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Storing instruments in the loft


Jono Bolton

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Is it safe enough to store my guitar and bass in the loft while I'm away for a few days? I'm probably over-thinking it but it can get very warm up there, although I've not been up in a few months so I don't know what it's like up there just now. There have been a few attempted break ins in our area recently so I want to put them somewhere out of the way. I'll maybe stick my head up there too but I'll leave the cab because if anyone's daft enough to try and steal it then more power to them. I need to go up there to get suitcases out so I thought I could chuck them up there while I'm at it.

I have a gig bag for my bass but nothing for the Tele; should they be fine sitting up there for a few nights?

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Just for balance - my 63 Precision spent a few years in a loft before I rescued it. It was in a (crappy to be fair) hard case. The frets had turned green, fingerboard heading that way and the old refinish was cracked and lifting off into scrolls, like when you strip wallpaper. To be fair the neck was fairly stable though!

I think as others have said it depends on how long and the condition of the loft in question. Lofts tend to be prone to extremes of temperature, boiling in summer / freezing in the winter months, and sometime both within 24 hrs, so I would imagine it's these changes of temperature and humidity that do the damage. You'll probably be okay for a short spell at this time of year I would imagine, but I wouldn't recommend it as a longer term thing.

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My loft is insulated to 400mm and there is ventilation on all sides. It gets very hot in the summer and very cold in the winter. I wouldn't store my basses in that environment. 

If you really think burglary is a possibility, can you leave the basses with a neighbour? But then your neighbour could be burgled. Where does it end?

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1 hour ago, Jono Bolton said:

Is it safe enough to store my guitar and bass in the loft while I'm away for a few days? I'm probably over-thinking it but it can get very warm up there, although I've not been up in a few months so I don't know what it's like up there just now. There have been a few attempted break ins in our area recently so I want to put them somewhere out of the way. I'll maybe stick my head up there too but I'll leave the cab because if anyone's daft enough to try and steal it then more power to them. I need to go up there to get suitcases out so I thought I could chuck them up there while I'm at it.

I have a gig bag for my bass but nothing for the Tele; should they be fine sitting up there for a few nights?

TBH from my experience burglars are unlikely to be connoisseurs of electric bass brands or any other instrument . A while ago we were burgled twice  within two years and weirdly neat and tidy the perps were too!  I had an American Telecaster and a Martin Dreadnought on stands and they weren't touched. They did take 2 laptops, the flat screen TV, my car keys, my wallet, my wife's purse, some of her jewellery and a Nikon camera. Together those guitars were more valuable than the haul they took

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To be honest I've be reluctant to store an instrument in the loft. In your situation I'd probably just stick them at the back of a wardrobe with shirts and coats hanging in front of them. Burglars are, by nature, opportunist and in and out quickly. They'll go for visible, portable, easily sellable stuff like consumer electricals, jewellery etc. They're not going to be looking around in clothing wardrobes or the cupboard under the stairs etc where you'd not usually find the easy, high value stuff.

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A few days shouldn't hurt, unless it's damp or subject to extremes of temperature up there. Longer term is different. If you have a slate roof (as I have) which is dark coloured, it absorbs the heat of the sun and gets VERY warm in the loft. I agree with TrevorR's advice above. Do you have a pal who would mind them whilst you're away?

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1 hour ago, Barking Spiders said:

TBH from my experience burglars are unlikely to be connoisseurs of electric bass brands or any other instrument . A while ago we were burgled twice  within two years and weirdly neat and tidy the perps were too!  I had an American Telecaster and a Martin Dreadnought on stands and they weren't touched. They did take 2 laptops, the flat screen TV, my car keys, my wallet, my wife's purse, some of her jewellery and a Nikon camera. Together those guitars were more valuable than the haul they took

true but...

I'm not sure I'd want to trust that the burglars turning over my place were from the same school of light fingered misappropriation. 

I once had a conversation with someone who was the manager of a pawn shop.  He certainly saw enough obviously stolen instruments to indicate that while the thieves might not know the difference between a Gibson and an Encore, they knew that guitars were worth picking up and seeing what they could sell them for

My advice to the OP is to get some insurance

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Insurance (both home and gear-specific) is already in place. Unfortunately there's not anyone I can get my gear to between now and leaving on Saturday morning. I'd given thought to sticking them in the back of the wardrobe but it's not secure enough for my liking. I'm going to be up in the loft to get suitcases and bags out tomorrow evening so I'll do it first as soon as I'm back from work before the heating gets switched on to see what the temperature's like, and make a decision then. If it's too hot, or more likely cold, I'll try and find somewhere else to store them, but if it seems ok I'll fire them up.

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2 hours ago, Barking Spiders said:

TBH from my experience burglars are unlikely to be connoisseurs of electric bass brands or any other instrument . A while ago we were burgled twice  within two years and weirdly neat and tidy the perps were too!  I had an American Telecaster and a Martin Dreadnought on stands and they weren't touched. They did take 2 laptops, the flat screen TV, my car keys, my wallet, my wife's purse, some of her jewellery and a Nikon camera. Together those guitars were more valuable than the haul they took

I had the same thing. Burglars came in and ignored two 70s Jazzes and a 60s one (candy apple red matching headstock), and a few 60s Fender guitars (Coronado and a 12 string acoustic) and instead they took the Xbox and an armful of DVDs.

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3 hours ago, Dankology said:

Re burglaries - when a friend of mine was broken into, the robbers left two very nice guitars that he had out on stands but stole the two near-worthless ones he'd left in their cases. 

Convenience and portability clearly being the priority...

I was thinking the same thing. I'd put the cases in the loft

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At this time of year - not too hot, not too cold - it would probably be safe to tape them up in a couple of sturdy bin bags and bury them in the back garden.

If that approach doesn't appeal then it's probably safe to put them up in the loft as long as it's just for a few days. I left my first electric guitar in the attic for 18 years then 12 years in a warehouse then two years in a garage. It was fine. YMMV. 

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Just now, skankdelvar said:

At this time of year - not too hot, not too cold - it would probably be safe to tape them up in a couple of sturdy bin bags and bury them in the back garden.

I think the OP is talking about bass guitars 😂

 

How about a wardrobe guitar hanger? Instant ‘closet classic’ and pretty hidden away - also if they’re found they aren’t in cases so much harder to nick. 
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Closet-Guitar-hanger-CGH01-Hanger/dp/B00A3L4L6U

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If it's only a few days at this time of year they'll be fine in the loft.

Middle of summer might be more of a problem but the risk of overheating in mid-November is probably minimal.

And they should also be safe from flood damage 😁

Wrap them in a couple of bin bags to stop the mice/bats/whatever else might be up there from crapping on them and you'll be fine.

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