Hi,

I would like to know, for peace of mind-is it normal for the setup of a guitar, including the action, to change over time? Not by huge amounts, but a bit? And is this a bad thing?

I think the action on my tele has changed slightly since I bought it, without me changing it with an allen key. I hear you guys talk about getting guitars set up every now and then, which leads me to think this is normal.

All help appreciated,

thanks

_________________
"reach for the sky and aim for the moon, for if you miss you will end up among the stars"

Zoom MS50G
72 tele dlx RI
2011 standard strat
Blackstar HT-5R
Taylor Big Baby

http://www.youtube.com/user/Almungo/videos?flow=grid&view=0

At minimum, there are two pieces of wood in a Tele, three if you have a rosewood board.

Wood gains and loses moisture and the parts of a guitar "settle in" after it is made and initially set up. And of course, played, handled, stored. Every time the instrument is touched, it is nano-"changed."

As with most "quick" (as opposed to dead" entities, some instruments will change more, some, less, over time.

I've had it just over 1 1/2 years, so am I right in thinking this is OK?

_________________
"reach for the sky and aim for the moon, for if you miss you will end up among the stars"

Zoom MS50G
72 tele dlx RI
2011 standard strat
Blackstar HT-5R
Taylor Big Baby

http://www.youtube.com/user/Almungo/videos?flow=grid&view=0

Most places have 4 seasons (Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter) those that don't have 4 usually have 2 (Summer, Winter). I recommend complete setups after Summer (Fall) and after Winter (Spring) because that is when weather changes can cause the wood in guitars to change the most.

Then there are those (like me) that check the setup after every string change.

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Chet Feathers

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I didn't Lose my mind, I traded it for this guitar.

Very small changes are normal and can be brought on by heat, humidity, cold, or dry spells that cause the wood to expand or shrink. Ive noticed that some of my guitars that are made outside the U.S. seem affected more than the U.S.models. I figure this is due to the wood not being cured long enough. It is especially noticeable in the winter when home heat drys the wood on the neck and causes fret sprout. I, like Chet mentioned previously check the setup on my guitars each time I change the strings and usually only find subtle changes that can be remedied quickly with the turn of a screw or slight twist of an allen wrench. My favorite player is a 95 MIM Tele and went through some slight changes as a baby but rarely needs any adjustment now.

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OK, I'll hum a little bit, got it now?

The height adjuster screws on the saddles sometimes turn a bit when you take the tension off during a string change. But that usually happens unevenly and you get one or two strings lower than the rest.

If all the strings have gotten higher or they've all gotten lower, then most likely the neck relief (bow) has changed. Some necks are very stiff and stable and you only need to adjust the truss rod if you make a really big change in string gauge. But many necks move with the seasons -- the amount of relief increases/decreases. And on new-ish guitars it's not uncommon for the relief to slowly increase as the wood settles in. I have settled-in guitars with truss rods I've never needed to adjust and others that sometimes need a summer or winter tweak. All of the new necks I've had needed at least a couple of truss rod tightenings during their first few years.

Seasonal fluctuations can be often be .010 to .015" (.25 to.3 mm). Add settling-in on top of that and you can easily feel the difference. But because it happens slowly and gradually you often don't notice until it gets real bad.

People often say "you should never adjust the truss rod to raise/lower the strings" and that's true if you're doing a setup. But if the setup has changed because the neck relief has changed, the truss rod is the appropriate adjustment to put the action back the way it was.

The truss rod is your friend. It's a key part of setting up your guitar so it plays well. You have to respect it and treat it right, because it's big trouble if you break it. But it's designed to be owner-adjustable. Fender gives directions on how to do a Tele setup here:http://www.fender.com/support/articles/telecaster-setup-guide

Thanks very much for this help.

I haven't changed the string guage on it, stayed with 9's since I got it. I don't think the action has changed a lot, but slightly noticeably. Maybe it's partly me, because I got my strat which has lower action, and my own likes/dislikes have changed slightly... But I think it still has changed slightly. Thanks very much, I now know it's nothing to worry about. I'll have a look at the setup and see what may need changing.

Thanks a lot!

_________________
"reach for the sky and aim for the moon, for if you miss you will end up among the stars"

Zoom MS50G
72 tele dlx RI
2011 standard strat
Blackstar HT-5R
Taylor Big Baby

http://www.youtube.com/user/Almungo/videos?flow=grid&view=0