# guitar top caving ?



## gerrythegreat (Mar 14, 2009)

Hi there 

This might be hard for me to explain here but the top of my acoustic guitar has a spot of about one inch where it is caving in. It is barely noticeable by eye but you can feel it with your hand. I have already had it repaired and the guy put a bridge doctor. 

Should I be worried?

thank you


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## dradlin (Feb 27, 2010)

Do you humidify the guitar?


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## gerrythegreat (Mar 14, 2009)

No I dont but it is kept in its case all the time and the humidity is never bellow 30 in the winter


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## Mooh (Mar 7, 2007)

That's too dry in my experience. I keep mine above 40%.

Peace, Mooh.


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## gerrythegreat (Mar 14, 2009)

Thanks for the response,

I just went out and bought a guitar humidifier  Could this help?


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## Steadfastly (Nov 14, 2008)

gerrythegreat said:


> Thanks for the response,
> 
> I just went out and bought a guitar humidifier  Could this help?


Yes, it could but the damage may be permanent. As Mooh said, 30% humidity is quite low, so your humidifier purchase is a good idea.


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## blam (Feb 18, 2011)

word, keep it above 40 if you can and below 60


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## dradlin (Feb 27, 2010)

Where on the top is the depression?


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## gerrythegreat (Mar 14, 2009)

dradlin said:


> Where on the top is the depression?


under the bridge bottom left (it is a lefty so would be bottom right for all you normal players  )


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## dradlin (Feb 27, 2010)

I'm not sure what you are describing... is it between the bridge and sound hole, opposite the bridge and sound hole, the treble side of the bridge, or bass side of the bridge?

The concern is that there might be a cracked or unglued brace in your guitar, in addition to it being dehydrated.

Have a look inside and use a mirror and flash light to inspect the top bracing.


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## gerrythegreat (Mar 14, 2009)

dradlin said:


> I'm not sure what you are describing... is it between the bridge and sound hole, opposite the bridge and sound hole, the treble side of the bridge, or bass side of the bridge?
> 
> The concern is that there might be a cracked or unglued brace in your guitar, in addition to it being dehydrated.
> 
> Have a look inside and use a mirror and flash light to inspect the top bracing.



treble side past the bridge. Is that clearer?


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## dradlin (Feb 27, 2010)

It is odd that yours is sinking in the area you describe, without other problem areas first being apparent.

I speculate that there is more than dehydration to be concerned about.


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## gerrythegreat (Mar 14, 2009)

Been hydrating it for the last 3 weeks and the top is now nearly back to normal.

thanks


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## shoretyus (Jan 6, 2007)

funny I have just went through the same thing.


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## gerrythegreat (Mar 14, 2009)

shoretyus said:


> funny I have just went through the same thing.


and is everything ok?


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## shoretyus (Jan 6, 2007)

gerrythegreat said:


> and is everything ok?


I think so.. I restrung it and played it for Wed/Thur nights. The action is a bit high and I think I need to crank the truss rod once more. This is a nice but older Yamaha . not huge $ value but a very nice guitar. I had recently installed a bridge peizo pu and may need to route it a little lower. But I couldn't figure out why the part of the fretboard that is on the top was sloping in... until my local music store suggested that that is what is going on. Makes sense as I have a very dry wood heated house with a heated concrete floor where my recording gear is. The guitar has been out of it's case all winter. 

I set the guitar out in my unheated shop for a week. The then put in a humidifer and taped up the hole for a week. It sucked in quite a bit of water.. It came back pretty well.


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