Squire Mustang – Setup

Here’s something a little different, rather than the usual round of Stratocasters etc.  An odd scale length for Fender as well, just a little shorter than the usual.  However it just wasn’t playing properly. While the string were off I also gave the fretboard a good clean…. and oil…. The scale length means none of […]

Custom Shop Fender Stratocaster

WOW What a great guitar!  It’s not often I get such lovely guitar on the bench.  However It wasn’t quite playing as well as it should, so I gave it a bit of a tweek here and there. This really is something special, when Fender put you name on it for you.  out of deference to […]

Fender Precision Bass – Setup

Another stunning new Fender, just needs a tweek here and there to get it playing at its best. While I was at it I tidied up some of the plastic film left on the pick-guard..   The only way to get it all is to take the knobs off. On with the setup the neck […]

US Telecaster – Setup

Why should a brand new guitar like this need a setup.  Simple answer, it shouldn’t.  However it’s been built a long way away, in a Californian desert, and travelled half way round the world.  How many temperature and humidity changes has it been through? It’s not really that bad, just needs a twist here and […]

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 […]

Squire Stratocaster – Upgrade

I know this is a budget guitar but it should have been better than this.  However a little bit of work and I’ll get it playing nicely…. The first thing I did was to remove the nut.  It’s a good job I was planning to replace it as the old one came out in bits….. I’m […]

US Fender Stratocaster – Fret Dress and Setup

Now this was a really lovely guitar.  I think a late 80s, American Built Strat’ Considering its age there’s not much wrong with it.  A little bit of wear and tear on the frets… The rest of it’s lovely, a really great colour too. There was however one big problem that I hadn’t anticipated, the […]

Fender Acoustic – Action height

I quite like these Fenders, good value for money but sometimes in need of a little extra work to make the most of them. The action on this one was just a little high… The neck also had rather too much curve in it as well, which isn’t helping much. First things first then, tighten the […]

Classic Vibe Stratocaster – Setup

What a lovely Strat’, I never really used to like this colour, but it’s growing on me.  There’s nothing much wrong with it mind you, just needs a bit of a setup. The first problem however was getting the old strings off…  Why the plate on the back was on the wrong I’ve no idea?  […]

Fender Telecaster Setup

Had a lovely Tele’ on the bench this week, a 52 Re-Issue.  Nothing really wrong with it, just needed a setup to get it playing right… The trouble with these guitars is the truss-rod adjustment, it’s on the bottom of the neck.  You could make the adjustment by loosening the strings and the neck, give […]