neck twist info

[seth_southerland]

alright guys so my guitars are notorious for their necks twisting, i live in oklahoma with a lot of humidity, so thats understandable

but what i think would be useful to me and to many others as well is a topic that explains some of the causes of the twisting, the ways to fix the twisting, and ways to prevent it from occurring.

i dont know very much about this, so what can everyone say about it?

i do know that humidity and and temperature and big changes with those can cause twisting, and that fixing it usually involves tightening or loosening the truss rod

what else is there?

[hcole]

You might want to check out http://www.frets.com. This site as all kinds of useful information regarding care and maintenance of guitars and Frank Ford (its his site) is considered to be one of the experts.

[taylordb]

There was a guy that use to post on these boards...and he was a luthier...I can't remember his screen name though. His stuff was very helpful and I know he could answer your question. I think he lived in the northeast US.

[thejoe]

those humidifier things that go in the soundhole might help you

im not really sure about the details though

[mangold]

the truss cannot fix "twisting" or radial warping of the neck. the truss is only good for adjusting the bend of the neck.

only extreme humidity and sudden temperature changes can really warp the neck. basically if you keep your guitars indoors it shouldnt be a problem.

however you increase the possibility of the neck warping if you have your guitar leaned on a wall that has a heater on it. making on side of the neck warmer or colder than the other side is ussually what causes the twisting. other ways this is possible is if you have your guitar in a spot such that sunlight from one window is on one half of the neck constantly, that will warp it over time.

some other less likely causes would be not having the neck connected to the body well enough on one side, using low strings from a heavy set and high strings from an extra light set, (ive actually seen that before) or having a truss rod that was installed incorrectly and is not centered in the neck.

basically, any changes in temp, humidity, anything that befall your guitar will only cause the neck to move up and down which is fixable by means of the truss. you just need to watch things happening to one half of your guitar.

thats all i got

[seth_southerland]

well, i've always been using extra light strings, so here pretty soon i'm going to get 11's or 12's and see how those go, cuz i've learned that the lighter gauge strings can buzz more than the heavier ones, and i need to find out if there is a suggested gauge of strings for my guitar

[c_tietze]

Caring for an acoustic guitar is actually very simple. Use the proper string gauge. Keep it in it's case when you're not playing it, keep it out of direct sunlight, keep it out of the rain, the snow, etc. Use a humidifier. Avoid extreme temperatures

It's actually all common sense. It's made out of wood, wood expands and contracts as a result of temperature.

An adjustment or setup once in a great while might be needed, but by following the simple rules for guitar care you'll have NO problems.

[Kahn]

Caring for an acoustic guitar is actually very simple. Use the proper string gauge. Keep it in it's case when you're not playing it, keep it out of direct sunlight, keep it out of the rain, the snow, etc. Use a humidifier. Avoid extreme temperatures

It's actually all common sense. It's made out of wood, wood expands and contracts as a result of temperature.

An adjustment or setup once in a great while might be needed, but by following the simple rules for guitar care you'll have NO problems.

Summer
Actually, you shouldn't keep a guitar in it's case during the summertime. In the summer (at least in the states where it gets pretty warm) you should keep your guitar on a stand away from a window. You should, however, case up your axe in the winter. Also, in places like Florida, Georgia, and Oklahoma where it get humid, a humidifier is a waste of time and money. Especially if the guitar is new. Excess moisture causes the top of the guitar to belly, pushing the bridge, and the strings upward. This makes the area between the nut and the saddle concave. But, if your guitar is indoors, you should have no problem. Exposure to bright sunlight for a period of time can also cause the top of your guitar to prematurley yellow. Also, never ever leave your guitar in the trunk of your car if you don't have to. Thats murder on wood.

Winter
Winter is a real villian to guitars. Guitars are built with the back and top slightly arched. Excessive dryness can cause the wood to become flat or even concave. Finish will also distort, as the finish that fills the pores of the wood will pop up as the wood shrinks around it., causing small lumps to appear. Th only real need for a humidifier is in the winter months in dry states. Where I live, it stays humid all year, but a humidifier for your guitar room is much more effective than a little soundhole one. DO NOT hang your guitar on the wall in the winter, keep it in its case, and allow your guitar to warm up SLOWLY if it is cold.

Shipping
Never ship your guitar only in its case. Go to a music shop and ask for an empty cardboard shipping carton, they have plenty of them. packing should be crumpled newspaper stuffed very loosley around the case. It is dangerous to wedge the case in to tight. You should not take tension off the strings while shipping. Because the peghead with the machine heads are the heaviest part of the guitar, the string tension balances this stress along with the rest of the guitar. Without this tension, one good jar to the guitar (even with the most careful packing) and the guitar might arrive at its destination with the peghead sheared off at the nut!

If you guys have any more questions I'll be willing to answer them to the best of my ability, but I'm tired of typing.

I'll make a new thread on how to care for your guitar. Come post in it people