The Hub

Hey, I'm working on a 2017-ish Taylor GS Mini which has a delaminating headstock...see photos... I was surprised to see that the laminate was plastic... I reckon quite a few of the community will have done this job many times, so I'm after group wisdom :). Just a small request I know... Just Fyi...I haven't quoted the customer yet, but I reckon (with some other work I'm doing on the instrument)...our budget will be limited.…

Anyone know what glue type is appropriate for a Martin DXME fretboard extension to secure it to the plastic laminate top (or whatever it is)? I have one on the bench that has broken loose, and I’m not sure what to use. I tried contacting Martin, but they won’t help since I’m not an authorized Martin repair shop. 🫤 Thanks!

Doug Proper designed a sanding jig that supports variable concave and convex curves, described in the following Loothgroup article: https://loothgroup.com/post-imgcap/the-variable-radius-sander/ I built one and am impressed with how it facilitates preparing bridges, braces and also allows tracing any radius using the chord formula. I made a rough measured drawing and assembly guide to share, with Doug's blessing. First step, ma…

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…

Would anyone be able to 3D print these plastic pieces from this Fender switch kit? Unable to find them anyway anymore without paying 3 times as much as I did 2 years ago. They seem super simple https://www.stratcat.biz/225800-kit.shtml

Hey all, I am really enjoying digging through the looth group. I have not yet watched all the ding kings vids or read all the amazing comments and articles here, but I've been appreciating some of the loothing for dollars stuff, seeing other people's intake sheets, discussions about dealing with customers, and it led me to this question: How do people deal with customer expectations, liability, and the inevitable accidents that can happ…

I have been working through Robbie O'Brien's french polish course and he recommends using a plastic polish. The product he used wasn't available at my hardware store so I purchased this product https://www.meguiars.ca/3M/en_CA/p/d/v000190445/ and just want to make sure that this will not damage my finish. I'd appreciate some feedback for a rookie finisher.

*See photos* Does anyone have any information on the truss rod nut or adjusmtent tool for this Gretsch 7670 Chet Atkins Country Gentleman? The truss rod adjustment is at the body under a plastic cover and it looks like the truss rod nut is missing. I’ve never seen this before on a Gretsch or any guitar. Let me know if you have follow-up questions. Any info is much appreciated!!

I rarely use pickguards on my builds, as most of my guitars are intended for fingerstyle players. That said, I occasionally need to install one, and I've yet to find a cutting method that consistently meets my quality standards. I’ve experimented with several techniques for cutting clear pickguard material, but the results are always somewhat disappointing. Using a brand new X-Acto blade gives a reasonably clean cut, but there's almost a…

Hi Gang, Has anyone switched out the plastic, 8 pin box output 18 volt active/battery switch output jack on a P Bass special for a standard TRS output jack or some other? I just got off the phone with Fender and they don't make this anymore and they recommend replacing with another plastic box from Molex and are sending a wiring diagram. The problem with all this is the plastic boxes have wimpy thin spring steel and wear out quickly.…

Hello good people, My shop’s in Quebec City, so I get to repair an ungodly amount of cracks thanks to our brutal winter and customers being largely unaware of the requirements of maintaining proper RH. Now for the first time (call me lucky) I have two very good guitars in the shop whose cracks won't close up after having been rehumidified for a few weeks. I have tried over-humidifying and it does it, but once returned to proper RH (50%)…

I'll start by saying I don't post much because it's confusing to know if I should post on this site or the Patreon site, both are hard to navigate, etc. Also, I sent this question to the last "elder" meeting but I have no idea what the outcome was (I thought there would be some answers documented for those that can't attend live). So, with those frustrations out of the way... I have in my backlog a 1988 PRS Studio. It has HSS pickup c…

Good Morning - the guy that runs the GuitarTechWorkstations channel on YouTube suggested I reach out to y’all to find a good luthier in the Houston area. I’m wanting to replace the plastic bridge & adjustable saddle on my ‘64 Gibson B-25. Any suggestions? Thank You! Thank You! I can be texted at 281-784-2306 or emailed at [email withheld]

I'm still working on this 1958 Country Gent and I am getting closer to getting past the structural stuff and on to the finish work. The entire body appears to have been resprayed with what I'm guessing is some sort of poly a long time ago. It's very yellowed, has multiple big drips across the entire body and flakes right off in big pieces. My plan is to remove it all, clean it up a bit and then respray with nitro. Anyone have great advi…