NY Weather, Necks, Truss Rods?

[teleman3726]

Ok, I'm hoping some of you have had the same problems and can offer some insight.
As you know, the weather in NY state is not the most stable. It can be humid for periods at a time and then quite dry.
But this is what I've noticed.
Each day when I bring my archtop out of its case and tune it up, it's slightly sharp - consistently. The same with my tele. Yet my Martin D28 is slightly flat. Of course, the action on these guitars changes often.
Is this a function of the tonewoods used in each guitar and the relative strength of the truss rods? It pisses me off to be honest, since it never happened on the West Coast where I came from originally.
Are frequent set ups necessary?
Any insight would be welcome. Thanks to those that respond.

[Drifter]

Same over here, I always have to tune my guitars before playing. I never considered it something out of the ordinary. It's only natural that wood reacts to different levels of air humidity as it absorbes and releases it. The action changes a little bit, too, but not to the level that I have to do a new setup. You will probably have to get used to it if you don't have a climate controlled room to store your instruments.

I would be interested if you noticed a difference in tone, too. I noticed that my archtops sound a lot better when humidity is at 50%-70% than in winter time at about 30%-35%. I found the difference quite surprising.

[oldane]

Originally Posted by teleman3726

Each day when I bring my archtop out of its case and tune it up, it's slightly sharp - consistently. The same with my tele. Yet my Martin D28 is slightly flat. Of course, the action on these guitars changes often.

The same for my guitars. They go slightly sharp in the lowest strings when not played - whether in the case or on the stand. That's what the tuning gears are for .

I havent really noticed shifts in action at different seasons, but I have noticed a slight shift in sound. Here in Denmark it can be rather humid in the summer while it is dry indoors in the winter due to heating. I seem to like the "winter sound" better. The difference is indeed slight, and my wife can't hear it.

[RoyaleT]

I'm in NJ along the shore. I have two Flat tops, an Aria full hollow body, Godin Kingpin, Strat, and Epi dot. All are stored hung up, never cased, and vary in tuning with weather changes as well. But always the same way, either all somewhat sharp or all flat depending mostly on humidity, less so by temperature.

[Allenl]

Originally Posted by teleman3726

Ok, I'm hoping some of you have had the same problems and can offer some insight.
As you know, the weather in NY state is not the most stable. It can be humid for periods at a time and then quite dry.
But this is what I've noticed.
Each day when I bring my archtop out of its case and tune it up, it's slightly sharp - consistently. The same with my tele. Yet my Martin D28 is slightly flat. Of course, the action on these guitars changes often.
Is this a function of the tonewoods used in each guitar and the relative strength of the truss rods? It pisses me off to be honest, since it never happened on the West Coast where I came from originally.
Are frequent set ups necessary?
Any insight would be welcome. Thanks to those that respond.

Necks will definitely flex with changes in weather. You will probably also notice, if your tunnig went higher in pitch, your action also got lower. The opposite will also hold true. If your tuning goes flat, you action will be higher.

I'm in the west coast and for the most part, I adjust my necks about twice a year to accommodate for summer and winter. If you're in a location where changes are all over the map, you will need to perform setups more often. Robben Ford usually removes his trust rod covers altogether, due to his constant touring and the need to constantly adjust his guitar necks.

[Pothcra]

Originally Posted by Allenl

You will probably also notice, if your tunnig went higher in pitch, your action also got lower. The opposite will also hold true. If your tuning goes flat, you action will be higher.

That is strange... I experience the exact opposite. The higher the pitch, the higher the action. I thought it would make more sense, since wood expands with humidity. Therefore, when very humid, the top becomes "larger", and since the sides are fixed, it will raise, raising the bridge and putting more tension on the strings. Anyways, I took the habit to humidify my studio during the dry months of winter, as i definitely prefer the "humid" tone/action.

[dave251]

Guitar tuning pulling sharp is generally indicitive of the strings binding in the nut slots. The nut needs a touch up...recontouring the slots slightly should alleviate the problem. However, you should always expect to retune whenever you pick the instrument up. Not a big deal.

It's always a good idea to have your guitar(s) visited by a qualified tech every few months...and at least once a year.

[Allenl]

Originally Posted by Pothcra

That is strange... I experience the exact opposite. The higher the pitch, the higher the action. I thought it would make more sense, since wood expands with humidity. Therefore, when very humid, the top becomes "larger", and since the sides are fixed, it will raise, raising the bridge and putting more tension on the strings. Anyways, I took the habit to humidify my studio during the dry months of winter, as i definitely prefer the "humid" tone/action.

Hmmm, that's strange. Wood gets softer in warm weather...therefore the neck bows under the tension of the strings, resulting in higher action and lowering in tuning. To compensate, one would tighten the trust rod. In the winter, the opposite occurs. When it's cold, wood becomes more rigid and tends to straighten more. The effect is similar to tightening the trust rod. Therefore the action lowers and the tuning goes higher in pitch.

[Gramps]

"Wood gets softer in warm weather"

It isn't the temp of the wood that is causing most of the shifts, it is humidity or lack of humidity that can really make your setup change drastically. Colder weather+central heat=drop in humidity.

[Allenl]

Originally Posted by Gramps

"Wood gets softer in warm weather"

It isn't the temp of the wood that is causing most of the shifts, it is humidity or lack of humidity that can really make your setup change drastically. Colder weather+central heat=drop in humidity.

You're partially correct. Humidity will affect wood, as does shifts in environmental ambient temperature. I live in the West Coast, San Francisco Bay Area, where humidity is fairly constant year-round. The main factor affecting my setups are the temp swings fom warm to cold between summer and winter.

The bottom line is, guitars will react to environmental changes whether it's temperature / humidity or both. Minor trust-rod adjustments will usually take care of the problem.

[Allenl]

Originally Posted by Gramps

"Wood gets softer in warm weather"

It isn't the temp of the wood that is causing most of the shifts, it is humidity or lack of humidity that can really make your setup change drastically. Colder weather+central heat=drop in humidity.

You're partially correct. Humidity will affect wood, as does shifts in environmental ambient temperature. I live in the West Coast, San Francisco Bay Area, where humidity is fairly constant year-round. The main factor affecting my setups are the temp swings fom warm to cold between summer and winter.

The bottom line is, guitars will react to environmental changes whether it's temperature / humidity or both. Minor trust-rod adjustments will usually take care of the problem.

[Gramps]

Teleman,

Where I live we get big shifts in weather and I think it's a good idea to learn to tweek your instrument yourself when it needs it. Truss rod or bridge adjustment should be doable with a little reasearch and care. Of couse you can have someone else do it for you but.....