Guitar Repair @ StringTech
Guitar Repair @ StringTech
Welcome to my Guitar Repair @ String Tech KZread Channel.
Hello I'm Michael McConville. Full Time Luthier + Guitar Tech for 50+ years. I created and taught the "Guitar Repair and Design Curriculum" for the local community College. I taught those courses for 23 years. I created this channel in order to continue sharing tips and observations on Guitar Repair / Restoration / Adjustment / Calibration / Intonation.
The Workstations and the Tools that you see in these videos, were developed to assist anyone who is interested in working on guitars, as an occupation or a hobby.
I am currently developing a new Membership Model to further help you to Elevate Your Skill Level as a Full time Tech or Enthusiast.
If interested in joining this new membership group, you may contact me by email - [email protected] or [email protected]
Guitar Repair 2024 Guitar Repair @ String Tech.
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Did Fender install frets from the side back in the day?
Yes.
The recently produced "high end" Epiphones are quite excellent. I have the 1959 Les Paul and honestly the only complaint I have is the crappy fret wire material. Definitely not as hard as the Gibson stuff. So at some point, if I can find a luthier willing to risk their tools and sanity, I'm gonna get SS frets installed in her.
That ES-335 is really pretty in white. Nice work Mike.
Thanks 👍 I was just thinking of you today. This guy has Bonamassa LP too.
Yeah I don't think an ES has ever come off the line from Nashville that well calibrated, much less from China.
A friend bought one and I love the clubby neck. It’s got killer pickups and electronics. This one brings memories of Alex Lifeson with Rush in the early days.
I wasn't too sure about this neck when I first picked it up .... but I absolutely LOVE this thing now !
Certified Epi fan here, and you've showed some of the reasons why. I enjoy tinkering with a good guitar to make it very good or great. Beautiful work and playing as always Mike, thanks!
Cool, thanks Mark!
Guess you really like mustang all good!
It's a magic little guitar !
Not to take away anything from your own creativity, but that's an amazing Vini Riley impression...sans his signature effects, of course...
Great to see a guy that can play as good as his work..
Thanks Michael, great early morning sounds!
Morning Tim!
Gota get one
You're prime candidate James.
I never regret getting mine...wish i could've purchased one earlier . It has made working on guitars a pleasure as it should be .
I actually use those emery sanders to polish frets
Cool ... I'll try that too. Cheers Erik !
quick question is this necessary on all guitars to make a comp nut and saddle ?
These two guitars were #10 + #11 from the same customer.
BTW: FYI: I have a Gibson Chet Atkins guitar with nylon strings ... no need for a compensated nut on the classical guitars ( nylon string ) or bass guitars.
6 years late but, do you do work on customer guitars? I want my Fender Pro2 to be 12" across the board.
Are you shipping or commuting ? I am booking into September at the moment.
@@TechDeckGPS I would be shipping. I'm in TX
Let me check with my Patreon guys. I may have someone closer to you that can do this. Send me an email: [email protected]
@@TechDeckGPS sent! 👍🏼
On a different subject, watched someone's blog about how they don't like soloing on acoustic. I think it's because most acoustic guitars are not set up professionally. A nice acoustic with levelled, crowned, and polished frets, proper slotted nut and an intonated bridge saddle shouldn't be a lot different than any electric guitar. IMHO
Exactly.
Woohoo full treatment! Love watching this channel. Still trying to understand a lot of the techniques, just like to watch him work.
Sounds nice...great song for a rainy day ...Back in NY for the summer !
As much as I love a rippin' Fender or Gibson etc., Mike your playing in this video sounds so beautiful and satisfying to my body. We go nuts jumping through hoops for a so-called perfect tone, but it's even more the tuning. All those superb expressive micro tones we love to hear from Duane, Jimi, the Erics, Rory, Roy ... all those wonderful sounds and feelings. One helluva lot easier to work for from a well tuned instrument. Thanks for all you do in elevating the art.
Wow, thanks ! Full calibration is the most overlooked aspect of guitar " repair ".
