• Guitars

    Tobacco Brunette, SN: 2021:006

    July 21, 2023 /

    I built this guitar in 2020/21 while living in Austin.  It’s the “sister” guitar to one I built that was sold at auction to benefit Austin’s Paramount Theatre for the Performing Arts. I kept this one around for a while, and had a few trusted players put it through the paces.  Based upon their feedback, I made a few adjustments to the neck, which resulted in a more comfortable player experience (which is what we all strive for, correct?) It is now being offered for sale by the good folks at Ryan Fowler’s Guitar Experience in Baltimore. Specs: 25.5″ scale length 21 frets Maple & Walnut body Maple & Walnut…

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  • Dailies

    Fender Dread CD-60 Acoustic set-up

    July 4, 2023 /

    How to you turn a $200 guitar into something special? Swap out the plastic nut and saddle for bone, and give it a Southeast Setup, of course! Which is exactly what we did for this beauty.  Now it sounds like a million bucks.  Or, at least $750!  And it plays better than it did when it left the factory in Indonesia.  A small investment in a few parts and an expert setup will always bring out the best in your instrument.  

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  • Projects

    Sears Silvertone Acoustic (c) 1973

    July 4, 2023 /

    Here’s another project I started before I had a web site.  It’s a circa 1973 Sears Silvertone acoustic guitar, model number 319.12171100 that I picked up from a Healey Wizard named Gary several months ago.  It had a terrible bellyache, three popped braces and a cracked bridge.  Gary tells me it was made in Japan by Harmony. I rehydrated the box and held it under clamps for around two months, which brought the solid spruce top back into shape wonderfully.  Then the popped braces were re-attached, and the bridge was repaired. Moving along, I created a new bone nut and bridge saddle, then performed a Southeast Setup.  She’s sounding like…

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