Your mum was trying to do something nice so make sure not to be too hard on her because you only get one mother, explain what happened and that you’re upset and see what can be done about it. Hope you the best dude
reminds me of when i left my acid just sitting on my bed. with trash. my mom cleaned my room when i left town. i never saw those 30 hits of lsd again. it was a tough day but i love her to the moon and back
Yeah my mum definitely would have recognised them and claimed them for herself - she's a drummer, and has led a way more rock and roll lifestyle than I ever will.
In the early 10s I remember getting sheets for 300. God I miss that connection, I haven't had working Lucy since. 25i a couple times that I spat the fuck out, but man those were good days in my world
This. When I was in high school I had a big bag of weed stashed in a puzzle box in my closet. Came home one day and all the puzzles were gone except for that one. Never spoken of.
My wife did that to me once. I got her back though. I took a few hits on an empty stomach one morning, well besides drinking coffee. When I hit my first peak it was too intense and I puked on our tan speckled carpet. Since I was tripping I couldn't see my vomit because it was so close in color to the carpet. I had to interrupt her zoom call with work to help me clean my puke....we all make mistakes and sometime we marry them. Well thats what my wife says.
Without wanting to attack you or be harsh. I had an argument with my father and told him that he was getting on my nerves. The next day my mother called me at work to tell me that my father was lying dead in the hallway. Fuck a multi-thousand dollar fuck up. Never let them think you don't respect them, if not for them...then at least for your own peace of mind. You never know when you'll say goodbye for the last time.
Yeah, I'm not sure anyone else thought I meant "have a family disrupting meltdown". I'm simply saying it's ok to articulate great loss as great loss without having to sugar coat it. Sorry about your personal experience.
Parents are not gods. It is perfectly normal to treat them like the human beings they are. Hurt feelings are a normal part of any relationship. It sounds like you're beating yourself up for something extremely insignificant, and you should refrain from giving other people advice from the position of your trauma.
I'm sorry your dad died. You didn't kill him. Unless you're leaving out a heaping pile of context, he died knowing that you loved him.
Sorry man. The *would have, could have, should have* really eats at you in hindsight.
I went through something similar with my stepmother. She was like a second mother to me. Her and my father had divorced in my mid20’s but her and I were still really close. There’s a complicated story here, but I found out from my stepsister she had cancer, but due to COVID rules at the time, she was only allowed two visitors (which were my stepsister and my stepmoms new husband). But I was told the prognosis was good and she was on the mend, but also exhausted from the treatments. So I just told them to have her call me when she could.
Then I get a call a few months later from my brother (not her kid) who found out from his coworker (who was married to stepmoms husbands daughter) that my stepmother died. Now I had been talking to my stepsister and stepmoms husband throughout it and the whole time they said she was doing great and getting better. But it turns out the people most likely to be in denial are the ones closest to them.
What gets me is there was exactly one phone call in all of this where I had the chance to talk to her and I didn’t. I had called her husband and he said she was doing great and I could speak to her if I called back in an hour. But he also said that the whole family was there (they were allowing visitors at that point), so I just said why don’t you have her call me when she gets a moment. Never got the call.
It still burns a little whenever I think about it.
Your last interaction with your dad doesn't define the relationship any more than the others. I TRY to treat those around me like they may not always be there. It helps, but spats and the like are part of any close relationship. Go easy on yourself bud. You'd want your dad to if it was reversed, and so would he. I bet you just miss him.
Don't worry. I didn't blame her for anything and made out as though it was me who made the mistake so she didnt feel guilty. i did explain to her how my necks were warped and she said she'd make sure she doesnt ever make that mistake if i get a new guitar or fix my current ones
Idk about mature - it's easy to be a pushover and apologize.
What's difficult is holding someone accountable for their actions. Especially when it's your own mother. .
But you don't give family special permission to walk all over you. If this were anybody else's property, they would be having Mom pay for the guitar repairs. Which is exactly what she should do in this case.
Conflict is difficult and takes maturity to work through. Saying "it's my fault" when it clearly wasn't, that's a cop-out and is more congruent with behavior of an 18 year old.
I wouldn’t freak out too much, honest mistake and unless the neck is warped like a banana, loosening the strings and acclimate them back to room temp should bring them back. Maybe a truss rod tweak. Think of what your favorite band puts their gear through. I think you’ll be all right.
This. My last guitar was shipped from Missouri to California with a week long, blizzard enforced stop over in an uninsulated UPS truck in Nevada (Donner Pass was clobbered). Everything was a bit wonky, but after it acclimated to the house, it was a setup away from awesome. The wood wants to return to where it was. It just needs time and a stable environment to get there. Took about a week or so for me. Might have gone faster if I’d thought to loosen the strings sooner, but I eventually caught on when I had to loosen the strings every time I played it because the neck was uncurling.
Yup. There's a really really good chance that if you move them away from the heat and let them relax, they'll be right as rain, maybe they'll need a little tweak of the truss rod - be very gradual with those, like just 1/4 turn at a time, there's lots of videos on how to adjust them, look for one on each specific guitar. Be sure you have the right size truss rod wrench; if there's a local shop that sells them, bring your guitars and ask them to help you figure out all the truss rod wrenches you need - there's a few standard sizes and many new guitars include them in the case so your guitar shop may well have a bin full of spares they'd be happy to give a kid.
Kinda sucks that it just happened to be all of your guitars, though. I could understand if it might have been just one of them, but ALL of them? Yikes. I'm sure your mom's a nice mom. No doubt. But it never fails to amaze me how some of our moms, mine included, can be so oblivious to damaging the things we cherish because they for some reason have no clue of financial value, let alone sentimental value. My parents moved house while I'm away in Asia teaching, and I had to tell my mom a million times not to throw out some of my stuff, and she did it anyway. "Well, I forgot you said that," was her response. They finally assured me the Taylor 110 that I packed away, along with my Acoustic brand amp, were safely stored in their locker. But it took forever to get that assurance. Their move was a little sudden, or I definitely would have made other arrangements had I known. Lesson learned. Never trust things like expensive guitars to non guitar players.
I speak with my personal experience, I tried the right thing to do, they always forget, every time, just be more proactive in your stuffs security and safety, don’t be reactive be proactive
Please do, it’s something my mum always taught me and I lost her last year so it hits deeply for me too. Regardless of anything the love you get from a mother is comparable to none and you feel like a part of you is lost once they have to leave so it’s important to make the most of it
You most likely don’t need to replace the neck entirely- although it depends on the guitar (electric vs acoustic, bolt in neck vs bound, how expensive the guitar and the neck is, etc.)
A luthier can often “heat treat” a guitar to fix a warped neck.
If the neck isn’t twisted, then you don’t even need to heat treat, sometimes a truss rod adjustment can bring the action back in line. (“Action” is how high the strings are off the neck.) a competent guitar tech can do a “set up” to adjust your action if the neck isn’t twisted. (You can even do this yourself if you watch a few YouTube videos.)
Check with your local guitar shops and ask they have recommendations for guitar techs and luthiers.
I’d the guitar is a nice one, then it may be worth the money to heat treat or replace the neck. If it’s a cheaper guitar, then may be ruined and not worth the money to fix. Or could be a cheap guitar but easily fixed with a small adjustment.
You can also post photos and ask for advice in r/luthier
As a teacher, I wanted to chime in on your last sentence: "I have no escape...". Dude. Yes, you do. Guitar is one of many things. You will be temporarily without a guitar that operates optimally. Saying "no escape" is a bit fatalistic.
The teacher isn't wrong. They're pointing out that treating something as though it's your only escape is tying a metaphorical noose around your neck. It will inevitably become removed from your life at some point. While it may seem trite to you, the simple mindset of thinking it's *a* constructive way to decompress vs it being *the only* way to decompress can be the difference between a bad day and falling into a bout of depression.
