There’s an old parable of a woodsman chopping down trees in the forest. He labors for hours, chopping furiously, with little progress. As he toils, a passing traveler observes his situation. “I couldn’t help but notice how hard you’re working, with so little to show for it,... See More »

  A skilled luthier is worth their weight in gold, especially when it comes to more advanced tech work. There are a lot of things the average Joe can do for themselves, however. What’s even better, many of them don’t require don’t require fancy tools. Here are a few ... See More »

Building a well-crafted electric guitar or bass requires patience. As tempting as it can be to rush or cut corners, the most successful builds ultimately go to those with the patience to take all the necessary steps, no matter how tedious. One such step, often skipped by the impatient... See More »

I’ve been a guitar nut for over 35 years, and I’ve been married to one woman for 28 of those. That makes me an expert at one thing: negotiating the acquisition of new gear. I love my wife more than anything, but let’s face it: even the best marriages sometimes involve hostile negotiat... See More »

TV Yellow is a classic and much-loved color in the world of guitars. It is instantly recognizable, yet frustratingly difficult to reproduce. It is a moving target that can range from off-white or beige, to pale mustard yellow (with perhaps the slightest hint of green), to almost but... See More »

I love to watch a guitar being made of repurposed or reclaimed wood. It’s exciting to observe the process as a seemingly worn-out piece of wood is given new life as a guitar or bass. I’ve seen guitar bodies made of wood reclaimed from old hockey sticks, industrial pallets, skateboar... See More »

If you cut your guitar-playing teeth in the 80’s, you probably remember Kramer's Nightswan guitar. You probably also remember the magazine ad that was so ubiquitous at the time: Vivian Campbell leaning against a white French door, hair perfectly teased, while a fog machine and a light... See More »

The world is full of misnomers - names for things that are inaccurate or misleading. Examples include starfish and Guinea pigs, white chocolate and French fries, and - closer to home for us guitar players - tremolo bars and input jacks. It’s that last one that I aim to talk about tod... See More »

Checking for proper neck relief (or neck “bow”) is a fundamental part of setting up a guitar. When necessary, relief can be adjusted using the guitar’s truss rod. However, the thought of adjusting a truss rod can be a bit intimidating to those who have never done it. If you are a first-timer,... See More »

Your Strat®-style tremolo bar is one shifty character. It can wreak havoc on your guitar’s tuning, without ever getting its own hands dirty. It accomplishes this by recruiting others to do its dirty-work, while it sits quietly in the background, pulling the strings. It’s like the do... See More »