Guitar Stand vs Nitro Finish

Ray 911S

New member
I keep my nitro finished guitars in their cases and as a result they don't get played as often as my others. I'd much rather leave them out on stands so I can just grab when I have a few minutes to play around. What materials have you used to protect the nitro finish from the rubber on your stands? Does leather work?
 
Re: Guitar Stand vs Nitro Finish

i think some quality stands now are made out of materials that will not eat into nitro... but knowing which is which is kind of hard so i guess you could assume they are all going to do it.... i used an old small bathroom towel to cover the base...
 
Re: Guitar Stand vs Nitro Finish

I have nitro Strat that I bought in '87. I don't keep any of my guitars on stands(I don't trust them) except at rehearsals and at GIGS. This Strat is showing some wear at the strap buttons, so I would say leather is not going to be the best to use to protect it. Would I would do is either wrap the stand with a cotton cloth or use cotton bandaging material. That should protect it well.
 
Re: Guitar Stand vs Nitro Finish

I have nitro Strat that I bought in '87. I don't keep any of my guitars on stands(I don't trust them) except at rehearsals and at GIGS. This Strat is showing some wear at the strap buttons, so I would say leather is not going to be the best to use to protect it. Would I would do is either wrap the stand with a cotton cloth or use cotton bandaging material. That should protect it well.

Exactly.

I've "heard" that some solutions used in tanning leather can react with nitro.

I've got one of the "Ulitmate" rack stands with foam padding- I leave guitars in there all the time. My EB-0 is nitro and it's in that stand all the time with no damage or marring of the finish.
 
Re: Guitar Stand vs Nitro Finish

I use a Hercules double stand and I love it.
392908.jpg

It only touches the guitar at the head stock and at one point on the back. It is very secure and easy to use. I highly recommend it. (They also make a triple and a single.)
 
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Re: Guitar Stand vs Nitro Finish

Nearly ALL of my guitars are nitro finished. I don't mind the reliced look, but would prefer not to have a melted rubberized look on the end of my guitars, and/or especially on the neck. Now there really is no telling which stand uses materials that won't react in any way with lacquer. So as a precaution you can easily just buy a pack of hanes or fruit of the looms undershirts, cut them up in strips and wrap the areas that will touch the guitar. If you go at it right you can even wrap them up, and tie them off with themselves making it barely noticable. I just refer to them as 'the mummy wrap.'
 
Re: Guitar Stand vs Nitro Finish

I use a Hercules double stand and I love it.
392908.jpg

It only touches the guitar at the head stock and at one point on the back. It is very secure and easy to use. I highly recommend it. (They also make a triple and a single.)


hopefully those little foam piece that hold the headstock and the arm that holds the back of teh body don't eat into nitro..... I've seen lots of used Gibsons with black burnt like marks at the headstock where they have been hung in guitar holders
 
Re: Guitar Stand vs Nitro Finish

Surgical rubber tubing is what reacts with the nitro & melts it away...

Foam 'padding' should be 100% Fonzie... I have a few 5-6 banger Warwick gee'at corrals and all my nitro finished rides are A-Ok for finish wear, even after years of sitting on the stands.
 
Re: Guitar Stand vs Nitro Finish

hopefully those little foam piece that hold the headstock and the arm that holds the back of teh body don't eat into nitro..... I've seen lots of used Gibsons with black burnt like marks at the headstock where they have been hung in guitar holders
I've been hanging some nitro-finished guitars on the wall hanger version of the Hercules stand (as well as keeping a couple others on Ultimate stands) for the past several years. No finish melting or discoloration.
 
Re: Guitar Stand vs Nitro Finish

Exactly.

I've "heard" that some solutions used in tanning leather can react with nitro.

I've got one of the "Ulitmate" rack stands with foam padding- I leave guitars in there all the time. My EB-0 is nitro and it's in that stand all the time with no damage or marring of the finish.

+1 they don't attack the nitro, to be doubly sure you can wrap the foam in undyed silk

Hmm...

Are you guys talking about the Rockstands like this:
http://www.musiciansfriend.com/product/RockStand-by-Warwick-7Guitar-Folding-Stand?sku=455002

If so, you'd better check your guitars again. The foam rubber does leave "burn" marks on nitro finishes.

For anyone who uses these stands, run out and buy a sheet of cloth or something to cover that stand!
 
Re: Guitar Stand vs Nitro Finish

I've been hanging some nitro-finished guitars on the wall hanger version of the Hercules stand (as well as keeping a couple others on Ultimate stands) for the past several years. No finish melting or discoloration.

cool.....
 