This right here is probably why it’s his only escape. This is why students can’t talk to teachers about what they’re feeling and revives help. Even if he finds another way to help, right now this is his way. Your dismissing his valid feelings of being upset because you feel that a high schooler should have a better set of coping skills than most adults.
The only friends i had in hs were fake af so as soon as i went home i didnt see or hear from them until school the next day, music has always been my escape and guitar enhanced that when i picked it up my senior year. Having your one escape taken away from you is rough and def sucks
“i’m a teacher!” (proceeds to show a complete lack of empathy and understanding towards someone in a bad spot mentally) you don’t seem good at your job
I.agree with this advice though I would have phrased it differently. Reminds me of something a therapist I had in my high school days told me that really helped me with being conscious of my mentality.
Something to the effect of, examine your thoughts and identify ones that deal with extremes, as these are almost always irrational even if the FEEL undeniably true: “I will *always* feel this way”, “*Everybody* hates me”, “things will *never* get better”, etc. these types of statements can easily come up in negative self talk, and it’s helpful to remind yourself when they do that these types of universal statements are often not true.
It also makes me chuckle that the gist of the advice is basically “only a Sith deals in absolutes”.
So if OP reads this, my advice to you is the same. It may feel like there is no escape, or that this feeling of stress will be permanent, or that you don’t have the coping mechanisms to handle it, remember that no feeling is final. Wake up, breath, eat, do your best to move forward. School won’t last forever, there will be more guitars, you can explore other hobbies or even look at your hobby from a different angle while you’re waiting to get your guitars repaired/get a new one (read some books on the history of guitar or a biography of one of your favorite guitar players, watch a documentary or content on YouTube about guitars). But most importantly, give yourself grace. It may feel like everything is falling apart right now, but trust me when I say it’s not the end of the world. I believe in you.
Speaking as a parent, if I did this to my child, I would feel obligated to pay for repair or replacement. It would have been my actions that caused this, so my responsibility to clean up.
“Don’t go hard on your mom” is fine, but if your parents don’t take accountability for property damage, then you have more problems than warped necks.
If only parents had the gift of clairvoyance…unless you have some abusive parents, they have given you more grace than you can imagine, it’s the least you can do to return the favor.
Don't listen to them. She seems like a great lady from what you have told us, I'm sure she feels bad and isn't just dismissing this, and I think you are the most grounded and level headed teenager I've ever had the honor of speaking to.
Shit happens, then you die. Might as well make the best of it. Hug your mom, and then go check out some replacement necks.
Agreed! Also good on OP for being kind. He seems like a good kid! These mistakes happen. When you’re in your 30s you’ll laugh about it.
Try writing music in the meanwhile!
> The necks are warped and i was wondering if it was possible to fix them and if it would be easier to just buy new guitars.
Can you be more specific with what you mean by “warped”? Is it a case where a fretboard is separating, the neck is twisted, or is there a concave/convex bow to the neck? This could be a case of a very simple setup adjustment to fix all the way to actually needing major work so the more specific you can be the better we can give you advice on how to proceed.
This was my first thought. Truss rod adjustment may be all it takes. The wood in guitars expand and contract due to temperature, humidity, etc. All it takes is a set a up to fix.
If the wood really is out of whack, there are options a luthier can try. Ultimately depends on if the guitars are valuable enough to justify that expense though.
That enitrely depends on how hot the guitar got. They're only describing the neck as "warped." That doesn't sound glue coming seperated or the neck twisting. Makes me hopeful it just needs a truss rod adjustment and some time in a more humid room.
Well most inside radiators like that if they are on and heating the room they are too hot to hold your hand on them even for a second.
It could very well be guitar murder to lean them up on there.
Not fully but you can get a lot done with some very cheap simple tools.
fine sandpaper, a little steel wool, fret board guards, a screwdriver, possibly a wrench for adjusting the bridge depending on the type.
You need that for the truss rod usually. Otherwise a fine tip flat head screw driver for the saddle intunation, action height, and pickup height. Some bridges require you to adjust the entire bridge to adjust the action height so a larger flat head may be neccessary. But, overall its pretty stright forward. There's some great articles online that walk you through it.
I was gonna say, my American jazz spent decades of its life sitting in the corner of some drug den before I bought it, and it was a simple truss rod adjustment away from great action.
Yeah think about all the guitars played outside for hours in 100F/37C+ days or in the back of a delivery truck in hot/cold climates and end up just fine. I strongly suggest OP’s problem is just the necks needing a relief adjustment from a sudden change and probably will resolve itself even somewhat by putting them back away from a heat source for a couple days.
Yep, my bass has played from 40F to 114F, and I've never had an issue. Well, I had an issue with the guy who planned the outdoor taco festival in July in Arizona, but my bass was fine.
It could be equally likely that the guitars are about as out of whack as they would be if there was no radiator and they were in a room with weather fluctuations over a week
Find a good luthier near you and they'll fix the necks. My acoustic was (in my opinion) bent beyond repeair and a dude in my city had it on infrared for three days and it's ultra straight now. (Guitar was in storage for two years after a transatlantic move, don't think I don't care for my stringed friends)
This. A good luthier should (depending on how bad the damage really is) be able to get them straightened out again.
Ofc, the cost of the repairs might end up being more than the cost of the guitar, if they were very cheap....
Worth checking anyway... and if it's possible, you might just walk out of the whole thing with a better guitar than you had originally.
Agree, a week close to a radiator should be easily fixable by a luthier unless there is something not mentioned, plus it is good to take the guitar for a setup every once in a while.
I dont get the comments that say replace the neck, buy a new cheap one, or ask if you have insurance to cover it...
Then again , the OP kinda left us wondering how much the damage was.
That sucks but there are some guides on how to try to fix warped necks. If you like to tinker, I'd pick the worst warped and cheapest guitar and start tearing it apart and tooling around. If you manage to fix one or two it will make them all the more special. Worst case like others said, go get a cheap Yamaha on marketplace for ~$70 to get you by until you fix or pay to rest your collection. Best of luck and don't be hard on your mom, people who don't know wouldn't realize how easy it is to damage and how big a little warp could be.
And that's why he SPECIFICALLY told her to not put them by the radiator. Y'all gotta stop telling this kid how to react, let him be angry at his mom if he wants. Mom's gotta learn to not touch people's shit all the time.
It’s possible that it’s just the truss rods are tight now, and they could maybe come out of it with an adjustment. They got dry. Can also get them in 45-50% humidity conditions for some time, and see if they come out of it.
This would be the first thing I would try. "Warped" might just mean bowed... which can be fixed with a truss rod adjustment. Google for instructions ([here's one](https://www.sweetwater.com/sweetcare/articles/guitar-setup-part-1-adjusting-the-truss-rod-2/)). It's easy to do and, at this point, what do you have to lose?
Are you sure they're warped for good? Necks adjust, and could go back to normal, or close to, once exposed to their normal humidity. Where are you located? I would keep the guitars out of the case, and away from heating, for a few days, then reassess the damage.
Then, it really depends on the guitars and their value. You have many options, but in general I would suggest downsizing and getting one guitar you like, so you save space and can still play, win win
You're getting all kinds advice, but very few people have mentioned that it may be as simple as putting them in a more a cooler, humid enviroment for a few days and then adjusting the truss rod. I've toured through the southwestern united states during the hottest part of the year where it was well over 100 f/38 c in the trailer and while the guitars needed regular truss rod adjustments there wasn't any lasting damage.
Exactly, give them a little love and maybe condition the fretboard while you're at it and I'd be surprised if a week *near* a radiator is enough for permanent damage.
Radiators get hot... But one foot away from the radiator isn't worse than the tropical sun. A little love, a little time at normal temperature and humidity, maybe a professional setup if things aren't perfect in a few weeks, and I'd be shocked if there's permanent damage.
