URGENT HELP NEEDED!!

edenfield99

Last year I started seeing a girl (I know this is the acoustic forum, the problem is guitar, not girl, based, keep reading I get to the point shortly) and she kindly let me keep my Guild GAD acoustic at her house. Anyway long story about woman troubles follows and the guitar finally ended up being kept for 6 months at her friend's house. I finally got it back yesterday and it's all rusty (frets, strings, fingerpicks in the case, everything that can rust) and the neck appears to have bowed (the action is now ridiculously high) so I guess it's a moisture/humidity problem. I've been assured it's always been kept in the house, which is hasn't, I suspect garage, but I don't want to start blaming people I want to know how to fix it.

What is the best way to make sure it is properly dried out before I start messing with the truss rod to straighten the neck? 

Should I leave the strings on it and keep it in tune why it dries or take them off?

Any advice for how to polish the frets without damaging them?

Any other advice (about the guitar not the women involved )

BahHumbug

I would say put it in normal humidity and be patient. And pray. Others will be better qualified to comment though. Good luck!

xSkarloey

For frets I've used this stuff with some success. I suspect I may have paid over the odds for what I might be able to get from a DIY shop, but it's the first time I've bought any and it's great.

http://www.stringsdirect.co.uk/accessories-c2/guitar-care-c56/planet-waves-planet-waves-guitar-fret-polishing-system-pw-frp-p3241


I reckon our good friend @icbm is the first port of call for the other issues.

If it's a drastic problem and people far more experienced than me suggest to take it to a reputable tech, then tell us where you are in the country and you might get a few recommendations.

maltingsaudio

As per I would restring it and polish the frets with duraglit silver polish and leave it to settle in the corner of the spare bedroom out of its case for a couple of day then see what gives. Mind you probably don't bother with the restring and clean  until its been out of its case for a couple of days and settled, then do the clean up.

As to girlfriend/gutar problems did have a newly made ex throw my Ovation in its Hiscox case at head height after me as I left her house, it survived.

BenSirAmos

I started reading and thought you were going to ask about engraving the girl's name onto the guitar.

Now that really was a great thread.

"Pleese Shelly, drop the injuncshun"

CHRISB50

It definitely sounds like it's been in too damp conditions. 

I echo the above comments on leaving it in a normal (between 45-50% RH) environment for a few days, to see if it adjusts itself to an extent. Then make a decision after you've seen what you have to work with.

I'd say potentially loosen the strings a little while it's being left so there is no tension on the bridge or the neck, but truly I have no idea what I am talking about when it comes to those kinds of specifics I probably would though!

ICBM

I would remove the strings, and slacken the truss rod fully. Taking the strings off with the truss rod tight could cause more problems.

Clean the frets and as much of the metalwork as you can - it may even be worth taking the machineheads off, if you're handy with that sort of work - with some metal polish, probably something quite abrasive for the frets eg Brasso, but preferably something milder for the machineheads. Clean and oil the fingerboard and bridge.

Then leave it to dry out properly in a normal warm house environment for a couple of weeks, if you can. Then finally restring it and tighten the truss rod back up - it may need 'settling in' time and readjustment.

That sounds like a lot of work, but it's probably best to do it all at once rather than trying to short-cut it and then having to do more later.

Also leave the case open somewhere really warm and dry for a good long time, or the moisture absorbed into it will just get back into the guitar.

For what it's worth I once "fixed" an old Eko acoustic for someone who had left it in a pub cellar and it had got very damp. The neck was so badly warped I thought it was a write-off, but when he finally got around to collecting it about a year later, after it had been stored in a dry cupboard with no strings and the truss rod slack, it had magically sorted itself out… so there is hope .

edenfield99

Cheers everyone for the input, especially @ICBM for the full and detailed instructions. I'll get onto this tomorrow, I'm off work so should be able to get it done in one go....fingers crossed [-O<