Re: Guitar Stand vs Nitro Finish

Hmm...

Are you guys talking about the Rockstands like this:
http://www.musiciansfriend.com/product/RockStand-by-Warwick-7Guitar-Folding-Stand?sku=455002

If so, you'd better check your guitars again. The foam rubber does leave "burn" marks on nitro finishes.

For anyone who uses these stands, run out and buy a sheet of cloth or something to cover that stand!

No I mean Ultimate branded stands, the ones Yamaha used to sell.

http://www.giggear.co.uk/home/index.php?m=shop&prodid=1334
 
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Re: Guitar Stand vs Nitro Finish

Are you guys talking about the Rockstands like this:
http://www.musiciansfriend.com/product/RockStand-by-Warwick-7Guitar-Folding-Stand?sku=455002

If so, you'd better check your guitars again. The foam rubber does leave "burn" marks on nitro finishes.

For anyone who uses these stands, run out and buy a sheet of cloth or something to cover that stand!

Yeah, I've got a 5-banger stand like that only a few feet away from me... bought in I dunno, 2000 or something? My Pauls & other nitro guitars have spent MANY a month on that stand...

Haven't seen any finish mishaps yet.
 
Re: Guitar Stand vs Nitro Finish

Hmmm. We have a diversity of opinion about which brands are safe. For myself - I can't tell which material is which, and the stand manufacturers don't seem to label the product and brag "Nitro Safe" or some such nonsense. I'm not willing to risk it on a guess.

So here's a question that occurs to me: of all the wanna'-be entrepreneurs in our hobby, why hasn't someone tried to market a cotton or silk guitar stand sock to slip over the rubber bits to protect the nitro?

Yes, I know - I'm one of THOSE guys who likes his fiddles unrelic'd. Still, I'd bet there is a market ...
 
Re: Guitar Stand vs Nitro Finish

Hmmm. We have a diversity of opinion about which brands are safe. For myself - I can't tell which material is which, and the stand manufacturers don't seem to label the product and brag "Nitro Safe" or some such nonsense. I'm not willing to risk it on a guess.

So here's a question that occurs to me: of all the wanna'-be entrepreneurs in our hobby, why hasn't someone tried to market a cotton or silk guitar stand sock to slip over the rubber bits to protect the nitro?

Yes, I know - I'm one of THOSE guys who likes his fiddles unrelic'd. Still, I'd bet there is a market ...


Yes you're right, a large difference of opinion, that's the world. I do find it funny to see 15 year old guitar players commenting on the best stands ever, etc... BTW, I'm not knocking them, or you specifically 3nz, we were all that age at one time so it's neither here nor there, and I'm not trying to dis ya. But before 15-20 years ago the only stands you could get were thick chrome plated types that looked like they were made of mini exhaust pipes with surgical tubing type of rubber used as the cushion for the neck and body. Plus that would even dry, up and crack in time besides just making 'melted' marks on your instrument. I had one that would "eat" through anything, and everything except THICK plastic finishes. :crazy::thumbsdow

But I don't blame ya, it's not worth the risk. I do have an "Ultimate" stand, among other types, and they do state on their website that it's lacquer-friendly. But, no, most manufacturers don't pimp the facts out.

About your question, there are a few people that do offer "socks" to protect your instrument. Actually one is called something like the 'guitar stand bra' that is made of a plush material similar to what's in some guitar cases. You slip them both on, and they have velcro straps to adhere to one another. They make a guitar stand look like it's part grizzly bear. I've only seen them in black, and a deep brown colour. At one point I've come across an artist's website who stiches felts, silks, and (safe) leathers to wrap on the stands. They're held tight with elastic-type pull strings with a button type slide to hold it in place (the same thing that backpacks, sleeping bag drawstrings, some lace-less shoes use). She made/makes various styles to fit every type of stand that is made. The downside is, I don't recall her name, or the thingamajig's name either. The best thing I can tell you is try a search engine with 'guitar stand covers.' BUT, I don't know if she does them on a constant basis, or anymore even. Cool looking things. I like to "support artists" and wanted to get one of them, but she never emailed me back, and it wasn't that important for me to call the number listed. I just prefer cotton t-shirts, the "mummy style." I got the idea to use cotton after seeing it done similar in high end guitar shops in Japan. Simple, resourceful, d.i.y.-ish, and enough for me if needed.

So yeah, some people do make em.
 
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Re: Guitar Stand vs Nitro Finish

HA! I search for "sock," but of course it's not a sock, it's a bra. :smack: I usually don't mistake the two. Thanks for the links!
 
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