guitars settling down

[gwEm]

my Jolly Roger strat sounded really good to start with, but I must say after about two months since initial assembly its noticeably getting better and better - more sustain, more harmonic content. is it the parts settling down into place? anyone else notice this with one of their parts-casters?

[Philly Q]

anyone else notice this with one of their parts-casters?

No, because I never get round to building mine in the first place.  :|  




:lol:

[Twinfan]

I noticed it with my Epiphone SG, there'll be an old thread about it...

[tomjackson]

A little, but probably more due to slight tweaks along the way than the wood settling.

[Philly Q]

I think there must be something in it because the parts are vibrating together (oo-er!) and getting used to being a guitar.

You'll have seen it before I expect, but Jonathan has mentioned how he simulates the settling-in process for new guitars.  Page 3 of this thread:

http://bareknucklepickups.co.uk/forum/index.php?topic=18294.msg261846#msg261846

[MDV]

I think there must be something in it because the parts are vibrating together (oo-er!) and getting used to being a guitar.

You'll have seen it before I expect, but Jonathan has mentioned how he simulates the settling-in process for new guitars.  Page 3 of this thread:

http://bareknucklepickups.co.uk/forum/index.php?topic=18294.msg261846#msg261846

My experiences of the same are on page 4.

I have little doubt that it happens.

They do say it takes 10 years for a piece of wood to realise its a guitar

(but this can be accelerated!)

[gwEm]

i wonder if fenders show greater improvements with their bolt-on construction. i guess 2 months of normal playing might not have had that much effect on the wood?

G

[Afghan Dave]

Funny you should say that...

I did the string tension + Torque tightening trick after talking about it on the forum the other day and I do think the joint is more alive.

Fenders are funny beasts.

http://bareknucklepickups.co.uk/forum/index.php?topic=19830.msg267741#msg267741

[gwEm]

Funny you should say that...

I did the string tension + Torque tightening trick after talking about it on the forum the other day and I do think the joint is more alive.

Fenders are funny beasts.

http://bareknucklepickups.co.uk/forum/index.php?topic=19830.msg267741#msg267741

thankyou for pointing me in the direction of this... i got a small but noticeable crack - i don't know about the tone, but the strings are a bit better lined up

[Afghan Dave]

We're crack addicts on this forum.

 PDT_003

[shobet]

So is there a specific order on which of the 4 bolts should be loosened first. Surely when it's got 3 screws loose it will pivot on that remaining screw due to the string tension? Does doing the 4th bring it back into line or something?

[AndyR]

Oh dear, crack addicts, what did I start? (I assume it was my post...) :lol:

That's what I worried about shobet - on the first guitar I did 1/4 turns on opposite screws until it happened. Didn't really seem to matter that much what order I did it in. What I do now is loosen (and re-tighten) the "body end" screws first - one of our builders might be able to tell me whether this is a good or bad thing.

Main thing is, if the neck is going to move, it doesn't take much loosening at all. And I try to remember how many 1/4 turns for retightening afterwards - I have a history of over-tightening screws on anything :lol: