@darren0512341 it might be worth taking it to a professional to get it checked out just in case..they usually don't charge much if anything just to take a look.
i have a "la valenciana" guitar by melody plus and it has the same pick guard. and the same problem as well but ive had a damp sponge inside of the guitar and sealed up nicely but i havent seen much of a difference. any suggestions ?
@maggotheretic117 how long have you had the sponge in the guitar? I'm not an expert at all but it might take more than a week to see any noticeable results..if it's been in longer than that it could be that this won't help..sorry I couldn't be more helpful
@percaine thanks for the quick reply :D! ive had a sponge in it for 4 days now. im not sure if its working i havent really noticed much but i will continue doing this for a couple more days. and if doesnt work i might use "WorldsBestGuitarists" idea.
@maggotheretic117 you're welcome! I'd definitely give "WorldsBestGuitarists" idea a try for sure if what you're doing now doesn't work..it's worth a try for sure..good luck
IF you have significant warpage (usually in conjunction with fallen braces), you can directly humidify the wood and use machinist screw jacks (with felt pads on the top and bottom) to slowly raise the wood back up, then very careful and easy application of a heat gun to shock the wood fibers into place once it's been readjusted (then re-humidify again for stability). I've found it's the best solution that doesn't involve the major surgery of disassembling the whole damn thing.
@inkey2 it did stay pretty much flat but not completely..if i had kept it humidified it probably would have..I planned to make an update video but I got another guitar so I decided to sell the harmony.
@percaine I am wondering if setting a weight on the bridge while it's being humidified might make it "set back in place" better. Nothing too heavy......a large book or something. It might lightly force the wood fibers down into place......I have a guitar I am going to try this on
@inkey2 to tell you truth I never thought of that..it probably wouldn't hurt to try. have you checked out davey4557 channel...he's a guitar tech and he a ton of guitar repair videos
I'm only up to 2:28 and already you're giving out wrong information. The top of a flat top guitar in healthy condition is NOT supposed to be perfectly flat. It should be slightly convex or bowed out. Also, it DOES matter about putting in the wet cloth in the guitar without letting it touch the wood directly. You DO REALLY NEED something to put the damp cloth on. It shouldn't be directly on the wood. The guitar needs to be humidified and not made wet with water.
@mrfester42 it may be true that some flattop guitars are slightly "bowed out" but what I'm referring to in this video is an extreme bow that makes the action so bad that the guitar is almost impossible to play. as for putting the wet cloth directly on the wood I agree that its not a good idea and that's why I used and old margarine container top in the video but I also say that the cloth is DAMP not wet as the cloth doesn't need to be dripping wet. Thanks for the comment .
@mrfester42 he told your dumbass lol you dumb as fuck " It shouldn't be directly on the wood" he didn't say it should be directly on the wood idiot... lol
@mrfester42 This was perhaps a very poor explanation of the method (but the method is very good). The video focuses on the convex bowing BELOW the saddle piece rather than the REAL problem which is the converse bowing ABOVE the saddle piece. the convex warpage is a symptom of the problem. The converse bowing is caused by tension of the strings over time (and improper storage of the instrument). Room temp during the process is ALSO vital and was not mentioned either.
@Onewitnessus thanks for the comment. I'm not an expert I just improvised this from info found on the web and thought I'd share it on youtube... any additions or corrections of the info in my videos are always welcome.
@likethesmiths I can't say it would be a bad idea because guitar humidifiers are used to maintain humidity of the guitar and the strings are still on the guitar but this is more of a repair rather than maintenance so I usually take the strings off or at least loosen them so theres no tension . its totally up to you though,if your guitars already messed up it probably won't hurt anything either way.
I would say that the humidifiers cause much less increase in the moisture content of the wood. The way this method works is to hydrate the wood so that it relaxes back to it's original shape. I'd guess that to do this with the strings on (and associated tension on the soundboard) would, if anything, make the bow-out worse. But I stand to be corrected.
I collect old guitars, I own two twelve strings, both of which i got because they had warped sound boards from being stored with the strings wound up, This seems like an easy solution to try, I will comment again on how it turned out. Although, the two guitars in question are a little higher up on the chain than the "good ol' harmony...I like the one in the video
@jedclampet15 nice...I've always wanted a twelve string but have never gotten around to getting one yet. what brand are they? The old Harmony in the video was only $40 so I thought it was worth trying to fix it.
