McConville Guitars mcconvilleguitars@gmail.com

1969 - 71 ? Gibson ES 150 ( Joe Pass )

2012-01-26T16:23:00.000-08:00

Dave dropped this ES 150

off for some fret work /

setup / compensated nut.

He mentioned that the fellow he purchased it from

had bought it from Joe Pass ( RIP )!

Apparently Joe had signed it, these pictures ( below ) were in the case.

After some second thoughts the fellow

had decided to have the signature taken off ...

I would have left it signed myself .

The tilted angle of the headstock ( below ) is a little extreme .. but a lot of the work on these early guitars was done by hand. I would imagine that whoever disc-sanded the face of the headstock had a bit of a " list to the port ".

But the neck itself was not twisted.

That's a Gretsch on the other workstation

that was in for some similar work.

This was a tricky fret dress on the ES 150.

I've decided to post this for the Level 2 students

and experienced Luthiers / Techs

to show how I handle this type of job.

Because of the multiple discrepancies in the lay of this neck,

it needed to be spot dressed in a few different places.

The rubber blocks allowed me to string up the neck with tension,

balance the load on the truss rod,

simulating the actual lay of the neck under natural string tension.

I then checked for high spots with a 6" and 12" straight edge,

and slipped a ( very straight ) 6" single cut mill file under the strings

to "spot dress" dress all the high points, that were

spread randomly, along the length of the fingerboard.

Ron Anderson, the TechDeck machinist, had picked up the

" black magic marker " tip from a post that

Ron Kirn had put up on the Telecaster forum.

Thank you Ron Kirn !

This came in handy for this particular job.

After marking the fret crowns with the

black magic marker ( as Ron K suggested ),

and doing the initial light dress with the 6" mill file

... all of the various high points lit right up.

Once all the high spots were taken care of ,

this was followed up by the

regular re-crowning and polishing steps.

This is what they looked like ( above ) after final buff.

The inlays were masked off during the recrowning and polishing.

This is a nifty little vice that Bob Toft ( Level 2 student )

located at Busy Bee .... $20 !

Just go out and buy one right now while they're still available !

Thanks Bob ... for finding and sharing this little puppy

... the best one I've seen yet... anywhere for any price!

The lacquer was carefully scraped off both ends of the nut before removal ....

to avoid any chipping of the neck finish.

Got the nut out nice and cleanly.

First stage of tusq nut blank.

Second stage of compensated blank.

Transfer of string spacing.

For TechDeckers and students ....

this is how I strap the guitars down

for working / or changing / machine heads /

or reaming out the headstock etc...

This puts the headstock in the centre of my chest while working !

Final compensated nut .... very subtle ...
at a glance you would think it was the original.

Gibson Songwriter

2012-01-20T18:46:00.000-08:00

Under the relentless pull of the medium strings tuned to concert pitch, this 3 year old "Gibson Songwriter" had reached the point where the amount of pressure that was needed to bring the string into contact with the fret, made it a real challenge to play. As I have mentioned elsewhere on this blog; even if you have the brute force to play the guitar with action like this; your efforts are futile. When the action is this high , the notes will get "progressively sharper" as you ascend the fingerboard, making it impossible to regulate the intonation.

The upper frets at the neck-to-body-junction needed to be levelled, recrowned and polished in order to allow the action to be lowered without incurring any buzzing or "splatting out" notes in the upper register of the fretboard.

The split parallelogram inlays were masked off for the fret dress and polishing.

Upper frets after work was completed.

Careful removal of the nut, in preparation for the new Tusq compensated nut.

Tusq blank, stage one.

Tusq nut stage two.

Finished compensated nut.

With the bridge saddle now lowered and compensated,

fret dress complete,

and compensated nut installed;

the instrument now plays smoothly

( .013" - .056" strings at concert pitch )

and perfectly in tune across the entire register.

Remi Boucher Bi- Annual Stratford visit Jan 2012

2012-01-16T10:39:00.000-08:00

Remi Boucher test driving his Hilhorst Classical

after fret dress/ edge dress / new intonated

bone saddle and overall setup.

It is always a real "physics lesson" to see the amount of fret wear

this man can generate with nylon strings

.... chewing up the nickel /silver fret wire !

Remi and his partner Tiina

The private recital that Remi gave

at our mutual longtime friend

Michael Wilson's (Stratford Architect and guitar enthusiast)

last night, as always, was a real eye-opener to the first time fans !!

My thanks goes out to both Stephanie and Michael

for once again, hosting this very special event

and all who came out to support

Remi's return to Stratford.

Free Gibson Hummingbird Restoration Tutorial

2012-01-12T18:11:00.000-08:00

76' Gibson Hummingbird

Completed Gibson Hummingbird Restoration

The pictures are not necessarily in order ....

but I hope that this sheds some light on the overall procedure for everyone.

Cheers,

Michael

Oddly enough, from the factory ... this guitar was shaded on one side only !?

In the picture below, you can see the red colouring on the treble side but absolutely no shading on the bass side ... bizzare !

After a neck reset / compensated nut / compensated saddle / fingerboard levelling for the new ( proper ) neck angle / and fretted .... it never in it's lifetime played or sounded anywhere near this good !!

Nut blank made of tusq / Brazilian rosewood veneer

Original nut and finished compensated nut ( below )

Fingerboard levelled for new neck angle after reset.

Heating up glue for fingerboard extension with two 60 watt bulbs

Heating up hide glue for dovetail.

When I do a neck reset,

I use carpenters glue for the fingerboard extension

and hide glue for the dovetail.

I like to heat up both glues and the wood for maximum adhesion.

Timing is everything when setting up for this gluing operation !

Clamping configuration for re-gluing neck / fingerboard extension.

The curved wooden caul for the fingerboard extension

applies the clamping pressure evenly.

This is the set up for steaming off the neck.

The TechDeck neck assembly catches the neck when the joint lets go !

This relief cut on the lower part of the heel,

with a .010" razor saw, allows the dovetail to release more

easily, and reduces the likelihood of pulling off the finish at the neck to body junction.

I strap the neck down on the TechDeck neck assembly

and flip it up vertically to give me clear access

to the heel cheeks and dovetail in order to adjust

the neck to body angle for the reset.

