So I’ve been enjoying the heck out of my new Les Paul Tribute electric guitar the last month or so, but I have been putting it back in its case every time and it’s getting tedious. For this reason I set it on my standard tubular black rubber foam covered stand (like $20) as I have used it for my Peavy strat copy for years and it’s been fine. It’s a friggin stand what’s the big deal? Or so I thought.

Like so much else I began to research stands as I wanted to look into a nicer one for my nicer guitar. Well funnily enough I come across a bunch of people saying not to store a nitrocellulose coated guitar (which my LP Tribute is) as the rubber/foam can react with the finish and almost give it a sort of burn and eat through it. Sure enough I found some videos on it even.

So my question is this, first off, how long does one have to leave it on a stand like this for this to happen? I left it on there only 24 hours and I checked it and I don’t see any marks so am I good or did I somehow damage the guitar without knowing? I can’t even believe this is a thing as I’m blown away that a guitar stand could potentially do this. Second, what stand should I get then? I have read about the Hercules ones that use better foam, but even those have some negative reviews. What do you all do with your Nitro guitars?

This message has been edited. Last edited by: LincolnSixEcho,

I use stands for convenience, but also have wall hangers. Maybe that would be best for you.

I like this type that locks, but the basic u-shaped ones work just fine.

https://www.amazon.com/Acousti...%2Caps%2C189&sr=8-11

^^^^^^ Although I like a free standing unit better, I went ahead and ordered this just now as it will be better to keep the guitar higher up away from my new puppy and it looks like the foam is Nitrocellulose safe! Thanks for the link!

Overnight, or even for days or weeks, you're probably fine. You aren't likely to find a stand manufacturer who will guarantee that the padding on their stands won't do it. You will know something has happened to the finish because it's unmistakable, it looks like the rubber melted to the guitar, or like you touched plastic with acetone or something.

Now, being guitar-related, people absolutely love to nit-pick, quibble, and debate ad nauseum like they know what they're talking about. No doubt, you've already read and heard plenty of conflicting information, or you wouldn't be asking. Get a String-Swing wall mount and proceed to not worry about it. Except for direct sunlight streaming through your windows fading and discoloring your finish, of course.

I say that only half-joking, I have tall windows in my guitar den/office, and haven't mounted the three or four String Swings I have for this very reason.

FWIW, I have On-Stage stands. Just the simple cheapies with the foam padding. I've owned them since 2008, and have used them with poly, UV cured, and nitrocellulose finished guitars since then and haven't had this problem. Guitarists love to endlessly debate really silly shit, honestly.

I always put my guitars back in their case. I have a stand but the only time I ever used it was between sets while we were playing out.

There are Nitro friendly wall hangers.

Funny to see this post. I just bought one of these, and loved it so much, I replaced my other two with these as well, for a full set of three.

https://www.sweetwater.com/sto...ith-auto-grip-system

Obviously, I highly recommend them.

I have one of those cheapo stands in my office.

To keep my mind at rest I just lay a piece of cloth over the foam.

Hercules stands in my main area.

Bob

I live much of the year in SW Colorado, a very dry climate. I have to keep a humidifier in the soundhole of my acoustic guitars, so I leave them in the case when I'm not playing them. It's a pain, cause I like having the guitar out next to me when inspiration hits. I use a basic Amazon guitar stand, https://www.amazon.com/AmazonB...TG9nQ2xpY2s9dHJ1ZQ==

And here's the music nomad humidifier. https://www.musicnomadcare.com...Soundhole-Humidifier

Humidity here in SW Colorado has been less than 10% in the daytime recently. My electric guitar is in a soft case, and I don't currently humidify it, though I should. Frets are sticking out the sides of the neck......ugh.

robbie, I'd get a large room humidifier for your guitar room.

I have this one.

https://www.amazon.com/EP9-800...%2Caps%2C197&sr=8-35

half of my collection stay in the case because I don't play them enough - my Martin 12-stringed, my Gretsch, Seagull and Cordoba are tucked away

but my other guitars - the Martin 6, Taylor, Strat and Les Paul are on stands

if you're worried about the stand you can always add a cover to the foam with strips of cloth

nhtagmember,

I assume Tucson is as dry as El Paso. I have mine in their cases with the D'addario humidifier packs. I keep everything in a spare room with a humidifier and even then it barely keeps it around 50%. Can't wait to get back to Florida where I can leave everything out.

I only have acoustic guitars.

I have a dedicated humidifier for my guitar room. I keep it at 30% which isn’t ideal but the outside humidity is only 5% right now. I also have a whole house system but it struggles to keep up.

Yeah, it needs to be at 45-50%

Bob

I have three nitro finished electrics, and I’m expecting delivery of a fourth very soon. When I’m not playing they hang on the wall. When I am, I use inexpensive On Stand guitar stands. The chips I put in the finish of my Strat were when my foot caught the guitar chord. The guitar appeared to just slip down in the stand and I didn’t hear it hit anything. Oh well, nitro is kinda like that, and the chips aren’t right on the top. I have never even considered any possible adverse effects of putting the guitar on a padded stand, but then, they don’t sit there that long.

My acoustic lives in its case and like Edmond, I use humidifier packs.

Hercules wall hangers and one Hercules floor stand for me. I do need to make a warranty claim on it though. The plastic adjustment and knob went gooey.

Gibson may be using some sort of lacquer now that doesn't react to various foams and plastics. I've painted several guitars with nitrocellulose lacquer and it will react very badly. I had one on a wall hanger that had the typical foam padding and it left black marks on the neck where it was making contact.
It was very hard to remove without ruining the finish. The worse thing is that it can happen within a few weeks. Just make sure you get something lacquer safe, don't take any risks.

I ordered the hangers as I said earlier in the thread as they had positive reviews and claimed to be safe for Nitro finishes. I got them in today and was eager to get them up and the guitar in them so it would be more accessible to play rather than getting it out of the bag, which is a hassle every time. Well I had it in the hanger for literally 2 minutes and just for the heck of it I checked it thinking to myself “oh geez don’t be so OCD it’s gonna be fine” and low and behold the effin finish on the sides of the headstock were worn away!!! How could this happen?! And so quickly? I rubbed off the black marks that the foam left on the maple, and the finish on that part looks and feels fine, but the black area on the front of the headstock looks like it wore away. It’s the same on both sides. Is this area just painted or Nitrocellulose coated as well?

Here’s a pic

sawmill restaurant castle hayne

So I’m at a loss for words now. I’m so upset I don’t even know where to begin and can’t even believe that this would even happen let alone that quickly. What if I left it in overnight?! I got these stands to prevent just this and now even though it’s not the end of the world and it doesn’t affect function and yadda yadda yadda, it still makes me livid. It’s one thing if I didn’t know better to try and prevent, but crap! Are these finishes that sensitive? Not sure what to do now. I tried to email the company. Will see what happens.

Put a cloth on the hanger.

Bob

That looks like the finish is chipped along the edge - the damage I have seen before on nitro guitars from stands looks more like the stand has eaten into or melted the finish.