help please

[Kazz]

My S101 Tele was left laying on its back down in my basement....somehow it got left on our treadmill. I have no idea how long it has been laying like this...I have not been down there myself in at least a month....last night I went down to look at something and I notice the tele laying there...I freak out.....grab it and check it over....and the string tension is incredibly tight.....so something must be going on......where should I start? Do I want to release the tension on the strings by the tuning pegs? Or should I try and adjust the truss rod? I am fearful that there are issues with the neck. Should I lay it down on its face to see if it goes the other way over the course of a week or so?

I only paid like 70 bucks for this thing 2nd hand so I cannot see taking it to a luthier.

 

[Algonquin]

Kazz, I certainly don't want to give you advice that will make things worse... but I think it would be safe to say you should back the string tension off to standard A440 tuning.

When you mentioned the string tension was incredibly tight, I can only assume someone has overtightened the strings.

Give this a try and hang it back up, put it on it's stand, or place it in it's case... just get it off the floor.

I'd avoid tinkering with the truss for the time being.

Good luck...

 

[just strum]

Not being the pro, I am going to comment on the safe side.

Loosing the strings, not all the way, but a step or two down. Put it in a hanger, if you don't have one, buy one. Let it sit for a few days in the hanger and check the tension. After a few days take a long straight edge to the board and see how it's set. After that, then I would determine if you need to adjust the rod.

Again, I am not a pro, but I did stay at a Holiday Inn last night.

 

[M29]

Sounds like good advice. I have no idea what to do without giving it some serious thought but I would not do any drastic. Putting it back to standard tuning sounds good and then see where it goes for now. Hanging sounds good too.

M29

 

[Rabies]

Am I the only person here that seems to think this question/situation is a little :whatever: ?

 

[just strum]

Am I the only person here that seems to think this question/situation is a little :whatever: ?

how so?

 

[Rabies]

how so?

Well, I mean...first off: guitar left laying on it's back on a treadmill. Why would that make any more of a difference than it being on it's back on the floor, a bed, whatever, etc?

 

[just strum]

Well, I mean...first off: guitar left laying on it's back on a treadmill. Why would that make any more of a difference than it being on it's back on the floor, a bed, whatever, etc?

I didn't really think much about it laying on it's back, I was thinking of the basement. Seeing that Kazz is one state over and I know we've had a lot of snow and rain over the past 30+ days, I was thinking dampness playing havoc with the neck. Plus how did it get there? If it was a kid, did they tighten the strings?

Also, maybe the treadmill was on and now the neck is skinny

 

[Rabies]

Also, maybe the treadmill was on and now the neck is skinny

Maybe.

And then second: we know the tension was high...but was it way way sharp, or was it pretty much in the standard tuning ballpark?

My best guess, given everything I know about the situation (which is very little), is someone was putting some torque on the tuners. Tune that bad boy...everything will be ok. :AOK:

 

[just strum]

My best guess, given everything I know about the situation (which is very little), is someone was putting some torque on the tuners. Tune that bad boy...everything will be ok. :AOK:

Good point, I assumed that there was issues and immediately went for a possible fix. The response should have been - tune, play, and then decide if there are issues. My glass must have been half empty when I responded earlier.:thwap:

 

[ted s]

Any small fidgety hands attached to small mini persons around that may have been in the vicinity ?

 

[player]

Kazz, I certainly don't want to give you advice that will make things worse... but I think it would be safe to say you should back the string tension off to standard A440 tuning.

When you mentioned the string tension was incredibly tight, I can only assume someone has overtightened the strings.

Give this a try and hang it back up, put it on it's stand, or place it in it's case... just get it off the floor.

I'd avoid tinkering with the truss for the time being.

Good luck...

I concur with Algonquin.I've never know any harm to come from easing tension off of the neck.that said:after doing it put it back in the case with looser tension so it can settle anywhere from three days to a week.then if you can put on a fresh set of strings one at a time.if the theory works you should be able to tune it normally and play it out Not fooling with the truss rod at all. hope oils well - Good Luck :AOK:

 

[just strum]

Any small fidgety hands attached to small mini persons around that may have been in the vicinity ?

Maybe we should call in a forensic team to look for peanut butter and jelly residue.

 

[Kazz]

I don't understand why the responder would doubt my integrity....Strum has it right....very wet winter here.....Strum...here is the kicker...My Les Paul stays down there too.....but it is kept on a stand with strict instructions to the kids....touch it and depart this life into the next one

The Les Paul stays in perfect tune down there....I even checked it out to make sure that it was not in the same condition....it was fine...so the damp basement alone is not the issue.

