Maestro Guitar Hospital

I have moved!

2010-05-12T21:18:00.000-07:00

Dear readers,

I have shifted this blog to here.

Thank you for the support thus far.

Regards,
Kc

Ready made Evidence audio cables now available @ ZenGuitarWerkz

2010-05-05T02:20:00.000-07:00

Ready made Evidence audio cables are now available at ZenGuitarWerkz. They include 10/15 feet Melody/LyricHg with straight/straight, angle/straight and straight/angle plug configurations. We also have 1 feet Monorail patch cables with the same plug configurations. Melody and Monorail are paired with Amphenol plugs and... LyricHg is paired with Neutrik plugs. All Evidence audio cables feature a solid core. -isaiah

Acoustic Bridge conversion (right to left)

2010-05-04T03:02:00.000-07:00

Here's a sweet sounding Yamaha FG730S that requires a saddle slot modification. The owner plays left handed so time to fill up the saddle slot and make a new one.

Guitar before surgery

Rosewood shim is cut out and planed to the correct thickness.

The rosewood shim is then planed, chiseled and scraped.

The prep work paid off and the bridge has a nice sheen only a properly scraped surface can give.

The new saddle position is determined and marked out with a white pencil. Routing with my bridge slotting jig and dremel tool begins.

I'm very pleased with the work as it turned out nice and clean. The owner should be as happy as me :)

KC

EKO 12 string

2010-04-20T20:20:00.000-07:00

Here's a vintage Eko 12 strinng with a very bad neck angle. As it is a bolt on neck, adding shims would fix the problem. I could've just used paper shims but making 2 wood shims would be more appropriate and also a time to hone those woodworking skills.

Here's how it went:

A 70s Eko I believe.

Neck angle is horribly wrong and as a result has unplayable action.

A small piece of scrap sapele is used to make the shim. After planing and shaping, a carpenter square is used to check that all the edges are square.

The shim is finalised and put into the neck cavity.

After bolting the neck back on, the neck angle is now correct.

BC Rich Truss Rod replacment

2010-04-08T00:54:00.000-07:00

Here's a USA BC rich bass from the 80s (Yes, the original BC rich). Fretboard has come apart and the truss rod has rusted so badly it looks like it a relic fished out by Jacques Yves Cousteau.

Anyway here are some snap shots of how it went:

Look how badly the truss rod has rusted

A closer look at the rusted truss rod. As the new truss rod is slightly shorter, I filled up the excess length in the old cavity.

The fingerboard is clamped and left to set.

After the clamps are removed, the excess glue is cleaned up and the new truss rod works great. A pity that I forgot to take a pic of the entire bass!

Classical Guitar bridge reglue

2010-03-18T03:49:00.000-07:00

Here is a Joan Castimita Classical guitar which requires a bridge reglue. Here's how it went:

Guitar's Decal

Surfaces cleaned up nicely before gluing

Bridge is clamped by using a self made clamping jig; not the prettiest looking but it works great. Glue squeeze out shows that the surfaces mate well.

Excess glue is cleaned up and the guitar is ready to be strung.

Removing the finish from a Fender neck

2010-03-17T02:08:00.000-07:00

Here's a 57 RI Japanese Fender neck that was sent in to get its finish removed. Here's how it went:

Finish is scraped using a scraper. A scraper is a traditional woodworking tool and still favoured today by many luthiers and woodworkers.

Using a scraper is quick and does not create dust problems

After scraping, I sanded the neck down and stained it with Colron 'Antique Pine' stain. The colour matches the original one quite well.

After they stain has dried, I gave it a coat of wax and the neck not only looks aged, it also feels great without that 'sticky' feeling the original finish had

Basic guitar repair tools to get started

2010-02-13T16:53:00.001-08:00

Many guitarists have asked me what tools they would need to get started doing guitar setups and minor repairs. Besides the basic screwdrivers, allen keys/wrenches and basic files I have a short of list of recommendations below:

Essentials would be:

1) Hammer of appropriate weight: For knocking in loose frets
2) Fret leveling files (rough/smooth)
3) Straight Edge: To read the fingerboard
4) Nut files for nut slots (duh)
5) Fret crowning file: For rounding the frets after leveling
6) Chisel: For removing excess glue in nut slots/frets and to notch string slots in acoustic guitar bridges
7) Sharpening stone: For chisels, scissors etc.
8) Reamer: For enlarging holes in wood
9) Radius gauge: To check fingerboard consistency
10)A huge dose of passion and patience
11)Lots of talent :P

Some of the tools above, you can buy from luthiery supply stores such as stewart mcdonald and LMI. Prepare to set aside $400 - $600 SGD for the basic essentials listed above and then be welcomed to the world of guitar repair.

