GTR-05Choose the right fixing for your actual wall typeFor a timber stud (the target for this job), drill a 3mm pilot hole into the centre of the stud and use a wood screw at least 40mm long. For a metal stud, never use a wood screw or plastic plug — use a self-drilling metal-stud screw or a toggle-type hollow-wall anchor rated for the hanger's weight; a guitar hanger is light, so this usually holds, but heavier loads need a timber noggin fitted between the studs. For solid brick or block, drill with a 6mm masonry bit to 45mm depth, insert a wall plug, then drive a 50mm screw. For dot-and-dab plasterboard over masonry, use a fixing long enough to pass through the plasterboard, the adhesive dabs and 25-30mm into the masonry behind — a standard wall plug and screw is too short on its own. For lath and plaster, avoid the thin, brittle lath strips; find a joist or stud behind, or use a plasterboard-rated toggle fixing designed for old, soft plaster.