RickP
Established 1960, Still Not Dead
I contacted String Swing, mentioning our concerns here, and some of the "insurance" options suggested (cotton cloths/socks/etc). Here is Travis' reply:
"Hello Rick,
Thank you for your email. I understand your concerns of displaying high value guitars on our hangers. I have pasted below our standard reply when the nitro/marking question comes up. I have heard of the cloth being a good insurance policy, but do not use it myself and the looks would not be that great. Please call me if you wish to discuss further.
Nitro is a very delicate finish that we are constantly learning more about every day. We have spent a lot of time and resources to make sure that our material will not react with nitrocellulose finish, but unfortunately an unconditional guarantee is something that no one can honestly give. Our material will not chemically react like some foams and rubbers of our competitors do. We have seen discolorations, hazing, and smudges. The smudges almost always wipe by hand, as our material is petroleum based which like a fingerprint will leave a light oily smudge at times. Many of the other times the culprit has been polishes, sunlight, previously used hangers, and under-cured finish. Once in a while, there is no explanation. We have sold literally millions of hangers and hold large collections of vintage guitars. Gibson and Fender both use our hangers for their trade show displays, and we manufacture Martin Guitars branded accessory hanger. The one thing that I can assure you is that there is nothing safer on the market. In good conscience we cannot offer a guarantee, due to the sensitivity of the finish.
Kind Regards,
Travis Thieman"
So, my impression is that you should check the contact area at time intervals that seem appropriate to you and catch anything that might happen early. Be especially aware of other wet/reactive substances in this area (oils/conditioners/polish) before putting the guitar on the hanger. You could also use the barrier method some here have suggested as a peace of mind insurance measure. Of course, the other option is to simply not display them on a hanger. I've seen guitars pick up color from case linings, so there is no completely safe method. Like most things, it's your call.
"Hello Rick,
Thank you for your email. I understand your concerns of displaying high value guitars on our hangers. I have pasted below our standard reply when the nitro/marking question comes up. I have heard of the cloth being a good insurance policy, but do not use it myself and the looks would not be that great. Please call me if you wish to discuss further.
Nitro is a very delicate finish that we are constantly learning more about every day. We have spent a lot of time and resources to make sure that our material will not react with nitrocellulose finish, but unfortunately an unconditional guarantee is something that no one can honestly give. Our material will not chemically react like some foams and rubbers of our competitors do. We have seen discolorations, hazing, and smudges. The smudges almost always wipe by hand, as our material is petroleum based which like a fingerprint will leave a light oily smudge at times. Many of the other times the culprit has been polishes, sunlight, previously used hangers, and under-cured finish. Once in a while, there is no explanation. We have sold literally millions of hangers and hold large collections of vintage guitars. Gibson and Fender both use our hangers for their trade show displays, and we manufacture Martin Guitars branded accessory hanger. The one thing that I can assure you is that there is nothing safer on the market. In good conscience we cannot offer a guarantee, due to the sensitivity of the finish.
Kind Regards,
Travis Thieman"
So, my impression is that you should check the contact area at time intervals that seem appropriate to you and catch anything that might happen early. Be especially aware of other wet/reactive substances in this area (oils/conditioners/polish) before putting the guitar on the hanger. You could also use the barrier method some here have suggested as a peace of mind insurance measure. Of course, the other option is to simply not display them on a hanger. I've seen guitars pick up color from case linings, so there is no completely safe method. Like most things, it's your call.
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