Definitely could be a case of the 10 year old torquing on the tuning pegs....I will detune later today and see what happens....I guess I could have been more specific in my posting too as the action seems to be way higher than it was....albeit this is not a guitar I play very often.....and it needed a setup to begin with now just moreso

 

[Kazz]

Sheyanne is the only one who is down there unsupervised....Hanna our 2 year old is not allowed down there without either myself or Sealy. Hanna is notorious for messing with tuning pegs on my guitars....now I can't help but think that Shey may have been playing with it....which would explain how it got on the treadmill and laying down instead of on its stand or leaning against the amp. This cheapie does not have a case yet. I do have one I can put it in tho as I leave the Les Paul and Acoustic out on stands all the time.

 

[just strum]

I shouldn't speak for another fretter, but I don't think that Rabies is question your integrity, I think he is/was questioning more 1) Is there something wrong with it. and/or 2) the guitar laying on the back would most likely not be the cause of the problem.

 

[Rabies]

I shouldn't speak for another fretter, but I don't think that Rabies is question your integrity, I think he is/was questioning more 1) Is there something wrong with it. and/or 2) the guitar laying on the back would most likely not be the cause of the problem.

Yeah, I wasn't trying to be a turd. It's just that your original post left a little to be desired in the information dept. :AOK:

 

[mrmudcat]

Am I the only person here that seems to think this question/situation is a little :whatever: ?

Well, I mean...first off: guitar left laying on it's back on a treadmill. Why would that make any more of a difference than it being on it's back on the floor, a bed, whatever, etc?

I think perhaps you were not trying to be a turd but failed miserably:rotflmao:

Yeah, I wasn't trying to be a turd. It's just that your original post left a little to be desired in the information dept. :AOK:

Kazz clearly stated what he saw and asked specific questions about if the guitar would be ok /screwed from sitting in a damp basement on the treadmill,ground, whatever etc etc .He knew very little how it got there ,why it was strung tight etc. etc. Looking at other replys before yours that offered advice opinions to the problem ,yours was clearly different????? You did go on to offer good advice about tuning it and playing it:beer:

Of course none of my beeswax but some of us migrated over here from other forums to avoid replies made that were either negative or no direct help to the posters problem or similiar stuff.(quite abit on the forum in question)

Rabies ,I am not saying this was your intention at all but offering another view,perhaps put yourself in the other persons seat and decide if you yourself would think those replies were helpful.Peace Cat:AOK:

This is a great positive place lets keep things above and beyond any other forum where no one is afraid to ask questions for fear of ridicule that your question will be called stupid or worse you will be called stupid etc etc(again not reffering to this situation) :rockon:

 

[Kazz]

I think perhaps you were not trying to be a turd but failed miserably:rotflmao:

Kazz clearly stated what he saw and asked specific questions about if the guitar would be ok /screwed from sitting in a damp basement on the treadmill,ground, whatever etc etc .He knew very little how it got there ,why it was strung tight etc. etc. Looking at other replys before yours that offered advice opinions to the problem ,yours was clearly different????? You did go on to offer good advice about tuning it and playing it:beer:

Of course none of my beeswax but some of us migrated over here from other forums to avoid replies made that were either negative or no direct help to the posters problem or similiar stuff.(quite abit on the forum in question)

Rabies ,I am not saying this was your intention at all but offering another view,perhaps put yourself in the other persons seat and decide if you yourself would think those replies were helpful.Peace Cat:AOK:

This is a great positive place lets keep things above and beyond any other forum where no one is afraid to ask questions for fear of ridicule that your question will be called stupid or worse you will be called stupid etc etc(again not reffering to this situation) :rockon:

See...this guy gets it.....lmao.

Thanks again, as always Muddy...you are a class act my friend. You nailed it perfectly....I posted it exactly as I saw it....and I still do not have any more information....of course I have not brought the kiddos into the interrogation room to see if I can get them to confess either....its not that big of a deal...it is a very inexpensive guitar....I think I may have paid 75 bucks for it...definitely under 100....

I have to get down there today and see if she will tune up right.....I think I failed to mention that the action was/is seriously higher than I remember it being...altho I think I have only played that guitar twice.

If I can get the action resolved and retuned correctly....my next step is researching some better pickups for it....the bridge gets the tele sound pretty decent, but the neck leaves a lot to be desired.

Not to mention the bridge pup moves some if you touch it...so I am not sure it is on the guard correctly.....

As luck would have it....I tried to fix what I thought was a simple repair of replacing the main shut off valve (water) in the house as this is a 65 year old house we bought....I turned the main valve off some time ago to repair another shutoff...and as my luck would have it...the main started leaking up the shaft...which means the rubber liner has failed....you cannot buy replacement parts for these old things any more...so I finally got around to removing it and buying a modern ball valve to replace it with.....during the process the line that comes into the house is a flared fitting....needless to say....when I was first taking it apart....with a pipe wrench and channel locks (hey it was what I had at the time) the flare broke....so after putting everything back together and turning the water back on at the meter....of course it leaked....2 trips to the hardware store (Ace Hardware) and then Menards...I finally got the right product to repair it...and 8:30 last night had the water back on in the house without any leaks.

