It's been a busy end of month as since lockdown ended we've been able to start on our waiting list that built up since lockdown! Highlights include a Lakland bass for a setup, a mini restoration on a Aria archtop, a vintage Yamaha acoustic in for a fret recrown and hand polish. A Fender aerodyne bass was in for new pickups and custom wiring, plus an EVH Frankie in for a setup! Although we are currently running a waiting list, please get in touch if you wish us to repair/customise/restore your guitar or bass. |
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This lovely Gibson J45 was recently in for a fret recrown and a setup! The frets are masked off and marked before the recrowning process can begin. The frets were then filed carefully preserving the tops of the frets, once the frets had been reprofiled they were hand polished to a shine!
This stunning PRS McCarty Hollowbody ll, previously owned by Monte Lee Pittman
(Madonna’s guitarists and member of Prong) was recently in the workshop for a MOT! This stunning 1962 Watkins Rapier 44 was recently in the workshop to have it’s faulty wiring sorted! The customer was having issues with the pickups not working, as it turned out, the selector switch had seized. This had then broken off wires as it had been turned trying to select pickups!
First off we managed to carefully clean out almost 70 years of gunk and lubricate the switch back into a functioning selector switch. The next stage was working out where the wires needed to be reattached, easier said than done when there was no reference schematics. As we had to figure out a large part of the wiring referring to old photos of the wiring from owners groups, we only feel it right to share clear detailed photos of correct wiring for anyone else who has to repair the wiring in their Watkins Rapier 44! This cool brand new Charvel Satchel Signature was recently in the workshop to have some dents in the neck removed, as the music shop wasn’t interested in helping the customer! Although the dents appear small, they were apparent to the touch, and should be there on a brand new guitar! The second photo shows the neck after the work was complete!
Another repair completed while we were shut for lockdown, this poorly Tanglewood was brought in was a nasty top crack, the section was almost breaking off from the guitar! One of the cracks had previously tried to be repaired with superglue, which made the repair harder still. The top was also badly warped in the surrounding area, We first glued back the lifting top, then repaired the side damage and rebuilt the edge binding. We then built up layers of nitrocellulose lacquer to even out the top and protect the repaired breaks! Although the customer wasn’t concerned about aesthetics, we wanted to blend the repair the best we could! At the same time the frets were recrowned and hand polished, along with a setup and a K&K pure mini pickup fitted! The top when it was brought in, one of the worst damage acoustics we've seen! The top after the lifting crack was glued down, due to superglue being used on a previous repair attempt, superglue had be used on these areas rather than wood glue. The side of the guitar where it had cracked was also needing to be sorted. The broken edge was then cleaned up ready to be rebuilt. Inserts were carefully cut and fitted to reenforce the broken end, the gap was left for a separate insert to be inserted to enforce the small crack. The insert was cut to fit inside the top acting as a brace to one of the cracks. The inserts were then glued. The inserts were then trimmed back to allow the purfling and binding to be fitted. The purfling fitted, although it wasn’t a perfect match it was the best match we could source! The high parts of the crack repair were flattened back to even out the top. The cracks were then stained to match in with the rest of the top. The binding was then slowly built in layers, using thicker binding which was thicknessed down to size before being fitted and trimmed. The binding was slowly built up to match the existing binding before being trimmed down to fit. The binding was the stained to blend it in along with repairing the damage to the side of the guitar, blending it with the rest of the guitar and refinishing with lacquer. During the lacquer application and flattening back process. The top was then prepped ready for nitrocellulose to be applied by hand, something we’d never done on a guitar top before! The finished result of the top repair! The frets before the recrown and hand polish. The frets were well worn from years of gigging. They were first masked off and marked before the recrowning could begin. The frets were filed to remove the wear but preserving the level tops of the frets, they were then hand polished to a shine! After the recrown and hand polish. The guitar was then restrung and setup along with having the K&K mini pure fitted before the customer collected his guitar.
Great News Everyone! We’re officially back open! We’re looking forward to seeing regular and new customers and most of all working on your guitars. Please be aware we’re following social distancing guidelines, so visits to the workshop are now slightly different. For more information please check out our page: www.torbayguitarrepairs.co.uk/covid-19 Here’s a repair that got caught up in the lockdown. This Freshman acoustic was brought in to have it’s broken headstock repaired! Above shows the headstock break as it was brought in. Below pictures showing the gluing process and after the gluing process the task of smoothing off the headstock and refinishing could begin. After the break was repaired the cracks were sanded back smooth with the rest of the neck. On the front of the headstock a wood insert was made and glued into the crack on the edge. Another small insert was glued into a small chip out in the side of the neck. The stain was slowly built up to blend in the repair work, matt nitrocellulose lacquer was then sprayed to blend in with the guitars matt finish. The lacquer on the back of the neck was lightly polished to give a worn in played feel a look matching the rest of the guitar neck. With the refinishing work complete, the hardware was then reinstalled. After the refinish the wood insert was hidden. With all the work complete, the guitar was restrung and the customer collected the guitar once we were able to reopen!
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Lewis DurtnallHi, I'm Lewis, Ive been repairing guitars since 2004, I learnt my craft at Totnes School of Guitar Making! Archives
December 2022
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