The Hub

I had a client dropped off his Suhr JM Classic for a pot replacement yesterday. The fretboard extension hangs over the pickguard on these a little so I flipped it over to loosen the neck screws a tad. I found what looked like 3 missing neck screws and only one screwed in place. The one screwed in place was bright and shiny. I removed that screw and the neck would not budge at all. I focused a pin light into the neck pocket holes to find…

Can anyone shed light on the “high clarity” options that Bjorn offers? I’m looking for an all around glue for most applications, just wondering if there is benefit to the HC options?

Stew Mac Erlewine Neck Jig for sale, purchased new in May of 2023. Very light use in excellent condition. More photos upon request. Comes with angle vise, shipping based on location. Available for pickup in Fairfield County, CT. $550.00 Erlewine Neck Jig Workstation - StewMac

Initial frequency analysis of this D28 copy (done with a temporary 35g bolt-on bridge and the back plate taped on) is VERY LOW. Main air resonance 83.5hz and top monopole 156.6. It's standard Martin scalloped X-bracing with a torrefied Adirondack top. Since I can still easily access the bracing, I'm thinking of going in and laminating wood on top of the X brace to stiffen it. Other options would be a very light bridge, though I'm not…

I’m working on a 1920’s Regal with an ebonized fingerboard. I’ve seen these referred to as “ebonized pearwood,” but all I know is it’s worn through to a light wood, definitely much softer and grainier than maple. I want to keep the finger wear through the ebonizing, but build up a little layer of protection. Boiled linseed oil seems ideal for this. However, I’ve heard boiled linseed oil doesn’t react well with tannins. Tannins may be pa…

Has anyone had luck contacting UV III Systems? I’ve called, could not leave a message, emailed them and never heard back, tried ordering replacement bulbs today and their website had an error. Not sure where to get the specific bulbs for our UV4-XL curing light.

Has anyone here sprayed a Martin-Style Ambertone top? Curious how you approach it color wise....seems to me the amber base coat is a very orange/red color, then a very light and warm feathered in brown

Hey all. I've got the above-mentioned guitar on my bench. It had a neck reset and what appears to be a new bridge pad put in 14 years ago. It's a crack-free guitar except for a couple of little hairlines running from the back of the bridge to the upper tone bar. I thought that was a bit weird. Inside, everything looks okay until I turn off the inspection light, at which point I can see the rosy glow of daylight through the top - this…

Hey all, I met the rep for Avant UV Coatings last weekend at the FB Summit. The product seems very interesting, potentially safer and relatively inexpensive to get into with curing lights starting at $250. It uses the UVA spectrum, cleans up with alcohol is HAP and VOC free (according to their info), and does not require any hazardous waste disposal. Does anyone here have any experience with this product? Thanks!

Today I have spent the better part of five hours attempting to get the fingerboard extension free on this guitar. I am using the method I have used for dozens of neck resets: 100 watt halogen bulb with heat shields. After a couple hours I thought I was making some progress under one corner, only to discover after some movement that my palette knife was going through the top. I then abandoned that area and have been applying heat and…

If you're like me, you've acquired lots of small luthier tools over the years from StewMac and other vendors. Having a place to store them has always been a problem for me. I stopped drinking soft drinks years ago because they're bad and I recently found out I'm diabetic so they're definitely off the menu. I swapped out soft drinks for water and Crystal Light a long time ago. In our throw away culture, single use plastics are a huge pro…

I've got this Telecaster pickup (1969). The pickup works. Is it possible to flatten the top without gluing it down to the windings? Clamping lightly with a caul slotted for the magnets seats it nicely but I'm not sure how to make it stay there. Any experience with this? Suggestions?

After watching Jeff Jewitt's Touch Up for Builders video, I began looking for a source with a selection of pigments like he has. I started by looking at Mohawk Blendal powder stains, but they only had 6 of the 12 pigment colors I was looking for. I widened my search, and exchanged e-mail with a couple of Etsy vendors. I was fortunate enough to find KonstantasShop which offers 24 pigment colors. While I suspect this collection is targete…

This is a rehash of the amazing Loothprint that Mike (@member@member@member) shared to the group (Surface Inspection Light – The Looth Group). I don't have a 3D printer so had to take a low(er) tech approach. The pics should be self explanatory. I have linked to a DXF and CRV (Vectric VCarve) file in case it helps. I do most simple tooling in Aspire as I can move more quickly there than in Fusion. Components needed: .75" Baltic birch ply Flash…

Just realized that I posted this on the main feed earlier and should have posted it here. Apologies for my poor posting skills. Will go and delete the original now.... Hello all, I’m new around here and excited to continue lurking and learning, taking in all the great content and the knowledge of all you experienced looths. I am more familiar with building than repairing, but I am interested in learning all I can about both. I’m happy to…