Added: 3 years ago
From: shameonyoko
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  • nice tip but i have a 1961 harmony acoustic with F notes for holes it has the same problem when i hit the high E string open, but if i play a song or hit that string it's fine what do i do

  • @johnvdm13 wish I could help :-(

  • Comment removed

  • doesnt your expensive guitar have a truss rod?

  • @sacredgeometry doesn't fix this problem.

  • If your guitar was humidified you can over humidify a guitar.

    The procedure you outline should only be used on a dry guitar. If your guitar needs over-humidification to restore action it probably needs a higher saddle a truss rod adjustment or maybe even a neck reset .Don't over humidify an expensive instrument , Check humidity with a humidistat., humidify to recommended levels Be safe and good picking

  • uhm.. how did he get that bowl back out...?

  • @GLPMV95 same way it went in. carefully.

  • @shameonyoko fair enough

  • this process is done with every single instrument which you want to take care of. it is generally done with pianos. in hot, dry conditions, putting water bowls under piano will help it keep its humidity

  • This is equivalent to putting towels on your xbox.

  • ok thats just amazing 

  • how is  this helping the guitar

  • @REX05011 Acoustic guitars are made of very thin pieces of wood which can absorb or lose water, dependant on humidity. This is to replace humidity in a dry guitar.

  • @DoorMat444 really i didnt know that

  • what song is playing in the background?

  • i would never do this to a 3000-4000 euros gibson!!

  • Cant imagine how many people bursts their baloons trying this...:L

  • ok this was funny, period, as a advice hell no

  • i understand what you did but HOW does that correct the issue im wondering?

  • the big question, how do you get the bowl out without spilling it?

  • @breadheaded I believe the water evaporates in the cup while inside the guitar and thats what helps it. Well hopefully so you don't spill it getting the bowl out ;)

  • @breadheaded carefully

  • To scary for me. I think you could get the same amount of water in a dish or bowl that is fitted with sponge, then at least is the thing tips over accidently you will have w wet spot and a sponge you can quickly pull out and not a cup of water inside. To scary for me.. Love the J 200 hard to find a dealer sometimes. Nice guitar.

  • lol pause it at 00:18 fuckin hilarious

  • What about if a Fender Electric Bass has this problem.

    Fender Lyte Bass.Only one side has a hump, the treble side is humped & the bass isnt.

    Now can you please tell me how to fix that without filing ?

  • I GOT ANOTHER TIP. IF THE D STRING HAS A LITTLE WHOBBLE TO IT AND THE HIGH E STRING SMELLS A LITTLE FUNNY PUT LIGHTER FLUID ON UR GUITAR AND SET IT ON FIRE FOR 9 SECONDS THEN PUT IT OUT QUICK WITH RANCH DRESSING (fat free) AND THEN PUT 2 HARD BOILED EGGS IN UR RIGHT POCKET AND IT WILL SOUND GREAT!!! NO KIDDING IT WILL WORK, TRUST ME!!

  • @6stringzstrummin sounds like you really know your stuff

  • you look sad :(

  • this may work better then a small humidifier, in one respect.. the balloon traps all the moisture INSIDE the guitar, forcing the under side of the top to absorb the moisture, possibly causing an effect that would help to top spring back to its normal (unsunken) position easier then if both sides were being equally humidified. Altho i could see this also causing a problem with the visible side of the top still being dry while springing back, possibly cracking? definetly an interesting idea tho.

  • definately not the first thing i would do... intereting though

  • u just need to have some fret work done they file them down to a set level and then they reround them properly take it to a shop iv just had 2 of mine done and there perfect now cost me £100 for the pair doing and then restringing

  • @SeGaSaTuRn1994 this is not a fretwork problem. the problem here is his guitar is dried out, and the top of the guitar is dried out and sunken in, causing a hump in the neck where it joins the body of the guitar, fret work will not fix this problem. the only chance of this problem being corrected is to humidify that guitar so that the top absorbs water and returns to its original position, therefor bringing the higher frets back to normal position. in line with rest of the neck. no more hump.

