# Pet peeve I have about guitar repair guys.



## Church-Audio (Sep 27, 2014)

I took my Godin LGX into get a fret level and a recrown. I like my necks with ZERO relief I am a light player and if I cant get a guitar to do that I get rid of it. I just got this guitar got the neck as straight as a pin took it to a tech and said please level the frets don't adjust the action what so ever or the truss rod the neck is flat and true now. He has a tech deck so he can adjust the neck while leaving the truss rod alone. I said I want ZERO relief in the neck please. I like the action super close. He hands me the guitar he says he only adjusted the truss rod a fraction of a turn. Now when I gave him the guitar the truss rod was super tight and the fret board was level. Had a few frets that were not. So I asked him to level ALL the frets. He just levels the first 6 lol. I am in the amp repair business I don't cut corners and I have to listen to my customers. This guy just did the easy fix instead of doing what I asked. It pisses me off that people are so fucking lazy. Do your job level the frets... I want to be able to play the guitar. I like low action is that too much to ask? And no I am not going to name the guy. I ended up taking it to Lynn at LC guitar repair in Hamilton. 905-385-6500 she did a fantastic job. I ultimately ended up selling the guitar but that had nothing to do with her work.

When you looking for a bargain repair guess what you get? Not much, as a guitar repair guy I would assume you really have to listen to your customer because its so personal the way people play guitar. And its cool to waste a customers time with a half done repair thinking I wont notice. I have been playing for well over 35 years. Rant / off. 


Anyone else have the same or similar issues with a guitar repair tech? Please don't name names...


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## Stratin2traynor (Sep 27, 2006)

Amprepair said:


> I ended up taking it to Mike Spicer here in Hamilton, and to be honest the only guy I trust to do this work properly. He is super busy but he does a dam good job.


I feel for you. That would drive me bananas as well. Maybe that's why this Mike Spicer guy is super busy. I don't know what his rates are but in my experience, people who do good work for a fair price are always super busy.


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## Chito (Feb 17, 2006)

Yeah I have had some not so good experiences with some guitar repair tech here too. First of all it took him twice the amount of time he promised to do a job which I thought was not too complicated which was replacing the pickups. When I came to pick up the guitar, he tells me that he had a hard time with the bridge, it was a PRS SE, so he he put a block on it so that it will now only move one way. I told him to bring the action as low as he can and it was higher than when I left it. I didn't even bother arguing and just left. I figured, if he can't do what I was asking him the first time, I would be taking a risk of ruining the guitar if I left it with him.


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## mrmatt1972 (Apr 3, 2008)

I tried, just to see if it would work out, to get a Sudbury store to wire pickups for me. It was a fiasco. I was out 100 bucks and took it home and did it myself using wiring diagrams from the web. Chito, I'd remove that block and DIY. Setting a floating trem and action is easier than changing a tire. Unless your lucky enough to find an establishe and reliable tech DIY seems to be the only way.


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## bluzfish (Mar 12, 2011)

I've never had a good setup at L&M over many years and many house techs. Even when I've asked for specific work to be done, I always end up paying the bill and taking it home and doing it or learning to do it myself.


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## Chito (Feb 17, 2006)

mrmatt1972 said:


> I tried, just to see if it would work out, to get a Sudbury store to wire pickups for me. It was a fiasco. I was out 100 bucks and took it home and did it myself using wiring diagrams from the web. Chito, I'd remove that block and DIY. Setting a floating trem and action is easier than changing a tire. Unless your lucky enough to find an establishe and reliable tech DIY seems to be the only way.


Actually I have found someone. He's good and has great customer service, and it's got to a point that he has become very busy. My first time with this guy, I took my Artstar over because the input jack fell inside the guitar after it got unscrewed. When I made the appointment, he said I have to leave my guitar as he is really busy these days. When I got there he was working on something but instead of asking me to leave the guitar, he showed me how to 'fish' for the input jack inside the semi hollow using a bass string. He did charge me for it, but he said, next time you don't have to come over here to get it fixed. Which I appreciated. The last work he did for me was to fix the buzz on the low e string, then set up and dress the frets of my es336 and he did a great job.


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## Swervin55 (Oct 30, 2009)

Amprepair:

Let me say first that it sounds to me that you know what you're talking about. I know from experience you can't have really low action and zero relief without absolutely level frets and a well cut nut, period. If I can assume that you took it to a "music store", the problem with techs at music stores is that they are pushed to get out as much work as possible. They are conditioned to get work out that is fast and relatively inexpensive. Hence, the "only leveling the first six frets and not listening to the customer" thing. I sincerely hope you get what you're after.


