Tips on how to deal with instruments setting that change with weather or shipping

Here at Penny Lane Emporium we ship instruments to different parts of the US and the world every day.

Before we ship any instrument we perform a detailed and rigorous setup to make sure the instrument is set for best playability and sound.

Sometimes the instrument will reach their destination in a dry, cold part of the country and some other times it will arrive in a hot, humid location. The effects of these variations are evident in instruments, especially acoustics. Action (the distance between the strings and the fretboard) can change almost overnight as the air changes. As the wood absorbs moisture it becomes more pliable and the action usually gets worse in the summer, requiring some fine adjustment of the tension rod. Then in the fall as dry, cool weather returns buzzes may develop as the tension rod continues to pull on the neck and the strings get closer to the fretboard, requiring more “relief” on the neck, i.e, the loosening of the tension (truss) rod.

It’s pretty much standard practice for a seasoned musician to adjust their instruments multiple times during the year and most importantly when traveling with them.

This adjusting process can be maddening because the results are so variable. Here are a few things to remember if you decide to attempt it.

First, if possible, leave the strings on the instrument so the neck is under tension. Removing all the strings certainly makes it easier to access the end of the rod via the sound hole (assuming that’s the way its done on your instrument) but it’s almost pure guess work as to how much angling the adjustment will result in when you put strings back on and the neck is under tension. Also – be patient! Turning clockwise results in less relief (more of a backward bend) in the neck and often all that’s required is perhaps a quarter of a turn. Do that and retest the action. If more is needed, try another quarter turn. Do NOT be aggressive and crank the poor thing a half dozen times because you could seriously damage the threaded portion of the truss rod, making it impossible to adjust at all and requiring a serious repair.

When adding relief to the neck (loosening the truss rod) don’t be surprised if the guitar takes some time – perhaps a few minutes or longer – to react. The wood in the neck will respond slower to loosening of tension. Again, be patient!

The action on your guitar or mandolin is a personal thing. We all want it to be as low as possible but without annoying buzzes when played and that depends to a large part on how you play. If you’re an aggressive player who strums hard you must live with higher action; if you’re a fingerstyle player who has a soft attack you can usually get away with low or “fast” action. Height of the saddle comes into play too but sanding down a saddle is something best left to a qualified guitar tech. Tweaking the action via the truss rod is worth a try if your guitar changes with seasonal temperature and humidity variations, but use care. And take your time doing it!

One more thing regarding new or “asleep” instruments:

Brand new or “asleep” instrument (mandolins more than other acoustic instruments!) need to be played for a few minutes before they start “opening up”:

It is absolutely normal for an acoustic instrument to “go to sleep” when not played, even just overnight, or to sound too bright when brand new.

It is important to allow the instrument to “wake up” when you start playing it, usually about 20 minutes will do and you should be able to notice a difference as you practice and play.

In case you are still having a hard time with your new instrument, please don’t hesitate to FaceTime or call us at 954-566-8141 or email us at support@pennylaneemporium.com and we can guide you on how to fine tune your instrument as often it is possible that some of the settings have changed in the few days after you have received the instrument.