Thank you Oct. will work fine for me. If you will do it, we can get in touch for what kit I want..I want a 00 size slothead with a 1 and 13/16 inch nut. I can't afford a custom build but maybe you can build one and sell it to me. Thanks for the quick reply
Check in with me as we get a little closer. I know that John ( customer ) had bought a kit directly from Martin. Let me know what you find. MMcC
Hello, good video. I like to see what you are doing although I am hopeless at repairing or restoring guitars. I could not even make a kit guitar because I don't have the knowledge or tools. So, my question is would you make a kit guitar for me or would you sell me a guitar that you have restored? Thanks
That's an interesting proposal. I am booked into the August / Sept at the moment. Perhaps if I was to do a tutorial on one of the countless kit guitars that are available; I could possibly tie that in with a sale to you. I'll keep that in mind. Cheers, MMcC
Don't have to reach too far for anything.
Using lepage wood filler for a grain filler? Hah. That’s another great idea. Thanks for the video Mike! The finish repair is a little less mysterious after seeing a glimpse into it, but still just as magical
Thanks 👍
Great job as always! Also respect to your customer, taking care of a guitar that is clearly loved and a great instrument. Many of us would probably take the easy route and get a replacement. So kudos to your client.
Thank you very much!
Amazing craftsmanship!
As always great video 👍
Thanks for the visit
Hey Mike James here the shop looks great! Gotta get out to see you soon one of my strats needs some love
Send me a text ... we'll line something up. \m/ !
I have a 2008 CSR-CE. A really nice instrument. I believe the Garrison facilty was closed in 2009 so there were only a few years of production. 😎😎
It was an interesting experiment from Gibson, that few people know about. Thanks for the heads up. MMcC
I learned a lot from from watching your videos Mike. Thank you,you a truly expert.Greatings from Serbia
Glad to hear that! Thank you for letting me know Bob.
Brilliant. No nonsense maintenance/repair that anyone with technical inclination can achieve. Just checked my brand new 214ce, it is spot on.
Being brand new, Taylors are generally pretty good. The 7th fret / 19th fret notes will typically need some slight calibration to dial-it-in to this level of calibration. Thanks for watching + commenting.
What a beauty.. very informative. You mentioned fret were cut and polished before installing.. did you measure that board to make sure no irregularities on flatness or level?
The lay of the neck on this guitar is astounding ! It needed next-to-no-correction before the new frets were installed.
Amazing! Which tuner app are you using?
ClearTune
Beautiful
Thank you! Cheers!
Awesome job on that sweet old strat ! My strat you worked on several years ago now is still amazing. Just played it today for a few hours
Great to hear! Thanks for the heads up Steve !
Just after 13:30, re: truss nut rusted in place... you can't rely on luck but it sure is nice to have. I'm sure you've heard the saying, "The harder (or smarter) I work, the luckier I get."
So true Mark. Thanks for chiming in .. !
Excellent work as always! Apart from being a great watch, your videos will be a lexicon of expert repair knowledge for the future! Thanks for sharing.
Inspiring creativity, skill, execution, care, love for the instrument, service to the customer, ... Mike, it's Saturday morning, and you make me want to go back to the shop.
Right on ... I am just gearing up for the Oilers tonight ! 7:30 puck drop.
The Alembic "Stratoblaster".
Exactly. He loves it!
I am totally super inspired by you! The part of the world I am from (Bangladesh), there not many expert/professional luthiers are here, every time I face any trouble I watch your videos! Take care and keep inspiring us!
Wow, thank you ! I am delighted to hear this. Blessings.
Thanks Mike! Go Oilers!!!! I think I’ll put a strip of urethane on the aluminum U channels for better traction. It’s tacky stuff. I heard these epiphone necks are made of poplar. 😢 Maybe a hard rock Canadian maple spline on the next one? Mahogany is wimpy wimpy 😂
Not a bad idea to switch to maple. BTW: I will be getting some some super-soft furniture grade stampings to use on the neck V-blocks to preventing any chafing on your fresh finishes. Stay tuned....
sounds amazing
I’m totally borrowing that solder gun idea
Hello I'm a beginner rubab instrument maker. I've got an issue. My lower string intonation is higher than the remaining two higher strings. Please help me .
This " Rubab " is not my field of expertise. I will leave this request up in case someone else may be able to help. MMcC
By the way it's pronounced "Green"
Yes ... the customer made me aware of that.
How did you know how much to sand off of the heel? Was it based on a measurement taken off screen?
Typically, 1.6 mm off of the tip will do it. MMcC
Ive played some great old Specials like this. I own a 2019 Special thats just as good.