  • @RedLedZep o right i see i thought u meant the frets my mistake good luck hope it fixes for ya

  • How often do you need to do this?

  • Thats awesome!!!...definetely going to remember this if I ever have that problem :)

  • Genius! I agree a sponge would be safer but the balloon is a great idea!

  • seriously?

  • @chernickguitar ye if u want to fuck your guitar only way to fix fret buzz is by getting them professional filed and rerounded i know cause iv just had mine at the shop

  • no idea what he is doing

  • Interesting. I've seen this problem in a lot of guitars. I've repaired guitars for years, and don't see where this would hurt anything (long as you don't spill the water). Just amazes me that just sitting the water inside the body would help. You would think it would at least need to be misted. Food for thought, and might even give it a try. Thanks for the post.

  • hey this is interesting, I have a J200 that has the same symptoms: hump around the 12-14th fret & buzzing between 5th-10th frets I'll try this out....so what happened to yours is the inside dried out & the heel shrunk down, dropping the fretboard down & causing a hump above the 12th fret? and humidifying it raised the neck block back up? hopefully it works for me too, it is an amazing sounding guitar thanks!

  • The high E on the 12th fret is a little flat!

  • great tip! and I LOVE ur username! Lennon fan, Beatles Fan, or both?

  • @hiphopsucks96 both!

  • Hmm.. interesting. So what is going on here that it helps out the neck? How long has it been and is it still playing buzz free?

  • sharing the wine @ 1:23 is beautiful.. almost shed a tear..lol... nice vid!!

  • I have a guitar with no hole on it , so what should I do ??? may be I ll put it in oil to fix it

  • my only concern is having that much moisture sealed inside (by the baloon).....I would be afraid the instrument would be all moldy inside

  • Interesting vid. Im not gonna be a troll and post negative feedback on vids - I try not to.

    But there is NO WAY Im puttin a cup of water in my Taylor GS5E if that ever happend.

    If you don't have this, try getting a hold of Planet Waves Humidipak.

  • @sc12100 I have one. You don't have to try it.

  • @sc12100 Better yet, get a Zorb-It. They work year -round, cost $10., last for 7-10 years, and there's no refills to buy. It works as well as the Planet Waves. All my priceless guitars have one.

  • @guitartec LOL.......anything but a cup of water. Honestly, this is not the first time I've heard of the "cup of water" solution. I think people who use this method are really putting their great guitars in jeopardy - if they have one.

  • @sc12100 We should all probably move to FL in the winter :)

  • @sc12100 I agree. No way would I put a bowl of water in any of my guitars. Playford Music...I've got to remember that name as to not deal with him.

  • @bnog316 Yeah, there are better ways of humidifying a guitar other than putting a cup of water in the sound hole and hoping nothing will knock it over. Even using humidifier sticks/sponges ( or whatever they're called ) is a safer option. Not only that, using a cup of water - even if no spills happen, can over humidify a guitar a screw up the bracing. Bottom line, I like hearing about new ways of doing things, but this is unsafe for a guitar. Im not knocking the vid - but I wont do it!

  • @bnog316 I live in San Diego, so Im fortunate to not have to really worry about humidity. Average humidity in SD, 55% - 65%.

  • @sc12100 yeah, I tried that. It had one in it when the problem happened.

  • lol fuckin nice guitar... funny video tho... i wud rather da hummingbird suppose dats just my oppinian :D

  • i really believe in this but i dont know if it's trustful. how come a bowl of water and a baloon can fix a neck that has hump? :S sorry im not joking, i'd like to know how

  • this makes no sense. whats the science behind this?

  • Place a sponge in the small bowl, and then wet the sponge. This way you are less likely to have a spill if the bowl tips.

  • @fret2424 excellent tip!

  • one time i tune my guitar at one half step back and my guitar neck totally bend and i thought it was fucken ruined the good thing is that with a few settings came back to life :P

  • do you know what a trust rod is? xD

  • @luis9lopes funny.

