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Post by modbus on Feb 24, 2021 15:58:29 GMT -5
Both my cheap acoustics fret out around the 12th fret. The board rises a bit at the tongue.
Can anything be done to fix it besides a level/crown?
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Post by Peegoo 🏁 on Feb 24, 2021 17:37:00 GMT -5
Depends on the action. If the distance between the top of the 12th fret and the strings is much more than 1/16” or so, yeah—a level and crown are in order.
If the action is really low, you may be able to install a taller saddle to fix the issue. But ideally the frets’ tops should all be close to level with the strings off and the neck relaxed.
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Post by funkykikuchiyo on Feb 25, 2021 18:14:47 GMT -5
A combination of a low saddle and too much bow in the neck will do this as well. Sighting down an acoustic neck is a bit tricky if you're used to just looking at electrics and they sometimes look straighter than they are.
If the guitars have solid tops, drying out can do that, too. Drying out will add some bow to the neck, drop the top (effectively dropping the saddle) and create/emphasize a hump in the fingerboard where it meets the body.
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Post by modbus on Mar 1, 2021 14:04:41 GMT -5
I may have shaved too much off of the saddle on on of the guitars. The action was really high, so I measured and sanded the saddle down. At first, I was very happy with the setup, everything seemed pretty dialed in. As winter has worn on, it developed the dead frets. The action still isn't super low, though. Maybe with more humid weather it'll get better.
The other guitar is an old resonator with action that's a bit on the high side. It's gotten worse over the years.
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Post by Peegoo 🏁 on Mar 1, 2021 14:46:26 GMT -5
It's probably drying out inside.
Are you using a humidifier in the case?
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Post by modbus on Mar 1, 2021 14:58:31 GMT -5
No, no humidifer. Maybe I should get one.
The newer Yamaha doesn't even have a case, I just leave it laying around the family room for when the mood strikes.
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Post by funkykikuchiyo on Mar 2, 2021 9:14:56 GMT -5
Yup, humidity. You likely lowered the action in high humidity, so you've got a double whammy.
I'd also grab some hygrometers... whatever gets good ratings on Amazon, shouldn't cost much more than $10-12. I don't like putting them in cases to try to measure; I don't think they're very accurate that way because the air doesn't flow very well in there, but having them in the same room as the guitar will give you an idea what is up when your action goes nuts. It also helps tell you when it is time to pull the humidifiers out in the spring.
Also remember that soundhole humidifiers don't work without cases.
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Post by Peegoo 🏁 on Mar 2, 2021 9:40:06 GMT -5
In the meantime, do the following:
Loosen each tuner two full turns.
Make a 10" loop from 550 cord or other strong cord and attach it to the headstock.
Wet a face towel with water, wring it out really well, and drop it into a large trash can liner/bag.
Put the guitar into the bag and put a twist tie or rubber band around the gathered open end, with the end of the cord loop sticking out the top. It's important that the liner is large enough for the wet towel to lay in the bottom of the bag and not in direct contact with the lower end of the guitar.
Put the end of the cord loop over a sturdy clothes hanger and hang the guitar/bag in a closet for a week.
After a week goes by, remove the guitar, tune it up, and check the neck/body geometry.
This is the bestest way to humidify a dried-out guitar.
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Post by Peegoo 🏁 on Mar 2, 2021 9:49:17 GMT -5
No, no humidifer. Maybe I should get one. As Eric O from South Main Auto likes to say, "there's yer problem, lady."  Humidification really matters. The neck connection on a typical acoustic guitar usually has somewhere around six different pieces of wood all glued together at opposing grain orientations. The various pieces of wood all expand and contract at different rates as humidity levels (moisture in the wood) change, and this is what causes the fingerboard over that location to develop a hump or a dip. |
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Post by modbus on Mar 6, 2021 18:22:22 GMT -5
Update: I put a 1.5mm shim under the saddle on the newer Yamaha, and that seemed to do the trick.
I will however, probably have to rehumidify the old resonator. I'll have to remove the resonator cone sometime, otherwise I'll have a rusty cone, which would be a whole new set of problems. I don't play that guitar much, so I'll wait until the heat is off in the house for the season.
Thanks, all.
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Post by funkykikuchiyo on Mar 6, 2021 19:57:08 GMT -5
Resonators are very rarely made with solid woods, so humidity wouldn't be my first guess for playability issues on that one. Glad to hear the Yamahahaha is better!
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