These tools would suffice for 90% of the DIYers out there.

If you're still apprehensive, the easiest solution would be to send your guitars to the Maestro Guitar Hospital where I have access to all the necessary tools to give your guitar the setup you desire.

Happy Chinese New Year

2010-02-12T00:30:00.000-08:00

Wishing all those who celebrate another prosperous and successful year in both your business and personal domains

Kc

An Elaborate refret job

2010-02-01T20:14:00.000-08:00

I've seen lately on the local forums people insisting that a refret is never simple. Well it really depends on you define 'simple'. For me, a refret is certainly tedious and requires a fair bit of elbow grease; when done meticulously. Most refrets do not require acute repair diagnostic skills as the neck is in good shape.

On the issue of a job being 'simple', it is always simple in so far as the repairman is applying the right diagnosis and methods to fix it. Things become awry when the initial diagnosis is wrong. To draw a medical analogy, a doctor who identifies the wrong symptoms will prescribe the wrong medicine and this may result in irreversible damage. What is 'simple' is relative to the tools of the beholder. When you have more knowledge and practice, a repairman learns how to identify the symptoms much like a doctor would. Ok, enough philosophical banter from me; the proof is in the pudding.

Here is an Eastman archtop which is brand new but unfortunately needs a refret as the fingerboard is uneven at many parts. This will be illustrated clearly as I post pics of the process. I'll classify this as a rare case but being able to fix this would require good knowledge of reading the neck and a certain level of intuition.

Here goes:

Beautiful Eastman: Great overall construction, beautiful tone but shoddy fretwork!

Frets popped up at the edges

Truss rod is adjusted accordingly and from the 2nd pic, there is a clear dip in the fingerboard at the circled area. The fingerboard then rises as it goes down the upper frets causing lots of buzzing around the 12-14fret area. This is something the truss rod cannot correct. Perhaps the wood wasn't seasoned well or built in unfavourable conditions. To read the neck accurately, the strings have to be on.

With the strings on, the dip on the 12 fret is 0.010" under string tension. This gap would need to be recreated when working on the neck after the frets have been removed.

A clamping jig is put on the body to simulate string tension. I could get the same 0.010" dip at the 12 fret and the following pics show the unevenness of the fingerboard at several places on the fretboard. On the upper frets you can see the straightedge contacting the fingerboard and still experiencing a dip at the 12 fret. Hence, the upper fret area will need to be sanded down.

The obnoxious hump is quickly taken down with my orbital sander while under simulated string tension from the clamping jig.

I proceed to sand the fingerboard with my steel leveling block and a regular check with the radius gauge ensures accuracy along the entire board.

After hours of preparation, the fingerboard is now level. Bear in mind this is done with simulated string tension from the clamp. Without the simulated tension, the fingerboard would read differently and the work done would be inaccurate as the upper fret hump is more pronounced under string tension.

The circled area shows that I've introduced some relief at the upper frets. This minimises buzzing and allows for a low action setup.

As the fret slots were cut slight wider, I had to enlarge the fret tangs as indicated by the circles. Leveling of the frets is also done under simulated string tension.

After the refret. The pictures speak for themselves :)

A comparison pic shows the before and after difference. Like Dan Erlewine would say, 'straight as an arrow'!

Hope you enjoyed that,
KC

Bass string tree

2010-01-07T02:52:00.000-08:00

This hamer bass didn't come with a string tree and the G string was rattling in it's slot. Even when the string is wound right to the bottom of the machine head post, the string angle from the nut was still too shallow. However I found an elegant non-invasive solution.

A piece of ebony was cut out and I removed one the screws holding the truss rod cover. I then secured the ebony string tree into the truss rod cover.

Front view

Top View. This is testament to how simple ideas make the best solutions.

KC

Cool Bands Part 1

2009-12-29T01:29:00.001-08:00

I was at bluejazz last Fri and there was a groovy band playing some jazz and funk. Check them out.

Back from Manila

2009-12-21T22:37:00.000-08:00

Amidst the chaos of traffic and cheerful dispositions I found an ancestral home called the 'La Concina Tita Moning. It was a home which used to house a wealthy Spanish/Filipino family and now preserved and converted into a restaurant. The experience was mind blowing and here's what I found in the house.

