straight from there website
Many players and repairpersons believe it's best to de-tune a guitar for long-distance flights, due to changes in air pressure and temperature in the baggage compartment. We don't recommend doing so, because if you de-tune a guitar for any length of time, you also have to loosen the truss rod. Otherwise, the neck may develop a back bow, and it could prove difficult to completely correct that. In other words, you actually could do long-term damage to the instrument by loosening the strings and not loosening the truss rod at the same time. On a Taylor or any guitar, it's best to simply leave it as is, even on relatively long flights. " case closed..
I have argued this point for years with musicians that now enough information to be dangerous. and they've gone on and on, and I've let them win, but now I have proof positive,
Its basic Physics.. a guitar neck is a balanced thing.. the string tension works in direct resistance to the wood and Truss rod on the neck they lye upon.
so if you take the tension off the strings the neck is suddenly pulling tension in the other direction which is BAD BAD BAD!!! and will give you a reverse bow. so the best thing you can do is leave your guitar strung as it is and not touch it!
case closed!
I'm with you on that one gav. The only remotely convincing argument for not leaving string tension is it increases the chances of a headstock break. It there is tension in the neck and on the head and there's an impact it's more likely to break the neck if there's string tension. Hmmm - it makes sense but the chances are if it gets bashed its going to break anyway.
ReplyDeleteLeave it in tune I say.
Glyn
it would have tio be a massive whack to break the nck inside a good quality ace these days and I'd rather ope the case at the airport and find a broken headstock and see someone than get to the gig and turn up and have it snap off mid show from a crack thats gotten worse from the accident
ReplyDelete