So whilst I am really proud of the growth in the business as a whole and the expansion of my quality used guitars service, this all requires one specific resource – guitar technical services.  IE The guitar workshop!

I know my customers are happy to wait a few days for their guitar to make its way through the workshop and I know how much they appreciate the final result – however, I have noticed more and more often that a specific guitar that I want to promote cannot be photographed yet because I want to show it in its full glory POST setup, not how it has arrived in!  When the workshop is so fully allocated to sales and private customers misc. jobs then my own guitars for promotion have to wait.

Sooo…..  I have to balance the benefits of having an active workshop with the negatives of the potential business that could be generated if I could get my used guitars for sale listed all the more quickly!  Tricky!

Another outcome which I REALLY do not want to occur is to have a showroom with a growing number of guitars that LOOK second hand.  I take great pride in the fact that if you come to my showroom you would never know the difference between a used and a new guitar – its a wonderful sight to see when you tell someone “oh yes, thats £200 off retail price because it is in fact used!” .  “WHAT! – REALLY?!” is the normal response!!  On a personal level this aspect of my business is incredibly important – the difference factor!

So I hope this all giving you a sense of why I have decided to make the following decision…

Workshop Services Now Offered

Full Setup including strings  (£55)

String Change including pre-tensioning (£15 + Strings)

Pickup Replacement (£20 then £10 each subsequent pickup)

Other work carried out at my discretion dependent on resources available.

There are two technicians who I know of:

http://www.abguitartech.co.uk (Stratford)

http://www.guitartechnicalservices (Warwick)

Both of whom provide guitar repair services who can help I am sure.

My focus is of course to provide a dedicated & truly bespoke World Wide specialist service in the provision of the finest playing guitars and so anyone who wishes to purchase a guitar from me will appreciate the need to focus on this area of my business, rather than building the workshop services side which I fear could become a distraction from my my own personal objectives.

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Every single guitar will have its own individual needs and requirements depending on what comes out the box and what the player requires in terms of setup.

The following guitar happens to be a Godin XTSA which is a regular visitor to our workshop due to my specialist knowledge of Godin guitars which I send all around the World.

The illustrations are not necessarily in the order in which they are done but are representative of the various measurements, modifications and adjustments that are required to make the instrument play to its best.

Click on the first image to watch the gallery, bypassing the text.

So there you go – thats an overview at a glance.  Each guitar will take the technician around 2 hours to complete.  I believe this level of detail is unique to my business, certainly when you combine this with my live help facility providing backup and support most hours.

If you are looking to buy a guitar that I sell, I would hate for you to consider buying it anywhere else -  The setups on the guitars I sell are at the heart of the service I offer and backed up by my own diligent approach to pre and post sale service.

I hope this pictorial tour has helped you understand a little more about the work that goes into an electric guitar pre sale, new or used.

Delivery available Worldwide with most European destinations at just £15.

For more details call me on 01789 26 33 33.

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Todays example is one of those borderline areas where I think “Is it just me being “me” or is this just not right?”  Frankly I am past caring as I tend to urr on the side of “If I don’t like it, nor will some of my customers!”.

It is a G&L Legacy in natural ash.  A wonderful guitar which at £479 online is staggering value and puts the Fender Standard Stratocaster to shame.

However, this model is in 2 pieces but the 2 sides are in my opinion very poorly matched.  I don’t think the photo gives you the sense of “difference” as much as it felt when I opened the box and the distributor could easily argue I am on dangerous ground but I don’t think it is too much to ask for a guitar that looks like one guitar and not 2 stuck together!

My distribution partners are well aware of my quality control and are always happy to oblige in returns – thankfully!

If you look in the bottom centre you will see where the 2 pieces join and the grain is badly matched. For me this is a reject and no customer of mine will be receiving this one.

You can discuss annoying wood grain on my forum.  Thought it would make an interesting topic!!

http://www.guitars.co.uk/forum/ubbthreads.php/ubb/showflat/Number/286212#Post286212

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Stonebridge A17 40CM  with action a tad high and no room on the saddle to get the action where we need it.  Rejected

G&L Legacy Natural Ash finish.  The two piece body has been poorly matched and I am not happy with the cosmetic detail (I will bring you a picture when I have time). Rejected

Godin Kinpin CWII.  Pickups poorly mounted resulting in them being way too close to the strings.  Requires some major reshaping of the pickup mounts to rectify.  Rejected.

