Weird Fretting Problem

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I bought a cheap acoustic guitar last summer that I'm pretty happy with, but after I came back from Christmas vacation a weird thing started happening- every time I hit the octave on the high E string it sounded a half step higher (an F#)! I can usually make it play more or less the right note by bending the string upwards but I'd prefer some other type of solution. Any ideas?

― Ken L (Ken L), Saturday, 22 January 2005 18:43 (twenty years ago)

It sounds like the intonation is out, the truss rod probably needs a slight adjustment. Guitars get a bit weird in the winter when the air gets dry and in the spring/summer when the air gets really moist.

― earlnash, Monday, 24 January 2005 20:37 (twenty years ago)

five months pass...

Could also be the neck/body joint interacting w/the movement of the guitar top (should be particularly at the 14th fret). Do this...take a straight-edge (ruler will do the trick) and set it just below the saddle. The ruler should set against the top in the middle and the top should very slightly curve away towards the outsides. If the ruler sets flat against the top of the guitar (or worse, shows a gap where the top is dished in the middle) you need to rehydrate the guitar. The easy first answer is to use a standard guitar soundhole humidifier to fix the problem. If this doesn't work, write back and I'll share a more drastic version...

Oh hell, I just realized this thread is from a while ago. Still, the info will be useful next winter I suppose.

― John Justen (johnjusten), Wednesday, 13 July 2005 05:44 (twenty years ago)

two years pass...

Two years later: This weekend, I went and bought a Damp-it and put it in the soundhole and that seemed to fix things. Thanks, John.

― James Redd and the Blecchs, Wednesday, 12 December 2007 16:56 (seventeen years ago)

ha! awesome.

― John Justen, Wednesday, 12 December 2007 17:00 (seventeen years ago)

E to F# is a whole step dude.

― Hurting 2, Wednesday, 12 December 2007 17:56 (seventeen years ago)

Oh yeah, I think I learned that too in the past two years

― James Redd and the Blecchs, Wednesday, 12 December 2007 18:03 (seventeen years ago)

I think I meant to delete the half.

― James Redd and the Blecchs, Wednesday, 12 December 2007 18:03 (seventeen years ago)

I made the tragic mistake of not putting a dampit in a rather nice guitar. Still kicking myself.

― Hurting 2, Wednesday, 12 December 2007 18:04 (seventeen years ago)

That's the worst 12 dollars you never spent. What happened to the guitar?

― James Redd and the Blecchs, Wednesday, 12 December 2007 19:49 (seventeen years ago)

Uh-oh, I think the dampit fell inside the soundhole this morning when I left. There will probably be a big wet spot in there when I get home tonight.

― James Redd and the Blecchs, Wednesday, 12 December 2007 20:11 (seventeen years ago)

Old wood, refinished, very thin. Cracked from dryness. So far the crack doesn't noticeably affect the sound, but it's definitely visible and affects the value. It did close a little bit when I put in a dampit.

― Hurting 2, Wednesday, 12 December 2007 22:53 (seventeen years ago)

Is the crack spreading (meaning extending from either end), or has it stopped?

― John Justen, Wednesday, 12 December 2007 22:56 (seventeen years ago)

The crack is right by the pickguard and does not seem to be spreading.

― Hurting 2, Wednesday, 12 December 2007 23:53 (seventeen years ago)

That's good. If it ever does start to, use a tiny drill bit to make a pin sized hole right at the end of the crack, and it'll stop w/o causing any further devaluation.

― John Justen, Thursday, 13 December 2007 00:21 (seventeen years ago)

one month passes...

just always buy shit guitars in the future, then you can always just buy a new one for cheap

― the galena free practitioner, Wednesday, 23 January 2008 20:51 (seventeen years ago)

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