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feeling the grain in the top?


egoidealmusic

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So, I've had my 45 in the case for the past few days givne the cold and the heat running, but I got her out today and just noticed (after 4 hours or so of her being out) that I could feel the grain on the top.  Not along the soundhole where strum marks have worn her in, but along the whole top below the bridge, so much I could feel it with my fingers.  I instantly put her back in the case with humidifiers, but I've never noticed anything like this before.

 

For what it's woth she soundded great before I noticed this.  Tempererature change maybe?  It's unusually cold down here.  Or the heat running and drying everrything out?

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Real nitrocellulose finish sinks into the wood over time.  All the gibson acoustics I have played exhibit this to a greater or lesser degree.  Not saying it isn't something serious, but it could just be the finish is settling into the wood.  If you are worried take it to a good repair person for a once over.

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It's still sounding great--didn't mean to suggest that the sound had changed.  It was in a case with the humidification system so I don't think it was too dry, though it was wiched cold for a few days so the heats been running like crazy (I've been keeping it there much more often after suggestions to do so).   No flatness in the tuning whatsoever, so I'm thinking Rosinante is right.  Will keep in the case for a couple more days and see what's what.

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Did you get a hygrometer yet ?

Any guessing would be only that-  just guesses until you know what the relative humidity is.

Is the guitar in question the 50's J-45 that you got new in August and were trying to dry it out, because . . . (?)

There was a lot of good advice in that thread when you posted your "When to start hydrating new guitar post" at the end of December:

 

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Yes, this is that guitar, and I wasn't try to dry it out, I was just inquiring about the stages of it drying out (though I did share a weird thing someone told me).  I've not done anything to try to dry her out, and have been following the hydration advice since I got it back then.  I don't have a hydrometer yet, but I'm looking at them now!

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feeling the grain..

hmm.  not what I'd 1st think is a symptom of a dry guitar.   something we'd have to see I guess.

The finish nitro  does take time to cure, that's a possibility.

for dry issues, you want to look for things like

  • the top sinking which will lower the action some what.
  • the bridge edges start to pull up, can you slide a piece of something like printer paper anywhere along the back edge or corners of the bridge
  • the neck relief is changing, and it's either choking out down at the first few frets (back bow) or feels harder to play or spongy around frets 5/6/7 (forward bow)
  • you can feel the frets along the edge of the neck  

Google Symptoms of a Dry Guitar,  you will get to a Taylor document.  That has a lot of good information on what to look for.

 

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