Neck unstrung how long is safe before needing to loosen truss rod?

[Steve_Karl]

Hi there

I need to dress the fret ends on my nylon string Strat and it would be nice to not have to loosen the truss rod because the adjustment is really nice now so I'm wondering if anybody can give me a ballpark idea of how long it is safe to have the neck un strung and still tension on the truss rod?

thank you!

 

[Cagey]

Approximately forever. Even if it did make a difference, the amount of tension nylon strings put on a neck is negligible relative to steel strings.

 

[Steve_Karl]

Thanks !

 

[Cagey]

No problem.

What you have to watch with necks isn't oil or tension, it's moisture content. Leave 'em in too dry or humid a place, and they'll react. But, even then it usually takes months*. Where you see it most often is is actually on fretboards more than neck meat, as many necks are hard-finished so there's a barrier to the environment (no matter what the kids say, necks don't "breathe"). But, the exposed fretboard will shrink when it gets dry for an extended period, such as wintertime. Manifests as "fret sprout", where the tangs start to stick out the sides of the neck and chew up your fingers.

*Not always. I've broken open bundles of 1" x 2" x 8' pine strips only to come back a week later to find what looked like the flying spaghetti monster had taken up residence. But, I built a stool out of Maple for one of my brothers that took a couple years to distort.

 

[Steve_Karl]

Good info.

I've never had a neck problem here so I guess my moisture is in the OK zone.

 

[Steve_Karl]

I forgot to mention ... the fret end dressing and fret polishing went really well. All done within 24 hours.
Those polishing papers you pointed me to many moons ago are awesome.

 

[Rick]

I concur that the fretboards crack first.  Been there. Repaired there.  That's why every year, at christmas, I put nice coat of mineral oil on my ebony.