Cort SFX 12 String.  Couldn’t get the action setup to our standard, no saddle left and poor geometry.

Although rejecting guitars is all par for the course when we hand finish them ready for sale, this week brough more than its fair share of issues – however, you take the rough with the smooth!!!

On reflection however I get such a great feeling knowing that I stuck to my principles and each one of these customers trust in my service paid off for them!

If you are thinking of buying a guitar from Richards Guitars – trust me – you are in safe hands I promise!!

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Todays photographic tour shows only aspects of what actually goes on as each guitar is different and brings its own “variables” but this should certainly demonstrate the time and effort that goes into each and every guitar sold at Richards Guitars.

The guitar shown is a Stonebridge DS40CM – In other words – one of my babies!

I will do my best to explain the images for you as we go along.

Inital Checks

Our techs would initially check the current geometry and playability by looking at the height and depth of string slots cut in the nut, amount of relief in the truss rod and height at the saddle.  All of these factors play a crucial role in a well set up (beautifully playable) guitar.

One of the key indicators of how well a guitar will play is to check the height at the 12th Fret

Here you can see a device which can be quite handy for checking the string height at the first fret – another indicator of how well the nut has been cut but also a clear indicator of how well the guitar will feel right across the board.  Get it wrong here and you will never get a comfortable action.

A device for helping the technician find the action at the first fret which gives a strong indicator of nut height and whether height adjustment is required

The feeler guage combined with a straight edge enables the tech to calculate how much relief (space) there is between the string and top of the frets.  I am not a tech of course so probably cannot word this so well but once again the relief in the board is crucial to how low you can bring the action without strings buzzing!  The relief is generated by a metal bar inside the neck of the guitar called a truss rod which can be bent or straightened accordingly.  Depending on the overall geometry of an instrument you may require more or less relief to get the best out of the guitar.  If we find the geometry at any stage is too far out – the guitar goes back to the supplier as a reject.

The use of a straight edge and feeler guages help calculate the relief (bend) in the neck which is vital to a well set up instrument that can play to its very best.

The truss rod can be adjusted (bent/straightened) by the smallest of turns of the allen key which locks into the end of the truss rod.  Knowing how much to turn the truss rod and how much relief to give a fretboard is all part of the skill of being a guitar tech and another secret behind the best playing guitars.

If the relief in the neck requires adjustment, the truss rod (metal bar that runs along the inside length of the neck) can be adjusted with the allen key.

Sometimes its the things you cannot see which are SO important.  Have you ever even considered whether the underside of the saddle is flat?  Or even cared?  Well if you have spent all that time deciding on what guitar to buy you SHOULD care as its all part of what will give your guitar its overall tone and resonance.  If you have gaps in the underside of the saddle, engergy is lost which effects the overal tone and sustain of your guitar.  On an electro acoustic guitar it becomes of paramount importance as this energy is required to power your electro sound!  If you have a gap above the piezo strip (pickup) you will literally get no sound.  Go and play your electro now and see whether the ouptut is consistent.  If its not, it may well be the under side of your saddle which is to blame.

Checking to ensure the underside of the saddle is totally flat. Imperative for energy transfer (acoustic tone/resonance/performance of under saddle pickups)

The nut is an incredibly crucial part of an acoustic guitars tone.  A cheap nut will wear very quickly through use and result in the string getting lower and lower until it begins to buzz.  If the nut slot is not cut at the correct angle the string will buzz in the nut slot when it resonates.  If the nut slot is cut too high it will impair the overall setup IE height of strings across the whole fretboard and if cut too low can obviously cause buzzing but also end up with the “ski slope” setup where it feels great at the nut but dreadful at the 12 fret.  If the nut is cut too thin for the string guage being played the string will snag and keep clicking in and out of tune.  If the nut slot is cut too wide for the string guage this also causes buzzing!!  SO much to take into account but ultimately a well cut nut is at the heart of a wonderful playing and sounding guitar.

