Guitar problems...

[GAR]

I recommend Jon-D's in Alhambra.

John DiTrapani. He's the original repairman from Pedrinis' Music working on thousands of instruments for many name players and a former luthier/factory worker at the original Gretch and Gibson factories. He won't charge an arm and a leg for a kid and I've known him since before I was a kid building guitars. Ace tech.

Also, John Carruthers on the west side, Santa Monica.

AND in your area SFValley is Norms' Rare Guitar, and Andy Brauer Rentals.

[NAHTAN]

I'm with SammySucks
Go Ibanez, you won't be disappointed

[GAR]

Re: Guitar problems...

Originally posted by fret_buzz_blues
how can I solve this problem WITHOUT fucking my guitar up like last time?

You could mill the frets with a Fine grade file:

Loosen the strings, and tape them out of the way with masking tape. Then use a single-cut (bastard mill) file as wide as possible and just lightly drag the file down the neck across the frets from the edge of the low E side up to the 12th frets area, working up to the middle of the neck. That will take out the high spots.

Then restring the guitar to tension. If the buzzing is gone, buff the file marks out with a piece of 220 sandpaper then polish them with steel wool grade #0000 (that's four-O grade, steel wool comes graded in ohs).

THEN you adjust the forward-bowing of the neck if you still need it.

Figure out first what your trussrod takes (3/16" allen or is it a 10mm hex-nut, I don't know - if so then you'll need a 10mm nut driver or a 10mm socket) and loosen the trussrod by turning whatever tool it takes to the left.

(rule of thumb, right to tighten - left to loosen)

Then, put a towel on the kitchen table or desk you use next to hold the body up to were you can lift the headstock up to your eye so you can sight the neck down like the barrel of a gun the way you'd shoot one: now looking straight down, you'll see the neck forward bowing under string tension.

It's real easy after this point, you just tighten the nut to your right and while the tension is increased on the truss rod you'll see the fingerboard bowing start to straighten out in the opposite direction more towards a flat shape.

A perfect setup will leave some bowing, i'd say usually measured at .023"-.028" (twenty-three thousandths to twenty eight thousandths of an inch, measured in sparkplug feeler gauge clearancing) at the third fret and maybe up to 40 thou at the 12th fret.

But to find what is best to your liking and to be independant of a repair shop, that's the procedure to do it.

cost:
pack of sandpaper 220 grit, home depot $1.68
bag of superfine steel wool, $3.89
5 pack safety razor blades, $1.29
Lemon Oil furniture polish, (minwax, formbys, or 99 cent store doesn't matter as long as its real lemon oil and not some faggy perfume with tons of wax) $1-6.00

cleaning the fingerboard after the mess:

- you use the razor blade on ebony or rosewood, scratching between the frets to make the wood look like new followed up by lemon oil wiped off to dry then restringing.

maple fingerboards w/lacquer, you have to masking tape off between frets before milling and polishing and being cautious not to peel lacquer off when removing tape. And, remove tape within a couple hours no matter what happens: an errand, or wahtever may take you off the project.

[Brett]

Or Eric at Eric's Guitar Shop on Orion, near Galpin Ford. I've gone to him forever, and he does a great job on all my guitars. His set ups are second to none IMO, and he's not a rip off.

Also very close for you in the Valley.

[fret_buzz_blues]

Ok, thanks, guys. Yes, Galpin Ford is close to where I live. So maybe I'll go to Eric's Guitar Shop. What street is it on? And where is Norm's Rare Guitar, GAR?

[SNIPER]

Make sure there is 10's on it and use a clayton 1.62mm for the metal crunch.

[Brett]

Originally posted by fret_buzz_blues
Ok, thanks, guys. Yes, Galpin Ford is close to where I live. So maybe I'll go to Eric's Guitar Shop. What street is it on? And where is Norm's Rare Guitar, GAR?

He's on Orion dude, his phone is 818-780-7191. Open, Monday-Saturday.

Norm's Rare Guitar is on Ventura Blvd. between Vanalden and Reseda in one of the strip malls there, unless they've moved. I haven't noticed lately, but he should still be there.

[fret_buzz_blues]

Thanks very much. I'll have to go there one of these days.

[GAR]

well tickle my Elmo..