Case/Ukulele Storage

Do I need a case to keep my uke safe?

I'll probably be keeping it in a second floor room propped up agaisnt a book shelf and on carpet.

Are there any general rules for storing a uke that I should keep in mind? I already know that excessive cold or heat is bad ... as well as humidity etc.

Thanks! I just ordered a new uke from musicguymic!

Are you taking it out of house?

Where are you from?

One of the teachers where I take uke lessons told me that it's time to use a humidifier when your nose starts drying out. Of course that's kinda general, but you might get the idea. Not really a safety issue, but good for the health of your uke.

probably not

edit:

I'm in Northern Virginia, I guess that makes a diference because of humidity levels?

I'm from Minnesota where it's extremely dry in the wintertime. A humidifier is very necessary. In fact, MGM told me I would void the warranty on my KoAloha if I didn't use a humidifier.

I recently got an email from a guy who purchased a Koaloha from me and put a humidifier in the case. There was only room in the case to put it near the headstock. When he opened up the case, he found a crack on the back of the uke. His luthier told him that the humidifier was not "humidifying" the air near the body when the case was closed. He is now using a humidifier that can go in the sound hole.

I don't need to deal much with humidity problems here in Hawaii, but I'm curious if there are case designs that work better with humidifiers so that it works for the entire uke. I'm sure this information would be helpful for those who experience dry weather. Anyone care to share their tips?

I don't know. I'm kind of partial to having cases for instruments. I know from experience that bad things can happen to instruments just laying around. They can be accidentally stepped on etc...

And for me personally, if I'm making a decent size monetary investment in an instrument, I'd rather it have a case to protect it from me as well as the elements. (not to mention those 7lbs of blue eyed feline destruction named Keiko...)