  • @shameonyoko use a trust rod, it's faster, easyer, and you don't ruin your guitar

  • @luis9lopes I know what a TRUSS rod is. But, not a trust rod. And, if that would have fixed the problem I wouldn't have had to do this treatment.

  • Hi - I have a '72 Epiphone FT147 and over time the top has sagged very slightly so that the angle that the neck meets the body is too shallow. A straight edge laid on the frets barely clears the bridge. Q: do you think the bowl and balloon trick might rehydrate the wood and correct the angle? Or would it make it worse?

  • DO NOT DO THIS! You have got be kidding me.

    "How to ruin your guitar 101"

  • @Twick78 Shut up obviously it worked for quite a few people.

  • @Twick78 you don't have to.

  • I want to thank you for this helpful tip... I thought I would have to spend a whole bunch of cash having the whole neck of my guitar repaired. This worked just as you said. Thanks again.

  • cool trick thanty myby it will come in handy some day

  • yeahh i dream of j 250  - one day i'll have you....

  • i dont really understand the hump on the neck. what hump? anyone

  • @ItsRainingDonkeys well i assume that he was talking about the reason why his frets were buzzing my epihone did the same thing but I returned mine, it buzzed because at the 12th fret the neck had a slight bulge that would not allow the strings above it to play, because the 12th fret was higher than the rest of the frets on my high E string. hope that answered your question.

  • So tell me how that fixed the neck?

  • Great trick man, I love it. I also bought the love of my life last year (after waiting 40 years to do so) in the shape of a Gibson J200 Elite. I absolutely adore this guitar so can totally understand where you're coming from. Thanks for posting.

  • why didnt he go back to Gibson ?

  • who the hell discovers this crap haha but im sure its for real. nice to see someone half as passionate with their gibson as me with my gibson haha jk. but really they become your mistress. only a gibson is good enough. i saw that written on an acoustic headstock this weekend. so so true. thanks for the vid. but hopefully ill never have to do that tho haha

  • How about leaving it in the bathroom while you take a shower, thus adding moisture to the wood?

  • This is the man who love his guitar! I'm waiting for 'my' Gibson J200 too, and i hope i would not have to wait 20 years...respect man! Take good care of that guitar, its magical instrument!

  • i'm actually crying as i watch this. you are adding moisture back into your guitar, sup to you it's your guitar

  • Yeah... sometimes you need to. When an acoustic is in a really dry environment it dries out and shrinks and warps a little. Some moisture can help it.

  • to awispofsmoke: yes, there are many situations where you have to add moisture back into a stringed instrument. For example.....I live in massachusetts. In the winter the insides of homes become "very dry" from running the heat all winter....guitars can reall dry out, even to the point of cracks in the fretboard

  • Thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you.

    I have a J-200 that I feel the same way about and I live in New England and spend half my winter tweaking the neck.

  • thats cool ...deff will share video with a couple friends

  • Sorry if I missed it from earlier posts. What is the music in that background? Sounds great. Is it you?

  • @sgtmellousmc thanks, yes. That's me. You can find my stuff on iTunes. Search John Voelz.

  • lol i have no idea how this would ever work and how do you get your bowl out??

  • Same way it went in.

  • @UncivilizedMonkeys  wow, basic pressure and decompression is right over your head isn't it.

  • wats the water for?

  • Ummm . . . moisture.

  • owh..i see...well it really helped..but i waited 4 2weeks..lol

  • I'm not doing that :(

    The water will probably spill and ruin my guitar!

  • It might.

  • @Aviv36 if your not grossed out by germs use a straw and either drink or transfer the water via mouth

  • So technically, nothing changed in the neck. The concentrated humidity caused the soundboard to expand slightly, thus raising it and the action just enough to eliminate buzz. I have the same guitar (was my grandfather's) except the soundboard has swelled out and made the action really high to the point of being unplayable. Nice job with the video, i never thought i'd see a balloon used to fix a guitar haha

  • cool but what about fret leveling would that not fix it also?

