| Subject | Date Asked | Expert |
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| Guitar body repair | 11/16/2009 | paul wilczynski |
Q: I have a 1 year old limited edition Takamine acoustic guitar which the lid on the case has fallen on ...
A: This is finished with either polyester lacquer or nitro. The pricier Taks are nitro. Depending upon ...
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| Flattening top | 11/13/2009 | paul wilczynski |
Q: I have a question regarding the best (most simple/feasible) method for flattening the top of an ...
A: Forget about books and steam--they are far too unpredictable, John. Have you ever seen this? ...
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| How to add graphics under finish of guitar body. | 11/4/2009 | paul wilczynski |
Q: I want to do a body with a graphic like this: ...
A: Jake, with mass-produced guitars like this, the graphic is silk-screened or printed on a sheet of ...
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| neck finish repair | 10/31/2009 | paul wilczynski |
Q: how do i fix a spot on a gibson victory neck that has worn through the clear finish? can i spot ...
A: Looks to me like it was leaned up against a chair or amp for awhile, probably at various gigs. ...
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| Need guidance guitar project | 10/30/2009 | paul wilczynski |
Q: Hey paul, My name is Reece, im beginning work on a 7-string electric guitar, its my second guitar ...
A: To determine the scale, measure from the inside of the nut (where the fretboard begins, in other ...
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| Need guidance guitar project | 10/30/2009 | paul wilczynski |
Q: Hey paul, My name is Reece, im beginning work on a 7-string electric guitar, its my second guitar ...
A: String nut, plus 1/8", to saddle in center position, is closer. The claw-to-block distance should ...
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| removing sound board (face) | 10/20/2009 | paul wilczynski |
Q: I HAVE AN OVATION ACOUSTIC GUITAR MODEL 1111. I REALLY LIKE THE GUITAR BUT THE FACE HAS A LARGE ...
A: This situation is, unfortunately, all too common on older Ovation acoustics. It's caused by normal ...
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| How to position a wrap-over bridge | 10/19/2009 | paul wilczynski |
Q: I have recently refurbished an Avon - les paul-style copy electric guitar and am having trouble ...
A: Hannah, I never said anything about tuning to harmonics; I tune to true notes--the 12th fret note ...
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| replacing fretboard and adding triple binding | 10/4/2009 | paul wilczynski |
Q: I recently bought an Epiphone Dot, which I was planning on converting to an ES-345 styled guitar. ...
A: Michael: This is not a good project for a do-it-yourselfer, unless you enter into it with the ...
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| guitar pickups | 9/24/2009 | paul wilczynski |
Q: how long will it take for me to make a homemade guitar pickups with 42 gage wire
A: Samuel: How long is a piece of string? If you can answer the above question, you'll have a good ...
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| solid spruces ! | 9/23/2009 | paul wilczynski |
Q: I wanna know about sound characteristics of Solid Bear Clow Spruce . Takamine uses this kind of ...
A: Eric... "Solid Spruce" is a generic term, and "Bear Claw" refers to the grain figure, which instead ...
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| shasta 700 s | 9/19/2009 | paul wilczynski |
Q: "Hello Paul This message has also been send to the Rickenbacker resource Forum My compliments for ...
A: Kees, I've already answered this once, but perhaps you did not receive that answer. I'm the only ...
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| re-paint S.G Epi!400 | 9/18/2009 | paul wilczynski |
Q: What would be the best and smart way of removing old paint? Then To re-paint..? I like the ...
A: TYou can use a chemical paste stripper like Zip-Strip or an aircraft stripper if the guitar is ...
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| Conqueror Acoustic Guitar | 9/8/2009 | paul wilczynski |
Q: I borrowed a friends guitar so that my daughter could learn to play. I don't know how it happened, ...
A: Joanne, it's easier to replace the plastic knob. Stewart-MacDonald (www.stewmac.com) sells the knobs ...
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| rewiring guitar | 9/8/2009 | paul wilczynski |
Q: Im rewiring my guitar...new pickups, pots, switch, and output - the whole shebang. Im a bit ...
A: Kevin, the standard practice is to use 500K audio taper pots with humbucker pickups. I'd buy ...
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| tricone resonator bridge/saddle | 9/6/2009 | paul wilczynski |
Q: OK, here we go. I just purchased a Johnson JM 999-1 tricone resonator guitar according to the mfg ...
A: A very tough question to answer without holding the instrument in my hands, but I'll venture a guess ...
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| finish repair | 8/25/2009 | paul wilczynski |
Q: ...I have an american standard strat., about two years old. Unfortunately, it was lightly damaged by ...
A: Sam, It sounds like you've got the drill correct on the repairs...the fact that all of the work is ...
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| Intonation Problem | 8/16/2009 | paul wilczynski |
Q: I just finished building a guitar using a Warmoth Stratocaster body, a Warmoth Explorer 24 3/4 scale ...
A: Well, you mention both sharp and flat. I suspect you're getting way sharp at the 12th fret, and it ...
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| repair | 8/11/2009 | paul wilczynski |
Q: I was changing the strings on my Epiphone Les Paul Standard and the tailpiece came off of the two ...
A: Those screws are the screws that locate and set the height on the tailpiece. They do not tighten ...
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| Rickenbacker Refinishing | 8/11/2009 | paul wilczynski |
Q: Paul, I contacted Rickenbacker about having my old 330 refinished and Richard Cannata, suggested ...
A: Paul, Briefly, I do this sort of thing daily and have extensive experience in early Rickenbacker ...
