Set-upScallop fingerboardPartial re-fretStone and set-up / fret dressCompound radius conversionSkim fingerboard
Set-up
We offer the most comprehensive set-up service available. Below we have included a list of the elements we will be looking at (where applicable) to make sure your instrument is in its best possible condition.
– take in and round fret ends leaving them perfectly smooth
– remove wear from frets and polish to a mirror shine
– remove marks from the fingerboard
– Re-cut nut heights and lubricate
– Adjust neck angle, alignment, and relief
– Lubricate machine heads and replace degraded washers
– Re-work saddle(s), bridge and tail piece
– Re-balance tremolo tail piece
– Set action and intonation
– Balance pickup heights
– Eliminate sympathetic rattles from loose parts
– Clean and polish neck and body
Scallop fingerboard
Whether to correct a defect or to further tailor a neck to your specifications, we will happily re-work the fingerboard of your guitar to better suit your requirements. Wood is an organic material which when under tension can move in ways which we might not ideally want. As a result, it is sometimes necessary to remove material to straighten a neck prior to re-fretting or as part of the process of straightening a fret-less instrument.
– Straighten a neck experiencing uneven movement
– True up a fret-less fingerboard
– Change the radius of a fingerboard
– Remove excessive wear
Partial re-fret
Unless you’re going to leave your guitar at the back of a cupboard for the rest of its life, it’s going to be played and sooner or later the frets will wear and need replacing. Whether you’re going for a full or partial re-fret, this is an opportunity to address all those little issues which necks develop over time. The choice as to whether you choose to a full or partial re-fret can be budgetary or could be driven by practical considerations. Either way, we can look through the guitar with you to figure out the best course of action for both your playing style and the guitar.
The choice of fret size and the material is entirely your choice and we will try and guide players, where necessary, towards a choice which provides both the most comfortable feeling neck possible and the best long-term value for money. We typically use nickel silver or stainless steel wire, coming in a range of profiles from the absolutely tiny ‘fretless wonder’ style Gibson Les Paul wire through to the utterly monstrous 6000.
If we’re working on lacquered maple fingerboards then more often than not we’ll need to look at some degree of re-lacquering. Whether you’re looking for mirror gloss just left the factory or sympathetically aged lacquer work we’re happy to work with you to match a finish.
Stone and set-up / fret dress
Similarly to the case with re-fretting, if you play your guitar then either the string or the fret has to wear and in most cases, it will be the fret (26 extreme pitting). When this happens the frets can be leveled and re-profiled to give you a smooth, even playing fret board. Depending on any potential issues and the height of fret left, this can also potentially be an opportunity to address any unwanted or uneven movement along the length of the neck.
Once the frets have been leveled and re-profiled a comprehensive full set-up will be carried out, giving you piece of mind knowing that your guitar will be in as good a playing condition as it can be.
Compound radius conversion
Mainly comes from the horns of water buffalo. Dark black in colour polishes beautifully and takes lubrication well. Horn is similar to tusq in terms of how hard wearing it is and similarly to the bone, is an organic and as such naturally variable product.
Skim fingerboard
Luckily for us, wood is an organic and variable material which can vary wildly in the acoustic response it provides. Unfortunately, it’s also capable of moving in all sorts of ways we would prefer it didn’t.
Where we encounter twisting or warping along the length of a neck and fingerboard, we may look to plane a fingerboard straight to remove inaccuracies. This will usually mean re-fretting an instrument afterward but will guarantee we can put the guitar back in it’s best possible playing condition.
Full Guitar Setup
Electric with Non Locking Tremolo
– Tighten, lubricate and re-mount tuners
– Re-cut or raise and re-cut nut including drop filling of missing material from around the nut
– Remove marks and wear (where possible) from fingerboard and as applicable, seal lacquer to fingerboard or fingerboard edges
– Remove marks and wear from frets and seal frets to fingerboard and lacquer missing from fret ends
– Remove marks and wear from binding
– Clean and polish fingerboard and frets
– Adjust neck angle, alignment and relief
– Re-work saddles and replace screws, springs etc as required
– Re-work tremolo posts/screws/rollers to allow free movement of tremolo
– Balance tremolo
– Set action and intonation
– Re-mount any loose components to prevent sympathetic vibrations
– Thread lock loose screws to prevent sympathetic vibrations
– Clean out pots switches and jack sockets
– Clean and where appropriate polish finish on body and neck, plastics and hardware
– Balance pickups
– Test electronics
Electric Non Tremolo
Electric Locking Tremolo
Steel String Acoustic
Payment Methods
We accept all major debit and credit card payments.