This neck came off nice and clean ...

right on the glue line ... beautiful !

New frets installed .... waiting for compensated nut.

It is my hope that this helps to clarify the procedure for everyone.

Level 2 Guitar Repair Students

2011-12-04T08:24:00.000-08:00

Conestoga College

Stratford Campus

The registration for the 2012 Spring Session opens March 17th.

Level 1 Intro to Guitar Repair and Design course

will be taught here in Stratford

on Saturday mornings from April 14th -May 19th

11:00 AM - 2:00 PM

For those of you who have expressed an interest in attending this session,

you may send your contact info to me, in advance of registration,

and I will forward these to my liaison at Conestoga College.

A very diversified and talented group of Level 2 GRAD students struttin' their stuff !

This severed headstock ( destined for the garbage can )

was pinned and glued this week in

preparation for slicing and splicing in next week's class.

Rowan cleaning up the excess hide glue, while it is still soft,

after steaming off the neck on this 60's Harmony guitar.

Everyone had a front row seat for the neck removal procedure.

This clamping configuration, and a steam injection needle

( Browns Guitar Factory ... thx John ! )

made quick work of this job. Once the clamping configuration

and "dry run " was done;

the neck came off cleanly and safely in about 25 seconds.

Bob is truing up the fingerboard

before dropping in the new frets

on this custom Warmoth swamp ash

Tele (TM) "Parts-Caster" that he is building.

Bob brought another beautiful Warmoth Tele to class

to line up and install the Wilkenson Trem Bridge,

fit the neck to the body

cut and install a compensated nut

and did a complete fret installation.

This was one of 4 different "kit guitars"

that he put together during the

Level 1 and Level 2 courses.

Rowan's 12-String Guild had the bridge removed

and re-glued and a new compensated bone saddle cut last class.

College Guitar Repair and Design Course

2010-08-22T13:04:00.000-07:00

Conestoga College

Stratford Campus

Intro to Guitar Repair and Design

The registration for the 2012 Spring Session opens March 17th.

Level 1 "Intro to Guitar Repair and Design" course

will be taught here in Stratford

on Saturday mornings from April 14th -May 19th

11:00 AM - 2:00 PM

For those of you who have already emailed or phoned,
expressing an interest in attending this upcoming session;

you may send your contact info to me, in advance of registration,

and I will forward these to my liaison at Conestoga College.

Contact:

Michael McConville mcconville@wightman.ca

Level 1:

Synopsis:

This introductory course will provide students with hands-on training in the set-up and repair of acoustic and electric guitars. A detailed study of fretwork technique, including safe fret removal, correcting the lay of the neck, fret levelling, re-crowning and polishing; the fabrication of hand-cut nuts and saddles and an overview of the basic physics and design of the various members of the guitar family. All of the elements that determine the instrument's ability to perform at it's optimum level of playability will be covered. These 3 hr classes are run once a week for 6 consecutive weeks.Workstations and hand tools will be supplied, for the duration of the course. The student will walk away with the ability to accurately set up guitars and to level / edge dress / and refret the fingerboard. There are several dedicated hand tools that are fabricated for the students to take home with them upon completion of the course. Discussion of the business aspect of guitar repairs is also covered for those that are interested in working on instruments to generate a part time or full time income. Support material such as updated price lists for the industry, will assist the student in evaluating the the work and assessing the repair price for various common repairs / restorations and adjustments.

Tuition: $775.00

Neck Reset/ Refret on 60's Harmony acoustic

If you look carefully, you'll see the hockey puck. A sure sign of the Canadian version of the Guitar Repair Class Semi-finals !

As a group, these guys completed $4000.00 ++ worth of repair and restoration work over the duration of the course. Great job done guys ! I'm looking forward to seeing those who are returning for Spring 2012 session.

Milan ( Toronto ) did a complete re-fret and compensated nut on his Ovation ( flawlessly done , I must add )! This was done in conjunction with multiple lessons in Guitar Repair and Restoration technique, by observing what all the other students around him were doing

Jeremy ( Lindsay ) accomplished so much during this course, that it is hard to recall everything he did! If you're up Lindsay way, in need of some guitar work, look him up ... he's got the ears and the touch.
Thanks goes out to all of the students ... for the great camaraderie and a good time !

I've been using my TechDeck for the past couple weeks or so and it's already reached the top of my favourite tools list. It makes everything easier, from basic string changes to fret work and different types of gluing jobs. I am so happy that I have the opportunity to use this wonderful tool and would recommend it to anybody in the business who's looking to "complete" the guitar tool arsenal!

Thanks much!

(August 2011)

Jeremy VanHalteren

jeremyvanhalteren@gmail.com.

We're located at 8 wellington St. in Lindsay, Ontario K9V 3N1.

1-(705)-324-2111

Terry ( Paris ) is a very meticulous worker with a precise touch. Everything he did was done with attention to detail.

With Dave ( Innisfil), we managed to complete a neck reset (steaming off the dovetailed neck), slipped off the bridge / re- radiused the foot and cleaned up the soundboard surface and reglued, completed a refret ( including levelling the fingerboard ), cut a compensated nut from a tusq blank, re-slotted the bridge and cut a custom fit tusq intonated saddle !

Guitar Repair Workbench

Guitar Technician Training

Special thanks goes out to all of the students from across the Province; especially those who have driven to Stratford each week from Leamington, Windsor, Barrie, Woodstock, St.Catherines, Oakville, Georgetown, Cambridge, Kitchener-Waterloo, St Agatha, Toronto, Ajax, Lindsay, Niagra Falls, Goderich, Listowel,Peterborough, London, Long Point, Alymer,

Guelph, Acton, Hamilton, Wingham, Dundas, Owen Sound, Chatham, Mississauga and Brampton to attend these classes.

It is very encouraging and rewarding to see so many of you spreading out across the Province and setting up shop.

My wish for all of you, is continued success in the coming years, with all of your guitar-istic goals and aspirations.

News Flash !
Accommodation deal for long distance students

Conestoga College has ( for students only )
some very affordable rooms
for rent (@ $25 a night,
a couple of blocks away from where the courses are taught.
For those of you travelling a distance,
you could drive in on the Friday night,
take in the Stratford night life,
and get up for class the following morning.

Email: mcconvilleguitars@gmail.com for details.

