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Private member DiscussionTools and Jigs

Not exactly a tool or a jig, but...

The tuner app I’ve used regularly on my smartphone for years has slowly become bloated with useless features, heavy, and totally impractical. I tried a few alternatives, but I didn't really like any of them. Since we are the kind of people who prefer to just build things ourselves when we need them, I decided to built my own tuner: completely free, ad-free, and actually effective. I even threw in some links to my social media. I think I'l…

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Private member
I haven't uploaded it to the Play Store yet. If you want to test it and know how to install unknown apps on Android, I can share the APK file on GDrive
Private member DiscussionGeneral

modifying waverly tuners

Gibson Roy Smeck Radio Grande 7 string! in for tuner replacements... Currently has faulty original grovers, wants waverly titanium that I'd have to modify the plate shape to fit---and drill a new lower hole mount to avoid new holes drilled in the headstock ( around the "e" in waverly logo; and new plate hole and old plate hole would intersect by a whisper ). I'd have to remove the cog to mill & install, but the mounting screw head has c…

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Private member
I know you're looking for the best ways of utilizing the Waverly tuners, but perhaps using tuning machines that are a better fit (maybe without drilling new holes) would be a better solution.
Private member DiscussionGeneral

Tremolo issues. Not returning to "zero"

Hey guys. I guess this is an old topic, everyone talks about it but I haven't been able to find a definitive solution for this. Here's the deal: I'm working on a PRS Silversky that has this old problem that when you use the trem bar, one string (G in this case) goes sharp. I made a few adjustments to the nut as we all know that's the first thing to look at...no good. This guitar is new so I'm pretty much ruling out the bridge and posts si…

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Ian Davlin
There's the old tremsetter. I haven't seen anyone extolling their virtues any more, but here is the link to the device. https://www.stewmac.com/parts-and-hardware/all-hardware-and-parts-by-instrument/…
Private member DiscussionCustomer Relations

What do you do when you get a knock off guitar on your bench?

I have a "fender", which I believe is a knock off, in my shop. I didn't immediately catch that it was a fake, but as I worked on it it's become fairly undeniable, in my opinion. For the neck — the fretboard is made from two pieces of rosewood, the headstock decal doesn't look right, the truss rod is metric, the tuners don't look like a MIA Fender, and there's no walnut plug on the truss access. The model name being wrong is suspicio…

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Ian Davlin
My opinion is to avoid mission creep. Repairing instruments and authenticating instruments are two different jobs. Only one of these jobs are you actually being paid for. I've never experienced any up…
Private member DiscussionFolk, Bluegrass, Irish, Old Time Instruments

tenor banjo neck attachment?

Hi, I am in Germany and do not know anything about banjos really, because they are not too common here. I repaired a tuner and changed the tailpiece on this instrument. I wanted to put strings on the instrument, but the neck is so wobbly. At first I thought, this has something to do with string tension, but it moves sideways. Is there a good video on how to set up those instruments? It doesn t seem to be easy to take the back of? Or is eve…

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Private member
well, that is not what I have expected lol:-)
Private member DiscussionElectric Repair

Just one string buzz from 1-12 even with really hi action.

I work in guitar repair for over 20 years and this strange buzz happen only 3 times and i really going crazy. Five years ago a all parts strat neck in G string, change string, leveling frets twice thinking i made a mistake, in some point i made a rudimentar neck jig to tried to repair that neck. Work in that guitar for 3 weeks and string heigth like 3.5mm and yeat, buzzing with not so hard picking just the G, even in other tuning like F…

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Thanks Ian! It’s a brand new guitar, client contact the dealership and it’s in process to return and get other one. I really want to open and understand why this happened, not know why it’s a big bumm…
Private member DiscussionGeneral

Strange Fender neck with some problems.

Hello fellow looths! I recently had a customer come in with a '71 Fender neck that is a fusion of the 60s and 70s style. It has a veneer fretboard, no skunkstripe, 4 screwholes, 70s style tuners, 70s headstock logo, and it seems like it has a poly finish on the back of the neck, and nitro (with cracking) on the front of the headstock. Can anyone tell me if this combination is possible or could it be fake? Another thing is, even without th…

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Private member
Hey Tony, thank you for your info, and sorry for the late reply. I don't spend much time in the loothgroup.. You have an amazing setup! The sheetmetal underneath is genius! I have to build something li…
Private member DiscussionGeneral

1950's Gibson L48

I'm not sure this belongs in this subcategory, but not sure where else to post it. Could use another set of eyes and expertise on this. Customer came through yesterday wanting to sell a 1950 Gibson L-48. It's been played and loved quite a bit, but despite that it plays and sounds very well. The tuners are cheap replacements, the fingerboard being well worn, and the missing finish in areas, otherwise it seems like everything is structura…

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Private member DiscussionFolk, Bluegrass, Irish, Old Time Instruments

My first mandolin

Hi all, just sharing a couple of shots of my latest build, an A5-style mandolin with a goth soul 😉 Tonewoods Top: Alpine Spruce (Italy) Back & sides: Flame maple (France) Neck: Birch (Sweden) Fretboard & bridge: African Ebony Dimensions Scale length: 352.4 mm Nut width: 30 mm Fretboard radius: flat Total length: 660 mm Body width: 260 mm Finish Hand-rubbed stains and acrylic satin finish Features Hammered steel pickguard and truss rod cover Moose antl…

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Ian Davlin
It really looks stunning. Great work !
Private member DiscussionFinish Repair

A rant on touch-up pens.....

This is just a rant against the Stew-mac touchup pens. Ive just never had them functionally work, without creating more of an issue than there was in the first place. Through an "act of god" I chipped a small bit of freshly buffed and polished laquer off the headstock of a Taylor that I refinished. The guitar had that nasty bubbling around the tuners and CA glue didn't fix the issue, so I stripped the front of the headstock and airbrush…

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Ian Davlin
I have used the micron pens to pretty good effect here and there, but those shellac pens I could never get to work.
Private member DiscussionAcoustic Repair

tuners for 70s Martin D12-20 12-string

I've got a 70s Martin D12-20 12-string on my bench (slotted headstock), it needs new tuners - the original tuners have several bent worms. The only 6-on-a-plate tuners I can find are the Golden Age from StewMac. The spacing looks right, but the Golden Age posts are about 1/8-inch shorter according to the specs on StewMac, 1-inch vs the 1 1/8-inch on the originals. Will that be a problem?

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I didn't see the replies... never got an email alert like I thought I would. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ Thanks for your input everyone. I ordered the StewMac GoldenAge tuners. They fit perfectly, even the mounting scre…