Every nut slot must A) Be cut to the right depth B) Cut to the correct width as per string guage required C) Cut at an angle that will ensure no buzz when the string resonates. The nut cutting alone is a time consuming process when done correctly

Every guitar which is setup must be protected from the possibility of a file slipping.  Using ultra low tack tape and protective card (we have used rubber shields but actually card cut to the right size is more practical, can be disposed of very easily and does the job perfectly – its something that my tech prefers even though it may look a bit ugly!)  The tape you can see across the strings and along the length is simply keeping the slackened off strings out of the way of the filing that is being under taken.  It also ensures they don’t just fly off everywhere!

Doesn't look pretty does it? But crucial for protecting the finish from scuffs/file marks when working on the fretboard. We find string packets a perfect "recyclable/disposable" solution

Here you can see the value of some protective covering over the body of the guitar.  Files can cause some nasty marks if you are not very careful.  Covering the body of the guitar may take more time but imperative!   You can also see how the tape acts as a protective barrier along the fretboard too while the tech takes the sharp burs off the frets.

In the manufacturing process, more often than not you will find the frets fairly sharp to the touch if you run your hand along the edge of the fretboard.  This is due to the way in which fret ends are cut by machinary.  A hand finished fret end gives you a much smoother played in feel – the sign of a truly hand finished fretboard.

Every fret end is checked. We remove the sharp burs created though machine cuttting by hand finishing every fret providing a smoother played in feel. Note the protective shield on the body to ensure there is no chance of any contact with the guitar body

Oh the good old lemon oil!  Not only does lemon oil help protect the board from drying out – it can smell lovely but also provides a much deaper shean to the rosewood board.  I love the look of a lemon oiled fretboard.  A dry board makes the guitar look cheap but of course the important bit was the first point – not the last…. (the guitarist in me coming out again – you have to love looking at them too though right?!)

The fretoard is treated with lemon oil. This treatment stops the wood from drying which can lead to loose/raised frets. It also looks lush (as you can see from the pic - left hand side untreated - right hand side treated).

Well thats all for now!  The nice thing about the pictures I have taken is that all of this is carried out when we set up an acoustic guitar whether when done privately for customer who bring guitars in or whether you are buying the guitar from us as new.  Its all part of the service.

Now tell me you get this service for free from your local guitar shop when you buy a guitar?  Hmmm…. Most shops will either A) not even mention a set up or B) Tweek the truss rod (for effect) behind the counter if you ask!  Sorry to sound cynical but I have been around the block a bit and am more than aware of what goes on in my industry!

PLEASE feel free to contact me if you would like further advice on guitar setups or the guitars I recommend.

Live Help is available via my site http://www.richardsguitars.co.uk which is open most hours, or call me on 01789 26 33 33.

My email is richard@richardsguitars.co.uk

and of course you will find me at 5 Tiddington Road, Stratford Upon Avon, Warwickshire if you want to bring a guitar in!

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The neck shown below is part of a guitar purchased on a whim from a famous internet auction sight, (we’ve all been tempted!) It cost about thirty quid & is obviously not a Fender, nor was it sold as such. It had been rather butchered but it was playable…just. Visible below is a black replacement nut that hadn’t been fitted so much as clubbed into submission.

There are many reasons for which people might require this work, most obviously if the frets are so badly worn that dressing them will not suffice. A player might also feel that a different wire width might suit their playing style better. A gouged fingerboard will also often be corrected as part of a re-fret, but this depends on the depth of the damage weighed against the amount of material left.

The first step is to appraise the instrument. As well as a visual check, measurements of the relief, action & neck angle are taken. The effect of string tension on the relief is carefully noted as this will help determine how the neck should be supported during fret dressing. The influence & effectiveness of the trussrod is also determined, usually this is done once the neck has been removed as sometimes the adjuster is at the body end.

The tuners are stripped from the headstock to prevent damage. Then the nut is carefully tapped free; usually a new nut will be needed as they’re often damaged during removal. Each fret is heated with a soldering iron; this helps to free any glue that might have been used during installation & also seems to seal the edges of the fret slot. The hot fret is then eased out using the appropriate pliers. Any wood chips detached with the fret are immediately glued back into place.

