas in direct contact melt into the NCL.
"Back in the day" the problem was actually more well known but as "poly" finishes became more and more popular it became less and less of an issue,
Now, so many guitars are finished in non-reactive polyester or polyurethane finishes, makers started neglecting to warn about interactions with NCL.
I still say storing on a stand is asking for an accident, I don't care how quiet or safe your house seems.
I can recall at least 3 stories here of guitars getting knocked off their stands in just such a seemingly safe environment, to be followed by much weeping and gnashing of owner's teeth.
Is it worth the risk?
It's why one of my golden rules is: "There's only 2 places fit for a guitar: In its case or in your lap."
:friendly_wink:
 

GardMan

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I re-covered the surfaces of my triple stand with clear vinyl tubing, no problem.
Many vinyl plastics WILL REACT with NC finshes! I would be VERY careful!
 

davismanLV

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Many vinyl plastics WILL REACT with NC finshes! I would be VERY careful!
Yeah, I'd be super worried about that solution. Changing one reactive product for another. I like the cloth solution the best. If someone could find an online cotton tubing that would fit well, that'd be best. I won't put anything but black on mine because it's just too awful to look at. Which is why I got busy with a sewing machine..... not because I wanted to, but it's the only way a knew how to fix it!! If someone has a better solution, I'll ditch my somewhat homemade remedy in a hot minute!!
 

Rayk

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Where’s my case !?
 

SFIV1967

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gjmalcyon

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It's why one of my golden rules is: "There's only 2 places fit for a guitar: In its case or in your lap."
:friendly_wink:

Heed the words of wisdom from one of the LTG sages: In you lap or in the case. Mine might be on stands for an hour or two during a session, then right back into the case.
 

Alan_M

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I bought some black felt from a fabric store and glued it onto the foam pieces where it contacts. No issues after about 10 years. Super cheap and easy, and more streamlined looking than an old sock draped on it.
I was concerned because my D-30 that I bought used had "neck burn" from the stand it was in for too long. Seeing the damage first hand was a wake up call about the potential dangers. Protect the babies!
 

GardMan

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It's why one of my golden rules is: "There's only 2 places fit for a guitar: In its case or in your lap."
:friendly_wink:
Even that is not always safe. I kept my D-35 in its original case the first ~10 years I owned it. Within a few months, outgassing from the foam padding under the neck support softened a spot of finish on the neck the size of a silver dollar... eventually, I just rubbed the gummy finish off, leaving a bare spot.
 

walrus

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It's why one of my golden rules is: "There's only 2 places fit for a guitar: In its case or in your lap."
:friendly_wink:

"Made to be Stored"?? :devilish:

Not me - on a stand, ready to be played...

walrus
 

6L6

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I leave my guitars out on stands, ready to be grabbed and played. To avoid the problems noted, I bought some soft cloth guitar covers for the vinyl/rubber. Not sure where i bought them, but I've never had a problem after many years of leaving my guitars out.
 

dreadnut

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Having had lots of kids, dogs, and now grandkids around here...mine stay in their case unless they're being played. Usually I lock the door to the music room as well, but of course the grandkids are welcome when I'm in there; I have several instruments for them to play.
 

banjo

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A reference was made to the Hercules GS414B. I have four of them and a similar Hercules with a folding head. On all four of the aforementioned GS414B stands, the height adjusting clutch grip has disintegrated in a sticky glutinous mess. I removed them and substituted "Jubilee" clips. No longer adjustable without a screw driver but hey-ho.
I chose the Hercules because they claimed to be safe with guitar finishes. It sounds as though they may have changed their tune somewhat.

The point to all this is that although the padded guitar contact points have not been a problem these last 6 or 7 years, I simply have no confidence in the product. I just review them every so often. Caveat emptor it seems.
Also, old Yamaha solid guitars seem to suffer from a clouding of the finish coating and it is widely held that the adhesive used to attach the plush lining gasses off and causes this.

The message must be that it is up to us as sentient beings to keep watch and try to resist the inevitability of entropy.
 

tarheelguild

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Black felt seems the way to go. I love the finish on my AB D30 too much!

I bought some black felt from a fabric store and glued it onto the foam pieces where it contacts. No issues after about 10 years. Super cheap and easy, and more streamlined looking than an old sock draped on it.
I was concerned because my D-30 that I bought used had "neck burn" from the stand it was in for too long. Seeing the damage first hand was a wake up call about the potential dangers. Protect the babies!
 

Taylor Martin Guild

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Another thing to be aware of is how a capo may react to the finish of the guitar.
I used to place a Kyser capo on the headstock of my Yamaha guitar when I was playing the guitar and wasn't using the capo.
I did this for several years.
The capo reacted to the finish of the guitar and darkened the finish where the capo was stored. You can't read the label now.

Be aware that any contact with rubber on a guitar may be harmful.

My sister used to keep a strap on her guitar at all times.
The strap was some kind of man made material. It blistered the back of her guitar, where it was in contact with the guitar when it was in it's case.
 

tommym

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I have two Hercules GS405B guitar stands with the fixed non-adjustable wrap-around "Secure Retention System". What a pain in the @#$ that feature ended up being for me. It is located too close to the heel of the guitar neck and forces you to grab the guitar much higher up the neck when placing / removing the guitar from the stand. I grew tired of fighting the swinging weight of my guitars (it was hard on my wrist) when trying to get the guitar in and out of the stand without damaging the guitar itself. I eventually took a hacksaw to the fixed wrap-around "Secure Retention System" and modified it into a more conventional open guitar rest, albeit a less secure guitar stand than Hercules intended. My friend liked the looks / sturdiness of my Hercules GS405B guitar stands that he bought a couple of them and had me make the same modification: easy on / easy off. So, why not just buy one of the other adjustable Hercules stands and solve the issues? Both my friend and I simply don't trust the adjustable height / hang the guitar from the headstock solutions. Thus the more conventional Hercules GS405B guitar stand.

Tommy
 

chazmo

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Interesting comments on the Hercules stands. I've never seen anything remotely disintegrate, such as mentioned by banjo, especially the foam which the guitars stand on. Also, I've never run into trouble putting any of my acoustics in the retention system tommym mentioned. But, anyway, I guess nothing's perfect. All I can say is that after about 10 years with them, I'd trust the Hercules stand on stage more than any other I've run across. As for long-term leaving the guitar out, well, I like the idea of felt or cotton as an insulator. No risk at all there of deterioration or finish damage.
 
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