May 20 2013
Over the weekend I repaired a broken classical headstock. Headstock breaks are pretty common (especially on Gibson guitars), but it’s rare that I see a classical guitar with it’s headstock broken, which is odd because classical guitars are generally much more delicate instruments than their electric counterparts. But when they break – hoo boy, does …
Permanent link to this article: https://www.strangeguitarworks.com/repairing-a-broken-classical-headstock/
May 16 2013
Alright! Vacation is over, and it’s time to get back to work. On my first day back I fixed up a non-functional Taylor Expression System. Boy, this one wasn’t fun! At first it seemed simple enough: there was no sound coming out of the output jack. Nine time out of ten the output jack itself …
Permanent link to this article: https://www.strangeguitarworks.com/fixing-a-taylor-expression-system/
Apr 25 2013
Many bass players swear by the Badass bridges, invented and manufactured by Leo Quan. They’re well built, drop right on to a Fender bass without modification, and some say it improves the tone and feel of the bass. They’ve been in such high demand for decades that many bass manufacturers install them stock. But a …
Permanent link to this article: https://www.strangeguitarworks.com/slotting-a-badass-bridge/
Apr 10 2013
This week I encountered an all too common problem: a Gibson Les Paul with a broken headstock. This happens ALL the time – Gibson carves their necks out of one piece of mahogany, leaving end-grain exposed and thus creates a very weak point right where the headstock joins the neck. Couple this weak point with …
Permanent link to this article: https://www.strangeguitarworks.com/fixing-a-broken-gibson-headstock/
Mar 15 2013
Before I get to the meat of this blog post, I’d like to take this opportunity to thank everybody who has patronized my brand new guitar repair shop over the past few months. Meeting all of you has been a real pleasure, and I’m honored and humbled that you’ve trusted your guitars to my care. …
Permanent link to this article: https://www.strangeguitarworks.com/repairing-a-cracked-fingerboard/
Mar 12 2013
This week I had the pleasure of working on an Ibanez RGA8 that my friend Robert brought in for a standard fret level and setup. During the course of the job, it became apparent that one of the biggest issues affecting the playability was the 8 string nut, which was a locking mechanism even though there …
Permanent link to this article: https://www.strangeguitarworks.com/8-string-nut/
Mar 07 2013
What does a guitar tech do when they’re not working on a client’s guitar? Work on their own guitar, of course! Today, I completed a restoration on an old Ibanez USATK, made for Ibanez by Bunker Guitars in the early 90s. I’ve been after one of these instruments for years – they only made 400 …
Permanent link to this article: https://www.strangeguitarworks.com/ibanez-usatk-restoration/
Mar 01 2013
This week I had the pleasure of working on a vintage Gibson LG-1 acoustic guitar, owned by the fantastic musician Seth Walker. These were considered beginner guitars back in the day (the LG stands for “learning guitar”), but now they are starting to command increasingly higher prices as their perceived vintage value rises. It’s not surprising, …
Permanent link to this article: https://www.strangeguitarworks.com/repairing-a-bridge-plate/
Feb 20 2013
An acoustic guitar’s saddle is one of the most important parts of the guitar. The guitar’s action, radius, intonation, and tone are directly directly influenced by the saddle, so it’s important that it’s perfect. Unfortunately, not every guitar enjoys this luxury: This poor Ibanez had lost it’s original (most likely plastic) saddle somewhere along the …
Permanent link to this article: https://www.strangeguitarworks.com/acoustic-guitar-saddle/
Feb 15 2013
Intonation is an extremely tricky subject, and the study of it is one of my hobbies. Historical tuning systems, the mathematics behind various temperaments and scale degrees, and application of new theories is absolutely fascinating. Yes, I’m a serious nerd. Delving into intonation is a daunting task, but I’ll try to distill it to it’s most …
Permanent link to this article: https://www.strangeguitarworks.com/a-note-on-intonation/
