Loosening Strings to avoid a neck reset

[redir]

Ask yourself this question, why does a guitar eventually need a neck reset?

Because of string tension.

It's a balance though. I'd say even a month is a bit short time but certainly if you are gong to store a guitar away for a long period of time then detune it. But not every day.

[gmel555]

Originally Posted by redir

...It's a balance though. I'd say even a month is a bit short time but certainly if you are gong to store a guitar away for a long period of time then detune it. But not every day.

My feeling as well. if I know it'll be more than a month or so I'll detune ~2-3 steps down. It doesn't hurt or cost anything and I believe it helps. Have been doing it for a few decades now and have yet to need a reset on 10+ guitars. (Of course I've probably just jinxed myself.)

[Glennwillow]

Hi Christopher,

I think the better direction rather than loosening strings -- which will just shorten the life of your strings -- is to use light gauge strings. My Martin D-35 was built in 1967 (57 years old now) and has never had a neck reset though it has been refretted a couple of times. It's been used a lot including seven years of professional playing. I have always used light gauge strings and I think that reduces the load on the guitar to stretch out the life before a neck reset a little more.

- Glenn

[67goat]

Originally Posted by Russ C

Truss rod tension is a worthwhile point because a piece of wood bent for a long time can adopt the bend with increased longevity or tenacity and if someone was to remove string tension for long enough to allow that to happen, relaxing the truss rod too would be wise.
I’m not sure about the “preventing the reset is meaningless” bit unless you’re saying that a back bow makes a guitar worthless. We agree they are unrelated and bowed necks are very rarely permanent in my experience .. not that I’m recommending long term neck deformities or recommending anything for that matter. I was only pointing out that truss rods and neck joints are not the causes of neck resets being necessary .. but it seems they create some confusion.

I've seen plenty of guitars with a permanent bend in the neck, creating a nightmare for intonation and "curved" string height. And yes, I meant that potentially fixing a problem by creating another problem is pointless

[Bluenose]

Most modern guitars have a 2 way truss rod so any back bow problems not fixed by retightening the strings would quickly be resolved by adjusting the t rod. N'est pas?.

[Russ C]

Originally Posted by 67goat

I've seen plenty of guitars with a permanent bend in the neck, creating a nightmare for intonation and "curved" string height. And yes, I meant that potentially fixing a problem by creating another problem is pointless

Your mileage and mine are different then. Of the thousands of guitars I’ve worked on over decades there have been very few with permanently bent necks. Between string tension and truss rods it’s a rare guitar that can’t be simply adjusted to the desired relief in my experience. The need for neck resets is common however. Some were built that way, others became that way because of string tension. (Twists can be an issue but they’re unrelated to what we’re talking about and are rarely severe enough to make a set up unsuccessful).
Were the permanently bent necks you’ve seen the result of relaxing string tension?
I’ll repeat that I’m not recommending leaving significant back bows in necks for any significant time - or even recommending bothering to tune down. I’ve simply pointed out that string tension is the main cause of neck resets being necessary and if there ain’t no string tension a person would be pretty unlucky to have their guitar start folding in half.
It might be time to let this one go.

[Christopher01]

Thanks everyone for your input, I didn't expect such a lively discussion.
I have five guitars and play all of them often, so I think I will skip the detuning for the moment.
Chris

[oldrocker]

Originally Posted by Christopher01

Hi All
Is it a good idea to loosen the strings on a guitar to postpone a neck reset?
My guitars are all in good condition but will having the strings at full tension for years have any affect on when they ill need a neck reset?
Thanks

I've often had this same question and kind of worried about this when I bought my Boucher in 2023 and put medium strings on it...it's a very light guitar that came with light strings. But I've decided just to treat it like every other guitar I've owned, some of which I owned for a long time, always strung with mediums, never de-tuned, and none have ever needed a neck re-set. As far as I could ever tell, none have ever changed their position with respect to the top and the strings. I always set up the guitar when I first get it and I've never had to lower the saddle over the years because the strings started getting too high to play comfortably.

I owned a Guild D-35 from about 1976 when I bought it new until I gave it to my son a couple years ago. He still keeps it strung with mediums and fully tuned and the neck is just like it's always been. The neck on my 2011 Kragenbrink has never moved and it has stayed fully tuned with mediums since I bought it in 2013 or so and it's a very light guitar with the thinnest neck of any guitar I've ever owned, including a Taylor and a Strat. I've owned several other guitars that were years old when I bought them and that I kept for years. They've all remained continuously fully tuned and strung with mediums with no neck issues or top belly developing.

What I have always done is kept my guitars properly humidified year round. Maybe that's why I've never had this problem. I don't really know. But the way I figure it is that once I find a guitar that I love, I'm going to keep it and play it just like I like to rather than fuss about it and if it ever needs a neck re-set I'll gladly pay for it.