In my case, the nut slot has been quite badly damaged. Luckily the edge nearest the frets is straight, vertical & in the right place, (aside from the superglue flooding the corners!) The other edge of the slot has been crudely knifed out to get the black nut in & will require some correction.

Once free of hardware the neck can be set up ready for the fingerboard to be reworked. At this point the previously taken measurements are used to determine how the neck will be supported. I aim to do this job such that as little as possible of the trussrod adjustment will be used. This allows for future movement in the neck to be catered for.

For me, & for most bolt on guitars, support at each end of the neck is all that’s required & the work can be completed with the neck separated from the body. Using this method, I have to take great care not to deflect the neck as I sand the fingerboard & later when I stone the frets.

The fingerboard is now sanded along each string line. When complete, it will be straight on the treble side with relief graduated across the neck to 0.15mm on the bass side. This is checked by shining a light behind a straight edge held against the fingerboard. Feeler gauges are used under the straight edge to measure the amount of relief that is sanded in. Care is taken to maintain the fingerboard camber during sanding.

The fret slots have to be cleared of glue & debris. They may also need to be deepened depending on how much material has had to be removed from the fingerboard.

After sanding, the new frets are prepared. They are first cut to length & then bent to a rather tighter radius than the fingerboard. The fret tang ends are also cut away. I do this to restrict any damage to the finish on the fingerboard edge as far as possible.

The frets are then installed using a fretting hammer. I use a little wood glue in each slot to swell the wood slightly & to take some of the friction out of the fitting. The barbs on the tang should be sufficient to hold the fret without superglue. The seating of each fret is checked by trying to insert a thin feeler gauge between the fret & the fingerboard.

After most of the excess has been trimmed from each fret, the ends are stoned to give a single facet at an angle that will maximise playing area & give a comfortable feel to the guitar.

The frets are then stoned (or dressed) to give a graduated relief across the neck, from 0 on the treble side to 0.15mm on the bass side, again checking with a straight edge & feeler gauges.

To recreate the right shape, the frets must be re-crowned. Each fret is filed until just a tiny area at the centre still shows evidence of the stoning process. A sharp burr will form on the fret end; this is removed by filing a slight radius at the corner.

The frets are polished using abrasive paper in a succession of finer grits, each time removing the marks left by the previous paper. Ultimately the frets are shined with a mildly cutting polish & the fingerboard treated with lemon oil. The tiny open slot at each end is filled with beeswax & polished back to the original finish.

A new bone nut is made, the shape is finalized after a process of trial stringing & set-up. I had to correct the nut slot on this guitar before I could make a new nut to fit. If a nut is fitted correctly, string pressure & a couple of tiny spots of glue will be all that is needed to keep it in place. This means that if it ever has to come out again it will not be such a difficult procedure!

After being reassembled the guitar can receive a final setup to suit the players’ requirements.

What is the cost of a full refret?

If your are refretting a guitar the chances are you will also require a new nut (as in the case shown above) which would normally cost £40 (hand cut from bone/tusq).  It seems pointless to have a guitar refretted only to be let down by the nut which may be warn too.

A full setup is also required following a refret in order to intonate correctly and get the desired playing action set to your liking.

I have to stress that on every level our work is diligent, comprehensive and of the highest quality.

Refret + New Nut + Final Setup: £250 (less VAT if you can claim it back)

For further details please call Richard on 01789 26 33 33

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My workshop is manned by Chris (in house) who is responsible for most of our new guitar setups and Phil whose off site workshop setup and extensive training in guitar building enables us to offer more comprehensive repair work and specialist modifications.

Phils workshop, literally built from the ground up by Phil so he could follow his passion for guitar building

Chris has been working with me for many years and has been responsible for setting up literally thousands of guitars.  A day doesn’t pass where I am proud to present a customer with a guitar that has passed through his hands.

Phil joined me last year following a personal recommendation from another Phil who runs the Totness School of guitar building.  Phil came as a top recommendation following Phils successful completion of two courses where he personally built a solid body and archtop guitar literally from scratch.  As someone who has been dealing with guitars for 15 years now I can tell you the standard of work Phil achieves is second to none and you will never find anyone who cares more about “getting it right”.