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## sulphur (Jun 2, 2011)

Hey Matt, was that at Prom Music? I've had a few issues there myself.
Both times with me were with Terry and he's since retired,
so I have no idea who is in charge of the technical area of the store anymore.

I brought in a Strat to have a loaded pick guard installed,
something that I'd do myself now, but didn't even own a soldering iron then.
I was told two weeks, checked in around a week later and got a snotty remark.
Waited two more weeks, then finally went in to get the guitar.

The tech wasn't there, a young guy at the counter brought the guitar to me.
We opened the case and there was only two, of the eleven screws fastened down.
The kid was showing how this after market pick guard wasn't an exact fit, all the holes didn't line up perfectly.
He said that the tech would be back in a while and that I could leave it there for him to drill more holes.
Uh, "No.", I said and closed the case, paid the bill and left.

I got all but two of the screws in myself without any trouble.
The last two, the holes were off maybe a sixteenth, if that.
I got the screws started and they just shaved a slight bit of plastic off of the holes.
Everything secured, with all the screws in place and NO drilling.

A few years ago, at the same store, I bought a brand new guitar.
I actually ordered it and waited several months for it to show.
Within the first few days after getting it, I found the switch to be faulty/sticky,
and the first string was popping out of the nut, out over the side of the fret board.

I brought in the guitar for the repairs and discussed that it would need a new nut,
along with a possible switch, if it couldn't be rectified.
When I picked it up, the switch was fixed, but rather than a new nut, a second string tree was added.

If you have to replace something on a guitar, that's one thing, but driving a hole into a new guitar without the owners knowledge,
never mind their consent, is too far, imo. He seemed to have taken the easiest route.


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## Steadfastly (Nov 14, 2008)

If the work was not done to my specifications, I would simply not pay him or pay him for only the part of the work he did that I asked for. I would also tell him that if he didn't do what I asked, all those in my sphere of the music world would hear how bad a job he did.


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## jbealsmusic (Feb 12, 2014)

Regarding taking it to the local music shop, I started working at a local music store right out of high school. I did some DIY stuff on my guitars before that but not much. The owner never wanted to turn down customers and any guitar in for repair got put on my desk. "You don't know how to do it? Well, you're a smart kid, you'll figure it out."

Eventually I got good at doing a lot of the work, but I feel bad for the owners who paid for the first few guitars I "repaired".


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## toby2 (Dec 2, 2006)

You have a great guy there for sure - Mike Spicer - world class .


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## sambonee (Dec 20, 2007)

I've been a member of this very much loved forum of friends and guitar lovers and this was the first F-bomb I have ever seen. 

I don't know about the others but suffice it to say that true frustration is expressed with true words. I use that word occasionally in a colloquial sense among close friends and always and exclusively expressed verbally. 



My 2 cents. Keep the bombs on the other forums and stick to the topic at hand. 


AND 
I have a tech who I like a lot and he frequently changes my action and it makes me giggle. I know that he's trying his best to make me like slightly lower action but alas, it'll never happen. The string can't swing.


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## Church-Audio (Sep 27, 2014)

sambonee said:


> I've been a member of this very much loved forum of friends and guitar lovers and this was the first F-bomb I have ever seen.
> 
> I don't know about the others but suffice it to say that true frustration is expressed with true words. I use that word occasionally in a colloquial sense among close friends and always and exclusively expressed verbally.
> 
> ...


It would not make me giggle if the repair guy I took my guitars too constantly changed my action. I really rely on my tech to get me what I want. After all I am paying him!! As for the fbomb I don't see a problem with it because I did not use the actual word it was ment as the ultimate form of frustration. When I have a guy outright lie to my face it really pisses me off!! Assuming I am stupid enough not to notice. The other thing that pissed me off? The fact that he blamed me the customer lol instead of taking the responsibility for his lack of knowlage he simply said I guess you can't please everyone lol as of wanting the frets leveled properly was me being " picky" been playing since I was 6 i am 45 owned 100s of guitars and always did most of my own work I don't do frets took it to a profesional not some guy that works out of a music store not that that matters and he was incompetent. Wanted to share my frustration and see if there was like minded people out here and it turns out there is!