This was a VOS LP Special rescue:kzread.info/dash/bejne/jKKoxrlphbfJf9I.html
Sounds glorious
Beautiful, can you tell me what would happen after you put a capo on it, would it still note perfect?
It'll be fine with a capo.
Hi Micheal, I am a beginner & succeeded in building 5 guitars. They all look good but, All of them except 1 came back to me for intonation issues. As you mentioned 1st time builders like myself often overlook or don’t understand all of the important steps that cannot be missed. Wow! your teaching & explanation has help me understand more than I ever understood before. I am in the material prep stage to build a 000 joined at the 12th. this fall. The intonation has been on my mind since I realized, I need to understand & focus on this very important when building any guitar. Thanks so much for your time & consideration. Vic from New Brunswick
I am delighted to have inspired you Vic ! I will be starting a membership option for all of my videos and information in the Fall. This will be aimed at addressing these concerns for music store repair departments / Builders / Touring Techs / and Enthusiasts. Stay tuned ....
Does cutting ramps weaken the bridge system? Subtract from tone ?
No.
The dimensions/ difference in how much of the nut is compensated may vary with different gauge strings….. so find “ your best” gauge set first…and then dial in the compensation for those strings…. Ask a very experience piano tuner technician who has experience working on Steinway pianos to show you the way their “scaling” benefits from their duplex system near the tuning pins …. For the Steinways it’s actually a way to tune the “back side of the string “… so that the very subtle harmonics are in tune with the main body of that specific string… The “compensated nut “ on guitars isn’t a a new idea…. But the poor intonation especially with the G and B strings at the first and second frets…was just… “accepted” as “ the sound of a guitar”….. but it’s not…. Poor tuning and poor intonation are signs of poor craftsmanship by the builder…and the player… NOT having the nut cut for intonation…. Is just less than excellence. And major manufacturers getting away with NOT providing a choice of compensated nuts ( per string gauge choices… ) ..is just upper management getting away with saving $3.00 per guitar…. While providing an inferior product. Again the MOST sensitive intonation problems are the G and the B strings… so three different compensated nuts…. For .090, .010 and 012 at tthe high E…. Would cut the out of tune-ness of the first fret open chords by A LOT… PS….to the people who say that “the nut slots are too high”…. Although high not slots do account for SOME..of the sharpness in SOME first and second fretting… ( as we ham fist and squeeze the strings too hard, and crush them into the fret board which bends them sharp)… the string length change …. Required to move that 1/2 step and whole step….. is quite different from wire thickness to wire thickness…. ( the required length change to move a 1/2 step on a .46 gauge string is ABSOLUTELY NOT the same length required to change .15 a half step….. and that’s the point….So ACTUALLY…the first and second “ fret placement” is the real failure…but correcting that would be even more difficult and expensive. So adjusting the nut relief position…is a compromise that cuts the pitch change error “enough” . Also…a great way to experiment with this issue… I have very small brass pins of various thicknesses that fit very nicely against the nut and under the G and B strings that work like “Zero Frets”.. ( zero is the location right next to the bridge)….i place the pin nest to the nut…. Re-turn the guitar… and then I can slide the brass pin toward the first fret… 1/64”or 1/32” of an inch…and PROVE… that “NOW THE FIRST TWO HALF STEPS ARE MORE IN TUNE”…. My brass pins are “piano flange pins”..( pivot pins) ..ask a piano tech if he can let you have one of a few different sizes… or …You might get lucky with even just using a very thin finishing nail… just for the experiment… Ps… yes I was a piano tuner… so I have the luxury of having over a dozen very fine graduations of those Flange pins….
I've been away for a week. Thanks for chiming in on this SBY ! This approach that I have developed requires "0" alteration of the original guitar. No drilling or cutting of the fingerboard or removal and re-placement of frets. The job is 100% reversible ( if the originality Police want to press the point ) .... it can be easily returned to it's un-tunable original condition. Touche ' !
Sorry to ask a silly question, but is it possible to change the radius of the Frets instead of the board? For context: I have a 12 radius fretboard, but I want to try out and see if a 14 or even a 17 conversion will work out.
Not a silly question. If you have enough Crown height ... you can "cheat " a flatter radius ( especially a compound radius ) into the crowns of the frets. But it is always best to correct the fingerboard THEN install the new frets.