@percaine i have a classical that i bought for like $10 at a yard sale and the owner before me put on steel strings which totally warped the top. the top raised below the bridge but it actually sunk in above it towards the sound hole. would you recomend this or do you think i would need to take a more drastic measure?
@1pixle to tell you the truth I don't think it would hurt to try it but I also don't think it would do much to fix the damage since it is most likely damage caused from the steel strings...of course $10 is a steal for a guitar so its definitely worth a try..I'd love to hear how it turns out.
I had a harmony that looked just like that one the action was very high on it. the neck was coming off the guitar. If I had to do it over I would had paid to have a neck reset it actually sounded good.
damn im having the same problem . . wel tanx for the video . . got some question. . if it works, and the guitar seems to be in its normal shape. what if I put the guitar string again. will it bowed the same way??
@jhymielle to tell you the truth I can't say for sure. I'm not an expert or anything like that just sharing a method that worked for me . It probably depends on the quality of your guitar and the type of wood its made from. My guitar was fine after I did this.but I wouldn't suggest that you put the strings on too soon after doing it you should allow the guitar to rest unstrung for a week or so afterward. Thanks for the comment . i hope it works as good for you as it did for me.
@jhymielle I'd say that depends on the condition of the guitar...it could be that it bowed in the first place because of some kind of damage like a broken or loose brace inside the guitar....so if its a good quality guitar I
d take it to a qualified repair shop and get it checked out or if you know someone who could check it for you I'd do that for sure.
The cloth has to be left in the guitar until you notice that it isn't loosing its moisture anymore. The cloth should only be just dampened, if you can squeeze any water out of it its way too damp. you also have to check it often. I haven't noticed any problem at all. The process is basically a way of humidifying the guitar without the use of an expensive humidifier.
@percaine (sorry about the last post, the auto-correct got me haha). How long did you leave the damp cloth in there? I'm assuming this was a several day process? And did you notice any problems after from having so much moisture in there for a prolonged period?
@perceive: did you have to apply any pressure to the surface, or did the weight of the top alone make it level out? There is also an area around the pickguard with some warping. Do you think your method would help with this?
@levetan75 No pressure needed. The moisture was enough in my case to bring the top back to level. As long as the bracing inside the guitar is intact it should work fine.
@guitarlvr54 did this work for your 12 string? I have an early 70's guild 12 string that has warped quite a bit over the years and am considering this
@levetan75 I have never had a chance to use this on a twelve string but I think it would work just as well. you just need to make sure you let the guitar rest before re stringing it.
@percaine-This is a great video !! I would have never thought of this !! I bought a 40.00 12 string w/ a bowed top like that , and the action is really high @ the 12th fret- not playable .I even thought I would have to pull off the top to repair it , but i'll try this first.The bridge is also pulling off some,so I dont know if it will work or not ,but worth a try ! -Thanks G.L.54
@guitarlvr54 It worked for the old guitar I used in the video,it was seriously dried out. I would probably leave it for about a week after you do this to be sure that the top is stable again before putting strings back on. I would also check for broken braces inside the guitar to. I love a 12 string so hopefully it will work for you.Good luck!
i tried it with my 1920 martin 00 and the whole guitar bloated out into a goldfish bowl
alianstuff 1 month ago
mann that happened to my brand new washburn acoustic. hardest thing is I dont know is a bracing issue or just humidity.
darren0512341 1 month ago
@darren0512341 it might be worth taking it to a professional to get it checked out just in case..they usually don't charge much if anything just to take a look.
percaine 1 month ago
0:10 Here is an old Harmony Guit-EEERRR
buzonperiodista 4 months ago 2
i have a "la valenciana" guitar by melody plus and it has the same pick guard. and the same problem as well but ive had a damp sponge inside of the guitar and sealed up nicely but i havent seen much of a difference. any suggestions ?
maggotheretic117 4 months ago
@maggotheretic117 how long have you had the sponge in the guitar? I'm not an expert at all but it might take more than a week to see any noticeable results..if it's been in longer than that it could be that this won't help..sorry I couldn't be more helpful
percaine 4 months ago
@percaine thanks for the quick reply :D! ive had a sponge in it for 4 days now. im not sure if its working i havent really noticed much but i will continue doing this for a couple more days. and if doesnt work i might use "WorldsBestGuitarists" idea.