A 60s Gretsch still in playable condition. Surrounding it were old 50s-60s radio equipment.

More Pics to follow soon!

KC

Away in Dec

2009-12-01T02:33:00.000-08:00

Dear Guitar Hospital followers,

I will be away for most of Dec, if possible, send in your guitars only after the 21 this month. Thank you and sorry for the inconvenience.

KC

Ibanez Jem Refret

2009-11-25T05:11:00.000-08:00

After tackling the maple board, it's time to refret an ebony board which can sometimes be prone to chipping. Here's how it went:

Before entering the operating theatre.

Steve Vai's signature which offers no particular significance nonetheless.

Worn out frets. Not particularly bad, but the owner wanted a change in fret size and some notes were choking on the upper frets

Frets are removed and the fingerboard is checked with a radius gauge. 16" radius it is.

Inevitably, some chipping occurred as the frets were removed.

Chip is reglued.

Another chip.

Ebony dust is also used to touch up the chipped areas.

Using a 16" radius block, the fingerboard is sanded down.

After leveling the fingerboard, the chipped areas look acceptable. After putting on the frets, the repair should be near invisible.

The frets are seated in with a hammer and ready to be pressed in.

Frets are pressed in with a radius caul on the drill press. I don't always use the radius caul to press in the frets and actually I prefer the hammer most of the time.

The frets are pressed in to perfection - absolutely no gaps showing :)

Frets are leveled and due to the meticulous fretboard prep, only a light level is needed.

Routinely, the frets are checked with a straight edge. No problems here.

The frets are trimmed, crowned and polished. As you can see from the various angles, the fret ends are rounded off for playing comfort.

Guitar is strung up and ready to rock!

Hope you enjoyed that,

KC

Refretting a maple Strat neck

2009-11-22T22:51:00.000-08:00

I have here a 57 RI Fender Strat which needs a refret. Maple necks are hard to handle and some lacquer chipping usually occurs no matter how careful one is. Certainly, the best way is to relacquer the neck, but sometimes cost is a consideration and here, I'll have to work with the original lacquer. Here goes:

Handsome looking burst

Original frets have worn out

The lacquer overhanging the fret is adroitly removed with an Xacto knife.

Frets are heated up and removed with a cutter ground flat at the jaws.

Some lacquer buildup is still present and a micro chisel is used to fix that.

Frets removed and not much major chipping

I then stained the maple to give the neck an even look throughout. This allows an acceptable appearance when touching up the chips with lacquer later.

The frets are hammered/pressed in and a fret level is being done.

As the frets were hammered in nice and tight, only a very light level was needed as you can see from the metal filings.

Quick check across the frets revealed no problems.

The fingerboard is taped up once more and the frets are crowned, trimmed and polished.

Finally, the end result. The neck feels new and plays well again.

KC

What goes in your Setup (Acoustic)

2009-11-15T20:14:00.000-08:00

Continuing the 'What goes in your setup' series, we have here a Larivee L-03 acoustic guitar. I would consider it a mid to higher end production guitar and as you will see, many of the problems associated with guitars has nothing to do with the price. A higher priced instrument can eventually develop fret problems.

Here's the process in its entirety:

I'm impressed by my Powershot's as well as my own limited abilities :)

Guitar sitting on my workbench feeling helpless.

Many frets have popped up at the ends and this is the first thing to fix

Fret reglued. This is a time consuming process and in total I glued in more about 20 loose ends which took about 30 mins.

A notched straightedge is used to set the neck perfectly level (truss rod needing adjustment of course!)

Frets are polished with steel wool.

Nice and clean.

The nut action didn't need any tweaking so I proceeded to measure the action with a long ruler. At the 12 fret it measured about 2.2mm on both the bass and treble. I had to take down the treble side more. Point to note: to reduce action on the 12 fret fret by 1mm, approximately 2 mm had to be taken down on the saddle. Good ole trigonometry at work here, finally a use for it so many years after leaving school!

Saddle is brought to the appropriate height. Final sanding on a flat surface is crucial to good contact with the bridge, hence producing better tone.

Upon stringing up, I realised there was a 'sitar' like sound on the high E. A quick check revealed a poor break angle to to the bridge pin. Notice how shallow the angle is compared to the rest of the strings.

