Problemy
The guitar will not stay in tune
A guitar that will not stay in tune can drive you mad, especially when you are playing with other people.
Poor tuners are very rarely the cause. Usually the strings bind in a badly cut nut, with that characteristic ping as you turn the tuner. The solution is to widen, polish and lubricate the nut slots properly. Chords that sound out of tune are a different matter, caused by incorrectly set intonation: after precise tuning and lengthening or shortening the scale of each string at the bridge, your guitar will play in tune in every position. The bane of many guitarists is the memory effect of floating tremolo bridges. The assembly does not return to perfect zero after you use the arm, so depending on the direction of movement the tuning can hang: after dive bombing the guitar can sit several or a dozen cents lower than after pulling the bridge up. We have several ways of solving this, so that you do not have to pretend you lost the arm at rehearsal.
- Do you have to retune after every bend?
- Does using the tremolo arm throw the instrument completely out of tune?
- Is the guitar in tune on open strings but out of tune on chords higher up the neck?
Other services
Instrument diagnosticsA conversation about your experience and your needsVisual inspection and measurements of the instrumentIdentifying faults and their causesSee the full scope 
String change and maintenanceRemoving dirt from the fretboard and the body.Conditioning and oiling the fretboardPolishing the frets and fitting new strings.See the full scope 
Setups (complete guitar adjustment)Full adjustment of all parametersMaintenance of the electronicsPersonalisation to suit your needsSee the full scope 
FretworkLevelling, crowning and polishing the fretsFull refretRounding off sharp fret endsSee the full scope 
Gluing breaks and cracksRepair of broken headstocksGluing cracks in tops and sidesRe-gluing bridges and bracingSee the full scope 
Full restoration and rebuildsNew life for old instrumentsRefreshing old lacquer finishesComplete rebuilds of damaged guitarsSee the full scope 
Hardware replacement and repairFitting tuners, including locking onesReplacing bridges, tremolos and string retainersFitting strap buttons and strap locksSee the full scope 
Nuts and bridge saddles in bone and brassCutting and shaping nutsBridge saddles for acoustic and classical guitarsCompensation for the scale lengthSee the full scope 
Electronics, modifications and upgradesPickup replacementReplacement of faulty componentsCircuit modifications (coil split, treble bleed)See the full scope 
Zero service for new instrumentsVerification of the technical conditionRuling out hidden factory defectsPersonalisation of stock instrumentsSee the full scope 
Making fretboards, pickguards and bridgesWe cut new fretboards on a CNC machineWe cut custom pickguardsWe recreate damaged acoustic bridgesSee the full scope 
String buzzDoes your guitar buzz even when you pluck the string gently?Does the note die away when you bend?Do some notes on the neck not sound at all?See the full scope 
Uncomfortable setup and sore hands (a stiff guitar)Do you struggle with barre chords?Do the first positions take real force?Does your fretting hand tire quickly?See the full scope 
Action that is too high (strings far above the frets)Are the strings so high that you can slide a finger underneath?Is playing around the 10th to 12th fret close to a miracle?Is the top of your acoustic worryingly bellied?See the full scope 
Weak, dull tone and no clarityDoes the guitar sound like it is under a blanket, with no clarity?Does the note die away very quickly, with no sustain?Do your chords lack definition?See the full scope 
Mechanical damageA cracked or snapped headstock?Dents, lacquer chips or holes in the body?A bridge lifting off an acoustic guitar?See the full scope 
Electrical problems (noise and crackle)Crackling potentiometers?Does the sound cut out when you move the cable in the socket?An irritating hum that comes and goes for no reason?See the full scope