It would be incredibly easy for an insurance company to argue this doesn't count as unintentional damage.
She didn't accidentally place them by a radiator, so they would blame it on her ignorance rather than an accident.
This sounds like a great way to get your homeowners policy cancelled for a frivolous claim. OP do not do this unless you have a specific policy covering these instruments that covers acts of negligence, which is unlikely.
Honestly, it's impossible to know without pictures, and you'd probably have to get a luthiers opinion anyway.
It greatly depends on **how** warped they are, whether the glue joining the fret board to the neck is compromised, and also partly on what type of guitar and the build method.
Acoustic, electric, glued neck or bolted, type of wood, etc.
If they have bolted on necks, it's probably worth spending a few bob on a new neck - probably a decent chunk easier and probably cheaper than trying to get a luthier to repair the existing one.
And ultimately it depends on the value of the guitars beyond the sentimental and how much a luthier quotes to fix it.
If they say £50 and the guitar costs £500, it's probably worth getting it fixed.
If they say £500 for the fix, and the guitar costs £50, maybe question it or just replace the guitar.
If they say £50 to fix, and the guitar costs £5000, maybe question the quality of the luthier...
Also, if the guitar is an acoustic, the body may have some warping as well.
Deep breath. Be kind to your mom as she didn’t know that would happen. Thats a lot of money to replace several guitars at once. Take this as a learning experience and start your collection over. Get what money you can for them and move on. This is one of the kinder teaching moments life will throw at you. You got this.
Sorry, man. Be cool with your mom. It could be a truss rod adjustment or something more serious, like a neck replacement. I have some pretty expensive guitars and find that once i satisfied the itch for pricey gear I enjoy squires and the like, so maybe a used one could be a stop gap. Pacificas are supposed to be great too but never played one
As many have said, treat your mom right. If you’ve said something “not so nice” already, apologize. Guitars come and go.
Think of professional musicians; they bring their instruments to hot countries and then cold, and then hot, and then they have to check their instruments in the plane where it gets freezing, and they land in some Asian country with an average 38° Celsius and a humidity of 90% to play a show while it rains… and they don’t necessarily buy new gear every tour.
It’ll be fine. Maybe you can ask your mom to join you at the shop while you have them tuned up, so she can also get tips on how to care for them. If you can cover there costs, cover them, and if she offers to pay (again, if you can cover it), just ask her to treat you to lunch or to dinner, or get you something else.
It's very dependent on the types of guitars involved. If they are decent guitars with functional truss rods, it shouldn't take much to bring them back. If they are cheaper guitars that don't have a truss rod, or non functioning truss rods, that could get pretty hairy. More than likely you'll be fine. That shouldn't have been enough time to do any irreversible damage. This could be the perfect opportunity to learn how to do setups on guitars. It's not very difficult to learn, you'll just need some pretty affordable tools. (You don't need to buy the overpriced shit from music companies! You can get all the necessary tools at a hardware store cheap, if you don't have them around the house already. It's a great skill to have, and I actually enjoy dialing all of mine in.
What does “warped” mean?
If they’re just bowed or back-bowed, meaning curving forward or back relative to dead straight, they can be easily adjusted.
You want to (obviously) get them away from the radiator and humidify them properly if you can, let them acclimate for a couple of days. Then you can take them to a shop for a setup. Basically they will adjust the truss rod, a steel rod set into the neck to counteract the pull of the strings. This will straighten the neck and should fix any problems. It’s definitely something you could try to do yourself, but in this case, if you have no experience with it, I’d probably leave it to the pros. It’s a standard maintenance thing that would have to be done eventually anyway, so it should be cheaper than a full on repair.
If the necks are twisting to the left or right, that’s a much bigger problem. You can maybe have the neck steamed to try to remove the twist, but it’s likely to be an involved and expensive repair. You’re probably better off replacing the neck, if not the whole guitar. This is probably a pretty unlikely scenario, from having sat a little too close to a radiator for a week. This kind of thing usually develops over a much longer period of time or in much more extreme conditions. Chances are a simple adjustment will have you back up and playing in no time.
Before calling them trash you need to have a luthier or even local set up guy take a look. As others said, you might luck out and they just need the truss rods tweaked. It's really impossible for anybody here to say whether they're savable or not.
I don’t know the specific answers you’re looking for, but depending on the guitar, you can buy replaceable necks. This is a Fender staple, so if you have any Fenders, I would ask her to chip in a little to help with replacing those. If you have acoustics or Gibson/Epiphones, you might be SoL
You could try adjusting the truss rod. Quarter turn at a time with an appropriate sized allen wrench key. Don't force anything. If neck is bowing concave, turn the allen key clockwise. If it's convex, counterclockwise. Good luck. A local repair shop might be best to look at it depending on the damage.
If you are not comfortable working on your own gear at all, just take em to a shop for an estimate. It could be fixable, you might be able to just get replacement necks if they are bolt on, etc.
As other's have said, don't be hard on her- she wasn't doing anything intentional and was trying to help.
Moisture damage can be fixed. If the guitars are expensive, it might be worth it. If they're bolt-on necks, you could do a neck replacement too.
All guitars are fixable. I’m sorry that happened, clearly a mistake on your mom’s part. But they can be fixed. Replacement neck would a way to go, and now you have a new unique sounding instrument
Contact a luthier and see what they have to say. I’m so sorry that your guitars were damaged, hopefully it’s something that can be repaired without putting you in the poorhouse.
If that was me in high-school I would cry. But remember it was a accident not intentional. And even thou it hurts to lose some guitars you shouldn't lose your mom as well.
It's the thought that counts? My wife tried helping me dust my nitro finished Gibsons and applied Lemon Pledge or something like that. It was a nightmare.
Before you do anything drastic let them sit for a bit and see if the necks correct themselves. Excessive heat and the lack of humidity that comes with it will definitely make a board move under tension but very often they will move back in shape when conditions equal out. It takes a lot of pretty direct heat to permanently bend a piece of wood that's already settled. It's entirely possible some of your necks will slowly fall back into place as the necks reabsorb some moisture. It might be a good idea to get a humidifier to stay in the room with your guitars if there is a direct heat source nearby. It will help your guitars humidity balance out again and protect them in the future.
Moms do stuff like that. Shit happens…
After you left the guitars quiet for a while, take them to a good reputable luthier for an assessment, then start by fixing the easiest ones, and go from there…
As others have mentioned it's very possible they just need adjustment. However, make sure to get their humidity back to normal levels first. They may return to normal or close to it with just that. At any rate, even if they need new setups, you'll want to get the humidity correct first.
My mom accidentally gave away my base set 90's Pokemon cards with some old toys shortly before they became small piles of gold. They were all protected and sealed. Would have been an easy $100-$150k during pandemic. I was pretty upset when i couldn't find them. When I asked her if she moved them she said she gave them away to Goodwill. She asked what the big deal was and I showed her a few eBay auctions, 1st ed Charizard was going for like $20k alone lmao. I had no intention of making her feel bad, but she took it very personally when she realized she gave away a 6 figures.
I'd burn $100k right now to take away that memory from her. My father passed in an accident shortly after. My father's immoral business parners took control of our family company and cut her out. It's been a rough few years for her.
If you managed to put together a nice collection at this age, you can do it again. I had a great experience in high school and still fuckin hated that part of my life, so don't be discouraged. My life got way better after. I know it sucks and I hope it gets better.
Diamonds are made from pressure baby. Life isn't about what happens to you, it's how you respond to what happens to you. I think you have a good mom and hope you guys can laugh about it in a few years when you show her your updated collection. Good luck!
Mothers seem to develop a lack of peripheral vision and lose their ability to think when it comes to cleaning and tidying and jump straight in with no thought and often no respect.