Without haste, I put my chisel to work and notched a deeper string slot groove at the bridge pin hole. Now, the break angle is much more desirable and the 'sitar' like sound is gone.

After stringing up and a wipe down, I couldn't put this baby down. A great setup could make all the difference, regardless of the price of your guitar.

Graphtech Nut replacement

2009-11-13T01:59:00.000-08:00

Here's a parkwood guitar with a nut that's been cut too low. For nut replacements, I like a dense material and Tusq nuts from graphtech fit the bill perfectly. Although Tusq nuts are usually precut, there's still a fair amount of work needed before the job can be completed. Here's how it turned out:

Parkwood by Cort

Here, you can see the G string slot is lower than my straight edge: fret buzz is imminent. For those DIYers you can check if your nut action is good here.

The nut is gently knocked out and the slot has some glue residue in it.

Nothing a sharp chisel can't take care of.

Using a nut seating file, the base is filed flat. I was skeptical about these nut seating files from stewmac until I succumbed to my geekiness. Can't do without them now.

Nut slot is squared out nicely and ready for Graphtech nut.

Graphtech nut basking in all it's glory - doesn't know that I'm about to kill it.

Quick check with the straight edge suggests I need to remove approximate 0.015" from the treble side and 0.020" on the bass side. This is just an approximation.

Nut is brought to the slaughter.

Nut base is cleaned up on my diamond sharpening stone which is a perfectly flat surface.

The meticulous prep work results in a good tight fit.

I got lucky, only the B string needed some filing. The rest of the strings had 'perfect' action.

Guitar is strung up and the Tusq nut has enhanced the tone overall, more treble and bass and a more 'cut through' tone.

Finally, for the geeks out there, the nut action measured 0.020" at the bass and 0.015" at the treble. It's the kind of nut action that most people like and if you like what you see, don't hesitate to email or call up the Maestro Guitar Hospital for an appointment.

regards,

KC

Estimating Repair Pricing

2009-11-10T18:32:00.000-08:00

The previous post explored the step by step process of a guitar setup. Let's look at estimating the cost of a repair today.

When I first started doing repairs, I'd gladly fiddle with guitars in exchange for a token sum or beer. Why did I do this? As I was inexperienced then, I didn't expect to be paid for my services but thankfully, I was part of a music community and some of them trusted me enough to let me work on their instruments.

I was an undergraduate then and was happy with any token sum that was rewarded for my services. However, it is a very different proposition now as I'm doing it for a living. Hence the balancing act of pricing for sustainability+growth and affordability for consumers can be a tricky issue.

Our pricing at the Maestro Guitar Hospital is based on hour rates. Effectively, we charge $50-$70 an hour for work as charging by hour is the most transparent method. Let's take a scenario below:

"Wah, this guitar neck damn jia lat, the truss rod cannot turn, have to heat up the neck"

Assuming this is actually true, and that heating up the neck is the appropriate action, how long does heating up the neck actually take? Let's break it down:

1) Clamping and setup of heating apparatus - 10 mins
2) Heating process, using heat blankets - 10 to 20 mins
3) Guitar is left clamped for at least 6 hours.
3) Setup - 45 min to 1 hour

Minus process 2) and 3) which doesn't require the active presence of the guitar tech, the entire process would take about 1.5 hours at most. Going by an hourly rate of $50/hour, the repair would have cost $75.

Clearly, charging by time rather than by 'nature' of job is a more transparent way to approach repairs. Why? There are simply to many variables involved when it comes to determining the nature of job. There's a reason why doctors and lawyers charge by time as well as there are simply too many variables if nature of job is used.

Let's now use the setup in the previous post and do a time break down:

1) Adjust truss rod and lower nut action - 10 min
2) Clean up fingerboard and polish frets - 5 min
3) Check levelness of frets and knocking down uneven ones - 10 min
3) Action adjustment and intonation adjustment - 20 min
4) Pickup height adjustment and final adjustments - 15 min

Hence a setup takes 1 hour for a fixed bridge guitar and approximately 1.5 hours for a tremolo equipped guitar. I sometimes spend about another 10 min just 'noodling' on the instrument just to make sure the playability is right.