  • Unfortunately, no. The hump in the neck needed to be corrected.

  • Oh I see that's what I get for not reading the more info box. glad it all worked out I would have sh&% a brick if that was my guitar now I know what to do thanks.

  • very nice guitar, thats the reason I watched this cause I saw the Gibson in the thumbnail

  • Wow

  • Cool trick, thanks for sharing that.

    Oh, and also the term "flopsy whopsy". I shall use it often

  • u are the coolest person ever. I am subscribing right away. You made me laugh, smile, and learn

  • how does this make a difference?

  • Hi thats crazy -I like it -greetings from germany - winni

  • Dude, that's crazy! I've never seen that before, great tip - thanks. I kept waiting for the punchline or thought that maybe you were going to do Vodka shots out of the soundhole of something..never would've guessed. Now I want to know -why?

    Neal :D

    Host of Guitar Tricks Channel

  • Thanks, man. I got the tip from a buddy who is a music store owner and long time musician.

  • wtf

  • hey i was curious, how does the hump form in the neck its never happened to my SJ200?

    Love ur vid>!!!

  • were you joking or are you serious about this

  • serious

  • QUESTION: how long does it stay fixed?

    QUESTION: if i do not have any water can I use chicken soup or canned chilli

  • you may have to do it again. depends on your environment. and, though canned chili made me laugh . . . H2o.

  • @inkey2

    How do you not have water?

  • @BDpartnercoJM it was a joke duhhhh

  • Good tip but what if you spill the bowl while putting it in? lol

  • you're screwed. grab a towel.

  • dude i want that pick guard were did u get it and how much because that thing is da bomb

  • Thanks. I love it. Found it here in Michigan in a guitar shop.

  • You should have bought a Breedlove or a Mcpherson. Just kidding that's a really nice guitar. I'm sure you were relieved to see return to normal.

  • Ha.

  • Hey what is wrong with a $400 guitar. I am playing a $400.00 Fender Precision Bass. Of course I bought it in 1978.

  • Nothing wrong with that. Ha.

  • "Flopsy Whopsy" :)

  • Whats The Song In The Back Round Is Soo KoooL,

  • Thanks, the song is called "Dreaming" and it is on my "Fleas Naughty Dog" album. You can find it on iTunes.

  • man i must say im thankful that im not the only one that is or has been stuck in the 400 dollar guitar rut. im worth such a nicer instrument! lol oh well. that aside, seriously the craziest tip ive seen in a long time on here. what if your guitar plays fine but you think that it's dry? would you recommend i try your tip then? also is there any chance this remedy will undo itself.....have you had to re perform the remedy? thanks! great vid.

  • Yeah, you might have to do it again. Honestly, the best thing for raising the humidity is changing the environment and keeping it in a humidified environment over time. Mine just got so screwed, so fast, and I needed to be able to use it.

  • to melonheed3: I have been a guitar tech for 33 years......and cheap guitars now are infinately better than they were years ago. I have seen some pretty darn nice $400 guitars.....solid spruce tops etc.

  • oh yeah..dont get me wrong im not a "snob"..but..you know..i was just trying to convey that as someone who's played for some time now, one tends to appreciate the finer things present on more expensive instruments that i simply didnt notice or care about when i first started playing.....there's nothing wrong with my guitar...but ill always want that "gibson" or "collings" or whatever the case may be....im just poor LOL. poor guy with expensive taste. life story eh?

  • ive got a lill' hole next to the nut where you can bow or hump your neck with a special key

  • Yes. Sometimes that isn't enough.

  • I supose in theory, for a electric guitar u could really loosten the strings put a balloon blow it up under the strings and leave it for about a week seee what happens, mmmm ill keep posted

  • how did it go?

  • this video made me laugh, i though i was gonna see it in a wedding dress, and all sorts of things lol

  • Whats the name of the song playing in the background? Is that you or what?

  • you scared me there for a minute with that water bowl man

  • over humidifying too quickly can cause the same problem :)

  • Confirmed!! My Washburn made of rich mahogany had these symptoms. Two shot glasses, one balloon, five days...magic. Thanks!!

