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I have put a Lyre vibrola on my 2009 Gibson SG. It went on fine and works a treat. After a while I put it in it's hardshell case and left it for some time, maybe a few months. When I came back the neck was slightly warped and now has a large gap between the strings and frets at the body, while is perfect up top by the head. Tears were shed.

I set about adjusting the truss rod and it is a little better off, not perfect, but better.

So I am wondering if you think it would be something permanent, or otherwise fixable. In addition does anyone have experience fitting these things and have similar problems? How did you get around it? (The trem arm doesn't come off). Many thanks :)

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    Question looks fine to me, so you could probably edit to lose the P.S. I reckon...
    – Bob Broadley
    Sep 2, 2015 at 21:55
  • Quick question: in the case, was the tremolo pulling the strings sharper/tighter? If not, I can't see how it would cause this problem.
    – Doktor Mayhem ♦
    Sep 3, 2015 at 8:59
  • @DrMayhem Yes the arm was depressed quite a bit and these things are sort of like Bigbys, you don't require very much pressure to cause the tremolo/vibrato effect.
    – AngusTheMan
    Sep 3, 2015 at 9:25
  • For my guitar with a non-removable trem, I always ensure it is in a position so that pressure reduces tension.
    – Doktor Mayhem ♦
    Sep 3, 2015 at 10:04
  • @DrMayhem How is that possible? Would I need to spin it around when I put it in the box so the arm faces another way ?
    – AngusTheMan
    Sep 3, 2015 at 10:05

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This is fixable. It may be a simple fix or it may cost a lot, but it is fixable.

The fist thing I'd do is loosen all the strings to take the stress off the neck then tighten the truss rod (meaning turn the truss rod nut clockwise) and see if that straightens the neck. Be careful not to tighten the nut so much you strip it or break the rod. If it needs a lot of adjustment you may want to get a friend to bend the neck back a bit while you tighten the truss rod to make sure you've used up all the available thread but no more. If tightening it all the way isn't enough, sometimes you can back the nut off all the way, add a washer or two and put the nut back on before tightening it again and this can allow the nut to tighten the rod a bit more.

If this doesn't fix the bend you may want to consult a luthier or professional guitar repair person. Unless you're ambitious, in which case you can buy a book or two on guitar repair and/or lutherie and learn some new skills!

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