So, if any point of time you'll like a time break down of the services done to your guitar, you can always send me an email at kc@maestroguitars.com

We believe in keeping things transparent for our customers and if one day we are charging $300 for a setup and fret level, then it's probably because I'm fixing Carlos Santana's guitars. In the meantime, don't sweat it, our prices will stay around this price category for awhile :)

Some articles for reference:

Dan Erlewine's take on pricing here

Interesting forum discussion here

That's it now, keep strumming

KC

What goes in your Setup (electric guitar)

2009-11-03T19:19:00.000-08:00

Ever wondered what work is really done in your setup? Bear in mind I'm not writing to compare with other guitar techs or am I trying to criticize anyone. The objective of a setup is simple; get the guitar to play well and give it an overall cleanup.

Here goes:

Guitar is a PRS SE which will be setup for 10-46 strings.

Before anything is done, I always check if the truss rod is functioning well and then adjust the relief according to what I deem to be right.

As setting up a guitar requires retuning of the strings, I prefer to use the old strings to set the nut action. Before nut action is adjusted, the neck needs to have the right amount of relief, hence the truss rod is always adjusted first followed by any other steps

Strings are then removed and the frets are polished with 00000 grit steelwool

The pickup was taped up to prevent steel wool bits from sticking to the pickup. Vacuuming is much easier that way.

A smooth playing fret surface

The levelness of the frets are checked with a small straight edge.

Some of the frets were uneven but nothing a little knocking down with a hammer won't solve. This step is crucial to accommodate low action. The frets are then rechecked with the straight edge. If hammering still doesn't solve the unevenness, a fret level will be recommended to minimise string buzz.

Just to make sure there's no nasty surprises, I check the evenness of the fingerboard with a fingerboard straight edge. Neck is perfect here.

I now proceed to adjust the action and I normally set electric guitars to 1.2mm on the treble and 1.6mm on the bass. Relief varies, but most of the time relief is at a bare minimum, around 0.005" to 0.010" max. Some necks play better with slight more or slightly less, that's where the 'feel' and experience of the guitar tech comes in, and thankfully I get this elusive 'feel' right most of the time.

There was an open string buzz and I found out that the string slot at the bridge needed a 'clean up' with a nut file. After going through it several times with a nut file, the buzzing was gone.

Additional things that were done are:

1) intonation: I do not use a strobe tuner unless requested. See here
2) Pickup height: Usually neck and brige volume shouln't differ too much and the middle position should have a nice mix of both neck and bridge tone.
3)Polishing the body with anti static polish

Alright, if you'll the perfect setup like the above, servicing fees range from $50 - $70 for a fixed bridge and $80-$120 for a trem equipped guitar.

Oct 17th

2009-10-12T01:57:00.001-07:00

Hi all,

There is an error on KC's schedule. He is not scheduled to work at ZenGuitarWerkz on the 17th of October as it is a Public Holiday. We apologise for any inconvenience caused.

Best Regards,
Isaiah

How to choose an Electric Guitar

2009-10-09T00:31:00.000-07:00

What matters when choosing an electric guitar? It's largely player and setup dependant if you consider the following:

1) What amp do you use and what volume do you play at?
2) What music you do play?
3) What pedals do you use along with it
4) What kind of neck profile do you like?

Let's elaborate on the points one by one:

1) An amp with good clean headroom tends to sound great with almost any guitar. A mesa rectifier can turn any telecaster into a death metal beast. For gain, it's mostly from the amp and pedals. Guitar and pickup type do influence the desired 'tone' but for all out gain, it's from the pedals and amp, trying to get more gain from passive pickups can be a futile project.

2) Of course certain guitars are more suited for certain genres of music. I think most players would unanimously agree that a strat/tele is more suited for funk than a les paul. A good player with the right setup - amps, pedals can make almost any guitar work though.

3) Like in point 1), it's also a big part of the 'tone'. Too big a topic to be covered here and I'm not an expert on pedals either.

4) This is the most important for me. A killer sounding guitar is useless if the 'feel' of the guitar is not right. I've got to want to play it for hours and that will be the right guitar for me. GAS impairs judgement the same way alchohol makes everything beautiful :)

Alright, hope this helps in you next buying decision, till the next post.