Where I live with a family of 4 3 girls and me....the water bill is right at 100 a month without any leaks....I cannot have water leaking LOL....not if I wish to buy more guitar equipment.

 

[just strum]

As luck would have it....I tried to fix what I thought was a simple repair of replacing the main shut off valve (water) in the house as this is a 65 year old house we bought....I turned the main valve off some time ago to repair another shutoff...and as my luck would have it...the main started leaking up the shaft...which means the rubber liner has failed....you cannot buy replacement parts for these old things any more...so I finally got around to removing it and buying a modern ball valve to replace it with.....during the process the line that comes into the house is a flared fitting....needless to say....when I was first taking it apart....with a pipe wrench and channel locks (hey it was what I had at the time) the flare broke....so after putting everything back together and turning the water back on at the meter....of course it leaked....2 trips to the hardware store (Ace Hardware) and then Menards...I finally got the right product to repair it...and 8:30 last night had the water back on in the house without any leaks.

I kept reading this thinking that it would end "well, I finally got the leak fixed after a series of breaks and mishaps, I'm standing next to the water tower 20 miles from my house and have to find a ride home.":rotflmao:

 

[mrmudcat]

:rotflmao: :master: :beer: ^^^^^^^

 

[Rabies]

I think perhaps you were not trying to be a turd but failed miserably:rotflmao:




Kazz clearly stated what he saw and asked specific questions about if the guitar would be ok /screwed from sitting in a damp basement on the treadmill,ground, whatever etc etc .He knew very little how it got there ,why it was strung tight etc. etc. Looking at other replys before yours that offered advice opinions to the problem ,yours was clearly different????? You did go on to offer good advice about tuning it and playing it:beer:

Of course none of my beeswax but some of us migrated over here from other forums to avoid replies made that were either negative or no direct help to the posters problem or similiar stuff.(quite abit on the forum in question)

Rabies ,I am not saying this was your intention at all but offering another view,perhaps put yourself in the other persons seat and decide if you yourself would think those replies were helpful.Peace Cat:AOK:

This is a great positive place lets keep things above and beyond any other forum where no one is afraid to ask questions for fear of ridicule that your question will be called stupid or worse you will be called stupid etc etc(again not reffering to this situation) :rockon:

My S101 Tele was left laying on its back down in my basement....somehow it got left on our treadmill. I have no idea how long it has been laying like this...I have not been down there myself in at least a month....last night I went down to look at something and I notice the tele laying there...I freak out.....grab it and check it over....and the string tension is incredibly tight.....so something must be going on......where should I start? Do I want to release the tension on the strings by the tuning pegs? Or should I try and adjust the truss rod? I am fearful that there are issues with the neck. Should I lay it down on its face to see if it goes the other way over the course of a week or so?

I only paid like 70 bucks for this thing 2nd hand so I cannot see taking it to a luthier.

I saw this thread had a few replies to it, and I remember commenting on the situation. I check it out, and evidently, some think I posted a little harshly. Thinking, 'perhaps I did', I go back to the beginning...maybe I misunderstood the original post. And the original post really doesn't strike me any different the second time around.

After reading it, I am left thinking that the guitar is just way sharp out of tune. Nowhere does it say that the action is real high or anything. Just that the string tension is really tight.

Now...if I put myself in the original poster's seat with only the information given...I tune the guitar.

 

[just strum]

Rabies,

I wouldn't worry about it. The truth is that Kazz probably had the guitar float by him and his first thought was I'll fix the guitar, but eventually his second thought won out and he fixed the leak instead. Don't take the comments too seriously, for the most part they are only oke:

It's the danger of print, there is no facial expression, and we as humans tend to think the person on the other end is only holding up one finger.

 

[Algonquin]

and we as humans tend to think the person on the other end is only holding up one finger.

And around here it's usually that way 99.9% of the time...
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Fortunately at the Fret, it's almost always this one :AOK:

 

[Kazz]

I kept reading this thinking that it would end "well, I finally got the leak fixed after a series of breaks and mishaps, I'm standing next to the water tower 20 miles from my house and have to find a ride home.":rotflmao:

Strummer...I was starting to feel that way myself bro....I just knew I was going to have to call in a plummer...and what bucks that would have been....that would have seriously put an end to my Washburn D46 acquisition and vacation funds.

 

[Kazz]

I think it was the smilie he used that actually bothered me more...the

"whatever" smilie looks like he is calling me a ******.