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## DrHook (Oct 28, 2013)

amprepair, you said the first guy had a "tech bench" does that keep the neck perfectly flat when the strings are removed? My understanding is that once the strings are removed the neck will fall back into a slight back bow if the neck was previously flat, or just lessen the relief if there was some to begin with once the tension of the strings has been removed. What I'm saying is that it seems that asking them not to change the action yet having them remove strings and level/crown frets is almost impossible without adjusting the truss rod to get the neck flat again.


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## Church-Audio (Sep 27, 2014)

DrHook said:


> amprepair, you said the first guy had a "tech bench" does that keep the neck perfectly flat when the strings are removed? My understanding is that once the strings are removed the neck will fall back into a slight back bow if the neck was previously flat, or just lessen the relief if there was some to begin with once the tension of the strings has been removed. What I'm saying is that it seems that asking them not to change the action yet having them remove strings and level/crown frets is almost impossible without adjusting the truss rod to get the neck flat again.


The tech deck compensates for string tension. All you have to do is use a straight edge to make sure the neck is flat, it was flat as it could be when I gave it to him. Then you take the strings off make the neck flat again by using the tech deck to apply a downward pressure to the neck simulating that. Pretty simple. The main issue is I said I want no relief and he gave me tons saying that it had to be that way. It did not he only had to level the frets.... And you can't just level the first 6 lol you have to level the whole board. There were many signs that this guy was out of his depth. He also left tool marks on the frets I could not feel them... But I could see them. It was a bad job I have to pay to fix this now. Because it's much worse than it was before.


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## gibsonguitarguy (Feb 17, 2010)

I believe the F bomb is a legitimate form of expression.. @"!?$!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## smorgdonkey (Jun 23, 2008)

That is why guitar players stick with the same guy forever if they find someone who does good work.


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## fraser (Feb 24, 2007)

my tech pisses me off constantly.
guy is a complete loser-
always half drunk and theres always weird chicks over at his place.
lol.
never had the money for a tech when i was a kid so i taught myself.
had to buy some tools along the way, learning by doing.
i had to rewire my first electric guitar to make it work- taught myself to solder in so doing.
ive been doing all my own work since the begining.
in close to 35 years of playing, ive never had anybody but me work on my stuff.
i like it that way-


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## Guitar101 (Jan 19, 2011)

fraser said:


> my tech pisses me off constantly.
> guy is a complete loser-
> always half drunk and theres always weird chicks over at his place.
> lol.
> ...


I'd get rid of him. You don't have to put up with his drinking and running around with woman. Time to tell him to hit the road.:smile-new:


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## bagpipe (Sep 19, 2006)

Guitar101 said:


> I'd get rid of him. You don't have to put up with his drinking and running around with woman. Time to tell him to hit the road.:smile-new:


Agreed! Fraser you have to tell that loser to get a haircut and get a real job!!!


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## toby2 (Dec 2, 2006)

There is a guy around Kipling + Queensway that can give you a hockey haircut for ten bucks or less . By appointment only . No phone or email . I can provide the mailing address upon request


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## DrHook (Oct 28, 2013)

Amprepair said:


> The tech deck compensates for string tension. All you have to do is use a straight edge to make sure the neck is flat, it was flat as it could be when I gave it to him. Then you take the strings off make the neck flat again by using the tech deck to apply a downward pressure to the neck simulating that. Pretty simple. The main issue is I said I want no relief and he gave me tons saying that it had to be that way. It did not he only had to level the frets.... And you can't just level the first 6 lol you have to level the whole board. There were many signs that this guy was out of his depth. He also left tool marks on the frets I could not feel them... But I could see them. It was a bad job I have to pay to fix this now. Because it's much worse than it was before.


Thanks for the explanation of the tech deck, I wasn't sure if that's what you meant and now that you explained it I do remember reading up on them before...just forgot about them....like a lot of other things it seems


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## smorgdonkey (Jun 23, 2008)

fraser said:


> my tech pisses me off constantly.
> guy is a complete loser-
> always half drunk and theres always weird chicks over at his place.
> lol.
> ...


HAAAA!! That's great fraser.

I used to pay for set-ups but then I got into buying guitars at a wild pace. I started learning things bit by bit and eventually got to where I can set them up in very little time. I ended up doing a few set-ups here and there for people who knew I was into it. 

I still don't file or level frets but the basic set-ups are what I excel at. If players have a light touch, like low action and quite straight necks (little relief) then they normally awe at my set-ups. Since I do them for what I like, then the rest of the players would probably like a few tweaks but I normally do them by feel and sight with no rulers or straight edges.