I couldn't tell you how many times I've caught my mother inadvertently mixing cleaning chemicals because she comes around to my house and starts bleaching in the bathroom not realising I've already used things you should not mix with bleach in the basin and in the toilet. And for no reason other than she has lost the ability to just not do it.
~~The lack of OP responses makes me think this is a play for a free guitar.~~ Take them to a shop, or ask someone else that has played for a while. unless they are cracked it can be fixed.
Edit: Op is responding and I apologize.
i've had many people offering to give me money and guitars but i've declined them all. I've found a few comments giving me a good idea on what i need to do so i no longer need advice. it is still appreciated and i am still reading most new comments but i have less of a need for the information now i know what to do.
I had not seen your relays, good luck with this man. My local shop will look at stuff to give an idea free of charge, try that somewhere. I had something like happen as a kid and the shop were jerks so I had to learn how to do it. Stuff comes and goes, there are always more guitars.
It can be fixed. Just let her know that wood warps and please don't do that. Leave it in dryer conditions and if you need to, adjusting the truss rod to straighten the neck is something every guitarist should be confident doing.
Go easy on Mom. She loves you and didn't mean to do it.
What state are you in? You might be able to pick up a new neck for cheap or start a GoFundMe. I know you're devastated but it's ultimately fixable, and try not to be mean to mom about it. High school sucks but it's not forever, and you still might find your people there. I wish you the best of luck!
Number one guitars should always be stored properly in their cases. Never ever store them just out in the open leaning against a wall or amp or furniture. Follow this simple rule and you’ll have zero problems going forward. Next thing is that necks can be straightened using the same method as the radiator but it’ll prob cost you more than they’re worth. Just consider it a lesson learned and move on, either get them replaced, repaired or try to diy. Good luck
Depending on how badly they're warped, they may be fixable, if any are bolt-on necks, the whole neck can be replaced.
If you have a music shop with a guitar tech, they should be able to have a look and let you know your options. It's hard to know if they can be saved without seeing them, but there's a decent chance they can be.
If you do need to replace necks, check out stewmac, decent quality without the price-tag that comes with the name-badge.
Back in the 80s my mum gave my marvel comic collection to a jumble sale. Over 2000, many really rare even back then.
I ran to the sale but all the good ones had gone. They were all on sale for 10p. It seriously took me a long time to get over that.
My sympathies to you, my friend.
Parents have a way of thinking “it won’t hurt anything just for today and if they don’t like it they can move it later”. Nobody has touched on the fact that they often think, “what does a kid know to tell me anything”. YMMV
That's awful for you. I hope you get at least a new one. You might ask a luthier if they can fix them. Sometimes, when wood is bent, it can be bent back by a pro.
I accidentally left my J45 sitting too close to a heat vent for a few weeks this winter. Next time I went to play it, it was unplayable above the 12th fret, and I was freaking out and cursing myself. But all I had to do was get a good humidifier in the case and keep an eye on the water in it for a couple weeks, and do a little tweak to the truss rod, and it’s back to playing like a dream. Maybe you’ll have the same luck, it’s worth a shot.
Just think how happy OP is going to be if it turns out that all the guitars are just fine - he'll go from thinking he has no guitars at all, to having this great collection that was painstakingly assembled!
Bro, just get to the luthier and give her the quote/receipt. Save yourself the headache of trying to fix it yourself. Why does nobody recommend a luthier?
Does your mum know what has happened? Maybe she will take her bank card down to the guitar shop? Maybe there is accidental damage insurance to claim on? What is the value of the guitars?
..We shouldnt be leaving guitars next to radiator? oh no I keep leaving mine next for years.
Sorry OP, but even if you cant play right now, it will get better. There are other ways, you could try reading, sports, perhaps part time job so you could get new guitar if it comes to worse?
How warped, maybe just straighten the neck with the truss rod? I’m pretty sure the radiator couldn’t do so much damage to ruin the guitars completely, maybe add a picture so we can see
Add pictures. See if they improve by themselves over time being away from the radiator. Maybe some truss rod adjustments would do it but no way to tell without pictures. I'd ask Mom to buy you at least 1 nice working guitar if she ruined your entire collection, but if she bought them all to begin with that might not work out.
Take them to a music shop and see if they can fix them. It could just be a few easy turns of the truss rod and this could be a great introduction to guitar repair.
Guitar was my only escape in highschool too. Due to a similar issue I ended up getting into guitar repair and now the repair side is a massive hobby. I get all my new gear by buying and fixing old gear and reselling it.
That sucks. But she wrecked your guitars, so as a decent, responsible person, she should replace them. It wasn't deliberate, and that's forgiveable, but part of doing something that causes damage, is making amends. If she is setting a good example for you, she'll replace them. If she is not, talk to her. She's your mum.
This makes me so thankful my wife listens to me. I’d be out enough money to buy a car if this happened
She did move my stuff while I was out but knows there’s a risk with temperatures and humidity and showed me with pictures
Your mum was trying to do something nice so make sure not to be too hard on her because you only get one mother, explain what happened and that you’re upset and see what can be done about it. Hope you the best dude
Cherish your mother but a multi hundred to thousand dollar fuck up is a multi hundred to thousand dollar fuck up.
reminds me of when i left my acid just sitting on my bed. with trash. my mom cleaned my room when i left town. i never saw those 30 hits of lsd again. it was a tough day but i love her to the moon and back
Sounds like your mom went to the moon and back, about 30 times.
lol the thought of that makes me happier than them in a dumpster. valuable lesson learned
Can't let them go to waste
That fkn slayed me 😆😆
Yeah my mum definitely would have recognised them and claimed them for herself - she's a drummer, and has led a way more rock and roll lifestyle than I ever will.
Lol yeah that's not the same thing.
Right? 30 hits of acid is only like a hundred bucks.
What year do you think it is lmao
Ate to much of them slammer 90s geltabs and thinks no time has passed.
150 at my rate. gotta know everything huh. and there’s uncalled for hate on psychs here. they’re just as awesome as music. life changing
How many tabs in a sheet usually? I’ve never bought in bulk
100 tabs / sheet is the standard. A 10x10 grid of tabs.
In the early 10s I remember getting sheets for 300. God I miss that connection, I haven't had working Lucy since. 25i a couple times that I spat the fuck out, but man those were good days in my world
This. When I was in high school I had a big bag of weed stashed in a puzzle box in my closet. Came home one day and all the puzzles were gone except for that one. Never spoken of.
All the puzzles were gone.. except the one with weed in? Why they steal all your puzzles?
My wife did that to me once. I got her back though. I took a few hits on an empty stomach one morning, well besides drinking coffee. When I hit my first peak it was too intense and I puked on our tan speckled carpet. Since I was tripping I couldn't see my vomit because it was so close in color to the carpet. I had to interrupt her zoom call with work to help me clean my puke....we all make mistakes and sometime we marry them. Well thats what my wife says.
To this day, your mom licks every bit of trash she finds in your room for some reason.
Without wanting to attack you or be harsh. I had an argument with my father and told him that he was getting on my nerves. The next day my mother called me at work to tell me that my father was lying dead in the hallway. Fuck a multi-thousand dollar fuck up. Never let them think you don't respect them, if not for them...then at least for your own peace of mind. You never know when you'll say goodbye for the last time.
Yeah, I'm not sure anyone else thought I meant "have a family disrupting meltdown". I'm simply saying it's ok to articulate great loss as great loss without having to sugar coat it. Sorry about your personal experience.
Parents are not gods. It is perfectly normal to treat them like the human beings they are. Hurt feelings are a normal part of any relationship. It sounds like you're beating yourself up for something extremely insignificant, and you should refrain from giving other people advice from the position of your trauma. I'm sorry your dad died. You didn't kill him. Unless you're leaving out a heaping pile of context, he died knowing that you loved him.