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| Buzzing Pick-Up | 8/7/2009 | paul wilczynski |
Q: I just bought a ESP LTD ec500s. They guy that had it before me, installed Seymour Duncan Invader 8's ...
A: This is a very hot pickup, as you know. There could be any number of things wrong, but the wiring is ...
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| Fender style truss rod | 8/4/2009 | paul wilczynski |
Q: I have built a Tele style guitar with a Kramer clone neck, a very expensive neck and body (not a kit ...
A: Before I changed string gauge, I'd try shimming the neck pocket very slightly, to increase string ...
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| Ric 330 neck reset. | 7/27/2009 | paul wilczynski |
Q: I have a 2002, 330/12 that from the onset had a finish crack along the neck joint. I thought it was ...
A: Mike, I cannot give any firm quotes without seeing a photo. A range I can estimate, though. And, ...
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| Ric 330 neck reset. | 7/27/2009 | paul wilczynski |
Q: I have a 2002, 330/12 that from the onset had a finish crack along the neck joint. I thought it was ...
A: Mike. A neck reset also involves at least a partial refinish. You don't mention what color your ...
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| RIC 370 | 7/24/2009 | paul wilczynski |
Q: Greetings Paul. I own a late 60's Ric 370. I got it with a very dark finish which I have never seen ...
A: Rob-- My refinishes are currently running about $1100.00 on average. I am booked solid until about ...
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| Huge Guitar Crack in the Back | 7/22/2009 | paul wilczynski |
Q: Paul, Please Help me I accidentally dropped my acoustic Yamaha guitar, now it Has a huge crack, a ...
A: Take it to a good local luthier. I understand (having lived there) the likelihood in the Third World ...
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| Question on article | 7/19/2009 | paul wilczynski |
Q: Here's the link to an article on your site that I need to ask a question about: ...
A: Thinning the saddle will make little difference, unfortunately. You'll get it a tad closer, but ...
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| Tru oil's drying condition? | 7/9/2009 | paul wilczynski |
Q: I'm doing my guitar project that will be finished with tru-oil and there're few things that I have ...
A: Andy, Here's a link to the best tutorial I've ever seen on the right way to apply Tru-Oil finishes. ...
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| Stripping yucky black paint from classical guitar fretboard | 7/2/2009 | paul wilczynski |
Q: Recently I took my daughter's 10-year-old 3/4-size inexpensive classical guitar out of the garage ...
A: Wow. A loaded question... Mostly, Peter, because there are hundreds of paint formulas, and I have ...
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| Ebony & Stripped Ebony ! | 6/29/2009 | paul wilczynski |
Q: please tell me what's the difference between Ebony & Stripped Ebony , as bridge and fretboard ...
A: Eric, I think you mean, "STRIPED" ebony (i.e., ebony that exhibits stripes, usually of a dark ...
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| Cutting sitka spruce | 6/3/2009 | paul wilczynski |
Q: I am trying to replace a smashed mandolin top. I ordered 3/16 inch thick sitka spruce and tried to ...
A: A reciprocating power jig saw is a pretty brutal way to treat delicate spruce, Mike. The blades are ...
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| Bass necks | 6/1/2009 | paul wilczynski |
Q: I have a Warwick Corvette 4 string bass and was wondering if it's possible to convert it to a short ...
A: Sure, Jim. Here are a couple: ...
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| Bass necks | 6/1/2009 | paul wilczynski |
Q: I have a Warwick Corvette 4 string bass and was wondering if it's possible to convert it to a short ...
A: Of course anything is possible, but I've got to think that this would require a fabricated neck. If ...
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| clearcoating a maple strat neck | 5/30/2009 | paul wilczynski |
Q: I bought a Mighty Mite aftermarket fender strat 70s ri neck and it looks to natural.It is supposed ...
A: Ed, don't wet-sand first, but just scuff the sealer up a bit with some fine Scotchbrite, dry. The ...
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| clearcoating a maple strat neck | 5/30/2009 | paul wilczynski |
Q: I bought a Mighty Mite aftermarket fender strat 70s ri neck and it looks to natural.It is supposed ...
A: If it's already sealed, forget the tung oil. If it wasn't sealed, forget the tung oil too. On a ...
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| stripped neck mounting hole on neck. | 5/30/2009 | paul wilczynski |
Q: I have taken apart my jackson guitar to refinish it. while putting it back together the hole in the ...
A: Jim: The fix for this is pretty easy, and not too hard on the pocketbook... Buy or scrounge a ...
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| Guitar finish stripping | 5/29/2009 | paul wilczynski |
Q: I have some Jacksons with flame, tiger and quilted maple tops, and I wish to refinish them in ...
A: These are finished with a very durable and somewhat thick polyester finish...chemical strippers ...
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| Carvin Guitar Parts | 5/28/2009 | paul wilczynski |
Q: I found the Carvin guitar kits, and looking further, I found that you can buy all the parts ...
A: The very slight adjustments which are necessary when fitting a Strat (or Tele, for that matter) neck ...
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| string problem | 5/23/2009 | paul wilczynski |
Q: Hey, I have A Schecter Hellraiser DLX, and I'm changing the strings for the first time since I ...
A: It's due to something other than the two things you mention. Releasing tension on the neck has ...
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| fretboard finishing | 5/19/2009 | paul wilczynski |
Q: im building a guitar in class and i just got done cutting the fretboard and fretting it. But you can ...
A: Jeff, if you look at the edge of the neck on almost any unbound neck, you will see those slots, and ...
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