HELP, I bought a Cordoba...

Spanky

I recently purchased a Cordoba guitar and it seems like the neck moves every day. I ordered some 11 guaged strings with the hope that it would put some extra tension on the neck keep it from moving.

Is anybody else having this problem? or is there a way to fix this problem?

Thanks in advance for your help.
Spanky

Dr. Hall

Having gotten thoroughly used to archtops for the past 20 years and what was involved in setting them up etc... I was a bit perplexed with the gypsy jazz guitar set up at first. After much experimentation, I've finally settled on the amount of relief I want in the neck using the truss rod, and I got Josh Hegg to make me a bridge that is the height I wanted for the guitar. I've been using Argentine 11s mostly because their tension seems right for the amount of neck relief and the bridge height to achieve the action height I want. 10s weren't doing the trick for me--too much buzz. In addition to all of these adjustments, I've been humidifying the guitar this winter with one of those oasis hang-in-the-sound-hole jobs. My Gitane DG-320 responds to changes in humidity much more than my archtops. The guitar seemed to dry out this winter, causing the action to lower--one of the typical low-humidity signs in a typical flat-top, but not something I've had had to worry as much about with my archtops with the adjustable bridges. I thought it was the neck, but I read up on humidity issues other folks were having with their guitars. My wife likes the central heat, and I like my wife, so there you have the recipe for low humidity. Anyway, all of this tweaking and the humidification has stabilized my DG-320 to the point that I'm not having to constantly fiddle with it, and it's been playing like a dream. But I've been really diligent with the humidification.

Long and short of all this is that the 11s might do the trick for your guitar, but you might consider some sort of humidifier too. It seems to have worked wonders for my guitar without constantly having to mess with neck adjustments or bridge shims of varying heights. Hope this helps.

-Stefan

Josh Hegg

It's not the neck that is moving it's the top. Make some shims for your bridge out of wood if you can but if all you have is an old credit card to cut up that place under there that will work. Should get you thru the winter.


Cheers,
Josh

Spanky

I will put a worm humidifier in the case and see how that does.
Thanks for the input!!

Peace
Spanky

Dr. Hall

A humidifier such as a Dampit will take a couple of days or so to do its magic completely, and you'll want to check it every day at first and make sure the guitar is stored in the case closed up tight when you're not playing it, but I was able to see and feel results the next day after I started using the humidifier. Good luck!
-Stefan

Heretic

I completely agree regarding the issue of humidity. I spent a over a year measuring the effects of humidity in my guitar's case. When you have a winter that requires heating, the house humidity falls well short of the recommended 46% relative humidity - which is what guitars, furniture and books are happiest at. Fluctuating humidity causes all sorts of measurement and tonal changes in my instrument. Stability at the optimal humidity level removes these frustrating changes.

The Oasis seems to be the best at keeping my guitar near that level. Unless you actually put a humidity gauge into your case you won't actually know that the humidity is. Remember that when you start, it will take several days for the body of the guitar, fingerboard and bridge to slowly absorb the water.

In the winter. I use a house humidifier as well which keeps our living quarters near 40 -46%.
Unless there is a fundamental problem with the construction of your instrument, humidity control will help.

Spanky

Thanks for all the input. I put a worm in a couple of days ago so far no change.

Hopefully it will start to make a difference.

Again thanks for the input.

Peace
Spanky