Is it time for my old guitar to retire?

by David
(France)

My guitar must be at least 30 years old (my dad bought it for me second-hand about 25 years ago).

I've no idea of the make or model as there are no distinctive markings. It's spent the last 15 years unused in a case in my cellar (which probably didn't do it much good).

During a recent house-move I came across my guitar, tuned it up and started playing it again.
It still makes a beautiful sound and I thoroughly using your free lessons to get reacquainted with my old friend (thanks Trevor).

However, I've noticed the distance between the fretboard and the strings is not the same along the neck. Its as if the neck has bent forward over the years. The strings are much higher from the 5th fret onwards. So much so that when I'm playing near the base of the neck, I really have to push hard to get a clear sound and make a conscious effort to move my fingers from one string to another.

Can this be repaired?

Or is it time for my old friend to retire?

Kind regards,
David

Hi David,

It sounds as though the problem you're having is the "string action" which means the distance of the strings from the fretboard.
It is easy to fix if indeed, there has been no underlying damage or warping of the neck.

Any decent guitar shop should be able lessen the height of the strings from the fretboard quite easily.

My advice would be to take it to a guitar/repair shop and get a quote of cost and/or damage sustained. It would be a shame to have to get a new guitar especially as it still "makes a beautiful sound".

Hope this helps.

Trevor M.