help needed on walling hanging guitars.

musicman100

Interesting

sweepy

I use a length of slat-broad, the same stuff tha shops use and some Amazon wall hangers, works a treat

Wazmeister

guitars4you said:

Hercules hangers for me - all my nice guitars in store are on such hangers - they don't mark the guitar

+1

mart

TTony said:

....

Bear in mind that the force on the screw is almost entirely vertical - ie it's the weight of the guitar pulling the hanger and thus the screw towards the floor.

....

That's rather simplistic. The weight of the guitar is pulling vertically downwards, sure. But it's acting on the point where the guitar's neck is suspended, and that's usually a few inches out from the wall. Given that there's only a few inches between the top and bottom screws holding things to the wall, the bottom of the holder acts as a pivot and the vertical force translates into force pulling the top screw out. 

If the gap between top and bottom screws is about the same as the distance from the wall to the guitar neck (which is approximately the case on the String Swingers I'm using), then actually about 85% of the guitar's weight is trying to pull the top screw out. 

With your kitchen cupboards the geometry is very different - the gap between the bottom of the cupboard (the pivot) and the top, where it's fixed to the wall, is much larger than the distance from the wall to where the weight is acting. So much less of that weight is trying to pull the top away from the wall.

I've had one guitar holder pull the top screw out of the wall, but that was obvious the first time I put a guitar on it. Now the holders are secure and one is holding a 13 lb guitar with no problem.

capo4th

Hercules with a quality plasterboard fixing and two small screws.

Your fixings to the wall are key here it's not about the length of your screw.

Sambostar

Even with plasterboard fixings, the nature of torsion and resistance and friction if the top screw comes out means you'll probably notice it first.  I wouldn't hang them because anything over 60cm in height really clutters up and closes down a small space in terms of design and soon becomes a man cave.  Unless you have acres of room, I'd just make a nice rack for them, or use the hanger grips on a nice piece of a wooden stand that you've designed and made.

impmann

I've been wall hanging guitars for years using Hercules hangers.

Firstly some myth busting... Hercules hangers do not melt nitro finishes. Even after *9 years* of hanging on the same hanger - with occasional playing.

Secondly - plasterboard. If you use the correct fittings, you can hang your lead-like Les Paul Custom happily. The sheer strength - as in the strength of something before it sheers - of Plasterboard is actually quite high IF THE CORRECT FIXINGS ARE USED CORRECTLY. The length of the screw means nothing in this scenario, as it is about spreading the load evenly. Think about your principals of moments - that's why the 'neck' of the Hercules is short...

Dust - a negative. Wall hanging guitars attract dust. You'll find a build up in the cutaways etc but also the strings will go dull more quickly because of dust and moisture in the air.

Positioning - think carefully about where you are putting them relative to windows. Firstly the UV will bleach the finishes, and can harm the plastics. Secondly, consider if they can be seen by undesirables...


To finish off... I'd always suggest wall hangers (only Hercules ones though) to anyone with space constraints. Guitar cases take up a lot of room, look ugly and can discourage you from playing them, if it's a pain to get the guitars out. Floor stands take up a lot of floor space and the guitars can be very easily knocked over - especially if you have kids or an other half who hoovers vigorously.

There are cons but in my opinion they are outweighed by the convenience and the joy of having them on display.

musicman100

impmann said:

I've been wall hanging guitars for years using Hercules hangers.

Firstly some myth busting... Hercules hangers do not melt nitro finishes. Even after *9 years* of hanging on the same hanger - with occasional playing.

Secondly - plasterboard. If you use the correct fittings, you can hang your lead-like Les Paul Custom happily. The sheer strength - as in the strength of something before it sheers - of Plasterboard is actually quite high IF THE CORRECT FIXINGS ARE USED CORRECTLY. The length of the screw means nothing in this scenario, as it is about spreading the load evenly. Think about your principals of moments - that's why the 'neck' of the Hercules is short...

Dust - a negative. Wall hanging guitars attract dust. You'll find a build up in the cutaways etc but also the strings will go dull more quickly because of dust and moisture in the air.