maggotheretic117 4 months ago
@maggotheretic117 you're welcome! I'd definitely give "WorldsBestGuitarists" idea a try for sure if what you're doing now doesn't work..it's worth a try for sure..good luck
percaine 4 months ago
IF you have significant warpage (usually in conjunction with fallen braces), you can directly humidify the wood and use machinist screw jacks (with felt pads on the top and bottom) to slowly raise the wood back up, then very careful and easy application of a heat gun to shock the wood fibers into place once it's been readjusted (then re-humidify again for stability). I've found it's the best solution that doesn't involve the major surgery of disassembling the whole damn thing.
WorldsBestGuitarists 4 months ago
@WorldsBestGuitarists thanks for the info..if I get another guitar with that problem I'll give it a try. thanks again
percaine 4 months ago
QUESTION: did the top "stay flat" after you humidified it.....or did the top start to bulge up again after a while
inkey2 5 months ago in playlist luthier
@inkey2 it did stay pretty much flat but not completely..if i had kept it humidified it probably would have..I planned to make an update video but I got another guitar so I decided to sell the harmony.
percaine 5 months ago
@percaine I am wondering if setting a weight on the bridge while it's being humidified might make it "set back in place" better. Nothing too heavy......a large book or something. It might lightly force the wood fibers down into place......I have a guitar I am going to try this on
inkey2 5 months ago
@inkey2 to tell you truth I never thought of that..it probably wouldn't hurt to try. have you checked out davey4557 channel...he's a guitar tech and he a ton of guitar repair videos
percaine 5 months ago
Are you from Canada?
KODB123 8 months ago
@KODB123 I sure am..Nova Scotia.
percaine 8 months ago
if you can squeeze water out of the cloth it's too wet.
percaine 9 months ago
@percaine ok thx :D And when i will see the first changes ?
Greets from Germany
Mannsweib100 9 months ago
@Mannsweib100 I can't say for sure but I noticed a big difference in a couple days..You should let it go for at least a week though
percaine 9 months ago
Hey Percaine , when i know , whether the damp cloth is too wet or too dry ?
Mannsweib100 9 months ago
I'm only up to 2:28 and already you're giving out wrong information. The top of a flat top guitar in healthy condition is NOT supposed to be perfectly flat. It should be slightly convex or bowed out. Also, it DOES matter about putting in the wet cloth in the guitar without letting it touch the wood directly. You DO REALLY NEED something to put the damp cloth on. It shouldn't be directly on the wood. The guitar needs to be humidified and not made wet with water.
mrfester42 10 months ago
@mrfester42 it may be true that some flattop guitars are slightly "bowed out" but what I'm referring to in this video is an extreme bow that makes the action so bad that the guitar is almost impossible to play. as for putting the wet cloth directly on the wood I agree that its not a good idea and that's why I used and old margarine container top in the video but I also say that the cloth is DAMP not wet as the cloth doesn't need to be dripping wet. Thanks for the comment .
percaine 10 months ago
@mrfester42 he told your dumbass lol you dumb as fuck " It shouldn't be directly on the wood" he didn't say it should be directly on the wood idiot... lol
Alexysmars22 10 months ago
@mrfester42 This was perhaps a very poor explanation of the method (but the method is very good). The video focuses on the convex bowing BELOW the saddle piece rather than the REAL problem which is the converse bowing ABOVE the saddle piece. the convex warpage is a symptom of the problem. The converse bowing is caused by tension of the strings over time (and improper storage of the instrument). Room temp during the process is ALSO vital and was not mentioned either.
Onewitnessus 6 months ago
@Onewitnessus thanks for the comment. I'm not an expert I just improvised this from info found on the web and thought I'd share it on youtube... any additions or corrections of the info in my videos are always welcome.
percaine 6 months ago
would it be a good idea, to do this with the strings still on the guitar?
likethesmiths 11 months ago
@likethesmiths I can't say it would be a bad idea because guitar humidifiers are used to maintain humidity of the guitar and the strings are still on the guitar but this is more of a repair rather than maintenance so I usually take the strings off or at least loosen them so theres no tension . its totally up to you though,if your guitars already messed up it probably won't hurt anything either way.
percaine 11 months ago
I would say that the humidifiers cause much less increase in the moisture content of the wood. The way this method works is to hydrate the wood so that it relaxes back to it's original shape. I'd guess that to do this with the strings on (and associated tension on the soundboard) would, if anything, make the bow-out worse. But I stand to be corrected.
