The Hub

This is an update to a video that I put out about 6 months ago where I gave an overview of a Squier Debut Series Stratocaster. Since then, I've been using this guitar as my main shop guitar, and this new video covers how its held up, and what upgrades I did to it since I got it. The previous video I did on this topic has been the most successful one on my YouTube channel so far, and I'm trying to regularly make videos showing some of wh…

First time here on the forums, not sure how often I'll check in, but thought this the best place to post it. Was playing with an idea proposed by Buck Van Laarhoven on a parametric model for bolt-on neck shims, and found the formulas I wrote up translated easily to Taylor and conventional acoustic neck joints so decided to add boxes for those as well. I'm not well versed in Google Sheets, but couldn't see a way to upload the file direct…

Hi everyone, I was hoping to get some advice on training opportunities. My background and situation (briefly), I’m a self-taught guitar tech and electric luthier with 3 years experience (after 20yrs office work). I have a job in a high volume guitar shop doing setups and quality checks on outgoing/sold guitars. The store does repair work but I have not been included in this, despite many requests. I do not believe this is due to skill le…

I just opened a repair shop and the first repair was to remove a broken 1/8" hex wrench ball end from the truss rod nut of a Turner RB4 Renaissance Bass. I read of all sorts of theories on how to extract/remove. None of them had recorded actual attempts of the theories. There's probably others on here but I haven't found them. The ball end was loose and mangled at the rear of the nut sleeve. I tried fairly benign methods first. Heat…

Straight Frets started an expansion into a second city with a second Plek machine at the start of 2024. The initial spot had the wrong landlords that would not honor their HVAC agreement, and subsequently the failing HVAC units made prior to 9/11 never allowed the Grand Opening Event to happen. After bailing out of the wrong spot 7 months later, we are now up and running in a much cleaner location with a brand new HVAC, much closer i…

This was a lot of fun! Check out my friend Alberto Ziliotto, he is a great musician! Enjoy... I did :)

This is my mid 50's LG-1. I had the back off to replace the bridge plate and one of the braces. I've got it all back together now but I'm lacking the knowledge to make my work disappear. I was using amber CA glue to color the binding but that didn't seem like the proper route so now I'm scraping, filing and sanding that back off and starting over. I watched Doug Proper's demonstration on liquid binding repair and that did have a lot…

Hey guys, I’ve got a crumbling binding issue on a 1977 Gibson F5 mandolin. After viewing the liquid binding repair video from Doug, I ordered the appropriate(I think?) chemicals to mix with my Gluboost Master Glu and attempt the repair. I mixed the titanium white with the Dioxane, and the Butoxyethanol, and then when I mixed in the Master Glu. As soon as I mixed in the glue, it got hot and smoked and turned into a solid mass pictured in…