KC

Music China

2009-10-06T02:40:00.000-07:00

Dear All,

I will be away in Shanghai from the 12-16 of Oct. Please send in your repairs after I'm back, thank you.

regards,
KC

How do I choose a guitar? (Acoustic focused)

2009-08-31T01:11:00.000-07:00

I get asked this question alot and in terms of build and construction, there are lots of resources online, such as www.frets.com. What I will touch on is purpose: what are you going to use the guitar for? A possible list of reasons could be:

1) To learn the guitar (duh!)
2) To upgrade an existing instrument
3) To play a particular style of music
4) To have tonal variety
5) To impress girls and to look cool
6) To collect and simply for the love of ownership

Let's touch on 1). For a learner, its best if the guitar is easy to play. Too often beginners go for the cheapest option and usually, guitars less than $100 have no setup done and hence very poor playability. The poor beginner then struggles to press down single notes, let alone barre chords. After 2 weeks of trying, he/she gives up. A setup can cost up to $80 so it doesn't make sense to stinge on the guitar. Music lessons alone are at also least $80/month. A good initial investment would be around the $200 price range.

Next, let's look at 2). Preferences come in feel of guitar and sound. Which is more important to you? If price is a consideration, it's usually one or the other. Having a big budget potentially solves most difficult choices :)

3). Do you want a fingerstyle guitar, strummer, or something versatile. You might love the OM sound but if you're primarily a strummer it's better to get a dreadnought or a jumbo. The common rules apply but there maybe exceptions to the norm.

4) 'Auditorium' shaped guitars might fit the bill here. However exceptions can come in other guitar shapes as well. I've played articulate sounding jumbos and dreadnoughts that are equally at home when strumming or fingerpicking. Bottomline, use your ears to decide rather than base your decisions on some magazine review.

5) I think if you want to pickup women, learning the art of conversation is perhaps more effective. There's only so many times you can play 'more than words'.

6) Hmm, consult the blue book of guitars perhaps. Study vintage guitar market trends perhaps. Again, not my area of specialty although I used to work in a used/vintage guitar store.

Ok, hopes this gives a buyer some purpose when looking for the next instrument. I would be touching on electric guitars very soon.

cheers,
KC

2009-08-13T02:53:00.000-07:00

Dear readers/followers,

I will be away from the 18-21 of Aug. Please send your guitars when I get back.

Kc

Which guitar player are you?

2009-07-13T22:55:00.000-07:00

All those facebook trivia and questionaires have really been giving me the twitters and has inspired me to come out with my own set of questions. They are not meant to label or segregate, just thought provoking and perhaps would incite some controversy due to the presumptions people might have of the questions. Anyway, here goes:

1) What was the first thing that drawn you to the guitar?
2) Do you play the guitar but don't listen to music?
3) Do you play the guitar but don't learn songs?
4) Can you name one beatles song?
5) You have 5 guitar pedals, how many have left your bedroom?
6) Is your guitar collection more than your CD/MP3 collection?
7) Do you watch a concert because of the music, or for the guitar player?

and lastly,

8) Do you have more guitars/pedals than number of chords you know?

If you think about the above, you'll really be able to identify whether you are a music lover or simply a gear w**e. Well one could be both surely but usually people usually dwell on the extremeties.

regards,
KC

Ramble.bramble.gamble

2009-06-04T01:32:00.000-07:00

Time to put some thought into words again and annihilate this phlebian existence of mine. As many of you may know I was away for 3 weeks serving the nation. During that time, I had an epiphany and finally realised the difference between mundane and extraordinary. Career choice I could have choosen the mundane and as a result been much better off financially. However, given my bohemian lifestyle I would never have stuck with the mundane. I need challenge, I need excitement, I need frustration and I need a fight... well, sometimes. Become an investment banker some might say, but really I'm not cut out for that that so which leaves me with the roads less travelled.

Guitar repair for me is like a love hate relationship. Sometimes, its utterly depressing and sometimes immensely fulfilling. Sometimes it's like a really bad afternoon soap but it's instances like that that mirrors life, the variables that make it interesting and exciting. Spare me the mundane stuff and in Singapore, if you're good at something, you'll be able to do it for a living. But first, pursue it with inexorable determination and achieve a level of competence. After that, it's up to your imagination.

KC

2009-06-02T01:50:00.000-07:00

New repair up!

http://soft.com.sg/forum/maestro-guitar-hospital-restore-repair-rejuvenate/124296-sustainiac-ghost-piezo-ghost-midi.html#post902294

KC

I'm Back

2009-06-01T02:40:00.000-07:00

Been away for reservist training and I'm finally back. Send your repairs this way.

KC

Some recent repairs I did...

2009-05-08T03:33:00.000-07:00

http://soft.com.sg/forum/maestro-guitar-hospital-restore-repair-rejuvenate/119707-santa-cruz-bridge-reglue.html

http://soft.com.sg/forum/maestro-guitar-hospital-restore-repair-rejuvenate/119565-warwick-truss-rod-replacement.html

Who does the job well?

