Installations & Upgrades

Acoustic Strap Buttons

Tech Talk, Acoustic Guitar, Installations & Upgrades /

A guitar strap allows the player to securely position the instrument in a comfortable spot without the need to physically hold it. They can be useful whether playing seated or standing.

Strap buttons are the connecting points that let the user easily secure and/or remove the strap as needed. Each guitar strap needs needs two points of contact. On an acoustic guitar, these points are typically the endpin and either the headstock or the heel.

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Electric Guitar Neck Shims

Tech Talk, Electric Guitars, General Maintenance, Installations & Upgrades /

When performing a setup on a bolt-on necked electric guitar, shims are a way to quickly adjust the angle at which the neck joins the body, facilitating the desired action adjustment.

We commonly find improvised shims installed in the neck pocket. They range from purpose-built plastic shims to a hodgepodge of items like sandpaper, cardboard, and/or guitar picks. In our shop, we prefer to make make full length, angled, shims.

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Telecaster 3 Barrel Saddle Upgrades

Tech Talk, Electric Guitars, Installations & Upgrades /

There is an easy upgrade option that can dramatically improve the intonation of 3 barrel saddle equipped Fender Telecaster guitars without significantly altering the look or originality of the instrument: Compensated 3 barrel saddles. Compensated Telecaster saddles overcome the limitations of shared saddles in one of two ways. While each string will still not be individually adjustable, the strings will sit at predetermined intervals, much like a compensated acoustic guitar saddle, that are much more conducive to accurate string-to-string intonation.

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Routing Guitar Bodies For Electronics Installation

Tech Talk, Electric Guitars, Electronics, Installations & Upgrades /

Electric guitars typically have openings in the body to accommodate the electronics. Manufacturers will typically remove only as much wood as is necessary to accommodate any factory variations of a given model. For example, the above guitar features 3 pickups in an HSS configuration, blade pickup selector switch, volume and tone controls. When modifying an instrument’s electronics to fit custom specifications, it is sometimes necessary to alter the existing cavities, or create new ones, to accommodate the new components  

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Installing a Pre-slotted String Nut

Tech Talk, Installations & Upgrades, Nuts & Saddles /

A Pre-slotted string nut is one that has been manufactured so that the bulk of preliminary shaping and slotting has been done. This shortcuts some of the early steps that are required when hand-cuting a nut from a blank.

The benefit of these products is clear; They are a time saver for our busy shop and are more cost effective for our clients. We carry a variety that have been designed to fit popular instruments from brands like Fender, Gibson, Taylor, and Martin.

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Electrosocket Modern Telecaster Jack Plate

Tech Talk, Electric Guitars, Electronics, Installations & Upgrades /

The Electrosocket screw-in style jack plate offers an improvement on the side mounted style of jack plate that is popular on Fender Telecaster style electric guitars. The purpose of a jack plate is to hold the guitar’s output jack stable so that it can support the guitar cable. When compared to the traditional design, the Electrosocket is better able to handle the stresses of cable insertion and removal, eliminating a common cause of crackling / intermittent signal to your guitar amp.

Electrosocket Modern Telecaster Jack Plate Read More »

Guitar Strap Lock Installation

Tech Talk, Electric Guitars, Installations & Upgrades /

Whether playing seated or standing, a guitar strap is a helpful tool for keeping your instrument in a comfortable playing position. Typically attached to two points on the guitars body called “strap buttons”, when new, a guitar strap may be so tightly fit as to be difficult to get on and off of the instrument’s standard strap buttons. Overtime the strap becomes broken in and as the material of the strap brakes down the straps attachment points may eventually become dangerously loose. If the strap fails the guitar may fall to the floor.

The addition of strap locks provide a convenient way to securely install and remove your instruments strap. Though fairly easy to install, it is worth taking a few moments to look at the most popular styles and discuss the proper way to attach them.

Guitar Strap Lock Installation Read More »

Electric Guitar Pickup Replacement

Tech Talk, Electric Guitars, Electronics, Installations & Upgrades /

Pickup replacements are a popular way for guitarists to personalize their instruments. Swapping out the stock pickups in an inexpensive guitar is often a huge tonal improvement no matter what model of replacement you chose.

While pickup installation may seem as simple as removing and replacing a few wires, there is more to a clean, reliable, installation than meets the eye. Specialized tools and ample experience are required to achieve a dependable outcome.

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Mitchel’s PlateMate

Installations & Upgrades, Acoustic Guitar, Structural Repair, Tech Talk /

The bridge plate is an integral part of the internal support structure of an acoustic guitar. As part of the bracing system, it helps to support the instrument top and resist the pulling force exerted upon the instrument by the strings.

Mitchel’s PlateMate is designed to protect your guitar’s bridge plate from damage caused by ball-end strings. It is made from solid brass and installs in minutes. Should the need arise, the plate can be removed almost as easily!

Mitchel’s PlateMate Read More »

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