I've had many inquiries from across the Province and beyond about the possibility of an online course or an alternative course "closer to home" for those of you who are travelling a distance to attend the Stratford classes.

I haven't completely ruled out that possibility, but ...

First: An online course could never replace the "hands on " experience that the students gain amongst the camaraderie of their peers, while working on multiple instruments, simultaneously.

Secondly: The setup and arrangement of a fully tooled shop would be difficult to duplicate in a

remote location "on the fly ".

The present arrangement, with students each having their own TechDeck workstation and all the specialised tools they need, at their disposal each class, creates a tutorial atmosphere that is much more gratifying,

with everyone seeing positive results from the first class to the last.

Sincerely,

Michael

This past 4 years has been a testament to the conviction and dedication of all my students. The attendance record and enrolment has demonstrated the obvious need in the Industry, for qualified people. My gratitude goes out to all of you, for your faith, and encouragement.

Luthier's Shop tips and Multi-Adjustable Workstation

2010-07-28T05:10:00.000-07:00

Ahhh.... Summer in Stratford

With Summer gone and Winter on our doorstep, working outside my workshop door in the shade of a honey-locust tree... is but a memory. This is a Gibson ES -330 that I refretted / cut a comp nut / setup this past summer. It is always so nice to work just outside the workshop door, under a tree.The natural light is amazing for this type of work. The TechDeck is sitting on a typical B+D Workmate. I envy those of you in warmer climates, that could actually work outside year around !!

Hey Michael,

This TechDeck is great - it holds upright basses and I use it for
working on those beasts frequently.

I also like the fact that I can set it up on a table and walk 360
degrees around any instrument I'm working on.

Tomas Bouda

http://boudaguitarworks.weebly.com/gibson-es-335-broken-headstock.html

Tomas completed the Level 1 and Level 2 Conestoga GRAD courses 2 years ago. In addition to his very impressive full time musician's career and teacher's work, he has his own workshop where working on upright basses he can share his specialty and passion with others.

If you check the drop down archive menu ( Nov 25th ) you will find a very detailed version ( below ) of this restoration job on the same model of guitar that I completed for Bruce Kirkaldy a couple of years ago.

The bridge was lifting on both sides ..... so I removed it for re-gluing.

If you blow up this picture you'll see the faint cross-hatching marks that were scribed into the top before this bridge was glued to the top.

This is a shot of all the various fasteners that were used. I will post the rest of the restoration as I proceed with it over the next week or so ...

Here we go ... the finished job.

In order to line up the intonation ..... the focal point on the saddle

( rosewood/bone insert) needed to move towards the fingerboard ..... so ..... the insert has corrected the tuning inaccuracies and lined up the intonation perfectly. The big wide original bridge slot left tons of room for adjustment. The insert is "press-fit" (no glue )

This whole job is completely reversible. I left out the largest fasteners ( put them in a little baggie in the case ). The fasteners under the pearl bridge dots were re-installed when I re-glued the bridge ( hide glue ) to the top.

These are the final values for the compensated

"tusq"

nut just before final sanding.

These are the new frets and dressed fingerboard.

Voila ! ....

this guitar is now playing perfectly in tune for the first time .... with action as smooth as silk ... even with the medium strings !

Hummingbird ( from Woodstock ) that I did this reversible conversion on last year.

Guitar Tech's Adjustable Workstation

It's been a very busy and rewarding time, these past 4 years; meeting, teaching and sharing ideas with the Guitar Repair and Design students through the Conestoga College program and working with the StringTech engineering team, making things easier for anyone wishing to pursue this trade.

This is a quilted maple top over-lay for an RG series body that I built for a customer from Cambridge. In order to edge glue these two thin panels, I sandwiched the wood between two sheets of tempered glass. This picture shows the "dry run" set up just before gluing.

The panels of wood veneer ( 3/16 " ) have a thin film of saran wrap above and below so that they don't adhere to the glass panels. The flip lock clamps "squeeze the maple plates flat" , the pipe clamps pull the edges together.

This Gibson "Reverse" Firebird came up from Hamilton for a new nut, fret dress and set-up.

After I had the

neck screw fastener holes drilled and countersunk, I rounded out and ramped down the heel and it went to the spray booth.

The customer stood with Darcy in the spray booth

and guided him to this stage.

Darcy will take it the rest of the way,

intensifying the red, yellow and orange transition.

Then the 12 - 14 top coats of clear go on before final rub-out.

I'll post the guitar once it is assembled, with the black chrome hardware.

Should look pretty wicked .

You can see why this customer was happy to

pay Darcy good money to get this done !

Thanks Darcy ... you're the absolute best !!

Guy ( customer ) will be back for some final shots,

once he drops the pickups in and gets it up and running.

Sorry about the reflection of the flouerscent light tubes in the picture.

After Darcy laid 33 coats of lacquer and

hand-rubbed and polished for a couple of hours,

it was impossible to

take a shot of this thing without something

reflecting in the finish ....

the shop windows / me holding the camera

/ the clouds in the sky / etc ... !

This baritone 12-string had a "popped" cross-strut

.... just ahead of the bridge.

It took a bit of restructuring to strengthen the top

to withstand the string pressure .....

"without adding mass" to the soundboard.

Luthiers Workbench

Les Paul Gallery

2010-06-27T08:40:00.000-07:00

Real 59' LP Special and VOS 59' Reissue

54' Reissue VOS

At the request of one of my students, who is a big Les Paul fan, and in honour of the man himself ( R.I.P. Les ), I've posted a bunch of various shots of some of the Gibson Les Pauls that I have worked on over this past year ... Enjoy !

TechDeck Guitar Workstation

Fret work, adjustments, leveling fingerboards, shaping necks, electronics, neck resets .... basic setups restringing ... this machine completely eliminates the "whoops factor ".

Santa Cruz Tony Rice Model

2010-06-26T05:18:00.000-07:00

This is "Nuclear-Powered Guitar Dynamo" Tommy Roach's "Tony Rice model": Santa Cruz, which he dropped off for a new nut installation and an overall tweak.

Thank you Tommy for entrusting this beautiful piece to my care.

After "testing the waters" with a couple of Taylors and an Ibanez

that I had worked on for him and his students,

he returned the third time with the his Santa Cruz.

