The Hub

in for some top cracks and playability issues, neck is underset by almost 1/8" with significant hump at the joint...just got the strings off and got a better peek under the circus tent and... how the what the why? i just... really I... ummmm....can anyone guess what is going on here? Tempted to hand it back over any half-measure foolery. Third Japanese built one in this year but I've not seen this sort of hijinx...

I had a customer ask me to take a look at this electric guitar an "amp guy" did some work on. (if you couldn't tell by the size of cap he installed 😆) Seymour Duncan hsh pickup configuration. Is there any good or logical reason one would put the north start, finish and the south finish all on the same lug of a switch? The guitar plays but has more buzz on the hb settings than the single coil. I know how to rewire it to be more... traditi…

Hey everyone, I was showing this to James Roadman on the Loothalong, and I thought I’d share it here with anyone who might find it helpful. I was installing an Anthem in a GS Mini, and I couldn’t get the microphone to fit without hitting the ballends of the strings. I had thought about placing the mic on the other side of the pins, but then I decided to use a scalpel and a small file to cut some chamfers into the corners of the mic housi…

Hello All I have been using Ted Bergstrand's online nut calculator on Benchmuse.com which is excellent. It allows you to have a consistent gap between each strings vs the progressive gap that the Stewmac rule gives you. Or you can do consistent centers to the strings. I have definitely found measuring the nut with calipers to work a lot better than the stewmac rule and don't use the rule anymore. I wanted some additional functionality…

Gibson Roy Smeck Radio Grande 7 string! in for tuner replacements... Currently has faulty original grovers, wants waverly titanium that I'd have to modify the plate shape to fit---and drill a new lower hole mount to avoid new holes drilled in the headstock ( around the "e" in waverly logo; and new plate hole and old plate hole would intersect by a whisper ). I'd have to remove the cog to mill & install, but the mounting screw head has c…

Hey Looths, I have a 1980 Guild 12 string in the shop and while doing a preliminary examination I noticed this odd discoloration inside of the guitar. My immediate thought was water damage, although it hasn't bled through to the outside of the guitar and lifted the finish. I also thought of glue smear but I can't quite tell. Any thoughts here?

At what point do you tell a customer that their acoustic instrument needs a bridge reglue? Do you do it when the corners are just barely starting to lift? Once it has begun to affect playability/tuning stability? Do you offer half-measures to save them money when the damage is not too bad (dripping in some thinned tite bond instead of removing the bridge entirely for example)? I ask this because a Godin acoustic bass just came across my…

I've owned this Jersey City made 12-string/drone 'harp' guitar for a few years and want to get on the repair. I've taken the necks off many dozens of Schmidt-made guitars but never one with two necks. I've searched the web looking for harp guitar neck removal and didn't find anything of use. Asking for any tips/aids/experience from the loothers. My plan is to make a custom neck removal jig that fits the necks, and then drill the typical…

Long story short, customer want to add carbon fiber in the neck for strength. Without string tension, the neck is dead straight; with strings, it's about double the relief he'd like. Is it insane to add carbon to this guitar? Or is it fine?

Hey guys. I guess this is an old topic, everyone talks about it but I haven't been able to find a definitive solution for this. Here's the deal: I'm working on a PRS Silversky that has this old problem that when you use the trem bar, one string (G in this case) goes sharp. I made a few adjustments to the nut as we all know that's the first thing to look at...no good. This guitar is new so I'm pretty much ruling out the bridge and posts si…

Hello, I hope everyone is having a great 4th of July weekend so far. I was recently asked by a friend to work on a cheap S101 bass someone had given to him. It had no electronics and it was severally back bowed. After finishing up the electronics, I did the set up. He wanted the guitar tuned low, to Drop C. So, I went out and bought some Ernie Ball Power Slinkies 55-110. Once I got to the nut depth check, it was clear there were large, g…

So today, while restringing a guitar, one of my techs dropped a .012 e string that slid down the wall and landed on a plug that was just slightly loose from the outlet. It landed just right and made a huge spark. No lesson to be learned here but a crazy thing to happen! We are changing our name to Sparky’s Guitar Service. 😬

I am working on a neck reset on a Washburn Parlor - SN 283552. I have read that the 28 in the SN indicates that is was built in 1928, but the owner thinks based on her research that it was built before 1920. I am assuming a dovetail joint and that I can get into the neck joint for steaming by drilling into the 13th fret slot, but if anyone knows differently please let me know. The fingerboard extension has already separated slightly…