Wiring not really your thing? Just getting inside some of these things can be a bit of a pain. Once you get it all out it’s quite simple. This one had just a few minor problems, easily sorted. Getting the parts back together is the hardest part….
Fender Jazz Bass – New heads and setup
Nice Bass, rather worn machine heads though. Managed to get a rather nice new set from Axesrus to exactly fit the old holes.All that’s needed is a good cleanup….and a lick of oil…Followed by a standard 5 point setup.. No.1 The neck set, starting with it as flat as possible…by adjusting the truss-rod.No.2 the action […]
Gretsch Double Jet – Setup
Nothing much wrong with this one realy, I think this range of guitars are excellent value for money, it just needs a little tweek here and there to optimise its setup. While the strings are off (It’s always worth fitting new strings before completing a setup) I gave the fretboard a clean and oil. The […]
Fender Telecaster – Intonation problems
Everyone loves a Telecaster, a cassic guitar, no-one should be without one! There is, however, one fundamental problem with the original design. The strings are paired up on the bridge saddles and so the intonation is always a compromise, perticulrly on the D and G strings. There is a simple solution though, compensated saddles. I’ve […]
Gretsch Country Gentleman – Cleanup
Don’t look, it’s horrible!!! What a poor old wreck, I’ve dived on less corroded ships at the bottom of the sea! This one was built in 1964 and, sadly, Country Gents built around that time all have dodgy binding that falls apart. That may provide content for another blog, but, for the time being I’m […]
Martin Acoustic-Electric conversion
Want an acoustic with an electric pickup? There are lots of simple conversion kits out there, this one more simple than most… First thing first, drill the hole for the new jack socket/strap button. It’s a little larger than even my largest drill, so it needed a little work with a round file.. The pickup […]
Gibson Les-Paul – Overhaul
What a great old guitar! Despite it’s age (dialling the serial number into the web came out with 1960) it’s not seen a great deal of wear, it’s just had a little damp getting to it lately. Luckily I think we’ve got it just in time! The frets are a little worn around the usual […]
Ibanez – Fret Dress
These are normally better than this.!. If you’re looking for a good starter guitar then I reckon you can do a lot worse than pick up a second-had Ibanez. Sadly I think this one must have been built on a Friday afternoon! Still a good looking guitar though… Mostly it’s fine, It just has a couple […]
Milan IV Bass – Setup
This one’s been sitting around for a while, so needs a bit of work to get back into a good playing condition. The machine head posts were quite corroded so that seemed like a good place to start. That’s better.. Next the fretboard, a good cleanup to remove a few years worth of dirt. and then some […]
Giannini – Fret Dress and Bone Nut
I’ve never come across one of these but I think I want one! What a classic look, no Beatles fan should be without one. I played bass in a band many years ago, and as a Beatles fan had to try out a Hofner bass. I could never really get on with it though, I […]