When I'm working on instruments of this caliber , I can relax , knowing that this ( $7000.00 ) guitar is held firmly and safely in the optimum position to do my micro-surgery to get the original nut out cleanly and to fit the new nut accurately. Tommy had confided in me, after his guitar was returned in top shape,

that the first thing he looked for before leaving his Santa Cruz ......

( although he never said anything at the time ) ,

was to make sure that I wasn't about to put his

guitar in a vice.

He had noted the leather padded TechDeck Workstation, saying .... that was definitely one of the deciding factors that convinced him that it was safe to leave the guitar with this guy.

I have to say thanks again, to the entire StringTech Engineering Team, for an amazing tool that has, reduced my stress level dramatically, especially when handling high end instruments like this one, and improved my whole approach to Guitar Repair and Design !

Free Taylor Guitar - Neck Repair tips

2010-05-19T09:13:00.000-07:00

A Taylor neck in need of repair.

This break across the insert is the most common form of heel fracture for the bolt on neck acoustics.

Gluing up the broken heel fragment ... is the first step, making sure it lines up perfectly so it is strong enough for the next step.

In order to mill a relief cut into the face of the heel to receive a cross grain splice, I used this ( Leather-lined ) clamping configuration on my drill press table ( tilted slightly ) and the cross vice to gently feed the heel face into the slitting cutter.

These 2 cuts, perpendicular to the fracture, with matching hardwood ( mahogany ) inserts, glued-in on either side of the brass threaded insert; leaves us with a neck heel that is stronger than the original heel.

I cleaned up the top surface and fingerboard extension to prepare for re-glue. Originally, the fingerboard extension had a small swath of crazy glue ( see photos below ) , which was glued to the lacquer finish. Now we have 100% wood to wood contact for the fingerboard extension.

After the splices were inlaid, the repair area shaded, top coated and the neck to body angle reset to buy back some height on the bridge saddle,

( this guitar was in need of a neck reset anyway .... so now's the time to do it !) the neck is ready to be re-attached to the body.

Professional Guitar Workbench

This is another job where the TechDeck rises to the occasion. The void between the body support rails allows me to slip the clamps on for the neck re-glue while holding the instrument with the neck assembly straps.

The original crazy glue on the fingerboard extension before I cleaned it off. The inlaid splices, before leveling.

Conestoga College - Guitar Repair and Design 2012

2010-05-01T07:34:00.000-07:00

Conestoga College
Stratford Campus

Level 1 "Intro to Guitar Repair and Design" course

will be taught here in Stratford

on Saturday mornings from April 14th -May 19th

11:00 AM - 2:00 PM

For those of you who have emailed or phoned previously,
expressing an interest in attending this session;

you may send your contact info to me, in advance of registration,

and I will forward these to my liaison at Conestoga College.

Guitar Repair and Design

2012 Spring Session

Technical Info:

Michael McConville mcconville@wightman.ca

FAQ: Who has taken these courses ?

The students' ages have spanned from 15 -74 years old. There has been a complete cross-section of humanity attending these courses; farmers, auto-mechanics, church ministers, music store owners and their employees; college students, professional musicians, policemen, soldiers, a lawyer, machinists, a doctor, a knife-maker, computer programmers, factory workers, I-T guys, artists, retired CEO's, carpenters, music teachers, accountants, a school principal, guitar collectors, guitar builders and guitar enthusiasts who simply want to set-up and maintain their own instruments ! All of these students participate and benefit from these " straight - to - the - point " tutorials and "inside" practical tips, that shed light on so many subjects that have long been considered secret information for a "select group".

In a small group ( 6 maximum ), the students have the opportunity to gain a deeper understanding of what it takes to make any of the various members of the guitar family, play and sound their very best.

Guitar Workbench

What makes these courses different from other approaches ?

#1. The "hands on approach" and the interaction between the students tends to fire up and sustain a genuine enthusiasm for a subject that we all hold dear to our hearts ... an awesome playing Guitar!!

#2. With a small group of (6 Maximum ) students, each bringing their own ( or friends and band-mates ) instruments to the course, it creates a broad cross-section of challenges and "accelerated learning" that would be impossible to duplicate in an isolated atmosphere, struggling with one instrument at a time. In one of the Fall 09' classes, between the ( 6 ) students, they owned over 130 ( yes 130 + !! ) guitars. It seems that the average student tends to own 6 guitars.

#3 The work done during the classes, frequently off-sets the cost of tuition, and in some cases, covers the course cost completely.

#4 This course doesn't require a " leave of absence " from work or a "second mortgage on your house" to finance ! You don't need to " put your life on hold " to attend this course.

#5 Many students have come back a second, third or fourth time to continue their studies, gradually ramping-up their skill level over whatever "time frame" they choose. Some have chosen to do Level 1 and Level 2 , back to back ; others have taken Level 1 and returned the following year for Level 2.

How much does the average Guitar Tech make ?

There are many examples of "Blue book " prices online. A detailed price list is handed out to the students that is based on my own industry experience over the last 4 decades. The average hourly rate is $45 -$75 an hour for a trained, competent Guitar Tech. We also cover the aspects of developing a customer base and maintaining a good work ethic and integrity while building a business that suits the individuals' requirements and expectations.

Just like in any other trade ..... the amount of work, the quality of your work and proper planning, will determine your bottom line.

Marc has levelled the upper frets to get rid of the " typical neck-to-body junction hump " in order to drop the action down for a nice smooth touch.

Is there really that much work out there ?

When you consider how many instruments are out there already, then add to that the number of new instruments sold each year (over 2.5 million new guitars sold last year .. in the US alone ! ) and how rare it is to find one that is actually 100% perfectly set-up; I think it is safe to say that most guitars, most of the time are in need of some work! Whether it be a light fret dressing, a complete refret,edge dressing sharp protruding fret ends, setups, pickup installs etc... etc...

There are more instruments in need of work, than there are qualified individuals, who are capable of doing the work that needs to be done.

Guitars, by their inherent fragility and their sensitivity to atmospheric and seasonal change, will never arrive at a place of "constant stability".

This is why all stringed instruments will always need ongoing maintenance and adjustments, to keep them playing flawlessly and perfectly in tune.