2009-04-16T03:32:00.000-07:00

I get asked alot, "Is there a place to learn guitar repair?". Which is usually followed by, "Are there certification courses for guitar repair?"

I'm a little dumbfounded when i get asked these questions. Ultimately a teacher is important, however learning doesn't take place only in formal settings. For most, the attainment of true abilily comes from a combination of study and practice. A musician for e.g. might study some chord changes, record these changes and practice improvising over them. Later on he might do some chord substitutions etc and try the process in a similar fashion. This is what I call progressive learning. Along the way, this musician will gain experience when he takes his knowledge to a real jam session. Hence study+ knowledge application guarantees some personal challenge and progression.

Guitar repair and building like any other field, requires hitting the books regularly. Reading up on wood types, joinery, finishing, etc will contribute to the vast knowledge required in the field. However, reading alone is insufficient - applied knowledge is what's most important.

So, experience alone isn't enough. Some repair guys have been doing the same thing for the past 10 years without any refinement in their techniques. They do not build/use jigs and have a poor grasp of hand tool usage. Still they can carry on year after year without knowing how to sharpen or use a chisel properly. Is this considered real experience?

Real ability can either be a subset of experience or it they could be mutually exclusive . If experience alone was a true indicator of ability, those hawkers cooking for the past 20 years should be serving food to die for. However, this is rarely the case. The same thing applies when searching for a guitar repair tech or luthier. Certifications, experience, brand name (hype) do not mean that much when actual ability is poor.

KC

Set up thoughts cont'd...

2009-03-13T03:17:00.001-07:00

Ok,

Time to get a little more analytical in the world of orange drops and strobostomps. Let's look at the stately strobe tuners you see on the market these days. For the uninitiated, some strobe tuners can detect within 1/10 of 1/ 100 of a semitone (1 / 10 of one cent, or 0.006%). This essentially means any slight variance in finger pressure will register on the tuner. With such deadly accuracy, it also means that you'll have to put a compressor in front of the tuner (pedal chain) to allow a slightly sustained note to register on the tuner. This makes tuning easier (less jumpy signal).

So, my question is, should a tech use a strobe tuner for intonation at all? I'm of the opinion that it's up to the players. If the customer specifically requests for it, sure I'll do it and impose a surcharge. However I'll also let the player know that with such deadly accuracy, intonating the guitar might pose a challenge - which means the tech has to 'guess' the player's finger pressure to even benefit from the setup with a strobe. Is this practical? I'll say 'no' most of the time. Majority of players (even good musicians with excellant relative pitch) will not insist on using a strobe tuner. Remember the 3 saddle telecaster? No one seemed to complain if you just flattened the open G a lil. A good tech should be able to fine tune the intonation with a reliable boss (no offence to the rest of the tuner world, boss is just used for convenience) tuner and his own ears. Remember the good ole piano tuner (in this case I'm referring to a person).

It's also a little ludicrous if you have a nicely strobed guitar in a jazz trio playing with a trumpet and double bassist. Should your bandmates get their instruments 'strobed' too? Oh I forgot, they have to pitch the note themselves unlike lazy fretted instrument players! Ultimately, if your ears are not good enough know what good intonation is, I think having a guitar strobed is not necessary. This of course meaning, if I were to hand you a fretless instrument say a violin, double bass etc, you could play some 3rds, 5ths, 7ths in tune. If you can do that accurately, your ears may appreciate the difference a strobe setup makes. Otherwise its really just bragging rights.

There are of course techs/luthiers out there who proudly claim they strobe all their setups. Good for them. Do they do it for acoustic guitars? Ah ha gotcha. Why is it that strobed electric guitars are all the rage and acoutic guitars don't get the same deserved attention? Surely some mystical marketing forces at work here. Whatever it is, there are benefits to getting your guitar strobed. Whether it actually makes a difference to you, well, you've read the article, so let your gut wrenching riffs be the judge.

till next month (or sooner),

KC

What is a setup and who should I get to do it?

2009-02-22T23:29:00.000-08:00

Many a time a beginning guitarist will ask, "What is a setup?" A setup for guitar usually comprises of adjusting the neck(truss rod), nut action, saddle height (action) and intonation in this particular order. For electric guitars pickup height adjustment being included as well.

