Store Your Instruments Using Self-Storage Solutions

The vibrant and electrifying street party that is Notting Hill Carnival is fast approaching and it is set to be yet another year of spectacular performers, delicious street food and good music. Notting Hill Carnival was founded in 1964, as a way of the UK’s Afro-Caribbean population to celebrate their cultures and traditions. It has now become the largest street festival in Europe and attracts up to 2 million visitors every year. Along with those 2 million visitors, comes 40 sound system’s, 10 steel bands and 70 performing stages, that’s a lot of musical performers and their musical instruments. With so many performers making their way to London for the festival, they need somewhere to keep their instruments, equipment and costumes. Somewhere they can access at any time of day in case they need to practice or prepare, somewhere that is safe and secure and where their belongings are safe from any sort of damage. Our self-storage solutions are perfect for storing instruments and other bits of carnival equipment, so whether you are performing in this year’s carnival and looking for somewhere to temporarily store your equipment, we’ve got a few tips you might want to try, to make sure your instruments are kept safe and in perfect condition for the big day. Keep away from extreme conditions The biggest threats to musical instruments are 4 specific conditions, extreme heat, cold, humidity and dust. Choose a self-storage solution that provides climate control, which will give you complete control over the conditions your instruments are stored in. This is particularly important when it comes to wooden instruments such as pianos, violins or guitars, as wood expands and shrinks easily in hot or cold conditions. When it comes to protecting from dust, use items such as dust sheets or cases, these will all keep any settling dust off your strings, keys or drums and keep you sounding in tip top form. Make sure instruments are well padded and covered Keeping your instruments in their original cases and covers not only keeps dust at bay, but it can also protect them from being damaged in transit. On instruments such as steel drums, the slightest scratch can have an adverse affect on the overall sound and tone. Making sure everything is secured on a table, or shelving unit when in storage and in a case, will help to prevent the instrument falling or other items falling onto them and damaging them beyond repair. Pre-storage instrument prep Depending on the length of time you plan to store your items, you may need to prep your instruments for storage. For string instruments such as guitars, cellos and violins, it’s a good idea to loosen the strings, as leaving them tight over time, with little to no playing, could warp and bend the neck of the instrument. You may also need to protect the wood or steel with wax or resin, as well as dismantling woodwind instruments, making sure all components are clean and stored correctly. If you’re looking to store your musical instruments before a big event, one of our small self-storage solutions would be ideal. At 40 sq. ft. our small units are the perfect size for keeping your instruments safe and secure in a completely climate controlled environment.