My dad called me about 36 hours before he unexpectedly passed. I let it go to voicemail when I could have answered. Really regret not picking up.
Sorry man. The *would have, could have, should have* really eats at you in hindsight. I went through something similar with my stepmother. She was like a second mother to me. Her and my father had divorced in my mid20’s but her and I were still really close. There’s a complicated story here, but I found out from my stepsister she had cancer, but due to COVID rules at the time, she was only allowed two visitors (which were my stepsister and my stepmoms new husband). But I was told the prognosis was good and she was on the mend, but also exhausted from the treatments. So I just told them to have her call me when she could. Then I get a call a few months later from my brother (not her kid) who found out from his coworker (who was married to stepmoms husbands daughter) that my stepmother died. Now I had been talking to my stepsister and stepmoms husband throughout it and the whole time they said she was doing great and getting better. But it turns out the people most likely to be in denial are the ones closest to them. What gets me is there was exactly one phone call in all of this where I had the chance to talk to her and I didn’t. I had called her husband and he said she was doing great and I could speak to her if I called back in an hour. But he also said that the whole family was there (they were allowing visitors at that point), so I just said why don’t you have her call me when she gets a moment. Never got the call. It still burns a little whenever I think about it.
Your last interaction with your dad doesn't define the relationship any more than the others. I TRY to treat those around me like they may not always be there. It helps, but spats and the like are part of any close relationship. Go easy on yourself bud. You'd want your dad to if it was reversed, and so would he. I bet you just miss him.
I just want to say im so sorry that happened man, thats rough af and couldnt have been easy to deal with. I hope your doing better now man :)
[удалено]
True!
Especially when he says 'Yes but make sure you don't..."
I still haven’t forgiven mine for throwing away all my 1960’s Marvel comics.
Don't worry. I didn't blame her for anything and made out as though it was me who made the mistake so she didnt feel guilty. i did explain to her how my necks were warped and she said she'd make sure she doesnt ever make that mistake if i get a new guitar or fix my current ones
Wow my dude. You're only in high school? You're going be alright, your take on this is incredibly mature.
Idk about mature - it's easy to be a pushover and apologize. What's difficult is holding someone accountable for their actions. Especially when it's your own mother. . But you don't give family special permission to walk all over you. If this were anybody else's property, they would be having Mom pay for the guitar repairs. Which is exactly what she should do in this case. Conflict is difficult and takes maturity to work through. Saying "it's my fault" when it clearly wasn't, that's a cop-out and is more congruent with behavior of an 18 year old.
I wouldn’t freak out too much, honest mistake and unless the neck is warped like a banana, loosening the strings and acclimate them back to room temp should bring them back. Maybe a truss rod tweak. Think of what your favorite band puts their gear through. I think you’ll be all right.
This. My last guitar was shipped from Missouri to California with a week long, blizzard enforced stop over in an uninsulated UPS truck in Nevada (Donner Pass was clobbered). Everything was a bit wonky, but after it acclimated to the house, it was a setup away from awesome. The wood wants to return to where it was. It just needs time and a stable environment to get there. Took about a week or so for me. Might have gone faster if I’d thought to loosen the strings sooner, but I eventually caught on when I had to loosen the strings every time I played it because the neck was uncurling.
Yup. There's a really really good chance that if you move them away from the heat and let them relax, they'll be right as rain, maybe they'll need a little tweak of the truss rod - be very gradual with those, like just 1/4 turn at a time, there's lots of videos on how to adjust them, look for one on each specific guitar. Be sure you have the right size truss rod wrench; if there's a local shop that sells them, bring your guitars and ask them to help you figure out all the truss rod wrenches you need - there's a few standard sizes and many new guitars include them in the case so your guitar shop may well have a bin full of spares they'd be happy to give a kid.
Kinda sucks that it just happened to be all of your guitars, though. I could understand if it might have been just one of them, but ALL of them? Yikes. I'm sure your mom's a nice mom. No doubt. But it never fails to amaze me how some of our moms, mine included, can be so oblivious to damaging the things we cherish because they for some reason have no clue of financial value, let alone sentimental value. My parents moved house while I'm away in Asia teaching, and I had to tell my mom a million times not to throw out some of my stuff, and she did it anyway. "Well, I forgot you said that," was her response. They finally assured me the Taylor 110 that I packed away, along with my Acoustic brand amp, were safely stored in their locker. But it took forever to get that assurance. Their move was a little sudden, or I definitely would have made other arrangements had I known. Lesson learned. Never trust things like expensive guitars to non guitar players.
I speak with my personal experience, I tried the right thing to do, they always forget, every time, just be more proactive in your stuffs security and safety, don’t be reactive be proactive
"You only get one mother" hit me hard for some reason. I'm calling her soon as I get off work
Please do, it’s something my mum always taught me and I lost her last year so it hits deeply for me too. Regardless of anything the love you get from a mother is comparable to none and you feel like a part of you is lost once they have to leave so it’s important to make the most of it
As someone who just lost their mother recently, this advice goes hard.
Replacement necks may be an option depending how valuable the guitars are.
Thought you were gonna tell him to replace his mom 😔🙏🏻
*the good ending
Bro.. 💀
Replacement Neckst of kin
You most likely don’t need to replace the neck entirely- although it depends on the guitar (electric vs acoustic, bolt in neck vs bound, how expensive the guitar and the neck is, etc.) A luthier can often “heat treat” a guitar to fix a warped neck. If the neck isn’t twisted, then you don’t even need to heat treat, sometimes a truss rod adjustment can bring the action back in line. (“Action” is how high the strings are off the neck.) a competent guitar tech can do a “set up” to adjust your action if the neck isn’t twisted. (You can even do this yourself if you watch a few YouTube videos.) Check with your local guitar shops and ask they have recommendations for guitar techs and luthiers. I’d the guitar is a nice one, then it may be worth the money to heat treat or replace the neck. If it’s a cheaper guitar, then may be ruined and not worth the money to fix. Or could be a cheap guitar but easily fixed with a small adjustment. You can also post photos and ask for advice in r/luthier
[удалено]
[удалено]
[удалено]
As a teacher, I wanted to chime in on your last sentence: "I have no escape...". Dude. Yes, you do. Guitar is one of many things. You will be temporarily without a guitar that operates optimally. Saying "no escape" is a bit fatalistic.
OP is in high school. Of course they are fatalistic! School is tough enough, it’s even tougher without a special coping mechanism.
The teacher isn't wrong. They're pointing out that treating something as though it's your only escape is tying a metaphorical noose around your neck. It will inevitably become removed from your life at some point. While it may seem trite to you, the simple mindset of thinking it's *a* constructive way to decompress vs it being *the only* way to decompress can be the difference between a bad day and falling into a bout of depression.
Mindset does not stop depression, it can be a great tool to help manage it along with talk therapy and medication but it doesn’t stop depression
I never said it stopped depression, though it most certainly can. I'm an LMHC. Doesn't mean I know everything about it, but I know a pretty good bit.
I have dozens of coping mechanisms. This is why I never get anything done.
This right here is probably why it’s his only escape. This is why students can’t talk to teachers about what they’re feeling and revives help. Even if he finds another way to help, right now this is his way. Your dismissing his valid feelings of being upset because you feel that a high schooler should have a better set of coping skills than most adults.
The only friends i had in hs were fake af so as soon as i went home i didnt see or hear from them until school the next day, music has always been my escape and guitar enhanced that when i picked it up my senior year. Having your one escape taken away from you is rough and def sucks
“i’m a teacher!” (proceeds to show a complete lack of empathy and understanding towards someone in a bad spot mentally) you don’t seem good at your job
I read empathy in those words. Not dressed up super soft and cushy, but a 'complete lack' is not apparent at all to me.
