I built this guitar stand using less than a quarter sheet of mdf. It’s durable, easy to build, looks great, it’s cheap and it’s a safe spot to hold up to 6 guitars.
Back Story
Two years ago, I built a guitar stand very similar to this, using the same template I made for this project. The original guitar stand had some flaws.
• First, I made it with neck cutouts for 7 guitars and that made the guitars rest too close to each other. I would occasionally bump one guitar into another as I was either taking a guitar off or putting one back.
• Secondly, I put the two pieces that the guitar body rests on in the wrong orientation. I there was a bit too much of a bow, when it was fully loaded. It wasn’t terrible, just not ideal.
• Last, I never got around to putting the foam padding on. So, I had to be overly delicate putting guitars back. I didn’t want the neck to rub the neck pocket or the body to sit on raw plywood.
Improvements From Original
- First, and most noticeable, I painted the guitar stand. I had originally planned on painting the whole thing black, but at the last minute I decided to add a real simple stripe with painters tape. I think the paint makes it look like much more of a finished project.
- I added adhesive backed neoprene foam tape to all the parts that come in contact with the guitars. I am still very careful when placing the guitars on the stand, just out of habit from the previous version. There is just a peace of mind knowing that everything is padded now.
- I changed the design to hold 6 guitars instead of 7. As I stated before, there just wasn’t enough space between guitars. Now, there’s plenty of room and I never bump them on each other.
- I rotated the pieces that the body of the guitar rests on. There’s much more stability and rigidity with them rotated. An added benefit is that the mdf is 3/4″ thick and I was able to find 3/4″ neoprene foam that fits it perfectly.