Fred_Engr Posted September 12, 2009 Share Posted September 12, 2009 Noticed changing of weather effected my guitar action, had to lower string height. We just exited the rainy season here in New Brunswick - was cold and rained for most of July and early August. Is it the temperature or humidity, as I keep the guitar in it's case with a Oasis Humidifier? Fred Some snaps of 5th fret after saddle adjustment this morning. No Capo Capo on 1st and 12th. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jefleppard Posted September 12, 2009 Share Posted September 12, 2009 the guitar is a big, wooden sponge. when humidity rises, the guitar soaks it up affecting action as the guitar swells. in some regions, like yours especially, where season changes are dramatic, i have heard of players swapping out bridges as the seasons turn. but if you are keeping it in a controlled atmosphere, in a case with a damp-it or such, your effects should be minimal. most agree that 20C/71F with humidity around 50%? is a good norm. i like my sound a little damp and muddy, so i have to really dig in to get some brightness. here's a guide from our good friends at um...er...taylor guitars...lol. http://www.taylorguitars.com/global/pdfs/guitar_humidifier.pdf Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
G McBride Posted September 12, 2009 Share Posted September 12, 2009 My action is not near as good as it used to be. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul E Posted September 12, 2009 Share Posted September 12, 2009 I use the Oasisi Humidifier but during the summer months I don't use any humidifiers . I keep my guitars in their cases in a room thats at 50% humidity, Ive checked inside the cases with a hygrometer and they are fine ( between 40% and 50%). Over humidifying will cause the action to raise as the top swells. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DAS44 Posted September 12, 2009 Share Posted September 12, 2009 I like my action to be a bit high. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
onewilyfool Posted September 13, 2009 Share Posted September 13, 2009 I have three guitars with the action at 2/32" at the 12th fret. These guitars play like butter......and no buzzing.....it is just magic when a guitar is set up perfectly for you...... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gearbasher Posted September 13, 2009 Share Posted September 13, 2009 I had a hog J-45 that would move so much with the change of season, I needed two saddles. I would swap them mid-spring and mid-fall. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aminor7 Posted September 20, 2009 Share Posted September 20, 2009 My action is not near as good as it used to be. Ha! One recent lesson I've just learned about action as a novice: I had just worked the truss rod on my 335 replica, and was amazed at how low I could get the action, considering it IS a replica. Had it to about 3-3.5/64 on the high e, anything lower was hard to play and started getting buzzes across all frets, so I left it at 3.5, thinking lower was better. Until I started learning bends. Whenever I went into a full or 1.5 bend, the other strings just clanked along with a terrible noise as they slipped under my finger and collided with the string I was bending. Horrible noise. Did research, found other with same problem, which was solved by raising the action so the strings wouldn't slip under the finger but either rest on the pad of your finger or your fingernail as some have suggested. It works. I still have some noisy bends, but the worst of it was solved by raising the action. I also think it improves the playability, some spring to the note helps me with timing, and the note itself is just cleaner. I haven't measured it but I'm guessing it's about 5-5.5/64ths now. I guess with thinner strings I would get better bends at a lower action, but I play .011 gauge on high e, which takes all the strength my skinny little fingers can muster to go full or 1.5. It's about twice as hard to bend that high e as it is the b string, a tricky adjustment to make when going from string to string. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Murph Posted September 20, 2009 Share Posted September 20, 2009 I'm married and 50, but in good health, don't smoke, have a full head of hair and gig bars every weekend with one of the top local bands....... Mine's okay...... The humidity is 70% where I sit right now (it's been raining for 2 days) . My J45RW is in the same room. It was lower a few days ago, will be lower in a few days. It's that time of year to open the windows, the guitar will adjust a little. I'll not twist on things unless they change for good. This room is very consistantly between 45% and 70%. With little or no a/c or heat, it just bleeds in from the other rooms. This theory has worked well for me for decades. I do have an edenpure type heater if it gets too cold, which it will in Illinois, but this room has no a/c vent. Best of luck. Murph. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
onewilyfool Posted September 21, 2009 Share Posted September 21, 2009 "How's Your Action"????? Well in my youth I did pretty good.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
G McBride Posted September 21, 2009 Share Posted September 21, 2009 Hey Murph, what the heck does a full head of hair have to do with action? Being a slightly less than a full head of hair type of guy, I am hurt. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
onewilyfool Posted September 21, 2009 Share Posted September 21, 2009 Guys losing their hair at the front are lovers, guys losing their hair at the back, are thinkers......Guys losing their hair both front and back.....THINK they are lovers!!! Hope this helps... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Murph Posted September 21, 2009 Share Posted September 21, 2009 Hey Murph' date=' what the heck does a full head of hair have to do with action? Being a slightly less than a full head of hair type of guy, I am hurt.[/quote'] Damnit...... Now I feel bad..... I'm thinking, there is no way out of this, whoa..... Look at the time.....! Gotta run. :- Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
G McBride Posted September 21, 2009 Share Posted September 21, 2009 I forgive the cut on my balding head. I would like to point out though that I am losing hair in the back so according to onewilyfool I AM A THINKER. I am thinking that I might need to go down to the bar and have a nice cold one and watch the sun set on the Pacific. I am stuck in Coronado Bay, Ca for a day or two at a meeting. What is a must see and do in the San Diego area besides the Zoo? I will have one free afternoon and one free day. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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