Question about neck warping

Open lane

Open lane

New member
This may seem like a stupid question but...

If i buy a guitar in june, and it needs a neck adjustment in december... if i just leave it being could it return to it's original condition when the seasons change and it is june again?
 
I would say no. As a guitar settles the changes from season to season will be less dramatic as the guitar ages. So I would not expect it to swing back precisely to where it was at.
 
It is not uncommon for guitar necks to need adjustment as the seasons change. Let's not forget that wood used to be a living thing, and it still responds to changes in humidity and barometric pressure. Expect to tweak the truss rod at least twice a year - in the spring, and in the fall. It shouldn't be a lot of movement.
 
Securb said:
I would say no. As a guitar settles the changes from season to season will be less dramatic as the guitar ages. So I would not expect it to swing back precisely to where it was at.
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If its a bolt on neck, my understanding (and experience backs this up) is that moisture enters the heel end and over time, this is what causes a ski/jump type imperfection at the heel.

I agree that after manufacture, there will be the biggest changes, but also that changes add up over time, season to season. I dont think its correct to say that if a neck is settled at the 5-year mark it will also be settled at the 15-year mark.
 
Are we talking about the truss rod needing adjustment? Or the neck truly warping? They are different in my mind, but I'm no expert. Some of my instruments get a truss rod tweak a few times every year, others seem to hold more steady throughout the year.
 
Is this guitar sitting in the garage or on the porch?

How dramatic is the indoor temperature / humidity changes?

Adjust the Truss when it needs adjusted. If you are worried about this, and don't know how, now is the time to learn. YouTube will tell you all you will ever need to know. A seasonal truss change wouldn't be more than a quarter turn IMO, if that.

Unless you leave it on the porch in the rainy season and by the wood stove all winter...
 
Most my guitars rarely, if ever, need a truss rod adjustment. Not sure if it's the climate where I live or what, but I am fine with it. One less thing to worry about. I have a 2002 RG (the one in my profile pic) that I have never touched the truss rod. Plays the same as the day I bought it new in 2002 and the neck is completely straight.
 
None of the necks I make ever need truss rod tweaks due to warping, seasonal/temperature/humidity changes, settling in, etc. Only the players' preference changes dictate need for adjustments.
 
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