Well, folks, this is it. I quit my job as a guitar tech after almost 7 years of practice, to go back to school. It's a leap of faith, in a way, but I'm confident in my abilities to tackle this project. That being said, I would like to point you in the direction of my new blog, which may or may not be of any interest to you. It has nothing to do with guitar repairs, and everything to do with my experiences as a "mature student", returning to college, and trying to get accustomed to being surrounded by teenagers.

I'll leave you with a few valuable lessons I learned while working as a guitar tech:

1. Never lend your tools out, unless they're being used within eyesight. Nothing worse than reaching for your favourite screwdriver, only to realize that you lent it out yesterday and they never returned it, and you don't even remember who you lent it to.
2. Always keep your tools sharp. Dull chisels and files don't cut, and you'll have to work extra hard to achieve the desired result. Dull tools also increase the chance of injuries.
3. Do a dry-run! Especially when gluing and clamping things, always go through the motions before applying the glue. You might find that you need to make adjustments to the positioning of things, and better to do it before the glue is setting!
4. Pre-drilling holes prevents screws from splitting wood. 'Nuff said.
5. Quote high. Even though an estimate is an estimate, most people scream when the cost of a repair takes longer or costs more than what was quoted. Overquote to give yourself some leeway. If it goes under, they'll be happy!

And so on and so on. If I think of anything more to say on the subject of guitar repairs, I will definitely post again.

So long and thanks for paying attention!

Great expectations

An old beater: a guitar perfect for the beach or around the campfire. Sometimes fit for IN the campfire. These guitars usually are inexpensive, in poor shape, and probably don't play very well.

People generally have this idea that the price to fix an instrument is directly related to the cost of the instrument. Wrong! Often, "old beaters" require lots more work because they're beaters. They could have serious neck problems (a bad angle, some weird warpage), or the body could be buckling, splitting, deteriorating or rotting. The headstock could be some weird shape or size that makes installing new tuners a big song and dance. The bridge could be breaking or coming off, taking some of the (cheap plywood) top with it.

Some people also cling to this idea that anything is fixable, and even worth fixing. You found it on the side of the road and now you want to "invest" some money into making it playable, but you don't want to spend much 'cause, like, you found it? Maybe consider doing your own repairs...

The problem, though, is that a job that normally costs, say $20, might cost more because we have to deal with uncommon sizing or spacing, things that were done wrong in the first place, or things that are rusted/seized/deteriorated. Sometimes "setting it up" just isn't possible without a host of other repairs first, or a bunch of "extra steps" (i.e.: unpleasant surprises, "The Unexpected")

Be realistic, don't expect too much from your beater. Anyway, if it played as well as a Taylor, what would be the point in even owning a Taylor?