What You Should Know About Instrument Storage

Whether you’re a professional or amateur musician, your musical instrument is an important part of your life and a big contributor to your happiness. Instruments are sensitive to a variety of environmental factors, though, and require proper care to promote high performance and a long life. If you or someone you know is a musician in need of a safe, secure, and climate-controlled environment for instruments, here are some tips and tricks to getting the perfect storage space.

Why Store an Instrument?

Travel, moving from one home to another, selling musical instruments as a living, or needing more space are all valid reasons to seek extra storage for instruments. In this case, the “why” is less important than the “how”. Improper long-term storage can actually destroy a valuable musical instrument over time. With a little forethought and consideration, instruments can remain in perfect condition, ready to play when they’re finally brought out of storage.

Environmental Factors

All instruments are extremely sensitive to environmental changes such as cold and hot temperature swings, excessive dust, or moisture and humidity. Heat and cold, for instance, can cause an instrument to contract and expand. This will cause expensive damage, impacting the instrument’s performance and greatly devaluing the instrument. Humidity and moisture can cause warping, which is extremely harmful to wood instruments such as pianos, clarinets, violins, or guitars. Excessive dust can easily get inside of electric keyboards and guitars, sound mixer boards, and amplifiers. A dust build-up will cause these sensitive musical items to quit working properly.

Instrument Storage Solutions

Fortunately, new technologies have made climate-controlled storage units perfect for storing whatever instruments you have. A climate-controlled storage unit will maintain an even temperature throughout the year. They are also designed to eliminate excessive dust and reduce moisture in the air. This is especially beneficial for anyone who lives in an area where the climate is extremely cold in the winter and hot in the summer.

Instrument Storage Tips

Besides selecting a climate-controlled storage unit, it is also beneficial to provide extra loving care of all of your instruments before putting them into storage. Always use the original instrument case if possible. If you do not have the original case, then choose a case that has been specially designed for your instrument. Examine your instrument case to make sure that it is clean and in excellent condition.

 Do not store your instrument cases on the floor. Place them on top of a wooden pallet or a shelf, and keep them away from doorways and open vents. You may also want to purchase extra insurance that will cover any issues while in storage. Storage insurance should include things such as natural disasters, vandalism, burglary, fire, and so forth.

 To gather more information on how to properly store your instrument, speak to experts at a local music store, and do your research before committing to a storage unit. The more care you put into the process in the beginning, the longer you can enjoy your instruments and the music you make with them.