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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Every guitar we take on is meticulously reconditioned and set up to our normal high standards.

This weekend I was showing off some of our latest guitars and you would never believe they were even second hand.

One Vintage V100 is now selling at £199.  It is in immaculate condition and not only that but it plays so much better than when it was brought in.  There is no doubt this guitar plays better than when it was originally sold (not surprising of course for a Vintage – but if we can turn them into superb playing guitars then great!).

I have been updating the guitars which have been arriving in at the used guitars section of http://www.guitars.co.uk but I really ought to duplicate the information at http://www.richardsguitars.co.uk too…. anyway – thats another story!

I really want to keep an interesting selection of guitars in at all times if possible – providing incredible value to my customers – fully reconditioned and playing beautifully of course.

So don’t be worried if your guitar is totally beaten up either – it will always have “a” value even if that value may be very low!

Call me on 01789 26 33 33 for further details or bring in your guitar for a quote – and some cash if you want it!

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Where do I start?  Is it the close proximity to my home?  Is it the beautiful road I cycle up and down each day?  The ability to have my lunch with my family at lunchtime?  Surely, it is the commercial benefits of being on such a busy through road – or the ability to serve my home town and provide what I believe to be a valuable service to people who may be parents of children who go to school with my children?  At long last I can build a genuine “local” reputation alongside my “online” one.

Of course  all of the above are important and it is the whole mix which makes my new move so special.

My personally selected lines at Richards Guitars all mean something very special to me and Richards Guitars new location really helps me focus my energy into these brands on a daily basis – enabling me to live up to my daily mantra “to be the best I can be”.

Blimey - a few grey hairs and lines in my forehead these days but its been worth the journey!

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Find me a guitar that comes close at the price.  You will have difficulty I assure you!

The Cort M600 epitomises Cort quality and style

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Following this decision I desperately wanted to find a possible solution IF one existed.  So…. I requested I speak with them by phone (most communication prior had been by email which is always a nightmare when you have a sensitive issue to discuss) and a day or so later I received a phone call from John Smith who was happy to discuss all the issues I had on my mind.

For the first time I had confirmation by John that the issues I had raised were indeed shortfalls in Gordon-Smith standards – up to this point I had been concerned that Gordon-Smith seemed that my issues were actually totally acceptable and whilst they believed that or seemed to imply it there was no possibility of us working together.  So my mind was certainly put at ease on that level.

John also game me his direct workshop line to discuss ANY future issues or indeed questions I may have regarding his guitars.  For this I was very grateful too as most of my communication until this point had been with his wife who handles their general communications and accounting issues.  So another big step forward.

The most important outcome from all of this is that Gordon-Smith understand (like all my suppliers do) that I will only accept the acceptable and whether you produce one of my most loved brands or not I cannot sell guitars I feel fall short of the standards I have come to expect.  I am certain this will bode well for all future orders and I firmly believe we all know what to expect of each other.

So all in all, its a wonderfully positive outcome.  As I said to John, my life is just that little bit empty without Gordon-Smith guitars around – thats how much they mean to me.

Following the conversation I have received two more guitars and they have both been utterly wonderful.  Both brought a smile to my face and underlined why I have loved these guitars for so many years.

I would like to say a big thank you to John and his wife Linda for giving me a second chance after throwing my dummy out of my little pram.

Chears guys!

Both guitars are sold but here is one just before it gets dispatched on Monday. Its a GS2 Deluxe in red…..yum yum YUM!

Reunited with my babies

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Here are some of the pics of my new shop anyway!

Click on one of the pics to bring up the full pic and you can move left and right through the images.

We are situated in a beautiful location, literally a stones throw from the park, riverside, butterfly farm, theatre etc. etc. etc.  – Its Stratford!

And for any of you who want to make a weekend of it, I provide a 20% discount on a weekend visit to my parents holiday retreat just 3 miles from Stratford Upon Avon.   This is available to anyone who spends over £300 during their visit to Richards Guitars.

Visit http://www.littlehavenstratford.co.uk for details for staying in the Stratford area.

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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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Check out the following video which gives you a great idea about what is so exciting!  Check out particularly the Type II.

Here is some extra detail which I have taken from the Godin site…

The very first Set-Neck guitars in the Godin Guitar line-up have arrived…the Godin ICON series!

Awaken the “Rock-God” in any player with any of the four ICON models available, such as the ICON Type 2 Fat Black, ICON Type 2 Classic, ICON Type 2 Convertible and the ICON Type 3.

Each model features a chambered solid mahogany body with carved mahogany top, mahogany set-neck, 24 3/4″ scale, 16″ radius, ebony fingerboard with 22 frets, Graphtech ResoMax bridge and the Godin High-Definition Revoicer. See below specs for each model’s electronic options.

H.D.R. High-Definition Revoicer
The H.D.R. revoices and augments the frequency range of each pickup and allows the player to go from passive to active pickups
with the simple push of a button.

Th H.D.R. provides extra bite, dynamic response and redefines the
character of each pickup. It’s like having 2 sets of pickups in 1 guitar for 5 pure passive tones + 5 pure active tones.

All ICON models are built and assembled in Richmond QC, Canada Icon Type 2 Fat Black
Electronics: 2x humbuckers (neck: Godin GHN1 / bridge: Seymour Duncan ‘59), 5-way switch, 1x Godin High-Definition Revoicer, 1x volume, 1x tone.
Colors: Black HG
(pickups: no covers / black rings)

Icon Type 2 Classic
Electronics: 2x chrome humbuckers (neck: Godin GHN1 / bridge: Seymour Duncan ‘59), 5-way switch, 1x Godin High-Definition Revoicer, 1x volume, 1x tone.
Colors: Natural HG, Burgundy HG
(pickups: chrome covers / cream rings)

Icon Type 2 Convertible
Electronics: 2x Seymour Duncan P-Rail pickups, 3-way switch, 2x mini switches for pickup selection (humbucker/single-coil/P90), 1x Godin High-Definition Revoicer, 1x volume, 1x tone.
Colors: Natural HG, Sunburst HG
(pickups: cream covers / black rings)

Icon Type 3
Electronics: 3x Lollar P90 single coil pickups, 5-way switch, 1x Godin High-Definition Revoicer, 1x volume, 1x tone.
Colors: Burgundy HG, Natural HG, Black HG
(Pickups signed on back by Jason Lollar)

The Godin Icon is an incredibly exciting development - I will keep you posted with breaking news as it happens

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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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