Acoustic Guitar Neck Angle

     Anyone who plays an acoustic guitar and has watched and felt the strings gradually rise on the upper fretboard around the 9th to 12th fret over a period of time can relate to this article. It happens so gradually that we may not even notice it at first, but as the action gets higher and the guitar becomes harder to play above the fifth to seventh frets, it becomes evident something is wrong.

      There are so many articles and opinions written on this topic about acoustic guitars it simply boggles the imagination, and most all of them have a valid point, at least to some degree. Although I've been repairing and setting up guitars since 1969, I have also spent a lot of hands on time making cabinets, furniture, building engines, mechanical repair, tool making, fabricating and the list goes on. My shop teacher was one of my best friends and the greatest guy I've ever known, my Dad. Having been born with an acute mechanical aptitude (which has been a big plus), I will attempt to forge an opinion based on 40 years of experiences that will offer fact based suggestions on how you can avoid this phenomena from happening to your guitar.

      Understand, that a neck reset is an extremely invasive procedure, it decreases the value of vintage guitars and is a LAST RESORT repair. At $400.00 to $750.00 for a neck reset (depending on who you ask), it simply out weighs the value of many guitars in the field these days. Besides, many guitars are constructed with epoxy based glues that are very difficult if not impossible to soften with steam for neck removal.

Acoustic Guitar Neck/Body Joints
      Every builder in the industry is aware of the possibility that their products, whether hand made or commercially built with CNC machines, may someday need a neck reset, and most are actively doing something about it. Some builders are using complete bolt on neck configurations with reset adjustments made with wooden shims. Some are using partial bolt on, partial glue on configurations. Then, this opens up a world of opinions on which is better for tone, dove tail neck joints or bolt on (that's another article). And last, most builders (hand made and commercial), have figured out how to compensate for settling wood by altering the ACOUSTIC GUITAR NECK ANGLE a few degrees and slightly raising the saddle height. The saddle height can be lowered as the wood 'settles', which is far cheaper than a neck reset and it saves the builders good name.

      Lets take a look at what you should know and what you can do to prevent your guitar from being subjected to a neck reset or replacing the guitar altogether.

Acoustic Guitar Care: What You Can Do
      Upon purchasing a new or used guitar, you should have the guitar setup. It may play great like it is, but the neck should be straight with only .003 to .010 thousandths of neck relief. Trust me, you cannot see these measurements with the naked eye and only a good guitar tech or luthier will have invested the kind of money in tools to take these measurements accurately. The straighter the neck is and the lower the plane of the strings above the fretboard (without 'fret buzz' while playing), greatly enhances the instruments ability to counteract string tension.

      Acoustic guitars are extremely sensitive to temperature and humidity and should be maintained at around 72 degrees fahrenheit and 40-50 percent humidity. It doesn't hurt to keep your solid body electric guitars along side of your acoustics either. This helps the wood maintain it's strength and keeps the sides of the body from over settling under string tension. Never submit your guitar to extreme heat or cold for extended periods of time, i.e., store it in the attic or leave it in the car over night in hot OR cold conditions. Can you play it outside during the summer? Of course. Hopefully, your venue will be shaded from the sun, simply keep the guitar in the shade. Do not 'shock' it moving it from A/C to outdoors. Leave it in the case for 10-15 minutes while it gradually changes temperature in the case and vice versa.

      String size is a huge factor. The larger the strings, the greater the string tension. Larger string diameters offer a bigger sound, but there is a trade off. Larger strings, .012-.053 (lights), start to move into the 180 lbs. of tension plus range of string tension. Medium strings, .013-.056 go even higher. Use as light a set of strings as you are comfortable with. It is more imperative to down tune guitars with larger strings if you are not going to play for a few days or even longer periods of time.

      Lastly, down tune from A 440 (or E), to E flat. Yes, I know, and I kicked and screamed over this one myself until I realized the benefits. On average, this reduces about 30 lbs. of tension on the guitar depending on the string size. If you are using smaller strings, it gives the guitar a deeper, bigger sound without using larger strings. If you're playing with a partner in a duo who also plays guitar, you may have some convincing to do, have them read this article. If you play with a keyboard player that has an electronic keyboard, no problem, this is an easy adjustment. I'm sure at this point you realize it changes the key of the songs you've learned. Put a capo on the first fret. You get your standard E tuning back but you still do not increase the tension on the neck, a simple matter of physics, and you retain the bigger sound from smaller strings.

In Conclusion
      I read an article once that said "all acoustic guitars will eventually require a neck reset"...... HORSE FEATHERS! There are only two things that validate that statement. Guitar designs and outdated NECK ANGLE specifications and poor owner care. A guitar built with a dove tail neck joint angle inclination and a taller saddle that anticipates a small amount of body side wood settling will last a lifetime with proper owner care. It's a simple matter of engineering and physics...

      For a related article you can read The Neck Angle "Value" by William Cumpiano.

      Also visit Accu-Tech Guitar Repair LLC