shipped my guitar... now it sounds dull :(

[alex_s]

Ive just moved to Australia from the uk and sent my yamaha apx series electro acoustic guitar in our ocean shipping container. It was is there for three and a half months in a hard case.

Ive just unpacked it and it looks great. I changed the strings and had a play but it just sounds dull and lifeless

Any ideas what may have happened or what I could do to bring back the brightness and body of a once beautiful sounding instrument?

[clintj]

I'll guess it is a difference in the humidity level in the guitar from not being able to maintain it while shipping. A large change can have a noticeable effect on playability and sound, in fact several threads on here have made note of it. If you can get the guitar back to the conditions it enjoyed in its previous home, it should be fine.

[dbintegrity]

I would add this.... Ever notice your guitar sounds different, in different settings? great in one room not so great in the other? rooms / areas have different acoustics, may not be the guitar, may be the room you're playing in.

[stanron]

I'm not surprised to hear that after, what was it, three and a half months in its case? it now sounds dull. Give it time and some playing and I would expect it to recover.

[brad4d8]

Unfortunately, your guitar was built for use in the UK, so its molecules are all aligned for Northern Hemisphere Harmonic Convergence. You have two options, take if to your local Yamaha dealer and have it sent back to the factory to be realigned for Southern Hemisphere Harmonic Convergence or trade it in on one designed that way from the start.
Actually, I agree with the poster who said it just needs room to breathe again after being cooped up and unplayed for so long. Give it some time.
Brad

[fitness1]

Shipping guitars always puts them to sleep.....also, when they are not played for long periods of time. You've got the double whammy. Play it for a few weeks daily and keep fresh strings on it. It will be it's old self soon...

[kydave]

It is upside down. Give it a chance to acclimate.

[Ed422]

Originally Posted by kydave

It is upside down. Give it a chance to acclimate.

Or start playing it left handed! (grin)

Ed

[Inked]

Sound waves travel in reverse down under. You have to play it facing you.

[Ed422]

As an apology to alex_s, my comment (and the others I'd bet) are not intending to make fun of your question.

As some of the others said, play it a bunch. It needs to acclimate to being out of it's case, and you probably need to re-acclimate to playing it. If it continues to be a problem after several weeks, find a local tech and have it looked at.

Hopefully it straightens itself out quickly.

Ed

[Von Beerhofen]

Possibly being at sea for such a long time and traversing the tropics the guitar may have become overhumidified, which will cause dullness in the sound.
Just allow it to slowly loose some of that moisture, keep the guitar cool and in it's case when you don't play it, this will allow for a more gradual transition. The last thing you want is that the different climate invokes a sudden change in the guitar's state. The slower the better.
Also keep monitoring humidity, it can be pretty dry down under.

Ludwig

[BluesBelly]

Is it true that flushing a toilet in the southern hemisphere produces a clockwise swirll? If so your guitars strings may vibrate in an opposite swirll also.
Give it time.

Blues

[Tony Burns]

Not sure if anyone mentioned this - but you had the guitar packed away for three and a half months -maybe you need a new set of strings and to give the guitar a few weeks to acclimate to the humidity ( you have humidity control their i hope ) just my two cents !