Official Luthiers Forum!

Hi guys,

someone was asking if there would be any problems keeping the strings off a guitar for a long period of time.

Personally I think there's no issue there.

Now I know guitars are designed to resist string tension-I've never heard of issues resulting from NO tension... what do you wise folks reckon?


Warmest regards,
Terence

Most all the players request the truss rods be let off if leaving the strings off over a time.

I don't see a big issue, either way. Strings should pull the neck right back into position if the rod isn't adjusted neutral.

Piece of cake either way. Just common sense to let it off I say.

Did you get moved yet?

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http://www.dickeyguitars.com

Hi Bruce,

thanks!

yeah, I'm in Singapore now.... all that humidity means my dehumidifier is getting a good work out- but I'm impressed that it gets humidity from 80% down to 45%!

Warmest regards,
Terence

The biggest thing to consider I think, is that wood does have something of a
memory. If an instrument is left under heavy tension with a loose truss rod
and tons of relief, or no tension with the rod cranking the neck in to
backbow, the wood may wish to retain that shape if it is stored that way for
too long.

So pretty much what Bruce said. If you're shipping it, loosen the strings
without a second thought. If a guitar is going to sit on a shelf in a collection
for years, you may still want to loosen the strings but make sure the truss
rod is appropriately loosened as well.

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Eschew obfuscation, espouse elucidation.

Terence, hope you like it in Singapore, probably get less rain than you'd get at home, even during the monsoon!

Anyway, at the museums that I do some restoration for (RCM, RAM, Horniman) the policy is to leave strings on all of the instruments and to leave them at about half tension. The instrument wood then gets to remember that it works under tension, but there is not so much as likely to pull an iffy bridge off or whatever (I'd only have to glue it back!). No truss rods to bother with.

I do the same with my own guitars and lutes, apart from the ones I keep ready for an improptu twiddle, as many of them will only get an annual outing.

Colin

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I don't believe in anything, I simply make use of a set of reasonable working hypotheses.

Well, the lack of flooding is plus! Thanks for your input Colin and guys!