Phil in his workshop, enjoying one of his wonderful creations

Some of Phils work can be found here at my blog pages.  I sugges you take some time to have a read – all interesting stuff.

So now we are settled in I welcome all enquiries, big or small, simple or technical and most importantly I believe in providing these services at the most honest and affordable prices I possibly can.   My most important goal is for you to walk away happy and to feel we had your best interests at heart at all times.

Richards Guitar Workshop is here to help, covering all guitar technical services

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The wonderful Stonebridge DS23 CR

The saddle is marked to give an indication of the supported depth hidden inside the bridge. If sufficient depth of saddle is available, material can be removed from it to make room for the pickup. If not, the saddle slot must be routed deeper.

Marking saddle

There wasn’t enough hidden depth in the saddle on this guitar so the slot depth must be increased. The first step is to examine the bottom of the saddle. For the pickup to work properly, both the bottom of the saddle & the bottom of the saddle slot must be flat & smooth. In this case the saddle was not flat or square, it also had a shim beneath it. The depth of the saddle at its highest point was measured & recorded.

Checking saddle to make sure it is 100% flat - which it wasn't

After the saddle had been corrected for flatness its depth was checked again. The increase in the depth of the slot could then be reduced by the change in depth of the saddle & the thickness of the shim.

Now the saddle is flat

The corners of the saddle are chamfered to allow it to float up & down better. This helps the function of the pickup

The guitar is set up in the assembly fixture; the guitar top is set parallel to the base. All the clamping devices are faced with cork to eliminate the risk of damage to the guitars finish.

DS23 CR sitting safely in its assembly fixture

The router table is located on pillars attached to the fixture base. It has protective pads underneath that contact the guitar top; these tie the router table to the guitar without causing damage. When the slot is being cut, any movement of the guitar relative to the router table is disastrous. The fence along which the edge of the router base will run is set using the gauge shown. The two pins locate in the existing slot & the edge of the gauge can then be used to align the fence. The gauge also confirms that the sides of the slot are square to the router table. Ultimately this is checked when the router cutter is lowered into the slot for the initial depth setting.

Router table in place

 The gauge is also used to measure the depth of the slot before routing. At this point it is useful to check that the router table top is parallel to the bottom of the existing saddle slot.

The slot depth is carefully increased in small increments until the previously calculated measurement is reached. The travel of the router is limited by end stops clamped to the table as shown.

The slot is now flat, smooth & at the correct depth.

After removing the router table, the dust is carefully cleared from the area to avoid damage to the guitars lacquered finish.

The hole for the pickup to enter the saddle slot is drilled at an angle to the guitar top. This is to lessen the risk of damaging the pickup by bending it too severely. The hole being drilled here is slightly undersize.

It is then opened up by hand. This lessens the possibility of splintering the guitar on the inside.

The jack socket is fitted through a hole drilled through the end block; usually at the same centre as an existing strap button. In this case the strap button was retained by an expanding locator in a fairly large hole. It was therefore only necessary to slightly enlarge this hole to get the socket to fit.

The pickup is passed through its hole into the saddle slot. It runs the full length of the channel. When the saddle is refitted and the guitar restrung it will bend slightly to sit flat in the bottom of the slot.

The battery holding pouch is located on a solid part of the guitar that does not resonate or contribute to the sound. Here a block housing the adjustable end of the truss-rod sits below the fingerboard; this is an ideal location. Ordinarily the heel block might be used.

The next task is to tidy up the cables inside the guitar. These are taped to non resonant areas, (braces, linings etc) so that they are less likely to be pulled or damaged when the strings need changing. It is important not to tie the power lead up to such an extent that it becomes impossible to change the battery!

The guitar is then restrung & measured to check that the correct dimensions have been achieved. Fine adjustment of the saddle may be necessary following this installation, particularly if the saddle slot was poorly finished initially or the saddle was not flat. The saddle on this guitar was installed the correct way round at this point; hopefully this will improve the intonation! The action was found to be almost exactly as it had been prior to the installation, the guitar plays beautifully.

