So, I was playing around on my accoustic the other day, and I've been noticing a lot of buzzing coming out of the strings anytime I'm playing higher than the 5th fret.

So, the warping isn't very much... I would have never noticed it had I not actually heard the ugly sounds coming out of the contraption, but it does have a slight outward bend to it, so that the action is decreasing.  I've been treating it nicely, but perhaps a younger sibling hasn't done the same

I've never had to deal with repairs before, so I'm asking for a few opinions from those who have dealt with su things in the past.  Any recommendations as to what the best way to go about getting it fixed out be?  Clearly I'd be looking for a physical location to take it to (unless it came down to doing it myself somehow), but is there anything that I should know about this whole thing before paying the first guy I can find?

Thanks
Tim

It might not be cheap first of all so you might have to weight if the value of the guitar is worth the repair
As for doing it yourself it's a specialist job I'm afraid

yes, that's what i'm afraid of.. cost, and the fact that doing it onesself is not really so simple.

i would like to keep this guitar, as it was given to me a good while back... I'd rather not just trash it.  If it can be repaired for under the cost of a replacement one, then I'll definitely try to have it done.  though, if the cost exceeds a new guitar, then frankly, I might not have a guitar for a little while at least.  I can't just go buying new instruments just whenever I want...

It may be that the truss rod needs adjusting, it's quite easy to do, there are plenty of web sites that will show you how to do this. It is located at the neck of the guitar, there's normally 3 screws to expose the rod, most of them can be adjusted using an alen key.

http://www.athensmusician.net/archive/2001-05-01_geneimbody1.shtml

Or you could simply raise the height of the strings, but this will not cure the problem, it would simply mean it would be more difficult to play.

Hope that helps.

It may have been caused by not having any strings on the guitar over a realitve period of time, or perhaps your using a lighter guage of strings.

Denis

yes like Dennis stated, you can probably fix the problem with some truss rod work.. pull it back in line by getting a pro guitar tech to do a full set up on it .. the guitar luthier will also be able to tell you if more work is needed.

Also if it is warped it may not be as expensive as you might think . if it is a bolt on neck you can have it repaired at a lot cheaper rate than  a glued on or neck thru style.  The best advice I could give you over the internet is to take it to a reputable guitar shop and have them take a look at it.  They will usually give it a look at for free.

Great advice. Follow it.

thanks everyone for prompt replies.  i'll see what i can do, and for the sake of followup, i'll probably post the results of my little scavenger hunt just so that others can see how this has been resolved...

hopefully it'll be of use to someone

so, i was talking with Avi and I decided to make an adjustment to my truss rod by myself, and it did help the problem, but my issue now is that the truss rod can only be moved so far, because it's quite loose... the humidity and weather really get to my guitar, i've decided, and the truss rod can only be moved just a tiny bit more before adjusting it counter-clockwise does nothing more than spin it loosely.

But, the long and short of it... It's better than it used to be, though i can't really adjust it any more than that.  I still rattle when I'm playing higher than a 7th or 8th fret, but I usually don't go up there very much   not for now, anyway.

it was good enough to allow me to record my "And You've Gone and Told Love's Secret (You Fool)" song concept that i posted a couple days ago, so hey.

thanks for those replies, everyone!

Oh dear---I really hope that the rod isn't stripped.  I don't really know what happens to a guitar, but I would advise against keeping your guitar within 3 feet of a window, direct sunlight, radiator, vent etc.

Did you try sanding down the saddle?  Remember, truss rod for bow, saddle for string height.

well, the action is pretty low as it is, so to lower it would probably only worsen my problem, even after having adjusted the rod. (there's hardly any room to lower it by, anyway.)

As for the treatment of the guitar, it's been pretty well kept away from windows and vents and such, but my brother (I'm sure) borrowed it from me while I was away for a few weeks over the Christmas / New Year holiday.  His room was originally a storage room above our garage, but we've turned it into something a little more suitable for living.  That being said, the inside temperature of the room still largely reflects that of the outdoors.  If there was any single place where that guitar has received exposure to temperature changes, it's been in that room of his.  He doesn't like the sound of his own guitar compared to mine, so he often borrows it to play around on when I'm not using it, and then leaves it in his room.

Unfortunately, there's not much I can do to simply reverse all of this...  it's an older guitar, and the truth of the matter is that within a year or so, this one might not work very well (given the current state of things).

hmm you loosened the truss rod nut or tightened it?   I take it you loosened it to give you more relief (bow) in the neck. Is this right..  You shouldn't have to adjust the truss rod nut very much to make a difference, unless you made a big change in string gauges. 

  I stand by my first advice, take it to a guitar luthier, every guitar luthier I know gives a free consult.

You can damage the guitar or strip out the threads on the truss rod  by over tightening, or not unwinding the strings and relieving the tension. .

There are some good books you can buy that will explain how to work on and customize your guitar, if it is your first time working on one, don't make it one you are really worried about screwing up.

I agree with Goatman, had I stumbled on the conversation earlier I too would have suggested fiddling with the truss rods, but you've done that and it sounds like the problem is more serious than that. From your description, though, it doesn't sound as if it's unplayable now. I would take it somewhere for a free consult, see how much it would cost to get the thing fixed up. Then of course you'll have to make your own decision.

I would definitely NOT recommend attempting any more repair by yourself. Anyone can adjust a truss rod, but like I said it seems your problem is beyond that.

Well, I'm not the original owner of the thing--that'd be my father.  I don't have a clue what the guitar has been through before I took it over.  I doubt that the mild turning I did to the truss rod did anything new to it--- I gave it an 8th of a turn and knew it was loose.  Strings haven't changed in at least 7 months (probably more).  I can't say for sure, since it was not in my possession while I was in Canada for those 2 years, but at least in the 4 months I've been back home I haven't changed anything about the strings.

As for your suggestions to take it someplace, I think that's become a more and more valid idea   (not that it wasn't valid before! though now that I can see a bit further into what's up, I know my options are decreasing.)

What kind of guitar do you have?

Very often neck bow is the result of inadequate humidification that, among other things, causes the top of the guitar to shrink.  Take a look at the top of your guitar, and look for the following:

1. top is concave (looks a bit like it is caving in, or bowl shape).  This may not be extreme, and laying a straight edge  on the top may allow you to see the concavity.
2. cracks along the grain of the top.
3. the grain of the top has a "washboard" appearance, or when you run your finger across the grain, you can feel the ridges of the grain.

Check the relative humidity of the room where you store this guitar.  It should be 45% to 55%  you can use a barometer or a hydrometer to check this.

Another sign of a too-dry guitar is that you can feel the ends of the fret wires sticking out from the fingerboard, as though they were too big for the neck.

If you discover that your guitar is not properly humidified, and provided there are no really big cracks, you can remedy the problem with a room humidifier or a case humidifier set at the proper humidification.  This will take some time (as much as a couple of years), but trying to rush the process can be disastrous. In the meantime, truss rod adjustments can alleviate the symptoms, and keep your instrument playable. As your instrument re-humidifies, you will have to gradually un-adjust the action.

Good luck and let me know how it goes!