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## Option1 (May 26, 2012)

fraser said:


> my tech pisses me off constantly.
> guy is a complete loser-
> always half drunk and theres always weird chicks over at his place.
> lol.
> ...


Clearly, you've got to dump him.

Oh, could you also have him send the weird chicks around to my place...

Neil


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## Jim DaddyO (Mar 20, 2009)

Great topic. I do a little work here and there, and I am building a small shop this summer in hopes to expand things (woodworking in general) to keep myself busy. I am not the most social being in the world, but I would think that the repair guy and the customer sitting down for a bit to make sure everything gets conveyed correctly would be a must. Something as personal and intimate as a guitar justifies the time. An obvious task like "replace tuners" can be covered with a tag, but touchy/feely things are different.


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## Rollin Hand (Jul 12, 2012)

I have had good dealings with one tech (not sure if he is still there), but for the most part, I do my own stuff. I figure if I am careful, I can't cock it up too bad.

Now I am thinking about trying to do fret work, but the idiot-proof tools are pricey. As well, my "not enough or way the hell too much" level of strength makes me worry about a lot of rosewood chips coming out of fingerboards....


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## oheare (Jun 18, 2012)

I took my doubleneck to a local shop to have its initial setup, a few years ago. I was a little short on spare time, the place had a good rep, what the heck. Went in to pick it up, it was okay, but the guitar neck was tuned to F#. That was a serious problem because it's a headless Steinberger doubleneck, and tuning back down to standard means that the string ball ends are not properly secured in the tuning mechanism. That was bad enough, but the worst part was the tech yelling "I will not take responsibility if you tune down!" Yes, I paid. No, I've never bought anything else there.

These days I deal with Kevin McPhail. He's a good guy, does good work, charges fairly, and on the very rare occasion that he's made a mistake (one time), he lets me know, explains what happened, and what he's done to fix it.


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## Lola (Nov 16, 2014)

OH oh! I took my Gibson standard SG in today to L & M to get the nut replaced as it was cracked! I asked them to take a look at my tuning pegs as well. The guitar strings go flat everytime I pick it up. I asked them to fix it to. This L & M has NO in house guitar techs but they have this guy that works at Yorkville guitars that comes and picks up the guitars to do the work and then drops them off. I hope my baby is in good hands! It's $130 just for a nut replacement.


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## -=Sc0rch=- (Mar 28, 2010)

After reading all these horror stories it makes me feel better learning how to do all the above myself with excellent results. I wouldn't dare let someone do a set-up to my guitars nowadays. There's only 1 guy at L&M in my area that I would trust to do any work but you're on a 2 week (at least) waiting list to get it done.


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## Lola (Nov 16, 2014)

Pray for my baby! lol 

I will kick up quite the stink if she doesn't come back sounding less than perfect!


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## Dr.StephanHeimer (May 1, 2006)

That seems really high for a nut replacement. I've seen prices around $40 - $50 for a handmade bone nut, less for a prefab.

Hope it turns out ok for you. 



Lola said:


> OH oh! I took my Gibson standard SG in today to L & M to get the nut replaced as it was cracked! I asked them to take a look at my tuning pegs as well. The guitar strings go flat everytime I pick it up. I asked them to fix it to. This L & M has NO in house guitar techs but they have this guy that works at Yorkville guitars that comes and picks up the guitars to do the work and then drops them off. I hope my baby is in good hands! It's $130 just for a nut replacement.


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## Church-Audio (Sep 27, 2014)

Update instead of taking it to Mike Spicer who I know would have done a great job. I decided to give Lynn over at LC guitars (905) 385-6500 she runs a shop out of mountain music in Hamilton. She did a fantastic job and I was quite pleased with the quality of her work and the timely manor she got it done in. I highly recommend them both if your looking for quality wok and a proper fret dress. Not some bobs garage fix up. Like I had done to it previously. I will be going back to Lynn in the future and recommending my customers see her if they need work done right. I've been a player for almost 39 years now owned 100s and 100s of guitars and I'm picky and Lynn did not disappoint. I sold the guitar ultimately but that had nothing to do with her work.


