My 360-12 needs help!

[expomick]

It's an August 2005 model, and until about two months ago, played like a charm. Since the weather up here in Toronto has descended into its annual soup-of-humidity hell, the poor guitar has not played as well.

Any notes on the first three frets will buzz, and on the high E string (and the B string), you can't produce a note at all, unless you apply gentle pressure to the back of the neck...which I'd rather NOT be doing.

I've attempted to store the guitar in a favourable location in the house, but one may not exist. My 381 6-string is not experiencing any problems at all, and both guitars are stored together.

Any one know of a reputable guitar shop in Toronto where I can take my 360-12? I don't wish to have anything else about it changed. I don't want to go to a store where the tech makes decisions that I don't want, such as adding a wider nut, or re-stringing it, or anything else that will take away from what a 360-12 is.

I like the spacing of the strings. It's a challenge sometimes, but I like how it is. If anything, it makes my 381 6-string feel all-the-more smoother when playing it!

Any suggestions are appreciated.

Thanks.

[86kubicki]

Hey Mick - Doug Harrison at the Twelth Fret did some excellent setup work on one of my 4001's a few years ago. They're the only place I can think of that would have repair staff who are familiar with Ricks.

[philhowes]

I agree 12th Fret is good, and I have also had excellent results from Dave at Encore Music Exchange but for my money the best investment I made after getting my 12 string Ric was the Roger McGuinn video on 12 String Guitar - it has an excellent section on set up, adjusting truss rods and changing strings. I highly recommend it.

[admin]

Welcome Phil.

[325_fan]

Sounds like the truss rods need to be loosened up a bit to add more relief to the neck. Sight down the edge of the fingerboard. Is there a backbow.

[expomick]

I'm not sure. I've spent so much time looking down the neck, trying to determine if there is, that my wife finally asked me if I was trying to learn a new way of playing the darn thing.

Any idea where I could find that McGuinn video?

[rick36]

Ebay

[icabod]

Phil; welcome, and are you any relation to Graham Howes?

[stubby]

You might want to give Ring Music a call. They may only work on acoustics but they have a great reputation. I believe they do (or did) much of the work on Bruce Cockburn's guitars.

[captsandwich]

The guy from Ring learned his trade at the 12th Fret, I believe. And the owners of the Fret learned from Jean Larivee, I think. Both are first class.
I got my guitar in January from the Fret and I haven't had any issues with the change in humidity recently, but it's a 6.

[stubby]

If you're willing to come down the highway a bit too Mick, you could try Mike Spicer at the Peghead here in Hamilton. He's an old friend of mine, a great luthier, and an all around great guy. He does a lot of the restoration/repair work for Capsule Music and has experience with Ricks.

[milo]

Are you only looking down the neck trying to check for backbow or relief? If you fret your E strings at the first fret and a fret near where the neck joins the body (different manufacturers recommend different high frets) you can just check to see if there is a gap between the string and the frets in the middle (relief) or if the strings are laying flat and touching all of the frets (backbow). Maybe start at the first and twelfth fret and work your way up checking for the relief.

[arrow201]

Twelfth Fret did an excellent setup job on my 360/12,
....it's the only place i'll go
http://www.12fret.com/

[fab4]

You might want to try Bruce Dowd (416) 421-4153 he is on Glebe Mount Ave which is right around the corner from the 12th Fret. He did an amazing job on my 1967 - 330 and his prices are very reasonable.

[expomick]

Appreciate all the answers! I'm at work right now, but will try what Jeff suggested.

I'll also check out Twelfth Fret and Bruce Dowd.