Any tips on handling the off-gassing for vintage guitars? I just took in a 1941 D'Angelico. The original tortoise shell pickguard is gone and has been replaced. New case as well. The frets up the neck are going to need to be cleaned. But are there any other precautions I should tell the client to take? Anything I should take into account? -Mike
Hello again folks, how is everyone!
So I'm curious about what people here think about re-tops, who's done them, and what sorta ballpark rates you've charged for past completed jobs.
I've got a bit of a wild one here, so strap in if you've got a couple minutes for story time!
Back in 2012, I traded an HD28V of mine for a cool 1966 D-35 that needed some work. Basically, the body and neck of the guitar were fine apart from…
Oh yes, it is absolutely not down to financial matters here, or I'd have abandoned it completely hahaha, I've been thinking more about it, perhaps I will take the plunge, and have a bit of silly fun w…
I watched the Guild F-20 video (https://dev2.loothgroup.com/groups/repair-and-restoration/forum/topic/cracker-x-braces-on-guild-f20/#post-60310) with great interest since I've been working on a Gibson L-3 with a similar problem. A little back story - The original repair request was to address a small pickguard crack on the sound hole side. After peeking inside, I saw 5 loose brace ends on the treble side. Still a pretty standard repair…
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That move of 3D printing the taper you want and running it through the sander to make a copy just blew my mind! Thanks for sharing Dave!
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…
I finally heard back from Suhr. They quickly admitted that they used to relique all the screw surfaces instead of just the heads, weakening them in the process. This is a known issue in their enterpri…
We hear a lot in LoothLand these days about 3D printing. I think it's an awesome use of that technology for what we all do. With my long history with AutoCad and 3D rendering in my previous life, I should pull the trigger on a 3D printer, but I'm just not ready yet AND I have no available space for one in my little shop or in my office right now. Yes, 3D printing is great, but sometimes, good ole regular printing can be a surprise frien…
Ran out of my stash of black pickguard blanks that I use for Martin replacements. I used to get them from LMI. Anyone got a good source for this stuff? Seems like you can get ABS plastic sheets in any dimension/thickness/color you want but no luck finding anything with the right sheen.
Hello fellow Looths, I had a question in regards to a curious issue from a customers guitar. The guitar was brought to me in part because the customer was having an issue where the guitar was intermittent and would ground out. It's a partscaster with an HH pickup configuration, one volume, one tone, 5 way switch, and the tone control splits the humbuckers. The pickups are quick connect Dimarzio's. I took the pickguard off and noticed tha…
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if it is the jack blade making contact with the shielding inside the jack hole, then you could try a puretone jack. It's got a smaller footprint and two smaller blades that contact the tip rather than…
I have a clients 1930's Gibson L-00 that had survived its past life as a New Orleans blues joint house guitar. It's even immortalized on an old postcard from the day. It shows all the wear n' tear but sounds and plays great. Problem is, the customer (at my discretion) wants a period-correct replacement pickguard, as the original was visible in all it's historic photos but has since been removed from the body prior to his ownership. The…
See if you can do it in such a way that is reversible. Gel CA makes a great barrier. It doesn't penetrate much and if your so fill isn't to their liking, someone in the future can reverse it without m…
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