Apartment dwellers: what do you do with your gear!?

[dewey decibel]

I'm trying to clean my place but I've got so much sh!t- it's just piled up and I don't know what to do with it. I have the stuff that I use regualrly and it's all in cases; main guitar, pedalboard, bag for misc cables, etc and I can make room for it. But then I have a ton of other stuff like random pedals, boxes, tools, parts, not to mention other guitars and amps. And now I have a road case for my main amp, where do I put that!? Thinking of making it into a temporary coffee table...

:brick

[bchamorro]

I sold it.

[tiktok]

Go to the store and buy some of those stackable plastic tubs with lids and sort all your loose things into them.

[jrjones]

Send it to me!

[tnt365]

I send all my stuff to this guy

N0gb9v4LI4o

[boldaslove1977]

it's not easy...

my girlfriend and i have a 2 bedroom place. a good chunk of my gear is shoved in the corner of the guest bedroom... 3 amps... 3 pedalboards... 5 guitars on a stand... plus a few more in gig bags or leaning against the wall. it's out of the way (just enough) for our day to day living... but i do have to tighten it up when we have people stay over. right now i have a friend's bass head and cab in there too... so i'm really pushing it,.

we also have a storage closet in another building in our complex... i keep all my hard cases in there... as well as a big box with all my pedal boxes. that's a big help.

i really need to sell some stuff though... i have a few guitars that haven't been played in a long time...

[dimpler]

really???.....

[Dr. Tweedbucket]

Why not just get rid of what you're not using ... I mean, it's kind of tying you down if you know what I mean!

[boldaslove1977]

really???.....

:huh

not really sure what you mean by that...

but i guess the answer is yes... really.

[Ricman]

isn't that what the storage cage in the basement is for?

http://images.icanhascheezburger.com/completestore/2009/4/3/128832846884104262.jpg

[Washburnmemphis]

If you really need everything you have, it might be time to move to a bigger place.

[thornie]

I stack it all in the corner, drape a nice blanket or serape on top of it and use it as a table/mantle.

[joeburke]

I suspect that some of you might have more stuff than you need. Once I moved out of my parent's house and into an apartment, I kept 2 guitars and sold all my pedals and tube amps. It's not like you can fully enjoy them anyways.

[Tonekat]

I keep the big amps at my ex's house for as long as I can get away with.

I'm thinking of selling my cabs, except for my Bogner Cube and 1978 Marshall 1960 B cab with 25w blackbacks.

I want to keep my blackfaces and Marshall heads

As it is I just had to get a small storage unit because the ex is doing more renovation, and my albums and guitar mags, etc., needed to vacate the extra bedroom they were in. That extra monthly bill will make me quickly decide what to do with them.

Every once in awhile I hear "You know, people tell me I should just put it all out on the curb!" Who said that?! Give me their names!

[stratzrus]

I'm trying to clean my place but I've got so much sh!t- it's just piled up and I don't know what to do with it.Exactly. ;)

I have a walk in closet that's full of gear, my bedroom is half full of boxes and my living room is the same.

My solution to it all, yet to be implemented, is to buy some utility shelves and put as much there as possible. Amps and guitars currently not in use can stay in the equipment closet, but I have over
50 speakers in shipping boxes that are stacked up everywhere (10 of the original WGS $20 TGP special introductory sale speakers and 4 from the THD 10" blowout, 12 EV SRO/12Ls 6 EVM 10Ms, 10 Celestion V30s, 8 Celestion Sidewinders, and a variety of vintage CTS Alnicos, Jensens, and Oxfords). If I could get them on shelves it would be a dramatic improvement.

I also want to get some large plastic bins from K-Mart for cables, pedals, and other accessories.

Until then, my place looks like a cross between an electronic repair shop and someplace that should be on the TV show "Hoarders".

[Pfeister]

I don't have a lot of gear (not including what I make), but I keep most of it at the shop. I'm here all the time and I have some extra space, so it works out.
I also keep almost all of my art supplies (easels, brushes, paint, plaster, etc, etc, etc) here. I'm too messy of an artist to work from home anyhow.

