Warp

A permanent distortion of a neck or a top caused by uneven moisture loss or gain, heat, or long-term string tension acting on flawed timber.

Unlike relief, which is a controlled curve the truss rod manages, warping is an irregular change in shape, such as a hump at the neck joint, a dip in the middle or a twist along the length. It will not respond to a truss rod adjustment, because the wood itself has moved. The usual remedies are heat treatment under pressure, planing the fingerboard level, or in severe cases replacing the neck.

Example: a neck with a hump where it meets the body will buzz in the upper positions no matter how the action or relief is set.

Warp

See also