In the very old days*, guitars had no truss rods at all. This wasn’t so much of a problem with gut strings but, once steel strings came along, builders realised that some sort of strengthening was required and so various things began to be inserted into guitar necks to help make them stronger.
A while back, I realised I had a couple of Martin guitars of different vintages in for neck resets. So, with the necks off, I took a photo showing the steel rods they've used over the years.
Read MoreHappy birthday to Keith Richards, who has — weirdly — not been killed by 2016 yet. I hope I don't jinx it.
Born December 18th, 1843, Keith turns 174 today. Of course, the same people that covered up the original Paul McCartney's death have re-written all the records to claim Keith was actually born in 1943 and is only 73, but come on
Read MoreOk, so you’ve got to admit that's a little unusual.
What we’ve got is a tailpiece installed on this Takamine. It’s anchoring the strings which pass through the (pinless) bridge and up over the saddles.
Whatever else, it’s an inventive solution to some sort of problem.
Thing is, it’s not the best solution. The tailpiece is resting against the top of the guitar with isn’t the best for getting a good tone. Also, the guitar’s designed to have strings couple to the bridge for good transfer to the top.
Read MoreI'm trying to get the hang of drawing on an iPad. So, for the season that's in it, happy Hallowe'en everyone.
Read MoreYes, Gerry's going on about neck shimming again.
But it's important, you see. I'm on a quest. A quest to stamp out bad shimming.
Join me…
Read MoreAnother case of hidden screws. Because these are the sorts of things that slowed me up in the past, when I come across one (and when I remember to photograph it), I'll pass it on and hopefully help others in the future.
The original Taylor Expression System used a pair of AA batteries. Usually, these are problem free but, sometimes, a battery can get stuck in its housing. Grrr.
Read MoreI worked on a Strat-style guitar recently. It was a HSS configuration and there was no output from either of the single coil pickups.
I opened it up to start troubleshooting and spotted the (slightly odd) problem pretty quickly.
Read MoreI've been noticing a number of Gibson guitars with damage to their truss rod adjustment nuts. The damage is, almost certainly, from the factory. The nuts have a large (relatively speaking) portion 'ground away'.
Read MoreMost players face the UPGRADE Vs NEW GUITAR dilemma at some point (or at many points). It can be a difficult decision to make. Sometimes the way forward is clear but sometimes there's no easy answer. Before you make the call, here's a little food for thought.
Read MoreHaze Guitars appointments are now available again.
Normal service has been resumed.
And, I really, really have to say a MASSIVE thank you to all of the people who said they'd wait until I was taking in repairs again. That means a lot. Thank you.
If you'd like to book an appointment, click to Read More and you'll see the button.
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