[Virtual Pariah]

I've recently done the same thing and am planning a big sell off.
I figure I want to keep my top pieces get rid of the rest.

It's painful when you are trying to decide what should go.

[stratzrus]

It's painful when you are trying to decide what should go.And even more painful actually selling it. ;)

[germs]

pile it up.

seriously.

i'm in a 2br/1ba right now (about 1200sqft) and things get cramped. especially as the wife finds smaller and smaller places for me to put the same amount of gear.

i have to limit myself to about 6-7 guitars, 2 amps, and 2 boards. i could use more...lord knows i could...

[dewey decibel]

The big stuff I'll just have to deal with. I need at least two amps- one for the big gigs and one grab and go. But the big amp has a road case now, I maybe able to keep that in the basement storage, gonna try today. But amp+case in the basement is too much for my weak back (plus I don't trust keeping the amp down there).

The real problem though is random gear like pedals and cables, and then the tools to fix that gear. It's hard to put a pedal away when it's lying there open with parts hanging out. I have a nice mechanics tool box but I need more than that.

Go to the store and buy some of those stackable plastic tubs with lids and sort all your loose things into them.


I think that's step one. My girlfriend has a bunch of those for all her misc clothing accessories and shoes and it works well.


Exactly. ;)

I have a walk in closet that's full of gear, my bedroom is half full of boxes and my living room is the same.

My solution to it all, yet to be implemented, is to buy some utility shelves and put as much there as possible. Amps and guitars currently not in use can stay in the equipment closet, but I have over
50 speakers in shipping boxes that are stacked up everywhere (10 of the original WGS $20 TGP special introductory sale speakers and 4 from the THD 10" blowout, 12 EV SRO/12Ls 6 EVM 10Ms, 10 Celestion V30s, 8 Celestion Sidewinders, and a variety of vintage CTS Alnicos, Jensens, and Oxfords). If I could get them on shelves it would be a dramatic improvement.

I also want to get some large plastic bins from K-Mart for cables, pedals, and other accessories.

Until then, my place looks like a cross between an electronic repair shop and someplace that should be on the TV show "Hoarders".


D00d, that's a lot of speakers...


I don't have a lot of gear (not including what I make), but I keep most of it at the shop. I'm here all the time and I have some extra space, so it works out.
I also keep almost all of my art supplies (easels, brushes, paint, plaster, etc, etc, etc) here. I'm too messy of an artist to work from home anyhow.

I was hoping to keep a lot of it at the rehearsal space. If it were up to me we'd have a space where we could keep our stuff setup all the time, making it easy to just come in and practice or record. Plus I could go there by myself and turn up (can't really do that at the apartment). No substitute for playing loud to dial in sounds and effects. As it is the space is a studio that's used by a ton of people, so I don't feel comfortable leaving my gear there.

[stratzrus]

D00d, that's a lot of speakers...
Yeah it's crazy...but I found that it's a lot cheaper to collect speakers than either guitars or amps. ;)

[tiktok]

The big stuff I'll just have to deal with. I need at least two amps- one for the big gigs and one grab and go. But the big amp has a road case now, I maybe able to keep that in the basement storage, gonna try today. But amp+case in the basement is too much for my weak back (plus I don't trust keeping the amp down there).

The real problem though is random gear like pedals and cables, and then the tools to fix that gear. It's hard to put a pedal away when it's lying there open with parts hanging out. I have a nice mechanics tool box but I need more than that.




I think that's step one. My girlfriend has a bunch of those for all her misc clothing accessories and shoes and it works well.





D00d, that's a lot of speakers...




I was hoping to keep a lot of it at the rehearsal space. If it were up to me we'd have a space where we could keep our stuff setup all the time, making it easy to just come in and practice or record. Plus I could go there by myself and turn up (can't really do that at the apartment). No substitute for playing loud to dial in sounds and effects. As it is the space is a studio that's used by a ton of people, so I don't feel comfortable leaving my gear there.

