Downtown Devil by Molly Bilker It’s 2:30 on Tuesday afternoon, and the workroom of the Roberto-Venn School of Luthiery is alive with sound: hammering noises, scraping, footsteps. Students move from workbench to drawers against the wall, outside to sand down a guitar neck or body, back inside to the sink, around again to the workbench. Roberto Venn […]
Guitar Repair
Guitar Passions Tour comes to the Music Hall in Detroit February 18th
Guitar Passions Tour Live at The Detroit Music Hall Tuesday February 18th BUY TICKETS Three master guitarists meet to perform an exquisite evening of Latin, Brazilian, and jazz. Three-time Grammy-Award winning Sharon Isbin teams up with the iconic jazz master Stanley Jordan and Brazil’s leading guitarist Romero Lubambo for an electrifying experience. SHARON ISBIN Guitarist […]
Guitar maker to restore Elvis collection
Guitar maker to restore Elvis collection by Andre Gallant Online Athens Athens guitar maker Scott Baxendale will begin in February making trips to Memphis to repair, restore and document Elvis Presley’s guitar collection. Most of the maintenance on the collection, which Baxendale estimates is less than 25 guitars, is “general,” he said. Baxendale will set up a workstation […]
Imagination In Instrument Design
Music is an art form that has been experimented with by humans since, quite possibly, before we had even developed the ability to verbally communicate with one another. As music has advanced, changed, and evolved, so have both humans, and the instruments that we have used to create these sounds. First, we banged sticks, and […]
Guitar Theft – Protect yourself.
We all love and cherish our instruments. Musicians often feel a unique connection with the instruments that they play. That is why it is such a tragedy to us when we have an instrument stolen. Having anything stolen is a terrible thing, but having something as personal as one’s guitar taken from them so callously is […]
Can I convert my guitar to left handed?
In most cases a right handed instrument can be easily converted to a left handed instrument. In fact, on a classical guitar, the conversion may be as simple as restringing it. The saddles on classical guitars typically have no compensation angle, and the nylon strings are close enough in diameter that the nut slots are often […]
Releasing tight or stuck bridge pins
Often times a player will go to restring their guitar, and discover that the bridge pins wont budge. This can be a frustrating experience, and can turn a simple procedure into a struggle. Luckily, there are a few tricks that can be used to make bridge pin extraction as painless as possible. The first thing […]
A quick fix for a bone nut
Have you ever seen a bone nut with a chunk missing or a chip in it? This is a fairly common situation. When this occurs, players often choose to replace the nut entirely, and there is nothing wrong with this. In fact, it is the best scenario. However, sometimes clients want a quick inexpensive fix. […]
What are scalloped frets?
Scalloped frets are most commonly used by “shred guitarists.” The concept is that by “scooping out” a portion of the fingerboard wood between the frets, the players fingers then never make contact with the wood, thus eliminating friction between the guitarist’s finger tips and the wood. This allows the player to run scales with more […]
Just a few general maintenance tips for players
There are a few things that guitar players can do to keep their guitars in good condition. These are very simple things that can make a world of difference for the longevity of your instruments life. First and foremost, most novice players do not change their strings often enough. A string’s life begins its process […]
Considering compensation for twelve string guitars
So, do you calibrate a twelve string guitar or not? It is a common question and a very valid one. With fretted instruments we are always battling the limitations of the equal tempered scale. I’ve discussed in previous posts how intonation and calibration works. Basically, frets are placed at a place where a mathematical compromise […]
Upgrading your guitar to a bone nut and saddle.
Often times I am asked by customers what upgrades they can make to their guitars to improve the sound of their instrument. Most of the time, I advise them to replace their nut and saddle with one made from a bone material. This is a fairly low cost repair that is always an improvement. Most […]
If I buy an instrument, can I tell how much it will be worth if I decide to sell it later?
Not really. Well known brands and models will often have relatively predictable selling prices. Naturally there are no guarantees but if you buy a used instrument from a reputable dealer, chances are it will be a welcome return to that dealer as a trade-in or consignment. Used instruments by makers who are unknown or […]
Guitar Repair
It is that time of the year again! The Summer is upon us, the school year is coming to an end, and the weather is becoming consistently warmer. Some Michiganders may be complaining of the rise in heat and humidity recently, and if your instruments could talk, they would be too. A guitar or any […]