[CRG1400]

Ok, I lent my yamaha classical guitar to a good friend and fellow musician. Normally I wouldn't do this, but this person is an amazing musician and I had trust in them. I knew that the guitar was in good hands. But when I was going to pick it up something came up and I just told my friend to leave the guitar at my church so I could pick it up later.
I ended up picking it up the next day. When I opened it back up it seemed to me that the action was a little high. Then after playing it it seemed really high. I think the sanctuary in which the guitar was stored was really cold that night, and the guitar was not detuned in which i deliberatly stated to my friend to do when ever moving it.
Could the cold of warped the neck of my guitar and given it the high action? If so how could I fix it. This guitar is very near and dear to me, given to me by a great man.
It is quite amazing how one can create a relationship with a guitar, a piece of wood and some strings. I refer to the guitar as a person, it even has a name, so any help would be appreciated. I could post some pictures later in the day if they are needed.

This post has been edited by CRG1400: 04 January 2005 - 12:55 PM

[adds]

Ok ill try to explane this but its going to be a bit tricky to explane.If the neck has bowed which sounds like the case if the action has got higher then you usually tend to take a length of wood and put it under the neck or over it if you wanted to bring it back round the oppersit way.In the centre of the neck between the piece of wood and the neck you would put a wooden block.You may need to shape it and put a bit of cork baking on it to avoid damage to the finish.Then you would clamp each end end of the neck between the neck and length of wood.Lightly at first.Then you get a couple of lamps with nice powerfull bulbs and and just turn them on so the heat from them will heat the neck makeing the clamps tighter as it warms.This isnt a quich process though and the fact that its an acoustic might just mean you have to remove the neck.If your guitar has a slipper heel which being a classical could well be the case its going to be a big job.You may not have to remove the neck but its possable.Haveing not done this on an acoustic yet im not sure.Im confident i could fix it but to be honest if you havent worked on guitars before i wouldnt attemp to do it yourself.You could see how it clamps up without removeing the neck but dont try and remove it if you dont know what your doing.The other thing is if its twisted at all it could get even more complicated to the extent you might have to start removeing fingerboards and planeing ect.Without seeing it its hard to say.It could well be this is going to be a very expencive and time consumeing job.I dont really like giveing instructions on how to do a job of this scale over the net.I dont want you to f*ck the guitar even more.

Just dont do anything you might regret.Might just be best you get it looked at.


Thinking about it i did do a ukelaly or how ever you spelll the name of the horrable things without removeing the neck so you should be able to do it without removeing the neck.But if there are twists it could still get messy.

This post has been edited by adds: 04 January 2005 - 01:51 PM

[rasav]

Wow adds, I want you for my next book... Highly complicated ways to do things!
(Just a jab, not a flame.)
Most yamahas have truss rods allowing for an easy adjustment. (Even the classicals.)
I am really against adviseing others to spend money, but if this is a favorite instrument the SAFEST thing to do is to take it in and blow the 60 -80 bucks to have it straightened (Unless it's a c.g. series, then a new one is only 120-180$ dollars depending on where you shop.)
Plan B is to adjust the trussrod yourself. (A forum search should turn up at least a hundred hits on this topic in guitar discussion.)
I'd go with plan B, but I'm broke, hard headed and have about 12 guitars.

This post has been edited by rasav: 04 January 2005 - 06:58 PM

[stuartmerenbloom]

I'd go the 2nd route too. If the guitar has an adjustable neck (look into it at the base of the neck and see if there is a nut to turn), if so take it to a pro ans spend the $$$ to have it done right. Good luck.

[adds]

Wow adds, I want you for my next book... Highly complicated ways to do things!
(Just a jab, not a flame.)   
Most yamahas have truss rods allowing for an easy adjustment. (Even the classicals.)
I am really against adviseing others to spend money, but if this is a favorite instrument the SAFEST thing to do is to take it in and blow the 60 -80 bucks to have it straightened (Unless it's a c.g. series, then a new one is only 120-180$ dollars depending on where you shop.)
Plan B is to adjust the trussrod yourself. (A forum search should turn up at least a hundred hits on this topic in guitar discussion.)
I'd go with plan B, but I'm broke, hard headed and have about 12 guitars.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Thats not a complicated way its just the way you do it when a neck has bowed so much that it either cant be corrected with the truss rod ie its bent the other way that most truss rods cant adjust to or like with most classicals it doesnt have a truss rod to take into consideration.If the guitar has a truss rod obviously thats the first thing you look at.Me not being a classical person and also not haveing ever worked on a yammy classical i didnt know that even the classicals have truss rods.I was just going on the fact we have a situation with a bowed neck on a classical.Had that been the case you would have to do what i said .

And its not really complicated it just sounds it written down.

[rasav]

Wow adds, I want you for my next book... Highly complicated ways to do things!
(Just a jab, not a flame.)   
Most yamahas have truss rods allowing for an easy adjustment. (Even the classicals.)
I am really against adviseing others to spend money, but if this is a favorite instrument the SAFEST thing to do is to take it in and blow the 60 -80 bucks to have it straightened (Unless it's a c.g. series, then a new one is only 120-180$ dollars depending on where you shop.)
Plan B is to adjust the trussrod yourself. (A forum search should turn up at least a hundred hits on this topic in guitar discussion.)
I'd go with plan B, but I'm broke, hard headed and have about 12 guitars.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Thats not a complicated way its just the way you do it when a neck has bowed so much that it either cant be corrected with the truss rod ie its bent the other way that most truss rods cant adjust to or like with most classicals it doesnt have a truss rod to take into consideration.If the guitar has a truss rod obviously thats the first thing you look at.Me not being a classical person and also not haveing ever worked on a yammy classical i didnt know that even the classicals have truss rods.I was just going on the fact we have a situation with a bowed neck on a classical.Had that been the case you would have to do what i said .

And its not really complicated it just sounds it written down.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Good call,
No qualms about diagnosis or proceedure, the devil is in the details, if someone isn't a woodworker that proceedure is as complicated as can be.

[adds]

Wow adds, I want you for my next book... Highly complicated ways to do things!
(Just a jab, not a flame.)   
Most yamahas have truss rods allowing for an easy adjustment. (Even the classicals.)
I am really against adviseing others to spend money, but if this is a favorite instrument the SAFEST thing to do is to take it in and blow the 60 -80 bucks to have it straightened (Unless it's a c.g. series, then a new one is only 120-180$ dollars depending on where you shop.)
Plan B is to adjust the trussrod yourself. (A forum search should turn up at least a hundred hits on this topic in guitar discussion.)
I'd go with plan B, but I'm broke, hard headed and have about 12 guitars.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Thats not a complicated way its just the way you do it when a neck has bowed so much that it either cant be corrected with the truss rod ie its bent the other way that most truss rods cant adjust to or like with most classicals it doesnt have a truss rod to take into consideration.If the guitar has a truss rod obviously thats the first thing you look at.Me not being a classical person and also not haveing ever worked on a yammy classical i didnt know that even the classicals have truss rods.I was just going on the fact we have a situation with a bowed neck on a classical.Had that been the case you would have to do what i said .

And its not really complicated it just sounds it written down.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Good call,
No qualms about diagnosis or proceedure, the devil is in the details, if someone isn't a woodworker that proceedure is as complicated as can be.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

And thats why i said its best to just get it looked at .

[beaumont]

. . . I discussed this exact same problem with a guitar guy today. He said before clamps etc, to take the strings off it and let it sit for a few days in its normal environment, and then put on a lighter set of strings. Just mentionning this for what it may be worth . . . Cheers.