Seasonal neck adjustments on acoustic guitars?

[Norrissey]

I'm curious if the acoustic guitar players out there routinely adjust the necks (truss rods) on their acoustics in the fall and the spring as the weather changes and if so what kind of adjustments they usually make? Thanks in advance for sharing.

 

[schoolie]

I try to keep the humidity constant. It probably varies from 45-55%. I haven't noticed any changes in neck relief in my guitars since I starting controlling the humidity

 

[adorshki]

I'm curious if the acoustic guitar players out there routinely adjust the necks (truss rods) on their acoustics in the fall and the spring as the weather changes and if so what kind of adjustments they usually make? Thanks in advance for sharing.

Like Schoolie said that seems to be an issue where humidity swings widely over the year. High humidity for extended warm periods can swell the top, distorting bridge/saddle/nut geometry slightly during summer.

I recall reading at least a couple of members have a nut and saddle for each season, and it seems to predominate in the northeast through the midwest.

Here in SF Bay Area humidity doesn't vary much between the magic 45-55% except for short periods in winter, and the only deflection of the neck I ever noticed was when I went to Silk and Steels from Phosphor bronze strings.. need to loosen the truss a scoche due to the lower tension of the new strings.

 

[davismanLV]

I'm with @schoolie. The guitars are in a special room that varies in temperature very little as it's in the middle of the house, and the humidity is controlled. So I don't find a need for any adjustment.

 

[wileypickett]

Never something I've felt any need to do.

 

[crank]

I live in NY. I don't pay much attention to humidity.

I have a G37, a F412, a Yamaha and a Kalamazoo acoustics and 3 electrics.: Fender, Schecter and Epiphone. I have a luthier tune up most of the over $500 guitars at least once a decade or so. The others I do myself as needed. The Epiphone, a MIK hollow body had been stable and awesome since I got it in '98 and has never been set up or had any adjustments. YMMV.

I play most of these suckers a lot.

 

[Rayk]

Ironically I never have had to after an initial set up at least that I can recall .

 

[Boneman]

I don’t think I’ve adjusted a truss rod on any of my acoustics ever. As the others have indicated, I generally leave them in their case when not in use, with humidipaks in there keeping them at 49% rH. Plus I figure whenever I go, I want their next owners to appreciate them having been well kept, so case protection at all times they’re not being played.

 

[bobouz]

Never adjust seasonally, but do make adjustments as needed if I notice a change. If I’m pulling the strings off to work on an instrument, I’ll back off on the nut to relieve all tension until the guitar’s ready to be strung back up, and use a black marker to note it’s orientation - making it a little easier & quicker to dial back in. I’m super picky about neck relief & typically only want just a touch of it.

 

[Nuuska]

Nothing after original setup - and one guitar travelled in spring via Siberia to Japan - to Minnesota in August - back to Europe in January.

 

[Walter Broes]

Depends on where you live, how you store the guitars, and how the individual guitar reacts to weather changing, I guess? I have to adjust truss rods on all my guitars every now and then, some less than others.

 

[Wilmywood]

I normally give my '72 G37 a 1/8" turn one way in the summer and the same back in the winter. But then I'm a picky bassturd when it comes to action.

 

[plaidseason]

I have a couple of guitars (for live playing) that I swap out saddles on: humid summer New England vs. dry as a bone winter.

 

[Guildedagain]

I have heard tell of stories of guitars that change dramatically in the fall and need a seeing to by the guitar doc, and back again in the spring.

 

[chadt]

I try to keep the humidity constant. It probably varies from 45-55%. I haven't noticed any changes in neck relief in my guitars since I starting controlling the humidity

I've never had to do that.

 

[chazmo]

I sometimes have to make a TR adjustment here in central MA during change of seasons, but it's very rare. I have had to do it a couple of times when I change to different type/gauge of string.

I found it more frequently necessary with the Taylors I owned back in the mid-2000s, but I was doing a lot of buying/selling then and some if it was just initial setups.

 

[Bernie]

Humidity's rate has been climbing up to 65 % on one hygrometer recently : I worried a bit. I changed my Washburn setup by doing 2 or 3 moves up with an Allen key. The action became quite a bit lower and more like I want it (hadn't played that guitar for long). Rain has ended up and sun is shining now... Hygrometer went down to 53 in that room (48 in the other one according to my 2 hygrometers)...
Is 65 % enough to worry about (or to worry if it lasts) ?
I've seen quite a lot of moves on that guitar last year when I was playing on the seaside some days (including a note up the neck that became halftone sharp). Gets very hot here in the summer

 

[chazmo]

Where are you, Bernie?

 

[davismanLV]

Where are you, Bernie?

France. Tell them you're from France......

 

[midnightright]

I have heard it to be somewhat commonplace by some here (basically, "the frozen tundra" ...more or less)~ / to have the different saddles that get swapped out for different seasons (extremes). And also, those who do adjust their truss rods to accomodate for this wild shift in humidity (& possibly/probably temperature, as well). for some reason - I have never been bothered enough to try it?