TechDeck Owner’s Manual
Congratulations on your purchase of the TechDeck, an advanced and fully adjustable workstation for guitars and stringed instruments of any size.
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GENERAL DESCRIPTION
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The TechDeck incorporates a pivoting and telescopic neck-support assembly in addition to three pivoting platforms that adjust in conjunction with each other. The operator can orient all three platforms quickly, with one-handed adjustment, to support various sizes and shapes of stringed instruments. This allows you to quickly get to the job at hand without wasting time figuring out how to hold this beautiful $80.00 or $8,000.00 guitar before you do your $75, $150, $300 or $1200 repair, adjustment or restoration.
This YouTube video demonstrates a few examples
of the TechDecks' assembly, use and accessories: |
COMPONENTS DESCRIPTION
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Pivoting and Telescopic Neck-Support Assembly
The sliding V-blocks on the pivoting neck assembly move back and forth on the aluminum top rail (see end of video). Spring-loaded hex-head cap screws, located on the underside of the female rails, can be pushed up to allow the V-blocks to slide easily into the channels in the top rail. Likewise, spring-loaded cap screws can be pushed up to allow the pivoting neck-support assembly to be mounted onto the upper neck-support platform. In both of these operations, “male” aluminum rails slide into “female” aluminum rails.
The neck support assembly is one of the most pivotal (pardon the pun) aspects of the TechDeck’s versatility and ease of function. The sliding blocks spread, telescopically, on either side of the central pivot point. This allows you to adjust the blocks in order to support any length of neck or, more importantly, restrict the flex of any neck while performing critical and exacting tasks such as fret dresses, re-frets and leveling fingerboards. Although there is a very slight amount of “give” to the leather padded body-support rails while leveling frets and fingerboards, this is the entire unit (TechDeck) acting as a shock absorber. The neck itself does not flex when doing your work.
In the video you will see me push down on the instrument to demonstrate the stability of the Workstation and neck assembly. Upon close inspection, you will see that the instrument is sinking into the leather as I push down and you’ll see that the neck support platforms, in conjunction with the pivoting neck assembly, flex slightly. This acts as a shock absorber when tapping in frets or leveling fingerboards.
The actual neck itself, does not flex.
This allows you to true-up frets and fingerboards accurately, while the instrument is held firmly in the most advantageous position, allowing you to perform each task quickly and accurately.You will find a cinch hook on opposite ends of the large black pivoting rail. Each of the two neck straps are permanently attached, one on each side of the black pivoting rail. The length and placement of Velcro on the leather neck straps permits you to loop up and over the neck, then down through the metal hoop and back up over the neck to cinch the neck down firmly while working. It is also possible to flip the instrument up on its edge, if need be, for tasks that involve feeding strings in from the back side of the body, e.g. Strat-style and Tele-style guitars.
The complete neck-support assembly can be removed which allows the instrument to be laid flat horizontally for routing pick-up cavities and other tasks. There is a Mini Neck Assembly available for work on smaller instruments such as mandolins, violins, ukes, etc. The Mini neck assembly attaches the same way as the larger neck assembly (see video).
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Pivoting Platforms
The three pivoting platforms operate together to permit an infinite range of settings. Each pivoting platform employs a heavy duty support mechanism that indexes 20 times in gradual increments of ascent. When the platform opens up all the way to the end of the mechanism’s throw, it will de-index and descend downwards to a flat position. This is all done in a matter of seconds with one-handed adjustment. Try it and you’ll see!
Main Body Platform
The open space between the two large, leather-padded rails enables you to put a guitar face down, for access to the back surface, when wiring switches or pots, etc. on guitars that have electronics access panels on the back.
The space between the padded rails also allows for arch-top, arched-back and round-back instruments to be firmly cinched, face down or face up, without danger of crushing.
The space between the padded rails also allows for arch-top, arched-back and round-back instruments to be firmly cinched, face down or face up, without danger of crushing.
There are four cinch hooks (more are available upon request) located along each edge of the body platform. They allow you to criss-cross straps over the instrument in multiple variations to quickly, safely and firmly restrain any shape or size of instrument while you work.
Mini Tool Cribs
Five shallow mini-tool-cribs are clustered around the neck support platforms. They are the perfect solution for holding small tools, truss-rod cover and screws, bridge pins, allen keys, bridge saddles, nuts ,screws and machine heads, string winder, pots and switches etc.; in other words, all the little bits and pieces that tend to get lost or misplaced.
The tool cribs are cut with a bull-nose bit so that, when you pick up those mini screws, you’re not trying to fish them out of a sharp 90 degree corner!
Leather Body Straps
The TechDeck comes with 3 lengths of body straps. There are custom lengths available upon request. The smallest strap allows you to go across a thin-waisted guitar and cinch it down quickly and firmly. The straps go through the cinch-hooks with the Velcro side up and leather side down (see the final portion of video). The longest strap allows you to create a large “leather hoop” that will grab a jumbo acoustic guitar across its large lower bout, pulling the body toward the neck assembly. Once the large strap is cinched down, you can put the medium strap across the waist of the jumbo guitar. It will form a hoop that pulls the guitar in the opposite direction, toward the wider end of the base frame. Those two leather straps pulling in opposing directions, will hold the instrument firmly onto the body platform rails (see video).
There are thousands of possibilities for the accommodation of instruments of various sizes and shapes. The platforms alone, with 20 indexing positions each, offer 8000 combinations of restraint with quick one-handed adjustment! When you add the large or small neck assemblies, along with various lengths of straps and their combinations; the possibilities are virtually limitless.
One Stop Multi-Adjustable Format
As you become more comfortable (the comfort will start from the first minute you use it!) with the TechDeck, you will discover that it will shadow every move you make, eventually bringing you to the point where the workstation itself becomes transparent. You’ll no longer waste time determining how to hold the instrument you’re working on.
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INITIAL ASSEMBLY
When unpacking your TechDeck, you will find the pivoting neck assembly tucked into the side of the shipping carton on the narrow end of the main frame. Remove the neck assembly and remove the temporary hex nut that you’ll find on the side of the large aluminum channel. This hex nut is used for shipping purposes only.
The small black-handled lever goes onto the threaded shoulder bolt where the hex nut was removed and tightens up against the flat washer. This lever can be tightened or loosened to adjust the pivoting action of the neck assembly. If you find the lever (after tightening) is in your way or pointing up; simply pull out on the lever where it threads onto the shoulder bolt and swing it out of the way without loosening the cinch (or tightness) of the pivoting action (see video).
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ACCESSORIES
The following accessories are available for your TechDeck:
Mini Neck Assembly
Bridge Surgery Kit
Neck Repair Jig
Professional Touring Flight Case
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MAINTENANCE AND UPKEEP
When you lift the body platform, you will find an adjustable shock (silver disc) attached to the side of the main frame and the underside of the large body platform. The shock regulates the speed of descent for the body platform. By tightening the hex fastener in the centre of the silver disc, you will stiffen the descending motion of the large body-platform. This will be calibrated and adjusted before we ship out your unit.
The last basic maintenance procedure (also done before we ship) is to put a few drops of 3-in-one oil on the sliding cuff of the three adjustable, multi-indexing support mechanisms. This will keep them operating smoothly for a year or so and they should subsequently be lubricated when required.
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CONSTRUCTION NOTES
The TechDeck is created in limited production runs. Each unit is hand assembled and calibrated as it goes through final inspection before shipping. The TechDeck and its components are made in
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CONTACT INFORMATION
Send comments and questions via e-mail to:
Michael McConville
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