When you add the numerous broken necks, buzzing , worn out frets, loose braces, retro-fits, pickup installs and a multitude of other common ailments .... there is plenty of work to be done.

Guitar Techs Workbench

Guitar Repair and Design – Level 1

Guitar Repair and Design - Level 1

Synopsis:

This introductory course will provide students with hands-on training in the set-up and repair of acoustic and electric guitars. A detailed study of fretwork technique, including safe fret removal, correcting the lay of the neck, fret levelling, re-crowning and polishing; the fabrication of hand-cut nuts and saddles and an overview of the basic physics and design of the various members of the guitar family. All of the elements that determine the instrument's ability to perform at it's optimum level of playability will be covered. These 3 hr classes, run once a week, for 6 consecutive weeks.Workstations and hand tools will be supplied for the duration of the course. The student will walk away with the ability to accurately set up guitars and to level / edge dress / and refret the fingerboard. There are several dedicated hand tools that are fabricated for the students to take home with them upon completion of the course. Discussion of the business aspect of guitar repairs is also covered for those that are interested in working on instruments to generate a part time or full time income. Support material such as updated price lists for the industry, will assist the student in evaluating the the work and assessing the repair price for various common repairs / restorations and adjustments.

Tuition: $775.00

Guitar Repair and Design – Level 2

Acoustic-Electric system install

Cross grain Koa veneer patch for control panel

Guitar Repair and Design Level 2

Guitar Repair and Design – Level 1 is a prerequisite for Level 2.

Curriculum:Level 2

Synopsis:

Building on the skills acquired in the Level 1 training, Level 2 studies will include a complete re-fret of the bound fingerboard and / or electric bass conversion: fretted to fretless (depending on the needs of the students); safe removal of acoustic guitar bridges and fabrication of a new bridge from a rosewood / ebony blank, calculating compensation for intonation and slotting the new bridge for saddle placement, compensated nuts / saddles fabricated from bone blank, acoustic guitar fingerboard / neck removal, broken head-stock ( splicing ) repair and touch-up; repair and replacement of loose braces; fabrication and installation of cross-grain quarter-sawn splices for repair of cracks and fractures, a study of hide glue and it's practical applications, french polish/lacquer-stick for fret repair touch up, installation of an on-board acoustic-electric system; Practical soldering and wiring technique for pick-up replacement, input jacks, volume and tone controls. Workstations and hand tools will be supplied for the duration of the course.

The Level 2 will be influenced, to a degree, by the projects that each individual student brings to the table. This allows each group of students to steer the curriculum to address their own particular needs.

As in the Level 1 training, we always cover material over and above the designated curriculum.

Tuition: $775.00

McConville Rosewood Jumbo Cutaway

2010-04-30T09:51:00.000-07:00

This guitar was co-designed by Philip Patterson ( one of my former music students )

This was a shot that I had almost deleted. After taking a second look, I thought ... hmmm ? .... I think I like that !

For those of you who aren't up on your " Ancient Hebrew " ..... the gold leaf lettering is a quote from the 18th Psalm .... hence the model name .... Psalm 18

mcconvilleguitars@gmail.com

TechDeck Goes Green !

2010-04-30T08:17:00.000-07:00

StringTech / TechDeck goes Green !

ALL plastic components for the TechDeck

are now made with recycled plastic !

The sources for manufacturing, extrusions, dies, branding, assembly, upholstery, leather work, packaging, design and finishing are all in Southwestern Ontario Canada , U.S. and Germany.

StringTech engages over 20+ local suppliers and manufacturers.

The combined efforts and enthusiastic

support of all customers and tradespeople

have made this entire project

an inspirational, joy-filled experience.

Gratefully and Sincerely,

Michael McConville

This workstation has literally sold itself.

No hype, no advertising ;

just a beautiful, precision-made product,

at a great price, shipped from the manufacturer,

directly to your door.

I've had my TechDeck for three years now. It is always a pleasure to work with and has been 100% issue free. It's a heavy duty stable platform for any work performed on a guitar, from a simple re-string to all out neck reset and any repair you can imagine doing. The flexibility of the platform means the guitar is always in the right position for me to work on it, saving me time and making it easy to find a comfortable work angle for all repair situations. Chis Knowles Hamilton http://www.ckcustomguitars.ca/

Any Stringed Instrument

Any Size or Shape

Any Job you could possibly imagine...

Just got a whole lot easier ....

Relax and enjoy the ride .

"Beautiful Grade 'AAA' Leather" is the only material that will ever come into contact with your instrument ..... holding it safely and firmly, while you concentrate on "the task at hand".

The Guitar Repair industry is built on trust.
People want to identify with you, the actual person who will be taking care of their "baby".
When your customers see the TechDeck..... just watch their reaction.

Gibson 335's Repair and setup tips

2010-04-17T05:56:00.000-07:00

Gibson ES-335's x 3

I installed this Callahan SS bridge,tailpiece threaded inserts,and extended SS bridge posts before dressing the frets and installing a compensated nut on "Racin' Ronny's" Red Demon. He's pluggin' this into a Vintage Super Reverb !! .... Rippin' !!

Another interesting note ..... all three of these customers each own a Tele, a Strat and a 335 !! Great minds ( and rippin' guitar players ) think alike.

Touche' !

Stainless Steel Extended bridge posts

I corrected, what the ( supposedly infallible ) Plek machine

... quite obviously missed,

on 2 of these 335's, with my humble TechDeck.

This work was completed flawlessly

in less time than it would take to load one instrument up

and boot up the computer on the $125,000 Plek Machine.

I felt compelled to point this out, after reading in a forum that

"no Luthier could possibly do a job as accurate as the Plek machine ".

The machine is only as good as the operator.

This operator, with a TechDeck and a single cut 6" fine mill file,

mounted on a hand-shaped ash block,

completed both fret dresses quickly and accurately

in a fraction of the time and at a fraction of the cost.

Sorry for ranting ... but I had speak up in the defense

of all good Techs and Luthiers.... to set the record straight.

There are 2 main issues

that need to be addressed when

leveling fingerboards and frets.

#1: The instrument needs to be held firmly and safely,

enough to resist the tooling force of the

levelling blocks or mill files as you do your work.