Twangmonster 6 months ago
I collect old guitars, I own two twelve strings, both of which i got because they had warped sound boards from being stored with the strings wound up, This seems like an easy solution to try, I will comment again on how it turned out. Although, the two guitars in question are a little higher up on the chain than the "good ol' harmony...I like the one in the video
jedclampet15 1 year ago
@jedclampet15 nice...I've always wanted a twelve string but have never gotten around to getting one yet. what brand are they? The old Harmony in the video was only $40 so I thought it was worth trying to fix it.
percaine 1 year ago
@percaine i have a classical that i bought for like $10 at a yard sale and the owner before me put on steel strings which totally warped the top. the top raised below the bridge but it actually sunk in above it towards the sound hole. would you recomend this or do you think i would need to take a more drastic measure?
thanks for the vid
1pixle 1 year ago
@1pixle to tell you the truth I don't think it would hurt to try it but I also don't think it would do much to fix the damage since it is most likely damage caused from the steel strings...of course $10 is a steal for a guitar so its definitely worth a try..I'd love to hear how it turns out.
percaine 1 year ago
I had a harmony that looked just like that one the action was very high on it. the neck was coming off the guitar. If I had to do it over I would had paid to have a neck reset it actually sounded good.
burntvalve86 1 year ago
damn im having the same problem . . wel tanx for the video . . got some question. . if it works, and the guitar seems to be in its normal shape. what if I put the guitar string again. will it bowed the same way??
jhymielle 1 year ago
@jhymielle to tell you the truth I can't say for sure. I'm not an expert or anything like that just sharing a method that worked for me . It probably depends on the quality of your guitar and the type of wood its made from. My guitar was fine after I did this.but I wouldn't suggest that you put the strings on too soon after doing it you should allow the guitar to rest unstrung for a week or so afterward. Thanks for the comment . i hope it works as good for you as it did for me.
percaine 1 year ago
@jhymielle I'd say that depends on the condition of the guitar...it could be that it bowed in the first place because of some kind of damage like a broken or loose brace inside the guitar....so if its a good quality guitar I
d take it to a qualified repair shop and get it checked out or if you know someone who could check it for you I'd do that for sure.
percaine 1 year ago
The cloth has to be left in the guitar until you notice that it isn't loosing its moisture anymore. The cloth should only be just dampened, if you can squeeze any water out of it its way too damp. you also have to check it often. I haven't noticed any problem at all. The process is basically a way of humidifying the guitar without the use of an expensive humidifier.
percaine 1 year ago
@percaine (sorry about the last post, the auto-correct got me haha). How long did you leave the damp cloth in there? I'm assuming this was a several day process? And did you notice any problems after from having so much moisture in there for a prolonged period?
levetan75 1 year ago
@perceive: did you have to apply any pressure to the surface, or did the weight of the top alone make it level out? There is also an area around the pickguard with some warping. Do you think your method would help with this?
levetan75 1 year ago
@levetan75 No pressure needed. The moisture was enough in my case to bring the top back to level. As long as the bracing inside the guitar is intact it should work fine.
percaine 1 year ago
@guitarlvr54 did this work for your 12 string? I have an early 70's guild 12 string that has warped quite a bit over the years and am considering this
levetan75 1 year ago
@levetan75 I have never had a chance to use this on a twelve string but I think it would work just as well. you just need to make sure you let the guitar rest before re stringing it.
percaine 1 year ago
@percaine-This is a great video !! I would have never thought of this !! I bought a 40.00 12 string w/ a bowed top like that , and the action is really high @ the 12th fret- not playable .I even thought I would have to pull off the top to repair it , but i'll try this first.The bridge is also pulling off some,so I dont know if it will work or not ,but worth a try ! -Thanks G.L.54
guitarlvr54 1 year ago
@guitarlvr54 It worked for the old guitar I used in the video,it was seriously dried out. I would probably leave it for about a week after you do this to be sure that the top is stable again before putting strings back on. I would also check for broken braces inside the guitar to. I love a 12 string so hopefully it will work for you.Good luck!
percaine 1 year ago