Positioning - think carefully about where you are putting them relative to windows. Firstly the UV will bleach the finishes, and can harm the plastics. Secondly, consider if they can be seen by undesirables...


To finish off... I'd always suggest wall hangers (only Hercules ones though) to anyone with space constraints. Guitar cases take up a lot of room, look ugly and can discourage you from playing them, if it's a pain to get the guitars out. Floor stands take up a lot of floor space and the guitars can be very easily knocked over - especially if you have kids or an other half who hoovers vigorously.

There are cons but in my opinion they are outweighed by the convenience and the joy of having them on display.

Thanks for your input mate. The simple reason is to get them out of thier cases to stop them rotting away. it's not really anything to do with me wanting to display them or anything.

Neil

OP, out of interest, how are your guitars "rotting away in their cases"?

musicman100

Neil said:

OP, out of interest, how are your guitars "rotting away in their cases"?

They are old gretsches and they can been very prone to serious binding rot which seems to be made worst when the are left in thier cases. They are too valuable to just leave.

ICBM

musicman100 said:

They are old gretsches and they can been very prone to serious binding rot which seems to be made worst when the are left in thier cases.

I think this is correct - the binding leaks some sort of gas as it degrades which is also a catalyst for the process, so in an enclosed space the rate increases.

I could be wrong but I think the gas may also be acidic, since it seems to attack the metalwork as well, especially nickel plating.

richardhomer

musicman100;1081549" said:

They are old gretsches and they can been very prone to serious binding rot which seems to be made worst when the are left in thier cases. They are too valuable to just leave.

I've read about this phenomenon before - apparently the keystone buttons Gibson used on their Klusion tuners suffer from this as well.

Does anyone know the actual science which sits behind this?

My 52 year old 335 is showing no signs - and pretty much lives in its OHSC.

Sambostar

I wouldn't hang a guitar on a wall unless it was a partition wall, but then I don't have cavity walls.  I still thing they are better off and protected in a purpose made rack that you make to match your furniture and have the players out on stands

musicman100

ICBM said:

musicman100 said:

They are old gretsches and they can been very prone to serious binding rot which seems to be made worst when the are left in thier cases.

I think this is correct - the binding leaks some sort of gas as it degrades which is also a catalyst for the process, so in an enclosed space the rate increases.

I could be wrong but I think the gas may also be acidic, since it seems to attack the metalwork as well, especially nickel plating.

Yeah it's 100% true, I own it enough gretsch that I can definitely say it's true and I knew plenty of other guys with vintage gretsch that are seeing the same issue. Its can be that bad with some individual guitars that you can see that see the degrading process is the space of the guiatr been cased for a few months.

musicman100

richardhomer said:

musicman100;1081549" said:

They are old gretsches and they can been very prone to serious binding rot which seems to be made worst when the are left in thier cases. They are too valuable to just leave.

I've read about this phenomenon before - apparently the keystone buttons Gibson used on their Klusion tuners suffer from this as well.

Does anyone know the actual science which sits behind this?

My 52 year old 335 is showing no signs - and pretty much lives in its OHSC.

Yeah I've had vintage Gibson and never had this binding problem with them.

ICBM

It's a different type of binding material. I'm not sure of the chemical composition/name but the Gibson stuff is softer and more 'plasticy' than the celluloid Gretsch used.

There are Gibson celluloid pickguards which can do this as well though.

musicman100

I can post pictures if anyone wants to see how it's goes!

Wazmeister

@musicman100 - I've used these forever. 

https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B0009K9MUA/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&psc=1

All on nitro guitars and they are faultless. I personally used the plasterboard plugs shown here, and the hangers have never even moved... and the plasterboard in my house it cack...

https://www.amazon.co.uk/FISCHER-PLASTERBOARD-PLUGS-METAL-PLASTER/dp/B00KBLF7QU/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1463937899&sr=8-4&keywords=screw+in+wall+fixings

musicman100

I have got 4 of them but I've never really liked them

TTony

musicman100 said:

I have got 4 of them but I've never really liked them

Get to like them - they're the best.