DrNewcenstein
He Did the Monster Mash
...a new guitar 
Just thought I'd share a few thoughts on a common problem: when a guitar is shipped to you and the setup or truss rod isn't right.
A lot of folks jump right in with the tools and tweak it that day, and then again a couple of days later, and then again for the next several weeks, if not months (if they keep it that long). Then they go online and bash the guitar, the manufacturer, the guy they bought it from, and the current administration. In truth, the fault almost always lies with the buyer.
Never adjust a guitar the day you get it unless you're in the same climate that it was purchased in (i.e. bought from a local shop).
If it was shipped to you and it crossed a mountain range worth mentioning (Rockies, Smokies, Adirondacks, Swiss Alps, etc) or more than 1 State in either direction, let it sit in the case or on a stand/hanger for at least 48 hours before adjusting anything, even the tuning. Let it acclimate in its own time.
I need to make a chart for this sort of thing, actually, but for example, if you're in Pennsylvania and a guitar is shipped to you from St Louis, let it sit for 2 days. If it's shipped to you from California, let it sit for 7 days. If it comes from Texas, let it sit for 5 days. If it comes from southern Florida, let it sit for a week due to the humidity. If it comes from central Florida, give it 4 days. If it comes from north Florida, let it sit for 3 days. If it comes from Washington State/Pacific Northwest, or southwestern Canada, let it sit for at least 5 days. If it's only one State away, then give it at least 1 day, depending on the local topography (i.e. mountainous region of New York to the plains of Pennsylvania, if they have any).
If you get a tracking number, track it daily to see where it is currently and check the weather for that area; if it crosses a frontal boundary (passing through a rain or snow line), add 1 day of rest.
It might be fair to say give it one day of rest (24 hours) for every day of travel, but that also depends on air vs ground transport. A UPS cargo jet will cross the Rockies a lot faster than a UPS truck, but will also travel at an even higher altitude, which means more pressure on the wood, and a more rapid change in climate.
While I'm no expert on European climatology, I'll suggest that if you're in Germany and a guitar comes from England/UK, let it sit for 2 days. If it comes from France, 1 day should be enough. If it comes from Spain, let it sit for 2-3 days. If it comes from America, give it a week before you tweak.
Again, I'm no expert on European climatology, so I'd love to hear from our European brethren and see if these recommended wait times help, or have any effect at all.
I've bought guitars from all over the country over the years, as well as from Japan, and wasted days on end trying to undo bad Day-1 tweaks that I could have avoided otherwise. Once I started paying attention to the climates they came from, it all made sense and I came up with those basic rules of thumb. Since then, I've not had a bad guitar that wasn't a dog to begin with, and those who've bought from me and heeded that advice became believers.
I'm sure this advice has been posted everywhere several times since the internet was invented, but it doesn't hurt to remind.
Just thought I'd share a few thoughts on a common problem: when a guitar is shipped to you and the setup or truss rod isn't right.
A lot of folks jump right in with the tools and tweak it that day, and then again a couple of days later, and then again for the next several weeks, if not months (if they keep it that long). Then they go online and bash the guitar, the manufacturer, the guy they bought it from, and the current administration. In truth, the fault almost always lies with the buyer.
Never adjust a guitar the day you get it unless you're in the same climate that it was purchased in (i.e. bought from a local shop).
If it was shipped to you and it crossed a mountain range worth mentioning (Rockies, Smokies, Adirondacks, Swiss Alps, etc) or more than 1 State in either direction, let it sit in the case or on a stand/hanger for at least 48 hours before adjusting anything, even the tuning. Let it acclimate in its own time.
I need to make a chart for this sort of thing, actually, but for example, if you're in Pennsylvania and a guitar is shipped to you from St Louis, let it sit for 2 days. If it's shipped to you from California, let it sit for 7 days. If it comes from Texas, let it sit for 5 days. If it comes from southern Florida, let it sit for a week due to the humidity. If it comes from central Florida, give it 4 days. If it comes from north Florida, let it sit for 3 days. If it comes from Washington State/Pacific Northwest, or southwestern Canada, let it sit for at least 5 days. If it's only one State away, then give it at least 1 day, depending on the local topography (i.e. mountainous region of New York to the plains of Pennsylvania, if they have any).
If you get a tracking number, track it daily to see where it is currently and check the weather for that area; if it crosses a frontal boundary (passing through a rain or snow line), add 1 day of rest.
It might be fair to say give it one day of rest (24 hours) for every day of travel, but that also depends on air vs ground transport. A UPS cargo jet will cross the Rockies a lot faster than a UPS truck, but will also travel at an even higher altitude, which means more pressure on the wood, and a more rapid change in climate.
While I'm no expert on European climatology, I'll suggest that if you're in Germany and a guitar comes from England/UK, let it sit for 2 days. If it comes from France, 1 day should be enough. If it comes from Spain, let it sit for 2-3 days. If it comes from America, give it a week before you tweak.
Again, I'm no expert on European climatology, so I'd love to hear from our European brethren and see if these recommended wait times help, or have any effect at all.
I've bought guitars from all over the country over the years, as well as from Japan, and wasted days on end trying to undo bad Day-1 tweaks that I could have avoided otherwise. Once I started paying attention to the climates they came from, it all made sense and I came up with those basic rules of thumb. Since then, I've not had a bad guitar that wasn't a dog to begin with, and those who've bought from me and heeded that advice became believers.
I'm sure this advice has been posted everywhere several times since the internet was invented, but it doesn't hurt to remind.
