What is the Hamer of...

[kizanski]

...guitar hangers.

I'll need about 25 of them for my "Man Loft."

[Feynman]

I like the Hercules ones.

[Armitage]

Nothing with little grippy clamps to mar headstocks unless you live near train tracks.

[kizanski]

I like the Hercules ones.

Nothing with little grippy clamps to mar headstocks unless you live near train tracks.

You mean, like the Hercules ones?

[Feynman]

I could see it maybe on the original Hercules arms, but the guitar is really nowhere near the arms on the universal models, and the supports themselves are smooth rollers that are covered in a (supposedly) finish-safe foam material (my guess is that most any rubber could eventually harm a nitro finish though).

These are the ones I like:

Not these:

I have had a couple of guitars (Tele, Parker) that feel a bit narrow for these hangers, but they still work - it just made me a little nervous.

I like the Ultimate stands and hangers too but have a small preference for Hercules. The lift-and-go is a nice design for my tastes.

I have a friend with a couple of dozen homemade hangers - he just bought a bunch of cheap $5 stands and mounted their top parts into blocks of wood. They've been going strong for twenty years or so.

String Swings seem popular too.

Sincerely,

JohnnyB

Edit for an example (the Murkat Harmony on my wall):

Also, lest it seems like I am pushing the Hercules, I'm not. I'm just offering that I like them and have been happy with them.

My guess is most of them out there are fine, or are not.

[Feynman]

Nothing with little grippy clamps to mar headstocks unless you live near train tracks.

...or have kids.

[Steve Haynie]

Is it possible you could just build "guitar" shelves on the wall? You have seen those multi-guitar racks used by big time touring acts. Could you put something like that against your wall on top of a cabinet?

[kizanski]

Is it possible you could just build "guitar" shelves on the wall? You have seen those multi-guitar racks used by big time touring acts. Could you put something like that against your wall on top of a cabinet?

I'm not sure I know what you mean.

Could you provide an example?

[Feynman]

How about something like these?

I'm sure they are inexpensive.

[kizanski]

How about something like these?

I'm sure they are inexpensive.

Sure, why not?

I don't play the f**kin' things, anyway.

[Feynman]

In that case, put a pool table right in the playing area (courtesy The Gear Page):

With 25 or so guitars, a row of slat board hangers might be the best option (assuming you don't live in a palace):

[Steve Haynie]

Here is a photo of a homemade multi guitar stand.

Your guitars will not be hanging by the necks for long periods of time, and they will be a little more secure in a stand like this.

Now think about putting a stand like this on top of a cabinet or set of drawers to hold straps, pedals, tools, strings, etc. You could have the guitars off the floor just like they would be on hangers, and you could used the space underneath. You will still have a wall of guitars and a little more efficient use of space.

There was a music store in my town decades ago with a lot of high dollar Gibsons in stock. There was a wall behind the counter that had the guitars on three levels of "shelves" that were basically the same as the stand shown above, but each guitar faced forward. If I remember correctly, there was something like upholstery behind the guitars. It looked almost like the bottom halves of rectangular guitar cases side by side and slightly tilted back. A padded wall covered with soft upholstery cloth could add some sound treatment for your room if you use it for recording. And, of course, here I go telling someone to spend a fortune to do such a project.

I just never have had total trust in guitar hangers. When someone came up with the idea of the flip up/down ends on the hangers it made a big difference. At the music store where I worked we saw Telecaster necks twist in the hangers often, and we always checked the Teles when someone put them back on the wall.

[ptm1diver]

Here is a photo of a homemade multi guitar stand.

Your guitars will not be hanging by the necks for long periods of time, and they will be a little more secure in a stand like this.

Now think about putting a stand like this on top of a cabinet or set of drawers to hold straps, pedals, tools, strings, etc. You could have the guitars off the floor just like they would be on hangers, and you could used the space underneath. You will still have a wall of guitars and a little more efficient use of space.

There was a music store in my town decades ago with a lot of high dollar Gibsons in stock. There was a wall behind the counter that had the guitars on three levels of "shelves" that were basically the same as the stand shown above, but each guitar faced forward. If I remember correctly, there was something like upholstery behind the guitars. It looked almost like the bottom halves of rectangular guitar cases side by side and slightly tilted back. A padded wall covered with soft upholstery cloth could add some sound treatment for your room if you use it for recording. And, of course, here I go telling someone to spend a fortune to do such a project.

I just never have had total trust in guitar hangers. When someone came up with the idea of the flip up/down ends on the hangers it made a big difference. At the music store where I worked we saw Telecaster necks twist in the hangers often, and we always checked the Teles when someone put them back on the wall.

I like the stand, but maybe I'm wrong, or its my eyes, but are the guitars sitting on foam? or closed cell foam? If so, depending on environment and guitar finish, could this be a problem?