  • I also have a washburn that I am about to try this on. hope it works out like yours. keep fingers crossed!!

  • thats all well and good for acoustic but what about electric guitars because my 2nd string has a little buzz.

  • Simply place your electric guitar between your mattress and boxspring and sleep on it for 3 nights...

  • lol

  • I don't recommend this method Either. they sell Dampits for this. A bowl of water INSIDE your guitar is to risky. If it ever tipped, your guitar is done for..... and if the bowl of water didnt tip, you can still risk over humidifying your guitar. You want a gradual, controlled approach. see Bob Taylor of Taylor Guitars website. he has videos posted on the proper way to humidify your guitar...

  • "flopsy woppsy, yes i just said that" hahah ncie video dude and sick guitar!!!

  • This video's concept is right: Humidity helps. But I don't recommend this method. You never want to get the inside of a guitar wet - and a free standing bowl of it in there? EEK! Also, someone suggested adjusting the neck truss rod... Don't do it! My advice is to invest in a few Dampits. They're easy to use, proven to work, and come with a sound-hole cover. You can resurrect your guitar just as well - without the risk. And yes I know it costs more - but so do guitars. It's worth the investment.

  • quite true, I don't think I would risk putting an open bowl of water in my guitar. But it's really not that hard to make a humidifier... I use a tupperware filled with wet bits of sponge with small holes poked in the lid. Quite a bit cheaper... but I suppose a real soundhole cover would be easier than a balloon...

  • Brilliant! Thank you.... oh yea, very funny.

  • I lold at the photo at 1.18

    Pure gold.

    How every guitarist should look at his baby.

  • 1:20 FTW

  • wut does ftw mean?

  • for the win

  • haha pictures are funny

  • This is most likely a temporary fix at best, so get ready to do this again next year. You'll probably need to do it again when the humidity drops next winter, regardless of the external humidifier you use.

    Your best defense is to keep the the fingerboard oiled with lemon oil, OR, spend some money to get the guitar fixed properly.

    Hope this helps

  • this actually works??cool shit..my guitar is fine but can i try it just for the sake of fun??

  • When I got my Martin HD28 (used), it had the same issue. I phoned the Martin factory and was told that the hump results from drying the guitar wood. I wanted to send it in to be worked on, but Carmen (service dept) said, put a humidifier in the body and wait a week or two. Like yours.... magic. The hump disappeared. All I used was a Planet Waves "between the strings" humidifier and kept it moist and in the case. Magic. Larry

  • u need to turn the trust rod! either its in the inside of guitar or on the headstock.

  • Interesting. But, I am not clear as to how a power humidifier gets rid of fret buzz. Can you explain? Thanks for posting! -Derek

  • Does this really work that much better than a good humidifier or a Humicase?

  • dude you can clearly see at 1:11 the word gibson on the headstock...this is a beautiful guitar dont degrade it

  • Yeah it says Gibson on that headstock but its not the same fucking guitar you dumb piece of shit... how come there is not ONE part of the video that shoes the entire guitar including the headstock saying GIBSON??? cause its a fucking epiphone retard look at the bridge. GIBSON bridge doesn't have the white shit on it, they are cut out.

  • look dude go on the gibson website or even google images and you will see both, there are some with the pearl inlay and some with out, but believe me this guitar is a j200....you can see pictures of elvis holding one with the fucking pearl inaly!!!! now whos a dumb piece of shit?

  • Oh shit you're right, I am the dumb piece of shit =(

  • lol we all make mistakes

  • she's beautiful

  • i hope that doesen't

  • Thank's for telling your story,and great trick! if you love guitars,you'll love this video.....

  • uh how does this work?? i don't get it~

  • I bought koa Gibson J200 that I never play because of this same problem

    It just sits in the case

    Do you have to redo this?

  • Once it's done, it's done. Try it out!

  • a shim on the treble side would do and a humidifier wold work or how a bout an apple in the case.