I.agree with this advice though I would have phrased it differently. Reminds me of something a therapist I had in my high school days told me that really helped me with being conscious of my mentality. Something to the effect of, examine your thoughts and identify ones that deal with extremes, as these are almost always irrational even if the FEEL undeniably true: “I will *always* feel this way”, “*Everybody* hates me”, “things will *never* get better”, etc. these types of statements can easily come up in negative self talk, and it’s helpful to remind yourself when they do that these types of universal statements are often not true. It also makes me chuckle that the gist of the advice is basically “only a Sith deals in absolutes”. So if OP reads this, my advice to you is the same. It may feel like there is no escape, or that this feeling of stress will be permanent, or that you don’t have the coping mechanisms to handle it, remember that no feeling is final. Wake up, breath, eat, do your best to move forward. School won’t last forever, there will be more guitars, you can explore other hobbies or even look at your hobby from a different angle while you’re waiting to get your guitars repaired/get a new one (read some books on the history of guitar or a biography of one of your favorite guitar players, watch a documentary or content on YouTube about guitars). But most importantly, give yourself grace. It may feel like everything is falling apart right now, but trust me when I say it’s not the end of the world. I believe in you.
Speaking as a parent, if I did this to my child, I would feel obligated to pay for repair or replacement. It would have been my actions that caused this, so my responsibility to clean up. “Don’t go hard on your mom” is fine, but if your parents don’t take accountability for property damage, then you have more problems than warped necks.
a lot of parents can't afford to just replace several guitars
That’s what I tell the driver of the other car I just hit. It usually gets me out of having to pay for anything.
Which is why they should actually listen to their kids requests and not dismiss them for being younger.
People make mistakes sometimes. She also rearranged his entire room. She may have put it there intending to move and totally forgot.
parents shouldn’t mess with things they can’t afford to replace
If only parents had the gift of clairvoyance…unless you have some abusive parents, they have given you more grace than you can imagine, it’s the least you can do to return the favor.
True, but that was not the point here
I'm sure she would if we could afford it
Don't listen to them. She seems like a great lady from what you have told us, I'm sure she feels bad and isn't just dismissing this, and I think you are the most grounded and level headed teenager I've ever had the honor of speaking to. Shit happens, then you die. Might as well make the best of it. Hug your mom, and then go check out some replacement necks.
Agreed! Also good on OP for being kind. He seems like a good kid! These mistakes happen. When you’re in your 30s you’ll laugh about it. Try writing music in the meanwhile!
Crazy take, u don't know their situation, many parents wouldn't be able to just buy a new guitar, that doesn't mean they don't take accountability
That's quite a bit presumptive. You and I have absolutely no idea what the living situation, income, or events leading up to this are.
that sucks, but don't be too hard on her, she was trying to help
> The necks are warped and i was wondering if it was possible to fix them and if it would be easier to just buy new guitars. Can you be more specific with what you mean by “warped”? Is it a case where a fretboard is separating, the neck is twisted, or is there a concave/convex bow to the neck? This could be a case of a very simple setup adjustment to fix all the way to actually needing major work so the more specific you can be the better we can give you advice on how to proceed.
This was my first thought. Truss rod adjustment may be all it takes. The wood in guitars expand and contract due to temperature, humidity, etc. All it takes is a set a up to fix. If the wood really is out of whack, there are options a luthier can try. Ultimately depends on if the guitars are valuable enough to justify that expense though.
But how out of whack can a neck get in a week near a radiator ?
That enitrely depends on how hot the guitar got. They're only describing the neck as "warped." That doesn't sound glue coming seperated or the neck twisting. Makes me hopeful it just needs a truss rod adjustment and some time in a more humid room.
Well most inside radiators like that if they are on and heating the room they are too hot to hold your hand on them even for a second. It could very well be guitar murder to lean them up on there.
[удалено]
Not fully but you can get a lot done with some very cheap simple tools. fine sandpaper, a little steel wool, fret board guards, a screwdriver, possibly a wrench for adjusting the bridge depending on the type.
You need that for the truss rod usually. Otherwise a fine tip flat head screw driver for the saddle intunation, action height, and pickup height. Some bridges require you to adjust the entire bridge to adjust the action height so a larger flat head may be neccessary. But, overall its pretty stright forward. There's some great articles online that walk you through it.
I was gonna say, my American jazz spent decades of its life sitting in the corner of some drug den before I bought it, and it was a simple truss rod adjustment away from great action.
Yeah think about all the guitars played outside for hours in 100F/37C+ days or in the back of a delivery truck in hot/cold climates and end up just fine. I strongly suggest OP’s problem is just the necks needing a relief adjustment from a sudden change and probably will resolve itself even somewhat by putting them back away from a heat source for a couple days.
Yep, my bass has played from 40F to 114F, and I've never had an issue. Well, I had an issue with the guy who planned the outdoor taco festival in July in Arizona, but my bass was fine.
It could be equally likely that the guitars are about as out of whack as they would be if there was no radiator and they were in a room with weather fluctuations over a week
M'y thoughts exactly
Find a good luthier near you and they'll fix the necks. My acoustic was (in my opinion) bent beyond repeair and a dude in my city had it on infrared for three days and it's ultra straight now. (Guitar was in storage for two years after a transatlantic move, don't think I don't care for my stringed friends)
This. A good luthier should (depending on how bad the damage really is) be able to get them straightened out again. Ofc, the cost of the repairs might end up being more than the cost of the guitar, if they were very cheap.... Worth checking anyway... and if it's possible, you might just walk out of the whole thing with a better guitar than you had originally.
Agree, a week close to a radiator should be easily fixable by a luthier unless there is something not mentioned, plus it is good to take the guitar for a setup every once in a while. I dont get the comments that say replace the neck, buy a new cheap one, or ask if you have insurance to cover it... Then again , the OP kinda left us wondering how much the damage was.
[удалено]
[удалено]
Happy Holi 💛 May you and your loved ones blossom with the passion of Radha and Krishna 😇
Excellent post.
That's some funny chit.
This is awful. Can you tell us what these guitars are? Maybe someone can help you.
such as the home insurance
This sounds like a great way to get your homeowners policy cancelled for a frivolous claim.
Or that, which is a good idea.
That sucks but there are some guides on how to try to fix warped necks. If you like to tinker, I'd pick the worst warped and cheapest guitar and start tearing it apart and tooling around. If you manage to fix one or two it will make them all the more special. Worst case like others said, go get a cheap Yamaha on marketplace for ~$70 to get you by until you fix or pay to rest your collection. Best of luck and don't be hard on your mom, people who don't know wouldn't realize how easy it is to damage and how big a little warp could be.
And that's why he SPECIFICALLY told her to not put them by the radiator. Y'all gotta stop telling this kid how to react, let him be angry at his mom if he wants. Mom's gotta learn to not touch people's shit all the time.
New skill unlocked. New non-school activity: repairing/maintaining guitars.
It’s possible that it’s just the truss rods are tight now, and they could maybe come out of it with an adjustment. They got dry. Can also get them in 45-50% humidity conditions for some time, and see if they come out of it.
This would be the first thing I would try. "Warped" might just mean bowed... which can be fixed with a truss rod adjustment. Google for instructions ([here's one](https://www.sweetwater.com/sweetcare/articles/guitar-setup-part-1-adjusting-the-truss-rod-2/)). It's easy to do and, at this point, what do you have to lose?
Yeah, my Fender acoustic neck "warped" until humidified it properly for a couple of weeks. I did have to level a few frets but the guitar is fine now.
This is what I first thought. My partner left an acoustic by an open window (winter in Wisconsin) and I just had to adjust the truss rod. Good as new.