#2: It is imperative that you completely

restrict the flex of neck,

once you have straightened the neck

in preparation for levelling

the fingerboard or the the frets.

Most of the students that I've taught over the last 4 years

will run circles around around the Plek machine ,

with their TechDecks and a 6" single cut mill file.

Guitar Repair - the last Four Decades ...

2009-12-27T19:10:00.000-08:00

mcconvilleguitars@gmail.com

Many of the tools in this rack we're given to my father when he was a young apprentice cabinet maker- wood carver in County Armagh Irelend. The cabinet maker he studied with ,was in turn, given those same tools by his teacher. After 200 years of use, these tools still hold an edge better than any of my other chisels !

Back in the mid 1960's, when I first got into the guitar repair scene, there wasn't much to choose from as far as supplies, information and tools. The only places I could find at that time were George Heinl on Church Street in Toronto, Franz Dotzauer in Erlangen West Germany and Bill Lewis Musical in Vancouver ( which was eventually bought out and moved to California and re-named Luthiers Mercantile ). When the early Guild of American Luthiers issues came out, things finally started to open up. Now of course, thanks to the internet, there are numerous sources to choose from for tools, wood, bodies, necks, hardware, fret supplies, finishing supplies and instructional videos on various repair and fabrication techniques. Realistically, like any trade or craft, it still takes hands-on experience to develop these skills to a level of excellance.

In the "Guitar Repair and Design Courses" at Conestoga College, we cover practical, safe, efficient techniques; teaching the students how to develop a logical approach in dealing with all of the various members of the guitar family. In a small class of 6 students; we always cover a wide range of topics and techniques above and beyond the designated curriculum. The design and fabrication of simple templates, fretting tools and a few other specialised guitar repair tools are covered. The students are encouraged to "cut to the chase" and "think on their feet", as is so often required, in order to get the job done. When dealing with the multitude of tasks that one faces every day in this field of work; this approach makes the difference from " losing money .... to making money" in your shop. Like any other trade or craft, it is not enough to be good .... you need to be good and efficient in order to turn over the work in a timely fashion.

These old shots ( before the advent of digital cameras ) taken at my old Brunswick St. shop, will give you all a glimpse into a time ( 14 years ago ) where I had just started to teach my first Conestoga College "Guitar Repair and Design" courses and had retro-fitted an old chair-factory into a fully functional Guitar Design / Restoration and Teaching facility .

I am very grateful for this period. All of this became possible due to the help, faith and encouragement of countless customers, students and friends who shared the vision and contributed in so many ways.

I am very excited and grateful for the continuing opportunity to share "with my students" and the "Global Guitar Community " what I have learned over the past 4 decades. I look forward to producing some instructional videos of my own in the coming year.

Gratefully in your service,

Michael McConville

Free Martin / Guild / Neck Re-set tips

2009-10-25T13:33:00.000-07:00

mcconvilleguitars@gmail.com

Touching up after correcting neck angle

The plastic binding had pulled away at the waist. The binding needed to be slipped off from the waist to the dovetail before attempting to re-glue; otherwise, the pressure of forcing the binding down without releasing the the glued portion, will crack the plastic binding .... and then you're into a whole can of worms to correct that situation !

As you can see in the photos, the Martin guitars ( neck and body ) are finished before the neck is attached.

The Guild and Gibson acoustics are finished after the neck is glued to the body. Although this Guild re-attached very cleanly without any fuss or touchup; generally, you can expect to be spending more time touching up and shading when doing a Gibson or Guild neck re-set.

Martin neck Dovetail.

Guild neck Dovetail.

Guild dovetailed headblock after neck removal.

Martin dovetailed headblock after neck removal.

LR Baggs to B-Band Conversion

This is the retro-fitted compensated bone nut.

The original LR Baggs system on this Godin was swapped for a B-Band A3 acoustic/electric.

Conestoga College : Course Discussion and Student Feedback

2009-10-01T07:09:00.000-07:00

Conestoga College

Stratford Campus

Guitar Repair and Design

The registration for the 2012 Spring Session opens March 17th.

Level 1 Intro to Guitar Repair and Design course

will be taught here in Stratford

on Saturday mornings from April 14th -May 19th

11:00 AM - 2:00 PM

For those of you who have expressed an interest in attending this session,

you may send your contact info in advance of registration

and I will forward this to my liason at Conestoga College.

Thanks for providing such a great course.

The small group made it easy to get personal attention from you when covering such a variety of jobs.

Course was inspiring and exciting thanks for making this happen.

Clarke V.

Conestoga College : Guitar Repair and Design Course

This approach, with 6 students bringing an average of 6 instruments each - we end up with a broad cross-section of different types of guitars as well as different repairs. With all the various members of the 'Guitar Family' ..... 12 string / solid body electrics / classical / fretless bass / arch-top / flamenco / dobro / left-handed / floating tremolo systems / acoustic-electric systems / etc.. etc... there is layer upon layer of information to cover.

The week long break between lessons gives the students a chance to consider what has been covered in the 3 hour session and to formulate questions for the upcoming class.

Comments from students:

" I have benefited hugely from this course. It has allowed me to learn a lot of skills in a hands on enviroment. Tons of knowledge in a small period of time. Ryan Mc.

" I believe I have a solid foundation for making money with these skills if applied". Dan P.

"Thank you for your graciousness, enthusiasm and encouragement ". Warren H.

" Given the enormous potential range , the topics are well paced and presented ". Dan P.

"A lot of great information has been shared with us. The hands on aspect helped solidify the information." Amber G.

"Great guy. Very knowledgable. He really knows his stuff." Bill C.

"Very thorough ; many things to know, so many variables. By having the students bring in their own problem instruments I learned a lot faster ! " Ryan M

"Great course and great info! Thanks a lot Michael!" Michael S.

"Always spoke positively about progression in learning." Carlos P.

"I can now do things I wouldn't have even dared to try before". Cody M.

"Teacher was great,course was great. I'd take it again. Looking forward to

future courses." Matt B.

"Everything brought to the table was well planned and demonstrated." Rob D.

"Mike made this course really enjoyable, a great person to learn from." Peter D.

"I can't believe what I've been able to do on my own." Bill C.

"Excellent experience, I would strongly recommend to others." Warren H.