Pickup instalations of this nature are priced depending on the work inolved but should be in the region of £120

We offer FREE instalation for all Stonebridge /HE2 Pickups when purchased together.

Please call 01789 26 33 33 for further details.

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A NEW Gibson Les Paul Standard With Inadaquate Nut

After setting the neck relief & the twelfth fret action, the first step is to remove the original nut. The lacquer overlapping the nut material is carefully separated at the joining edges and then the nut can be gently tapped free.

The Nut is carefully removed

The slot is then carefully cleared of residual glue & lacquer to provide a fresh setting for the new nut.

A bone nut blank is selected that is as close to the required sizes as possible. The faces of the blank that bear against the bottom of the slot & the end of the fingerboard must be made perfectly flat. The thickness is then adjusted to enable the nut to fit snugly into its slot without requiring force to seat it.

Bone nut blank prior to work commencing

The nut blank is then cut & filed to match the fingerboard width.

Nut blank is cut to width of fretboard

The top surface is roughly shaped to give a curve matching the fingerboard camber. This is not the final form of the top; it just makes it easier to file the slots. The slot positions are very carefully marked & an initial groove for each string is filed into the bone. These are cut at a similar angle to the headstock, just deep enough to securely locate each string. The guitar can now be strung up & tuned. The first fret action at this point remains very high. This allows fine tuning of the string spacing if necessary. It’s also important to note that you can always take some off, but you can’t put it back!

Nut is taking shape and string slot spacing is now in place

Each slot is then individually deepened until the required action is achieved.

Sting slots adjusted methodically

The final shaping of the nut can then be completed. My preference is to angle the top slightly & blend in a radius on the leading edge. The end corners are also curved to soften the sharp edges. The nut is finally sanded & smoothed, taking care not to alter the areas that control the fit in the neck slot.

The final shape of the nut is now complete - All crafted by hand

String pressure is enough to keep a well fitted nut in place but they are usually insured against slippage by a couple of spots of glue.

Finally reassembled & fitted with new strings, the guitar now plays as beautifully as it sounds.

The job completed!

Finally the NEW Gibson Les Paul has a nut to be proud of - one it should have had when purchased! Good ol' Gibson eh?

A bone nut cut by hand with precision can enhance your tone &  improve sustain, not to mention improve your tuning stability!

We can provide a nut removal and replacement for £45

Call Richard on 01789 26 33 33 to book your guitar in to our workshop.

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I couldn’t help feeling a little like this was a sideways jab at my service?

This chap should really spend a day in my store as I would hate to be tainted with such generalisations!

Not only is every guitar sold meticulously set up, but every guitar sold is also an advert for the quality of workmanship you can expect to receive if you bring your own guitar in for a setup too.  The last thing I would do is cut corners on my promotional “tool”.

The setup is only ONE aspect of the service.  It all starts with the initial quality control where upon I and the technicians decide whether the guitar meets the level of quality we would expect at the price.  This is not just geometric issues but cosmetic too.  If its got a flame top, does the flame show well enough?  If it has a burst finish, does it burst correctly?  Cracks, dimples and over buffed tops are all a no no.  They get returned and sold through another retailer or online store.

I rely on every customer being overjoyed with their new guitar and it is this word of mouth promotion of my service ethic that has ensured I remain busy week in week out, helping customers with their guitar needs.

My integrity on every sale has to be absolute.   Belief in my service is what drives me and the person who I am trying to keep happy – is me.  I could not live with the fact a guitar left my premises below my own personal expectation.

The setup value alone is worth £55 but it doesn’t stop there.

If you buy a guitar from me you can then bring it back in 6 and 12 months time to have it checked over and we will make any further adjustments that may be necessary.  Guitars do take time to settle once set up and small adjustments are common in the 6 month checks.  As well as checking the instrument, we give the guitar a bit of a spruce up and bring it back to its former glory.   In terms of time spent on your guitar, each maintanence visit is worth £25 of workshop time.  I know, because I have to pay the techs to work on the guitars!!  I don’t resent a penny though and am deeply proud of the service I offer.

So the next time a tech says to you “You get nothing for nothing in this life”, remember Richards Guitars and remind him of the service I offer.

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