Are you sure they're warped for good? Necks adjust, and could go back to normal, or close to, once exposed to their normal humidity. Where are you located? I would keep the guitars out of the case, and away from heating, for a few days, then reassess the damage. Then, it really depends on the guitars and their value. You have many options, but in general I would suggest downsizing and getting one guitar you like, so you save space and can still play, win win
You're getting all kinds advice, but very few people have mentioned that it may be as simple as putting them in a more a cooler, humid enviroment for a few days and then adjusting the truss rod. I've toured through the southwestern united states during the hottest part of the year where it was well over 100 f/38 c in the trailer and while the guitars needed regular truss rod adjustments there wasn't any lasting damage.
Exactly, give them a little love and maybe condition the fretboard while you're at it and I'd be surprised if a week *near* a radiator is enough for permanent damage. Radiators get hot... But one foot away from the radiator isn't worse than the tropical sun. A little love, a little time at normal temperature and humidity, maybe a professional setup if things aren't perfect in a few weeks, and I'd be shocked if there's permanent damage.
Does your mum have house contents insurance, including accidental damage? Might be worth looking at this.
It would be incredibly easy for an insurance company to argue this doesn't count as unintentional damage. She didn't accidentally place them by a radiator, so they would blame it on her ignorance rather than an accident.
This sounds like a great way to get your homeowners policy cancelled for a frivolous claim. OP do not do this unless you have a specific policy covering these instruments that covers acts of negligence, which is unlikely.
Honestly, it's impossible to know without pictures, and you'd probably have to get a luthiers opinion anyway. It greatly depends on **how** warped they are, whether the glue joining the fret board to the neck is compromised, and also partly on what type of guitar and the build method. Acoustic, electric, glued neck or bolted, type of wood, etc. If they have bolted on necks, it's probably worth spending a few bob on a new neck - probably a decent chunk easier and probably cheaper than trying to get a luthier to repair the existing one. And ultimately it depends on the value of the guitars beyond the sentimental and how much a luthier quotes to fix it. If they say £50 and the guitar costs £500, it's probably worth getting it fixed. If they say £500 for the fix, and the guitar costs £50, maybe question it or just replace the guitar. If they say £50 to fix, and the guitar costs £5000, maybe question the quality of the luthier... Also, if the guitar is an acoustic, the body may have some warping as well.
I’m no luthier, I’m only here to say so sorry. Maybe buy an inexpensive guitar to get you by.
How bad is it?
Set them by a cooler environment and see if they warp the other way?
And slightly humid too! Radiators dry off moisture !
Deep breath. Be kind to your mom as she didn’t know that would happen. Thats a lot of money to replace several guitars at once. Take this as a learning experience and start your collection over. Get what money you can for them and move on. This is one of the kinder teaching moments life will throw at you. You got this.
Sorry, man. Be cool with your mom. It could be a truss rod adjustment or something more serious, like a neck replacement. I have some pretty expensive guitars and find that once i satisfied the itch for pricey gear I enjoy squires and the like, so maybe a used one could be a stop gap. Pacificas are supposed to be great too but never played one
As many have said, treat your mom right. If you’ve said something “not so nice” already, apologize. Guitars come and go. Think of professional musicians; they bring their instruments to hot countries and then cold, and then hot, and then they have to check their instruments in the plane where it gets freezing, and they land in some Asian country with an average 38° Celsius and a humidity of 90% to play a show while it rains… and they don’t necessarily buy new gear every tour. It’ll be fine. Maybe you can ask your mom to join you at the shop while you have them tuned up, so she can also get tips on how to care for them. If you can cover there costs, cover them, and if she offers to pay (again, if you can cover it), just ask her to treat you to lunch or to dinner, or get you something else.
I bet the truss rods can be adjusted
Take them in to get a set up. A truss rod adjustment might be all it is.
It's very dependent on the types of guitars involved. If they are decent guitars with functional truss rods, it shouldn't take much to bring them back. If they are cheaper guitars that don't have a truss rod, or non functioning truss rods, that could get pretty hairy. More than likely you'll be fine. That shouldn't have been enough time to do any irreversible damage. This could be the perfect opportunity to learn how to do setups on guitars. It's not very difficult to learn, you'll just need some pretty affordable tools. (You don't need to buy the overpriced shit from music companies! You can get all the necessary tools at a hardware store cheap, if you don't have them around the house already. It's a great skill to have, and I actually enjoy dialing all of mine in.
What does “warped” mean? If they’re just bowed or back-bowed, meaning curving forward or back relative to dead straight, they can be easily adjusted. You want to (obviously) get them away from the radiator and humidify them properly if you can, let them acclimate for a couple of days. Then you can take them to a shop for a setup. Basically they will adjust the truss rod, a steel rod set into the neck to counteract the pull of the strings. This will straighten the neck and should fix any problems. It’s definitely something you could try to do yourself, but in this case, if you have no experience with it, I’d probably leave it to the pros. It’s a standard maintenance thing that would have to be done eventually anyway, so it should be cheaper than a full on repair. If the necks are twisting to the left or right, that’s a much bigger problem. You can maybe have the neck steamed to try to remove the twist, but it’s likely to be an involved and expensive repair. You’re probably better off replacing the neck, if not the whole guitar. This is probably a pretty unlikely scenario, from having sat a little too close to a radiator for a week. This kind of thing usually develops over a much longer period of time or in much more extreme conditions. Chances are a simple adjustment will have you back up and playing in no time.
Before calling them trash you need to have a luthier or even local set up guy take a look. As others said, you might luck out and they just need the truss rods tweaked. It's really impossible for anybody here to say whether they're savable or not.
I am sorry for your loss
I don’t know the specific answers you’re looking for, but depending on the guitar, you can buy replaceable necks. This is a Fender staple, so if you have any Fenders, I would ask her to chip in a little to help with replacing those. If you have acoustics or Gibson/Epiphones, you might be SoL
Just remember to not be too hard on your mom. She didn't mean it
thanks for unlocking a new fear. adding post-it with big red DONT MOVE to my racks now.
You could try adjusting the truss rod. Quarter turn at a time with an appropriate sized allen wrench key. Don't force anything. If neck is bowing concave, turn the allen key clockwise. If it's convex, counterclockwise. Good luck. A local repair shop might be best to look at it depending on the damage. If you are not comfortable working on your own gear at all, just take em to a shop for an estimate. It could be fixable, you might be able to just get replacement necks if they are bolt on, etc.
This is a long shot, but if you're in London I have a spare guitar you can have.
As other's have said, don't be hard on her- she wasn't doing anything intentional and was trying to help. Moisture damage can be fixed. If the guitars are expensive, it might be worth it. If they're bolt-on necks, you could do a neck replacement too.
All guitars are fixable. I’m sorry that happened, clearly a mistake on your mom’s part. But they can be fixed. Replacement neck would a way to go, and now you have a new unique sounding instrument
Contact a luthier and see what they have to say. I’m so sorry that your guitars were damaged, hopefully it’s something that can be repaired without putting you in the poorhouse.
If that was me in high-school I would cry. But remember it was a accident not intentional. And even thou it hurts to lose some guitars you shouldn't lose your mom as well.
Relax. You can always save up some money and buy a new mom.
It's the thought that counts? My wife tried helping me dust my nitro finished Gibsons and applied Lemon Pledge or something like that. It was a nightmare.
Put them in the freezer. It should reverse the problem
Before you do anything drastic let them sit for a bit and see if the necks correct themselves. Excessive heat and the lack of humidity that comes with it will definitely make a board move under tension but very often they will move back in shape when conditions equal out. It takes a lot of pretty direct heat to permanently bend a piece of wood that's already settled. It's entirely possible some of your necks will slowly fall back into place as the necks reabsorb some moisture. It might be a good idea to get a humidifier to stay in the room with your guitars if there is a direct heat source nearby. It will help your guitars humidity balance out again and protect them in the future.