Also, I cannot tell from the photo, but are the panels connected using rabbet and dado joints? If not, and you decide to build a rolling cabinet, carefully consider your method of construction. The same would be true if placing a cabinet/shelf such as this on a chest of drawers.

[kizanski]

I'm looking to do something like this (without the pool table {which appears to be kiddie-sized})...

...not this.

That's great for a music store, but doesn't display the guitars well enough for me.

[friarjack]

How about something like these?

I'm sure they are inexpensive.

Brilliant!

[cynic]

I've had five of these String Swing hangers for at least six years. I've hung all types of finishes (including 50s style nitro) and have never had a problem, even during a few earthquakes. There are also no straps or whatever to deal with.

I did, however, recently buy a slat-board system I haven't gotten around to installing yet. I like the individual hangers when they are mounted at studs, but wouldn't trust them using drywall anchors. I wanted space for ten guitars and the space constraints of my room wouldn't allow that number to be mounted at studs while still leaving space between guitars. The slat-wall type doesn't have to be as crowed as those shown above, and the guitars can face out for display.

[kizanski]

I like the individual hangers when they are mounted at studs, but wouldn't trust them using drywall anchors.

I was thinking that the walls would have a layer of 3/4" plywood behind the sheetrock. Then I don't have to worry about studs.

[The Shark]

_{I realized long ago that I don't have enough people over to display my guitars. I really hate hanging them from their necks. I've looked for a way to display my guitars without hanging them from the headstock. That would be the only way I'd display them long-term.}

[Boomerang~Junkie]

I could see it maybe on the original Hercules arms, but the guitar is really nowhere near the arms on the universal models, and the supports themselves are smooth rollers that are covered in a (supposedly) finish-safe foam material (my guess is that most any rubber could eventually harm a nitro finish though).

These are the ones I like:

Not these:

I have had a couple of guitars (Tele, Parker) that feel a bit narrow for these hangers, but they still work - it just made me a little nervous.

I like the Ultimate stands and hangers too but have a small preference for Hercules. The lift-and-go is a nice design for my tastes.

I have a friend with a couple of dozen homemade hangers - he just bought a bunch of cheap $5 stands and mounted their top parts into blocks of wood. They've been going strong for twenty years or so.

String Swings seem popular too.

Sincerely,

JohnnyB

Edit for an example (the Murkat Harmony on my wall):

Also, lest it seems like I am pushing the Hercules, I'm not. I'm just offering that I like them and have been happy with them.

My guess is most of them out there are fine, or are not.

I need some clarification by our SME's here, because I'm about to use some of these older Hercules clamping style wall hangers. Are you guys saying these older style wall hangers have left marks on guitars, where they reacted with the finish or is it the arcing movement of the lamp arms is marking up the front of the headstocks? Or both or nether? I'd like to know more before I go down that road. I'd be pretty pissed if a wall hanger messed up a finish from an adverse chemical reaction.

FYI - I've always draped a thick, white, 100% cotton wash rag over the neck part of any stand I've ever used to add a layer between the guitar and the hanger. So far so good with that method.

Thanks.

[Feynman]

I hope my post wasn't misleadingly scary. I only called the smaller design "older" as a distinction from the other - it's still a current offering. The Universal model came out later and accommodates wider necks (classical guitars, banjos, etc). I don't think there's anything to worry about with either design. I've had and used them both constantly for years without issue.

For the potential finish reactions, Hercules, String Swing, Ultimate (and other decent companies) do extensive testing with their padding materials, and I suspect there is very little chance that it will react with most finishes. Still, there are any number of finish mixtures, so there is always a chance of a reaction no matter how good their testing has been.

I don't see how the Hercules arms would mar a headstock unless you just dragged the guitar into them without lifting it out of the way. The arms close from the weight of the guitar, and removing the guitar involves just lifting it up and out. Still, people do get clumsy, so hitting them would be a possibility I guess.

In short, I think you're safe with them. Don't worry.

Still, Armitage has a lot more guitar experience than me, so I'm hoping he can clarify what he meant.

[Tres Aardvarks]

How about something like these?

I'm sure they are inexpensive.

This is f*cking AWESOME!!!!!! If I can ever manage to weasel a man-space, this is what I need to do!!!!

ETA: I've got 4 SwingStrings hangers, and they all worked really well. I like the functionality of that sliding rack system, although there's no chance in hell I'd have them so close together (having two wee ones running rampant). I think the StringSwing style screwed into stud or 3/4" plywood would cover you just fine!

[Feynman]

I think the String Swings look a little nicer, and they are about half the price to boot. If one needed 25 of them it would certainly save a bunch of dough.

I like the idea of a nice backdrop too, like this:

This is kind of cool too:

Now I want to redesign my guitar corner.

[Boomerang~Junkie]

Feynman,

Thanks for the clarification post.

[Feynman]

A lot of these photos make me think of this...

[Bennyboy-UK]

These http://www.woodieshanger.com

[Bennyboy-UK]

You could do this

Or even this

Cool floating guitars!