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The number of customer instruments here in the shop has greatly outgrown my meagre storage facilities. I need to build a better solution but I’m on the fence about what would work best.

I’d greatly appreciate hearing about what has worked (or hasn’t worked …) in your shops.

I’m looking to build something that will hold around 40 large (dreadnought size) guitars in their cases.

I’ve seen two-tier units like this and it seems like it could be a space-efficient way to go:



If I went this way I’d probably try to add a third tier.

Don't go higher, Josh... Some of those guitars get pretty heavy and unwieldy up high. I used to just line them up down one wall underneath the guitars hanging on racks.

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"Act your age, not your shoe size" - Prince

About 11 years ago, we had a major earthquake here in Virginia. We don’t have big earthquakes, so it was quite a surprise. I was very fortunate. I had a fiddle bow drop to the floor from its hook. That broke enough hairs that I had it rehaired, but nothing else of mine was damaged. I did a repair for someone whose instrument fell a few feet at her home. (My chimney cracked, but that has nothing to do with instruments.)

So now, every time I put an instrument or its parts on a shelf to wait for the next stage of construction or repair, I consider what would happen if the room were to shake. My recommendation is that your storage design is secure enough that a bump against or unexpected earth shaking won’t cause anything to fall. If you go high, make sure the cases are sufficiently contained. I store some cases above a stairway with a shelf design similar to your proposal. Miraculously, none of those cases left their shelf.

Thanks guys, that’s helpful. The shop is 30x20ft and largely open plan with machinery etc so I’ve avoided hangers due to my paranoia the table saw will kick back and launch a piece of wood into someone’s D-41 hanging on the wall I do have a separate room 10x10 with hangers for a few “in-progress” guitars I’m currently working on which are out of their cases.

One challenge is storing guitars for customers who for some reason don’t own cases for their $4k+ guitars. Nothing prepared me for how many people don’t even have a gig bag for their pride and joy and bring it to the shop rattling around in the back seat of their car.

I have five or six vacant cases here for these folks so I can provide safe storage and I’m thinking I should start charging rent

Point well taken on not going too high and also the earthquake thing. Maybe provision for a bungee or strap across the front of the rack for extra security would cover those bases.