Is it safe to hang good guitars on your wall hangers?
What is your CURRENT situation?
Fall down
I like hanging my guitars on a wall hangers. They are also referred to as wall mounts. Some people prefer using floor stands or keeping their guitars in a case. Wall hanging is something I’ve done for years and I’ve never had any issues. I’ve only used certain brands of hangers that are well made and provide a safe solution.
Why do I like wall hangers? I like having my guitars within reach and I find it a lot more convenient than having them stored away, where I will forget about them. To me, out of sight, out of mind.
Now, hanging guitars on the wall is not something that everyone is in a position to do. Maybe you are living in an apartment and you’re not allowed to modify your walls. I understand that and I’ve been in that situation. Years ago while I lived in an apartment, I used floor stands and guitar cases to store and display my guitars. I really like the Hercules acoustic guitar stand, which folds away for easy storage. I used it a lot for gigs while I played with my band years ago.
So let’s assume you are a home owner, or you live in a space that allows wall modifications. Let’s take a look at the two wall hanger brands and solutions that I use daily and fully recommend.
Hercules Wall Hangers
Hercules AGS wall hanger
Hercules is company that manufactures and sells a wide variety of wall hangers and stands. They make solutions for a wide variety of instruments, including guitars. I’ve been a big fan of their auto grip system wall hangers ever since I first tried them over 10 years ago.
The particular model I use is called the GSP38WBPLUS. What I really like about them is their locking arms and swivel system. When you place your guitar headstock in the cradle, the guitar’s body weight will pull down on the arms and create a lock around the guitar. Also the swivel system will allow the guitar to remain vertical no matter the shape of the headstock. Gravity takes care of your guitar. I know some people have concerns about wear and tear caused by the foam and plastics used on the contact points of the headstock. I’ve been using these wall hangers for years and I’ve had no discolouration or markings on any of my guitar headstocks. This includes poly and nitro finished guitar necks. If that’s a concern for you, then simply don’t use a wall hanger and do what works best to make you feel comfortable!
Over the years I’ve installed a number of Hercules wall hangers in my music studio. Take a look at my video for the installation process of one of these hangers. I always recommend installing a wall hanger into a wall stud. I would never trust wall plugs inserted intro drywall, to be able to hold up a guitar safely. Over time they will eventually wiggle loose and you are risking the chance of your guitars falling from the wall. That is not something I am interested in doing!
String Swing
String Swing Wall Hangers
Another brand of guitar wall hanger that has been around for years is String Swing. If you’ve ever been to a musical instrument store, there is a very good chance that the instruments in that store are being displayed using String Swing wall hangers and stands. They are family owned company, and a USA made brand that I highly recommend. The build quality is excellent and stable. I purchased one of their rail systems that allows you to have up to 5 guitars at a time. The rails come in a variety of different finishes that can suit any look and style.
Take a look at my installation video to see the full process of unpacking and installing the rail kit. The installation is fairly straight forward, but I even managed to screw it up! Everything worked out just fine in the end, and I didn’t realize the issue until someone pointed it out after the fact. String Swing also sells other guitar stands and accessories that are worth checking out!
Other Options?
There are so many brands out there on the market today. Try to find a brand that is well built and that has a trusted history. I don’t recommend buying cheap budget wall mounts and hangers. You just don’t want to risk the chance of your guitars falling off the wall and getting damaged. It may cost you more short term to buy the better, more expensive brands, but it’s worth it in the long run. Choose what works best for your situation and as always Play Guitar and Have Fun!