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## Lola (Nov 16, 2014)

I got my Gibson SG back today from Long and McQuade and they did a effing amazing job. Replaced the bone nut, replaced broken tone and volume knobs, set up. I have my baby back and he looks so sweet and even better yet it sounds really KICK ass! It cost me over $200 for all this but the work was done correctly and I am happy. This guitar tech is actually from Yorkville music. I would let him do the work again if I ever need something. Extremely happy!


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## fraser (Feb 24, 2007)

a wise man once said,
"If you're going to do something, do it well. And leave something witchy."


ill never understand how anyone can make that kind of money doing these things- but they do.
i suppose its all about overhead and the years spent learning the "trade".
another, less wise and infinitely more drunken man is now saying-
if your gonna own a guitar and use it, learn to fix it yourself. its not rocket science. its not trigonometry. its not even bicycle mechanics.

compared to the things we do everyday, its just another chore.
yes- you might have to buy $75 worth of tools.
yes it might take a year of trying before you get it down.
but then you are home free forever.

perhaps im jaded because i had to learn to fix guitars before i could play them.
i play songs for free all the time.
i fix guitars for free all the time.
it has no intrinsic value to it.
its not like its standing around in underwear pointing at stuff while people take pictures of you or anything.


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## Guitar101 (Jan 19, 2011)

Lola said:


> I got my Gibson SG back today from Long and McQuade and they did a effing amazing job. Replaced the bone nut, replaced broken tone and volume knobs, set up. *I have my baby back and he looks so sweet and even better yet it sounds really KICK ass!* It cost me over $200 for all this but the work was done correctly and I am happy. This guitar tech is actually from Yorkville music. I would let him do the work again if I ever need something. Extremely happy!


Glad it worked out well for you but I've never heard anyone refer to a guitar as a "he". Aren't guitars of the female persuasion?


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## Guest (Feb 1, 2015)

silly boy.


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## Lola (Nov 16, 2014)

All that being said, where does one learn? I am not sure I would be a likely candidate for this! I have a brain, hands and can walk and chew gum at the same time. Maybe I am a candidate!:applouse:

I honestly think I could of replaced the nut on my guitar by myself with some guidance. I would worry about tinkering with the electrical aspects though!

- - - Updated - - -



Guitar101 said:


> Glad it worked out well for you but I've never heard anyone refer to a guitar as a "he". Aren't guitars of the female persuasion?


mi
Nope! There my boys! All this being said I am thinking I don't want my Gibson anymore. I think it's time to see it. I don't play it very often. It's so awkward, the neck is very long and it's so neck heavy. Maybe another vintage Nite Fly might be in order!


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## greco (Jul 15, 2007)

Lola said:


> I would worry about tinkering with the electrical aspects though!


Lola....Working on the electrical aspects of a guitar (NOT AMPS!!) is not as worrisome and complicated as you might think. 

Cheers

Dave


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## Lola (Nov 16, 2014)

greco said:


> Lola....Working on the electrical aspects of a guitar (NOT AMPS!!) is not as worrisome and complicated as you might think.
> 
> Cheers
> 
> Dave


I am very adept at soldering! I used to solder to make sterling silver and gold jewelry! Does that count for anything?


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## oheare (Jun 18, 2012)

Soldering for jewelry is rather different than for electronics. You don't use a torch, for starters :smile-new:

check out http://mightyohm.com/files/soldercomic/FullSolderComic_EN.pdf for a graphic view on soldering.


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## Church-Audio (Sep 27, 2014)

That's what I've been doing wrong all these years no torch?? Shit !!!


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## fraser (Feb 24, 2007)

Lola said:


> All that being said, where does one learn? I am not sure I would be a likely candidate for this! I have a brain, hands and can walk and chew gum at the same time. Maybe I am a candidate!:applouse:
> 
> I honestly think I could of replaced the nut on my guitar by myself with some guidance. I would worry about tinkering with the electrical aspects though!
> 
> ...


on the internet!
the net is full of helpful information and videos.
you could spend a week studying the art of nut making alone.
the best way for anyone to begin is by picking up a crappy guitar.
doesnt matter what it is- but should at least be marginally playable.

get yourself a few small tools, screwdrivers, allen keys, files-
again no need to buy a bunch of stuff- just gather what you can find at home.
the dollar store has little screwdrivers, allen keys, even sometimes files.
then some sandpaper, wood glue, super glue etc.
then simply set out to make your crappy guitar better a little at a time.

theres no better way to learn than by doing-
and with all the info out there its like a giant training manual.
and remember, were not talking here about building a guitar, or restoring a wreck-
just the basics.


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