Why do some old guitars sound so good? Even inexpensive guitars can age into really good sounding instruments, and some old guitars attain legendary tone. Why is this? The answer can be found in one of three factors and the best combine all of them. First it should be pointed out that some old guitars sound great… but not […]
1968 Fender Jazz Bass Neck Work
A customer brought me a very cool 1968 Fender Jazz Bass neck. The neck is fretless and- as the Beatles would say, “very strange”- it had no nut slot. There was also a piece of binding missing at the heel. The customer was interested in having the neck fretted, a nut made and installed, and […]
The Importance of a Good Setup, Part One
I’ve played guitar since I was in high school, which was longer ago than I care to dwell on! I am also the sort of person who lives by the axiom, “If it ain’t broke don’t fix it!” Because of this, I did not understand the benefits of having my guitars setup and serviced by […]
The Importance of a Good Setup, Part Two
In the first part of this article, I discussed the elements of a basic setup. These include checking the neck relief and the action at the first and twelfth frets, as well as installing new strings and performing a few other basic adjustments. In part two, I will explain some relatively inexpensive improvements that you […]
The Importance of a Good Setup, Part Three
In the first two parts of this article, we have looked at basic setup services, which include setting the neck relief and string action, as well as new string installation and other basic adjustments. We have also discussed some improvements and repairs that can greatly increase the tone and playability of your guitar, such as […]
