Originally Posted by Notes Norton
I don't know the limits of temperature change on the truss rod. Since it is also metal, I suppose it goes through the expanding and contracting situation with temperature.

Perhaps someone with more technical guitar knowledge can comment.


Insights and incites by Notes ♫

I don't claim to be "that person". All I can do is speak from experience with my guitars. Playing in a band we'd often load in from either a hot day into an air conditioned venue, or the opposite. I'd never leave my guitar in the vehicle or in the trailer to be affected by the ambient temperature inside that vehicle. First thing I'd do is open the case and let the guitar adjust to the temperature of the venue. My guitars are quality instruments so quite often there would be very little issue with it being out of tune. Most of the time the tuning issues would be very minimal. I have quite a few times where the guitar was in perfect tune after a few days in it's case. Here in my studio, I have an airconditioned/heated interior but in the winter it does tend to drop below the set temp at night, especially on the floor. So I have had to retune a certain amount of the time.

The wood breathes and contracts and expands slightly with temperature but more so with humidity. I don't think the truss rod is moving as much as the strings since they are thinner and more easily affected by the varying temperature. On cold mornings I notice that they are slightly sharp from the tuning point of the last session. And on the warmer days, the strings can be flat a few cents. Once I retune, they hold that pitch perfectly fine during the entire recording session. It's rare to have to touch up the tuning once I have them back in tune.

Like I said I'm no expert on the mechanics of what is actually happening but this was found on a google search.

I did a quick Google search on this topic and the consensus of what I saw indicated that the truss rod is not a major factor in tuning as it is primarily there to adjust the curve of the neck. It was noted that that curve/relief, can change under temperature extremes but it affects action more than tuning. By allowing slightly more relief, the neck will play fine under a wide range of temperatures.

The strings which are under tension when tuned to pitch, are indeed affected by the temperature as it causes them to contract when cold, thus increasing the tension and raising the pitch, or by expanding when hot thereby decreasing the tension and lowering the pitch.

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