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Hey all, I have been working with the work station for a few months now. I love it. I found a few little things that have helped me. 1. A mic stand to support the main beam. I bought the Total Vise version and it didn't work as well. 2. Rockler Bench Cookies as rear cross member supports. They have the correct 5/16-18 inserts in them and screw on easily. Now the thread rod has a sort of hi/low setting by just flipping it for acoustic or…

Where is everyone getting their shim stock from? Looking to buy blanks in bulk - mainly for electric neck pockets. Thanks!

Have an electric archtop that has a .012" backbow strung with 12-48s with truss rod completely loosened. 3 piece maple neck with a Ziricote fingerboard... Any tips or recommendations to straighten this neck would be appreciated... Currently trying humidity (in the case). Thank you! David O'

Since most of us fix or make guitars, we have probably heard something about the cease and desist letters Fender has sent out concerning the Stratocaster. I thought I would offer some thoughts. As always, caveat emptor. There are three basic ways to protect intellectual property under Federal law. Patent, trademark, and copyright. Each protects different things, and has different underlying legal theories. Lets begin with pate…

Hi Folks Newbie here so please bear with me. I have a lovely early 90's Yamaha LD-10E acoustic in for repair, I think all solid wood? made in Indonesia and a lovely sounding instrument, however the electrics are letting it down. The pre-amp has a PCB populated with SMD electrolytic caps. Many of these have leaked and destroyed the PCB pads underneath. Repairing the traces is nigh on impossible so it looks like I'll have to replace t…

Hello — I would like to finish a mahogany electric neck and body with wipe on poly (probably Minwax satin) and would like to pore fill with Z-Poxy. I can’t find a definitive word on their compatibility. - Can I just wipe on the poly coats after block sanding the 2-3 Z-Poxy coats? - Should the Z-Poxy be sanded all the way back to wood or just smoothed/flattened? - Is a coat of unwaxed shellac between the Z-Poxy and the wipe in…

Hi all, new to nut slot work world, please can you help me with this mystery? fret levelling, neck relief and string action adjustment all completed to Fender 9.5" radius spec. very happy with that. the next step: 0.011” High E string’s nut slot was a bit low. I used Dave Johnson’s (MI Guitar Craft Academy) “q-tip slot raising method”: the pulled cotton strand, plus extra thin CA glue, to fill the slot, then trim it off once dry,…

I recently picked up a used custom guitar that the seller said he bought in Vietnam Nam many years ago. I bought it as a wall hanger due to the wonderful Mother of Pearl work, especially on the back. It was very apparent that the top on this instrument was sunken at least 3/8 of an inch, as the weird bridge setup was heightened to the max and there was barely any action height. Once I took it apart and removed the foam inside, I was…

Thought I would introduce myself, I am a retired computer nerd ex farm boy that loves to fix things… used to repair/rebuild pianos but now that I live in FL, space is at a premium in small home so I now am venturing into repairing guitars…. I have numerous practice candidates I have picked up on the cheap as not to destroy anything of value or collectability, and have tooled up with enough stuff to be dangerous. I have done several aco…

Ok, I'm a new builder and I've only done solidbody electrics so far, so this question is related to only those. In my opinion, these are the things that have the most impact on tone, listed in order from most influential to least. Have at it! Pickup/electronics, neck joint type, neck construction (including fret size/material), scale length, bridge type, bridge saddle material, tone wood Of course, this only takes into account the guitar.…

Call for Luthiers and Small Makers Daymaker Music – Bainbridge Island, WA Daymaker Music is opening this November in downtown Winslow in Bainbridge Island, and we’re inviting makers and luthiers who value craft, sustainability, and community to help us shape what customers see and hear when they walk in. We’re looking for small makers, independent luthiers, and custom builders who want their instruments on a dedicated wall of our new retai…

Hey! So I've got a customer who has dropped off with me one of the nastier headstock breaks I've seen in recent memory. There is excess glue of some sort (rock hard, clear) all inside the break, along with the threaded tracks of the screws. I'd usually just recommend a replacement neck in this case, but the customer is desperate to keep this neck as it holds some sentimental value to him. He's aware the repair will not be invisible, how…

Hi Everyone, I’m working through building my first set neck electric, an LP Jr. I had some build questions… - if you’ve built these Gibson style set necks before, did you cut the neck pocket straight and angle the heel of the neck? Or did you cut the pocket at the angle and keep the bottom of the heel straight? I’m attempting to cut the pocket at an angle, and it isn’t the easiest thing to do, I’m finding out. First, I’ve had some moveme…

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 had something happen that I can't understand, and I am looking for theories. I was working on an '80s Kramer. The action could not be lowered any further than about 5/64" -- as in no further downward adjustment in the Floyd Rose -- so I removed the neck in case there was a shim in there. There was not. I put the neck back on and the action was now considerably higher. So off with the neck again, and I noticed the imprint of a coi…

I've done a number of traditional acoustic neck re-sets but I have never been in a scenario to do a re-set on a Gibson electric, and in this case, a 67 Gibson EB2 until now. But having never done one, it'd be nice to find out how. Anyone here feel to share some advice on how to go about this? I am always up for a challenge if that is indeed what I am up against. C

Today's atrocity is this 1975 '72 Telecaster Custom with a formerly "repaired" gash in the neck at the 11th fret. The customer says she bought it that way in the early '80s and does not know the former service history. I doubt that she is responsible for all that play wear. She wanted to be the next Chrissie Hinde, but ended up as an accountant. I can't tell if these frets are original. Maybe someone tried to pull the 11th fret, and sinc…