Use case · 5 min
A guitar that cracks, brass that oxidises, a piano that goes permanently out of tune. An instrument left in an ordinary unit is a bet against physics. Storing it right is mostly about controlling humidity and temperature, and the rest is packing with care.
Wooden instruments (guitar, violin, double bass, piano) live under tension: strings pull on the top all the time. When humidity rises, the wood swells; when it drops, it contracts and cracks. In a hot, damp unit for months, that becomes a cracked top, a warped neck and lifting frets.
Brass suffers from oxidation and sea air; percussion and electronics (amps, pedals, keyboards) hate heat and mould. So for almost any instrument, a climate-controlled unit stops being a luxury and becomes the thing that decides whether it comes out the way it went in.
The ideal for wooden instruments is around 20°C and 45 to 55% relative humidity, stable. Stability matters more than the exact number: a constant 22°C beats a daily swing. It's the same logic we explain in is climate control worth it?.
If the unit isn't climate-controlled, at least use a case humidifier (string-instrument ones are cheap) and silica sachets in the boxes. But for long storage, prioritise a climate-controlled unit.
Store in the hard case whenever there is one, never just the soft gig bag. Slightly loosen string tension before storing for months (it relieves the top and neck). Protect contact points with cloth or foam, and never leave the instrument lying under the weight of something else.
Covers, blankets and silica at /en/packing-supplies/. For brass, clean and dry it well before closing the case, residual moisture inside is what oxidises.
Large instruments (double bass, cello, amps, drum shells) stand upright or leaning, never under a heavy box. Raise everything off the floor on a pallet and keep an air gap from the wall. A piano is a case apart: it needs professional transport and placement, do not improvise.
If you tend to pile up gear between gigs, the reasoning is the same as the post on storing a collection.
For instruments the filter is short: a climate-controlled, dry, secure unit with a flexible contract. Ask our free search with your city and what you'll store, and we return climate-controlled options at a good price.
An instrument is expensive and irreplaceable in sentimental value. Spending a bit more on a unit that protects it costs far less than a luthier repair later.