So why do players need to setup their instruments? There are several reasons:

1) To achieve better playability (most common)
2) General maintanence (regular truss rod adjustment is usually needed for the neck to be in good shape)
3) Bragging rights (Oh my instrument was setup by "Mr XXX", insert KC whenever possible :p)
4) To try and save a poor purchase i.e lousy instrument

Let's talk about 1) which is playability. Playability of course means different things to different people. Some like high action, some like more relief etc. Ultimately a good setup is what the player himself likes. However there's a little problem in this statement though as sometimes, what one likes may not be the 'right' or 'better' solution. Let's just say there are unorthodox and orthodox mindsets. Some players are so conditioned to their massive action/relief setups that they can't play any other setup. The orthodox players will however want a nice low action and just a smidgen of relief. So what I'm saying is, sometimes the players should also to try alternative suggestions esp from an experienced tech. Discomfort at the start is also part of improvement process. Ever felt natural playing a new sport? A new chord perhaps. Similarly a new, 'better' setup might take time to get used to.

Another dream most guitar players have is to get a el cheapo guitar to play as well as say their more expensive counterparts. Most of the time this isn't going to happen as the attention to fretwork, accuracy of the neck to body joint etc just isn't as good as their costlier cousins. What this means is, more work is required to setup a cheap instrument - which could mean more $$ incurred for the setup. So a piece of advice is, get a decent playing instrument right from the start and then tweak from there. You can't just mail order a foreign bride and try to 'set her up' right. Besides having first hand experience, understanding what makes a quality instrument is important as well. (New age feminists, chill :) )

However, with so many individual preferences how does one know where to get a setup. Essentially a good tech should have a good understanding of many styles of playing, i.e rock, jazz, classical etc. In most cases they should also be players with some level of technique. This way, they can listen carefully and intently to what a player needs. Most of the time, poor technique is passed off as a player's individuality which the tech has to deal with tactfully. Poor picking , plucking, fretting can cause undue fret buzzing. Obsessiveness over unimportant details can drive some techs nuts as well, e.g "the high E is 0.001" away from the edge of the fingerboard while the low E is 0.0015" from the edge" While these things when perfect are nice to have, such minute details do not affect the tone or playability. As I've always said, the guitar is not an F1 machine - it is instead a work of art which is an extension of perhaps a great but imperfect player.

Here, at the Maestro Guitar hospital, we work closely with many top musicians; from rockers, jazzers to studio cats and we breed the attititude of achieving what the player wants. Sometimes we will also be bold enough to advise otherwise and many pros humble enough have listened and appreciated the input and improvement we have done for their guitars. Want an unbiased opinion on guitar setup and playability, come pay a visit at our Maestro Guitar outlets.

KC

My story

2009-02-03T20:25:00.000-08:00

Having worked on hundreds if not thousands of guitars in my past 4 years, I feel its time to pen down some a short introduction or sorts. I've also made some mistakes in the past, but you learn from them and move on. No matter how much of a hotshot you are, I've learnt that ultimately a blend of ability and experience is most important.

To date, I'm most grateful to all my customers for appreciating and supporting what I do. I started doing guitar repairs when I was 18 - one day at the public library, I stumbled across Dan Erlewine's "Guitar Player Repair Guide" and I've never looked back. I learnt how to read schematics on my own and did almost every wiring configuration imaginable on my guitars. Hum cancelling, out of phase, series/parallel etc - you name it, I've done it. I became very proficient at setting instruments after a while and during my varsity days, I actually spent more time tinkering on the guitar than on my studies. Within those 3 years, I was able to do most major repairs such as refretting, regluing of bridges, some refinishing etc.

When I graduated, I actually worked for an education company (which will remain anonymous). After several months there I was frustrated and at that time in 2004, Kelvin started Guitar Connection and asked me if I was interested to join him. I was delighted at the opportunity and took it up immediately. During the 2 years that I was there, I gained lots of experience as it was a busy repair shop. Also, I learnt a thing or two from Kelvin who is another very experienced guitar tech himself. I left Guitar Connection in Sept 2006 and joined Maestro Guitars in Jan 2007. Being in a Guitar manufacturing company gave me renewed enthusiasm and more opportunities due to better access to power tools and other specialised guitar making tools.

Having been in Maestro Guitars for over 2 years, I have contributed to refining their QC process and this year I will be more involved in product design. Guitar repair is still what I love and I will continue doing it for a long time, so rest assured that I'm a techinical manager in Maestro Guitars that loves to get his hands 'dirty'.

KC