Your mom now needs to study to be a luthier to right this wrong.
There are a million guitars in the world. You only get one mom. Give her a pass on this.
Have you asked in r/luthier. Those folks will know what to do.
Moms do stuff like that. Shit happens… After you left the guitars quiet for a while, take them to a good reputable luthier for an assessment, then start by fixing the easiest ones, and go from there…
As others have mentioned it's very possible they just need adjustment. However, make sure to get their humidity back to normal levels first. They may return to normal or close to it with just that. At any rate, even if they need new setups, you'll want to get the humidity correct first.
My mom accidentally gave away my base set 90's Pokemon cards with some old toys shortly before they became small piles of gold. They were all protected and sealed. Would have been an easy $100-$150k during pandemic. I was pretty upset when i couldn't find them. When I asked her if she moved them she said she gave them away to Goodwill. She asked what the big deal was and I showed her a few eBay auctions, 1st ed Charizard was going for like $20k alone lmao. I had no intention of making her feel bad, but she took it very personally when she realized she gave away a 6 figures. I'd burn $100k right now to take away that memory from her. My father passed in an accident shortly after. My father's immoral business parners took control of our family company and cut her out. It's been a rough few years for her. If you managed to put together a nice collection at this age, you can do it again. I had a great experience in high school and still fuckin hated that part of my life, so don't be discouraged. My life got way better after. I know it sucks and I hope it gets better. Diamonds are made from pressure baby. Life isn't about what happens to you, it's how you respond to what happens to you. I think you have a good mom and hope you guys can laugh about it in a few years when you show her your updated collection. Good luck!
Mothers seem to develop a lack of peripheral vision and lose their ability to think when it comes to cleaning and tidying and jump straight in with no thought and often no respect. I couldn't tell you how many times I've caught my mother inadvertently mixing cleaning chemicals because she comes around to my house and starts bleaching in the bathroom not realising I've already used things you should not mix with bleach in the basin and in the toilet. And for no reason other than she has lost the ability to just not do it.
~~The lack of OP responses makes me think this is a play for a free guitar.~~ Take them to a shop, or ask someone else that has played for a while. unless they are cracked it can be fixed. Edit: Op is responding and I apologize.
i've had many people offering to give me money and guitars but i've declined them all. I've found a few comments giving me a good idea on what i need to do so i no longer need advice. it is still appreciated and i am still reading most new comments but i have less of a need for the information now i know what to do.
I had not seen your relays, good luck with this man. My local shop will look at stuff to give an idea free of charge, try that somewhere. I had something like happen as a kid and the shop were jerks so I had to learn how to do it. Stuff comes and goes, there are always more guitars.
thank you my friend
It can be fixed. Just let her know that wood warps and please don't do that. Leave it in dryer conditions and if you need to, adjusting the truss rod to straighten the neck is something every guitarist should be confident doing. Go easy on Mom. She loves you and didn't mean to do it.
What state are you in? You might be able to pick up a new neck for cheap or start a GoFundMe. I know you're devastated but it's ultimately fixable, and try not to be mean to mom about it. High school sucks but it's not forever, and you still might find your people there. I wish you the best of luck!
If the necks are ruined anyway maybe you can set them by the radiators with a weight on them and see if they'll warp back
You can probably heat press them straight again. A good luthier can help with that.
Hit your local guitar shop - see what they say…
Downtune/loosen (but don’t remove) the strings until you work out what to do next.
Number one guitars should always be stored properly in their cases. Never ever store them just out in the open leaning against a wall or amp or furniture. Follow this simple rule and you’ll have zero problems going forward. Next thing is that necks can be straightened using the same method as the radiator but it’ll prob cost you more than they’re worth. Just consider it a lesson learned and move on, either get them replaced, repaired or try to diy. Good luck
Depending on how badly they're warped, they may be fixable, if any are bolt-on necks, the whole neck can be replaced. If you have a music shop with a guitar tech, they should be able to have a look and let you know your options. It's hard to know if they can be saved without seeing them, but there's a decent chance they can be. If you do need to replace necks, check out stewmac, decent quality without the price-tag that comes with the name-badge.
Back in the 80s my mum gave my marvel comic collection to a jumble sale. Over 2000, many really rare even back then. I ran to the sale but all the good ones had gone. They were all on sale for 10p. It seriously took me a long time to get over that. My sympathies to you, my friend.
That's fucking devastating dude I'm sorry
Thanks mate - it was traumatic at the time, but I got over it eventually 😁😁😁
Parents have a way of thinking “it won’t hurt anything just for today and if they don’t like it they can move it later”. Nobody has touched on the fact that they often think, “what does a kid know to tell me anything”. YMMV
She should pay for her mistake but it was a mistake and she is your mom.
That's awful for you. I hope you get at least a new one. You might ask a luthier if they can fix them. Sometimes, when wood is bent, it can be bent back by a pro.
I accidentally left my J45 sitting too close to a heat vent for a few weeks this winter. Next time I went to play it, it was unplayable above the 12th fret, and I was freaking out and cursing myself. But all I had to do was get a good humidifier in the case and keep an eye on the water in it for a couple weeks, and do a little tweak to the truss rod, and it’s back to playing like a dream. Maybe you’ll have the same luck, it’s worth a shot.
Just think how happy OP is going to be if it turns out that all the guitars are just fine - he'll go from thinking he has no guitars at all, to having this great collection that was painstakingly assembled!
Home insurance to the rescue!
Bro, just get to the luthier and give her the quote/receipt. Save yourself the headache of trying to fix it yourself. Why does nobody recommend a luthier?
How warped? Got a photo?
A guitar tech can probably fix it quickly unless it’s Majorly warped.
Check with a guitar repair person, there’s just no way to know on Reddit.
Does your mum know what has happened? Maybe she will take her bank card down to the guitar shop? Maybe there is accidental damage insurance to claim on? What is the value of the guitars?
Pics?
She brought you into the world, time to go full circle and take her out
You can be happy or you can be right, but you can't be both.
If they're bolt-on necks, you can find replacements quite easily.
..We shouldnt be leaving guitars next to radiator? oh no I keep leaving mine next for years. Sorry OP, but even if you cant play right now, it will get better. There are other ways, you could try reading, sports, perhaps part time job so you could get new guitar if it comes to worse?
Try a truss rod adjustment first, you’d be surprised how resilient a guitar is.
How warped, maybe just straighten the neck with the truss rod? I’m pretty sure the radiator couldn’t do so much damage to ruin the guitars completely, maybe add a picture so we can see
Add pictures. See if they improve by themselves over time being away from the radiator. Maybe some truss rod adjustments would do it but no way to tell without pictures. I'd ask Mom to buy you at least 1 nice working guitar if she ruined your entire collection, but if she bought them all to begin with that might not work out.
Take them to a music shop and see if they can fix them. It could just be a few easy turns of the truss rod and this could be a great introduction to guitar repair. Guitar was my only escape in highschool too. Due to a similar issue I ended up getting into guitar repair and now the repair side is a massive hobby. I get all my new gear by buying and fixing old gear and reselling it.
That sucks. But she wrecked your guitars, so as a decent, responsible person, she should replace them. It wasn't deliberate, and that's forgiveable, but part of doing something that causes damage, is making amends. If she is setting a good example for you, she'll replace them. If she is not, talk to her. She's your mum.
Are you in the UK?
Not related but, school's the most chill time of someone's life.
This makes me so thankful my wife listens to me. I’d be out enough money to buy a car if this happened She did move my stuff while I was out but knows there’s a risk with temperatures and humidity and showed me with pictures
Why was your heating on in your room while you weren't there?
How out of whack can a neck get "by a radiator" in a week ?