I live in the mango belt, here, in North-Central India. Early in March, mango growers voiced fears of a severely hit mango crop for the flowering season was passing without many blooms appearing on mango trees.
Later in May end, newspapers again quoted elated mango growers who said that the mango crop this year was far better than they had expected. The reason for the good crop, they said, was the abnormal, extreme heat that was experienced in the month.
And now onto acoustic guitars. The ‘abnormal, extreme heat’ of May didn’t just ripen mangoes quickly, it got to guitars as well!
Proof of that statement has been walked into the Lucknow Guitar Garage, almost on a daily basis, ever since June stepped in! The one complaint: Sudden, inexplicable fretwire buzz.
Ladies and gentlemen, girls and boys, a heads up that the next few blog posts are going to deal with fretwire buzz and fretwire sprout.
And now for a simple explanation about what really is happening. The odd sharp showers notwithstanding, May’s extreme heat dried up wood everywhere on guitars (all guitars). So, wood shrank, fretwires stood up and sprouted, and centre seams opened up.
So, stop troubling your truss rod and if you take it to a shop, stop the man if he tries to worry the truss rod!
Free advice to all you guitar owners: Please feed water to your thirsty guitar!
Another piece of free advice: Drop your guitar at the Lucknow Guitar Garage and see the buzz disappear!
Fair warning: The next few posts are all going to be fretwire buzzes and fretwire sprout!
