For those wishing to branch into repairing.

[simso]

Folks,

I have no apprentices to train any more (Sad face), last guy left about 5 months ago to start his own business as well. Have trained now 8 people, however life at work is far less stressful (Happy face). Still teaching some stuff to local folks.

I decided last month to start a photo process of doing some repairs, Its only humble beginnings.

For anyone building guitars who has contemplated branching into repairs, this may help or inspire, or may just make you go WTX..

Every time I do a job, I am trying to photo the process.

Here is my link

http://www.mirwa.com.au/How_to_Series.html

steve

[kiwinoz62]

Nice one Steve,

Thanks for documenting & taking the time to show how different tasks are performed.
There's some interesting stuff going on in these tutorials, I know that I am going to benefit from & I'm sure others will also.
This is what makes this forum great, people willing to share their experience & ideas.

All the best

[simso]

Your welcome, if it encourages one person to give it a go, then its worth it

Currently splining a broken head stock, so that one is partly done and partly uploaded, not accessable directly via the how to page until next week.

Steve

[Mark McLean]

Thanks Steve. I love seeing this kind of stuff and find it incredibly useful. I think I have been over nearly all of Frank Ford's pages at frets.com. Yours are very well laid out and nicely explained. I can tell that you would be a great teacher face-to-face, and it translates well in these tutorials as well. Thanks for taking the time and effort to share your experience. I don't intend to do repairs professionally, but the committed hobbyist luthier wants to know this stuff as well. Cheers

[simso]

I too have viewed many of Franks informative sessions.

This is not me trying to compete with frank at all, totally respect him and his contributions to the industry.

This is just me photo tutorialling (if that is a word) of some jobs, hoping to inspire someone else to pick up a tool.

Have done 16 now in the first month, within a year, If I can stick to it, thats possibly 180 plus "How To's".

Steve

[Crafty Fox]

WOW! It looks like Mark McLean has been using your linisher Steve.

[simso]

I didn't get the response, but finally I saw the hand on marks post .

i need another bourbon

Steve

[johnparchem]

Thanks for documenting the repair tasks. They were well worth watching.

[routout]

Repairing can be fun.There was a young girl exiting a bus and her Yamaha got caught in the door ,she was extremely upset and blamed herself .So the shop said what can you do fix it Yep I said, there is a curved piece of wood inside and a guitar string connected ,clamped on the other side under tension bingo there you go ,this was for free I don't charge for acciDents

[kiwigeo]

Did you sell her a guitar case??

[routout]

Na no case I'm just the repairer ,but when it comes to Gibson head stocks that's a whole other story

[simso]

Na no case I'm just the repairer ,but when it comes to Gibson head stocks that's a whole other story

Two of my walk throughs are with broken headstocks, one the simple glue process the other splining the headstock, The splining one is actually in house being done at the momment.

http://mirwa.com.au/HTS_Headstock_Spline.html

I have a good martin 12 string come in this morning, broken headstock, which will be a back plate graft due to the type of break it is, so that will cover all three major styles of repairing headstocks

Steve

[routout]

Yep most hit the floor and I guess strung there is plenty of tension to pop the top ,I have had good success with two 5 mm maple dowels on the angle through the crack then the back of the neck has just a hairline mark and the top get's a black coat.I should have documented a lot more stuff

[simso]

Why the two dowels ?

It looks like a with grain crack, nice length to it.

Steve

[routout]

One either side of the truss cavity ,and an optimum angle to the break and forces applied to the head stock .In the end you don't see anything but a hairline at the back,most i can blend in with a touch of color it's just my take on things not gospel been over 7 years .