All Blog Posts (140)

I would like to put my logo on a tortoise peghead.  Does any one know where to go for a small run of waterslide decals?  I am looking for something approximating gold leaf with a black or red outline

Thanks

Ed Minch

I will be building a mahogany guitar and want to paint the back and sides black.  How do I do this and still leave the white binding white?  Also, has anyone used black shellac?  See 1/3 of the way down this page:

http://www.shellac.net/ShellacPricing.html

Thanks

Ed Minch

It's not a mistake unless you can't fix it

http://fretsnet.ning.com/profile/danielcnewman

I was recently given a mandolin that appears to be sunken under the bridge resulting in zero action above the frets. I presume a brace has come loose or de-glued from leaving it in a hot space or moist environment. How does one remove the back? I had a repair shop look at it and they said it wasn't worth it to fix it because of their labor rates. I could buy another one that they had in stock for probably less than it would cost to repair it. So being the woodworking musician with a…

As a luthier this will really make your day and remind you why you've spent so many countless hours in the shop.

It took quite a few years to deliver this guitar to Colin. He picked the finest Brazilian and 40 year old spruce that I had stashed away for when I started building acoustics. I had told Colin that day that even though I had been building electrics for the past 14 years I only had one acoustic under by belt and "was not ready to be cutting into that wood". It was about 8…

Hello fellow Luthiers,

You should all be pleased to hear that I'm finally going to give a shot at my Guitar business, "Norgart Guitar Co.".

Check out my facebook page:

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Norgart-Guitar-Co/207943905884428

Norgart Guitar Co. is located in the heart of my hometown of Santa Clara, CA. 

Thanks for your…

 I'm attempting to romove a pu cover on a ibanez super 80 pu. it is epoxied in.My first attempt will be with a heat gun not sure if this will work. any ideas? I need to save the pu not the cover.

Thanks Gerry

An attempt to tighten a banjo 5th string, beyond where it had been before, produced a catastrophic failure of an old tuner. The square steel shaft simply came loose. With the end of the shaft no longer held in the plug base (? -- i.e., the brass thing glued inside the neck), tightening the screw on the knob produces no friction between the various parts. In fact, the knob and shaft assembly just slipped out.

The question is whether there is any way to make it work again, or is removal…

Hi   Iwent by the old store and tried old phone .  Are you doing repairs ?  if so how do I contact you ???

You may recall  the old Cort you repaired for me  thanks again , I am the realtor with the cowboy hat.  

I have an  Aria Les Paul that needs some pick up work .  my home # is 818 8137200 Not an emergency  but you did me right in the past so would like to have you do this repair too.  thanks   glen

      I am new to Frets.net and I am not sure what most members put on their "Blog"but It seems like a great website

for information. I have been building and repairing musical instruments since 1978 when I worked for the Franklin Guitar

Company in Sandpoint,Idaho.In 1980 I moved to the east coast and set up my workshop and have worked part time ( my

other job was a clinical laboratory scientist ) until 2010 when I went full time. I have a nice 21' x 21' ,workshop and…

 Okay, this is turning out all right. I decided to reshape the neck while I was at it:…

When I left yesterday, the cutaway piece was pretty much fitted up and ready to go, so with a few minor adjustments to the kerfing, a trial fit or two, a dry run at clamping, and some finish sanding to the exposed surface, I glued it up and put the clamps on:…

I rounded up an old classical beater, and, while tossing and turning one night, decided to retrofit a cutaway design into it as well as add a home-made piezzo pickup. I happened to have an orphaned pre-bent piece of brazillian rosewood made for a florentine cutaway knocking around my inventory of random guitar woods. I personally prefer the venetian style cutaway, so this was a perfect excuse to use it up in an experimental self tutorial.

Here is the victim, an old "Orlando" I…

My first self-built guitar is now (finaly) finished! It was a long and sometimes troublesome, hard way but I mannaged...

I have to stay fair: I didn't built the neck, nor the bridge: those I recycled from the "Morris" guitar I once sat on...

First a pic of the damaged guitar that I used as example:

Info on what damage this guitar…

I inherited my Grandfather's Gibson Mandolin.  The birch back has shrunk, which caused it to separate from the edge.  I brought it to Roberto Venn (John Reuter).  John wants Frank Ford to look at it and potentially do the repair while visiting the school in May.  Or alternately, to look at it and give John guidance.  I can post pictures if necessary!

If Frank reads this blog, could I possibly bring the Mandolin to Roberto Venn when you are in town?  If yes, could you let me know when…

Oodles of ouds are coming across the workbench these days. Yesterday I removed the peg head from a neck/head assembly a friend had shipped from Jordan to replace the peghead on an oud he has. The oud maker in Jordan had mistakenly sent a neck assembled to the peghead as well, which my friend did not want. So I fired up the espresso steamer and separated the two. 

After…