Guitar Storage and temperature changes question

[HarryJS]

Hi everyone, I've been thinking about bringing one of my old electric guitars into my work office so I can do some noodling while on my lunch break. However my office is converted from a old stone barn so the temperature at night drops quite low when the heating is off. Guitar will be kept in a gig bag and I will probably wait until Spring so the temperate drop won't be so drastic. Just wanted to check if anyone has any advice for storage in this environment or if a gig bag will be suitable enough. Thanks

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[gardo]

Don't know,could you safely put a heating pad in the gig bag and use the low setting ?

 

[Chordite]

Assuming the temperature is normalised by lunchtime it should be fine each day. Obviously strings will contract and pitch up a little overnight whilst you are tucked up with your teddy bear but that is of no consequence they return to normal. Just don't lean it on a radiator, but you know that of course.

I used to leave a strat in my unheated auto workshop in a gig bag.

An acoustic will be more sensitive because of the construction but a bagged solid body is a pretty tough entity.

 

[Phil O'Keefe]

Chordite gave you very good advice IMO.

 

Just out of curiosity, how cold does it get in there at night?

 

 

[Freeman Keller]

First, welcome to the forum. Second, Chordite is right on - I worry more about humidity than temperature. If you happen to have nitro cellulose lacquer it can check badly if brought from very cold to warm right away. However a bigger concern is the humidity in your office - during the winter it tends to be very dry and wood shrinks under those conditions. It affects an acoustic dramatically but can cause the fretboard to shrink and fret ends to stick out where they will feel sharp. Its a good idea to throw a cheap humidifier (damp sponge in a baggie with holes punched in it) in the gig bag. Might not be necessary but it doesn't hurt.