"Obviously you have been through many processes of elimination to come up with the most efficient, simple, yet correct way of doing each repair and to me they seem logical , not mystical. The thing that impressed me most was the way you took what seemed to me to be the complex make-up of the guitar and simplified it to a step-by-step, controlled process that most could follow." Paul H.

" I found taking the course a second time very beneficial and feel there was a quantum leap in my skills as a result and a much clearer, improved understanding of theory and ability. You made a special effort to make sure we all had a chance to cover our to-do lists and ask our questions" Warren H.

"The extra tools and " above and beyond the call of duty " approach was evident throughout the course". Warren H.

I am filing papers this week seeking a Court Order that Mike adopt me, requiring that he teaches me everything he knows. Given his vast knowledge, this may take 20 or 30 years.
Seriously, many thanks Mike, for your instruction and guidance. It was an absolute pleasure. Great to meet and hang out with all you guys. -
Dave S. ( the Lawyer / Rippin' blues guitarist in the class )

"The amount of information and the variety of topics was incredible." Josh D.

"I own a number of guitars and wanted to learn how to do basic repairs. It was very informative; he took the time to show us in great detail." Larry J.

A Luthiers Workshop ... where multi - tasking is an everyday affair

2009-09-07T20:15:00.000-07:00

Fitting the neck with an off-set dovetail. Cutting the dovetail off centre for this cutaway Jumbo .... puts the male dovetail in the centre of the head block for more stability.

This is my version of a compensated nut .... cut from a bone blank.

This was the day the new StringTech "TechDecks" arrived.
I was ' One Happy Camper ' that day ! Been using both of them every day since."

This is the Guitar version of a Chiropractor's table.
Need a neck adjustment ?

For any other "Old School" Tech's or Luthiers like myself ...

Check with your doctor after using the TechDeck for a month and
see if he reduces your blood pressure prescription ( lol ) !

This thing will definitely reduce your stress level,
when working on any job.
Especially when working on any of
those real high end instruments !

The bowl back instruments, like this Ovation, can be handled firmly and safely without the use of clamps or vices.

If you scroll down , you'll see how the TechDeck handled David's upright bass for the fingerboard levelling, nut filing and set-up.

This is a Ricky 4001 Re-Fret with Dunlop 6105 fretwire.

I finished up this Re-Fret today ( also Dunlop 6105 ) on this 73' Strat.

Free Fender Bass De-Fret - free tips and valuable advice

2009-09-07T20:11:00.000-07:00

mcconvilleguitars@gmail.com

.025" Brass inserts are used to fill the saw kerf after removal of the frets. This restores the rigidity that is lost when frets are removed from a fingerboard.... much more effective ( and cleaner ) than trying to fill the kerf with up epoxy!

Double Bass Fingerboard

2009-09-02T09:18:00.000-07:00

With the TechDeck workstation, handling this full size Double Bass

is no different than a guitar;

in less than 30 seconds it was strapped down and ready to go !

Free National Tri-Tone and Taylor 12-string Guitar Repair Tech Tips

2009-01-01T15:47:00.000-08:00

mcconvilleguitars@gmail.com

Rick Taylor dropped this guitar off for a pickup install after indicating that he was ready to drive to Michigan USA to get this job done because after checking with the "12th Fret" and a couple of other places within a comfortable driving distance of home ( Bayfield ) he had failed to find anyone who had done this installation. After hearing this, I took a few dozen photos of the job-in-progress and decided to post this tutorial / pictorial for the "12th Fret" and the "Guitar Repair Community" as well as my "Guitar Repair and Design Course" students ( past and future ) .

You can check out Rick Taylor at http://www.ricktaylormusic.com/

The following photos are a step by step pictorial / tutorial for the installation of the Highlander pickup system for the Tri-Cone National steel.

This is a fairly involved installation, so if you are thinking about doing this job and have any questions ... zip me an email .. I'll be happy to walk you through it !

The clearance between the "chrome clip" ( see previous picture) and the pickup ..... " WITH THE STRINGS TUNED TO CONCERT PITCH " .... needs to be between 1/16" and 3/32".This is the single most critical part of this install.

Taylor 12 String bone nut detail

This 12 String guitar now plays easier than most six string guitars !

Action after neck re-set

This is a nice guitar that sat virtually un-played for 10 years.

12 String Acoustic compensated bone saddle detail

Removed neck before clean up .
Top surface cleaned up and ready for neck + fingerboard extension.

The relieved neck heel ( face ) and cleaned up fingerboard.

Taylor neck re-set

Neck and top surface ready for re-attachment.

Lowest possible treble side action before re-set

Lowest possible bass side action before re-set.

Saddle bottomed out and action still un-playably high.

Free Gibson L-50 Restoration tutorial.

2008-12-01T07:41:00.000-08:00

mcconvilleguitars@gmail.com

Thankyou Will P. for entrusting this instrument to my care . I consider it a great privilage to have worked on so many wonderful guitars over the last 40 years ... I never take it for granted.

My interest is not in 'Vintage Guitar Dealing'

I will occasionally , upon request of the buyer or seller, act as a liaison to broker a fair deal for both parties but my main interest is the instruments themselves .... and bringing them up to their maximum potential as fully functional instruments. It is always very gratifying to breathe new life into an old instrument that has sat dormant for so many years.

After a complete refret/new fingerboard binding / Ivory nut / top crack spliced /side repaired /
and ' retro-fit ' Kent Armstrong floating bridge pickup with volume and tone controls ; rest assured that this guitar will be played more than it ever was !

Seeing as this guitar already had a hole drilled in the side .. after some consultation with the customer, we decided to reinforce the hole with a cross grain patch and utilize it for our input jack .

This a quarter-sawn cross-grain patch , to prevent the top from splitting any further.

The Kent Armstrong floating pickup is mounted on the aftermarket replacement pickguard.

This shot is here ... because she just looks so darn pretty layin' there !Complete Re-Fret + Ivory nut and new binding.
Those brass thumbwheel adjustment discs were buffed out and lightly lubed ... they now turn as smooth as silk under full string load !

This is what it looked like when it arrived This is the jig I made up to cut out the mess with a 60 Degree 'V' bit.

Another shot of the bash ... pretty nasty.

Ready for the patch

New binding bass side.

