Expert: The Luthier Lady! - 12/20/2010

Question
Hello Luthier Lady,

I need more information on woods. Though this is an electric guitar but I'm sure you can help me out. The guitar is bolt on type, neck screwed to body. The neck's wood is wenge and the body's wood is mahogany I've removed the neck from the body in order to transport. I've shipped the guitar and neck separately from Germany to Finland during a very low temperature weather (-12C' or 10F')And it took a week to arrived.

After I opened up the box and tried to reattach the neck to body. I've found that the neck pocket is a bit looser than it was so that the neck are not firmly fit to the pocket, actually the neck could slide freely in the pocket, I also can see the gab 0.5 mm. between the pocket and neck. Before I removed the neck off for the transport, they were tightly fit each other that the pocket could even hold the neck without a screw.

So I am wondering what is the cause of this issue? I guess is much to do with the humidity in the air and the wood's moisture. Worry if the neck will firmly fit to the body again like before or anything I can do?. Please suggest me. thank you so much!

Isara

Answer
Hi Isara,

The looseness you are speaking of is caused by the wood shrinking due to lack of humidity. This happens especially in the winter time because most indoor heat is very dry.

In your case, the looseness is not really an issue because you have a bolt on neck. All you need to do is line up the neck so the strings have equal distance on either side of the fretboard along the edges, and screw it down tight. The screws will hold the neck securely.

Once the seasons change, the humidity will probably re-swell the neck and it will fit as it did before.

As long as the screws make the neck fit tight in the pocket, you have nothing to worry about.