Because of its beautiful dark color, density, and durability, Ebony (Diospyros melanoxylon) has been a highly valued wood since ancient times. It has a long heritage of use in furniture, sculpture, and fine woodcraft. Ebony carvings have even been found in Egyptian tombs. Ebony... 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 »

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 »

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 »

‘Twas the night before Axe-mas, and all through the gig, My neck was too skinny, my frets were too big. Playing was difficult, chords were a chore, But I finished the set, though my fingers were sore. Then put my guitar back all snug in its case, Packed up my ge... See More »

Rivers Cuomo, guitarist and lead vocalist for the multi-platinum rock band Weezer, has played many guitars over the course of his career. One thing most of them have in common is that they are covered with stickers. Lots and lots of stickers. Another is that many of them are constru... 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 »

The English language is an interesting thing. It’s full of contradicting terms, colloquialisms, and misnomers that confuse and mislead. The name “tremolo bar”, for example. The word “tremolo” refers to a fluctuation in volume, but a tremolo bar alters pitch. It should therefore techni... See More »

Any player who has had the opportunity to try a variety of instruments has almost certainly experienced at least one neck heavy guitar or bass. They are easy to spot: any time you let go of the neck the headstock rotates towards the ground, spinning the entire axe like a giant compa... See More »

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 »