While meeting with a customer and his daughter about designing a guitar for her, he showed me his Gibson Hummingbird that his daughter had been playing. Using the serial number and other identifying characteristics, I was able to date the guitar as a 1975. This confirmed the owner’s recollection that the Hummingbird was a mid-70’s […]

Older Martins often need substantial work to restore them to excellent playability. Recently a 1977 Martin D-18 was brought to me for evaluation. The guitar needed a neck reset, fret work, bridge plate repair, and cracks in the top repaired. A new bone saddle and nut were also recommended. This nice solid-top Martin is worth […]

Gibson Artist Side Cracks This guitar was brought to me with some serious bass side damage- the owner had been keeping time on the side with his hand during a break and had cracked the side badly. The cracks ran from the shoulder all the way to the bout. This owner prefers to keep his […]

Epiphone Sheraton Tuneup and Setup One of my good customers brought me this Sheraton for some upgrades, including new pickups and a bone nut. During my initial evaluation I discovered many loose fret ends and a high tongue, which were causing string buzzing. My customer agreed to a fret dress (level, crown, and polish) and […]

Fender Strat Tuneup and Setup The Fender Strat is a classic electric guitar that is justly famous for its role in the history of blues and rock music. The quality of individual Strats can vary from excellent to dismal depending on model, year, and country of manufacture. Most Strats, regardless of quality, will benefit greatly […]