Original plastic nut

Finished side repair

Gluing inlay pieces

Setting up for inlay re-glue.

San Diego Gibson Hummingbird Bridge Replacement

2008-11-25T18:18:00.000-08:00

mcconvilleguitars@gmail.com

Bruce Kirkaldy sent this one up from San Diego California for some restoration work.

Thanks Bruce! ... for giving me the opportunity to bring this old gem back to life !

I have a strong hunch that this Ol' Girl sat in the case with that broken bridge for a good 30+ years.

I added the rosewood bridge pins, figurin' it was about time to dress the Grand Old Gal up and take her out to the ball.

This press-fit sandwich of bone and rosewood replaces the original bolts and fasteners.

I left the brass body inserts in the top so that if someone wanted to put the original adjustable contraption back in .... be my guest !

This press fit replacement delivers the string force directly to the sound board surface, more like a typical ' Martin ' style bridgeWhat does that mean for the sound ? ......... Well it pretty well means a lot more of everything !
More bass more treble more projection more sustain more volume and a lot more stability! Fret level /re-crown /buff on those upper frets

If you look closely at the bone and rosewood sandwich insert .... you will see that I have decreased the pitch of the angle from treble to bass in order to tweak the intonation more precisely.

Get a load of this case ! Go on .... blow up the picture and take a real close look.

I did NOT through cut the channel like the original bridge. I decided to leave a floor of rosewood at the bottom of the slot for a little more stability.

After the bridge was glued on, I "connected the dots" with a 1/4" router bit to form the wide channel for the fasteners and insert.

The first two holes I drilled, before I started to cut and carve the 7" x 1 1/2" x 1/2" block of rosewood .... were the centering holes for the threaded brass body inserts.

Free Taylor guitar Neck Reset + Fret dress + Setup

2008-10-07T12:05:00.001-07:00

mcconvilleguitars@gmail.com

1936 Gibson Nick Lucas

2008-07-06T18:40:00.000-07:00

This is an instrument that I ended up shipping to Oxford after brokering an exchange between a customer of mine from Woodstock and a Gentleman from Oxford who saw the instrument here on my site and had expressed an interest in purchasing it from my customer.

After a refret, some minor some bridge work, new Ivory nut and a setup; I packaged it up and shipped it off to England.

My sincere thanks goes out to both Peter and Bernd for entrusting me to mediate a fair deal for both parties on this magnificent piece !

1936 Nick Lucas Re-Fret / Nut / Saddle

2008-07-06T18:26:00.001-07:00

Bernal Flamenco Guitar

2008-04-26T09:18:00.000-07:00

Free Gibson LG3 Restoration Advice

2008-04-05T22:07:00.000-07:00

Gibson LG3 Bridge

2008-04-05T22:01:00.000-07:00

Gibson LG3 when it arrived on the bench

2008-04-05T21:33:00.000-07:00

Repairing Remi Boucher's Classical .. Soundboard cracks and fret work

2008-03-07T02:32:00.000-08:00

mcconvilleguitars@gmail.com

I first met Remi when he was a young teenager. Even at that time, his technique,tenacity and phrasing was staggering. I always knew that he would go on to re-define what was possible to do on the guitar.
He still remains ( 30 years later ) "the force to be reckoned with" in the classical guitar world.

If you think I might be exaggerating ? Go to http://www.remiboucher.com/ and judge for yourself.

Stratford Festival Lute/Guitar Fret Dress Bridge Pins + Set-up

2008-02-14T12:14:00.000-08:00

mcconvilleguitars@gmail.com

Free Martin Guitar Re-Fret tips A to Z

2008-02-06T12:05:00.000-08:00

mcconvilleguitars@gmail.com

Free Martin Guitar Bridge Removal + Re-Glue tutorial

2008-01-27T04:41:00.000-08:00

mcconvilleguitars@gmail.com

Martin guitar Bridge Removal and Re-Glue

2008-01-27T04:34:00.000-08:00

mcconvilleguitars@gmail.com

1957 LG3 Bridge Removal

2008-01-27T04:24:00.000-08:00

Acoustic Guitar Bodies on Route

2007-12-30T06:11:00.000-08:00

mcconvilleguitars@gmail.com

My Personal Bluegrass Machine

2007-12-25T19:15:00.000-08:00

Beauty in the Detail

2007-11-23T09:56:00.000-08:00

Stratocaster Nut replacement

2007-11-16T07:29:00.000-08:00

Fretless Acoustic/Electric 5-String Bass Soundboard Bracing

2007-08-29T11:53:00.000-07:00

Gibson Hummingbird Bridge from Rosewood Blank

2007-08-29T11:03:00.001-07:00

Taylor guitar Partial Re-fret and New Nut

2007-08-29T10:57:00.000-07:00

Free Fender Jazz Re-Fret tips + 5-String Fretless System Install

2007-08-29T10:50:00.000-07:00

Guitar Building and Repairs .. the infinite juggling act

2007-08-21T19:34:00.000-07:00

" Paulino Bernabe' "inspired bracing

2007-08-21T19:16:00.000-07:00

mcconvilleguitars@gmail.com

Sliding Dovetail Guitar Neck Joint

2007-08-12T14:45:00.000-07:00

A cross-section of my Guitar models

2007-08-12T14:33:00.000-07:00

mcconvilleguitars@gmail.com

Dayna Manning taking the 12 String for a Whirl

2007-08-12T14:29:00.000-07:00

12 String

2007-08-12T14:25:00.001-07:00

Walnut Burl Guitar Rosette

2007-08-12T14:21:00.001-07:00

Flamenco ( modeled after M. Barbero )

2007-08-12T14:15:00.000-07:00

Parlour ( local Maple )

2007-08-12T13:59:00.000-07:00

Carved Top Solid Body

2007-08-05T21:13:00.000-07:00

The One Model of electric guitar that I offer. Hardware is customer's option.

Dylan's Hot Rod

2007-08-05T21:12:00.000-07:00

Hand Made Instruments on Route

2007-08-05T20:32:00.000-07:00

mcconvilleguitars@gmail.com

Ian Thornley Vibin' on the Fretless

2007-08-05T20:15:00.000-07:00

Darcy's Vintage Tele Finish

2007-08-02T15:40:00.000-07:00