You can have a lot of gear, you can have a tidy, uncluttered home, and you can have a cheap rehearsal space, but generally not all three at once. Embrace the mess, dump some gear, or spend more money on 'space' (private rehearsal, secure storage area).

[Peteyvee]

I was hoping to keep a lot of it at the rehearsal space. If it were up to me we'd have a space where we could keep our stuff setup all the time, making it easy to just come in and practice or record. Plus I could go there by myself and turn up (can't really do that at the apartment). No substitute for playing loud to dial in sounds and effects. As it is the space is a studio that's used by a ton of people, so I don't feel comfortable leaving my gear there.

Are there lockout rehearsal spaces available in your area? They're pretty cheap around here. About $4-500 per month. You get the key...but I wouldn't leave any guitars there!

[Jahn]

one guitar under the sofa in the living room for easy access. big amp behind that sofa. there IS room for another big amp back there...

pedalboard under the coffee table.

the rest upstairs stashed in the closet. small amp in that closet too.

there is room for two more guitars under the bed. just sayin'.

so yeah, still room for a whole other rig to come into the house. but i'm trying to be good.

[Virtual Pariah]

And even more painful actually selling it. ;)


Oh yeah.

or rather :(

[dewey decibel]

Are there lockout rehearsal spaces available in your area? They're pretty cheap around here. About $4-500 per month. You get the key...but I wouldn't leave any guitars there!


Yeah, but that's not going to happen. Politics...


one guitar under the sofa in the living room for easy access. big amp behind that sofa. there IS room for another big amp back there...

pedalboard under the coffee table.

the rest upstairs stashed in the closet. small amp in that closet too.

there is room for two more guitars under the bed. just sayin'.

so yeah, still room for a whole other rig to come into the house. but i'm trying to be good.


Yeah, that's what I need, more stuff like this. Problem is all my furniture is low to the floor. Plus my bed is on the floor too, I'd been meaning to get it up on a frame for some time- that would open up some storage space. I was serious when I said I was considering using the road case as a coffee table.

[Stevil]

If you really need everything you have, it might be time to move to a bigger place.

for me, that is the master plan. as soon as everybody stops whining about the economy & puts me back to work at a respectable salary. in the mean time the walk in closet & the storage unit will remain stocked with gear. selling all my gear would eliminate the desire to live in a bigger place since the prime reason i want a bigger place is to have a space of my own to jam in & not piss off the neighbors.

[spookybonus]

keep it at the studio.

[Somniferous]

depending upon how high your ceilings are, shelving units are your friends. People tend to forget about vertical space when organizing.

[Florbastang]

I send all my stuff to this guy

N0gb9v4LI4o

Very funny. The dude has a website too:

http://www.jonesbigasswebsiteandmerchandisecenter.com/?page_id=6




To the OP, it's all about sacrifice and getting rid of crap. If you have too much guitar stuff to fit into an apartment, you might want to consider trimming down on what you have or renting a storage. My girlfriend drives me nuts, because she keeps literally everything that she ever gets or is given to her.

[NHDave]

I have an ex wife with a basement... she's my son's mom and
we're cool...

guitar cases go there... i use gig bags if I need to go somewhere.
I ebay anything that's taking up inoordinate space and toss/donate
the rest.

[mbargav]

I don't cook, so I use my entire kitchen for gear storage. This is what's for dinner:

http://i737.photobucket.com/albums/xx19/bargavm/photo89.jpg

Shelves and kitchen drawers are all filled with pedals, cables, etc.

I keep my Pedal Train under the counter:

http://i737.photobucket.com/albums/xx19/bargavm/photo84.jpg

Guitars in the corner by my desk:

http://i737.photobucket.com/albums/xx19/bargavm/Apartment/photo50.jpg

Plus 9 more guitars in bedroom & hallway closets. One big amp (ac30), a med sized amp (Tophat SD), and a couple of small amps. If you keep things organized and clean, you can fit a surprising amount of gear in an apt without making it too crampt.