Guitar Repair Lessons

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Up close and personal video ... 
"cut-to-the-quick" instruction 
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Over 300+ videos to walk you through
every guitar repair imaginable.



Guitar Repair and Design

Another guitar for Jody ... 12 string fret dress

setup .... next week he'll be starting 

with a compensated nut for this guitar.

David working on his fretting technique.

Johnny ( above ) was a quick study in the fretwork

department ... attention to detail ... 

good eyes and good hands !

Charlie brought his mini-Taylor to this class, for 

some ultra-tweaking . 

Richard 

 finished up the refret and cut a 

compensated nut for his Strat. 

The Ultimate Guitar Tech Workstation

http://www.youtube.com/user/mcconvilleguitars


TechDeck Tips / Components

It was a straight forward mission:

 To make the safest and most versatile workstation possible.

I need to express my sincere gratitude, to all of the students and customers,

who put their trust and faith in us and they laid their hard earned money down. 

I am still humbled, grateful and genuinely excited, Every time 

a new customer receives their TechDeck.

Over and over again I witness the type of excitement they feel,

within the first few hours of using this workstation.  

Wishing continued prosperity to all. 

Gratefully,
Michael

Guitar Repair and Design

The TechDeck's design, 

function and versatility, 

has eliminated the 

 the need for vices, 

arbour presses, vice grips,   

or computer controlled

 fret dressing machines,

when working on guitars.

All of your fret-work needs 

are now met,

 in one multi-adjustable package.

Fret work and fret dressing 

 just got a whole lot easier. 

TechDeck Workstation Pictorial / Tutorial

 I use 2 TechDecks daily,  
in my home workshop.

Hello Michael,

Long time, no chat. I hope all goes well in beautiful Stratford.

I have been using my TechDeck regularly since I got it from you. I know you've heard this before, but I really don't know how I got along without it. It just makes everything so much easier.

Best regards from Ottawa. ( May 2015 )

Murray

( Murray Jackson ....  bought his TechDeck in November 2011 )

Thanks for a great product and exemplary service!
R.L. Burns Las Vegas Nevada ( May 2015 )

The consistent positive sentiment and comments that we receive

clearly reflects, the sense of empowerment,

 independence, relief, and sense of freedom they experience.

The new ability to be able to handle all of the 

numerous shapes and sizes of instruments ...

( Flying -V shape / Upright Bass / Mandolin / Round Back / Arch-Top )

holding them firmly and safely, 

in the most advantageous position, for 

all tasks and procedures,

 this is a very liberating feeling !

With the help of the TechDecks,

my students, by their second class, 

were routinely doing fret dresses

 / levelling / re-crowning and polishing .... 

A customer's comment after he picked up his Strat, 

from my shop, this week.

Over the last couple of years my enjoyment of playing the Strat 

has been slowly declining without realizing

 that the instrument needed quality work. 

However, after playing it more today I got back those 

old feelings of satisfaction and contentment.

 Sooo satisfying. To my ear it even has a richer more complex tone.

 Excellent work!

Thank you, thank you and oh yeah thank you,

Brian Hadley

mcconvilleguitars.blogspot.com/p/les-paul-refret.html

In the Patreon Videos I "cut-to-the-chase" 

and execute these jobs flawlessly, with some very simple, 

inexpensive tools that I make up for all to see.

I make up a selection of 

 of 3 sanding blocks.

With those sanding blocks, 

in combination with the TechDeck Workstation;

I demonstrate 

how to do a perfect radius or compound radius 

for any guitar in a few minutes.

ES-335' Fret Dress

From Denmark to Australia, 

Italy to the UK, New York to

LA, BC, Nova Scotia, Calgary, Nfld,

Atlanta Georgia, Ohio, Oregon, Toronto     

they all 

" turn over the price of their workstations" 

every month ; while increasing

 the capabilities of their shop,

 and raising the 

profile of their businesses.

Every time a customers see's 

you strap down their guitar 

on the padded multi-adjustable TechDeck; 

the word spreads, and your business grows ;^ ) !

When it comes to any type of fret work, 

 fingerboard levelling or  radiusing,

the TechDeck Workstation is all you'll ever need.

The fret work,

 fingerboard radiusing  and levelling,

are just a couple of examples

 of the endless list of jobs,

 that the TechDeck turns into 

routine daily work.

Jeff Hayward ( Level 2 student )

just sent this message after trying out his sanding  blocks

 at home ... ( Dec 12th 2013 )

Hi Mike,

I'm just finishing the neck to body levelling 

on the harmony fingerboard (the 3 blocks you made rock!)

BTW the harmony has a compound radius
 9.5" at the head to 12" 

at the body. 

Cheers,

Jeff Hayward

BTW: Jeff bought a TechDeck too ;^ )

TechDeck Order / Purchasing

Sales: 519 796 0332 

info@techdeckworkstations.com

Canada + Continental USA $60.00 Flat Rate Shipping

 5 Business Days; 

to Australia / Brazil /  EU

( email for shipping details ) 

The following accessories are available for all TechDecks:

Mini Neck Assembly $87.50

Extra V-Block $17. 50 

Bridge Slotting Jig $187. 50 

Neck Surgery Kit $315.00 

Note: For International Customers: 

Shipping the BSJ in the TechDeck carton,

can amount to quite a significant savings in shipping costs.

1961 Fender Jazz Bass

1961 Fender Jazz Bass Restoration

The holiest of Fender Bass grails is a “stack knob” custom-color Jazz. The “J-Bass” proved the market could support fancy, pricier bass guitars; a solid duco-finish Jazz was a hot-rod four-string nonpareil. By the mid ’60s, they were ordered comparatively often – not so in 1960! Highly collectible since the ’70s, a custom-color Jazz Bass still tops the list today. Sunburst models from the period fetch $16,000 to $21,000.

Quote from Vintage Guitar Mag .....

Back to Perfection !!

A huge thanks goes out to Greg Force for his 

masterful filming and editing of the 

play-by-play restoration of this 61' Jazz Bass.

It's agonizing, to see 

what has been done to the original finish !

A new custom wound set of 

"Bare Knuckles" pickups 

has been ordered from the UK.

I see this so many times; an original finish ruined 

by an amateur attempt at finishing.

This is the perfect example of just how paranoid 

and protective people can be ( and rightfully so !!  )

when it comes to Vintage Instruments.

This instrument sat unplayable, for over 30 years !!

After a few bad repair attempts, the customer 

was terrified to let anyone touch it !

I don't blame him .... I've handled so many 

Vintage Restorations, for exactly that reason.

This is why I get so many instruments shipped,

 to my workshop, from across the continent,

by people who are in exactly

 the same position as David.

I demonstrated to the GRAD students 

precisely how this type of job needs to 

be executed .... flawlessly.

In this case, because of the value of the instrument,

I am personally doing the entire job.

The opportunity for the students 

to get a detailed step-by-step 

demonstration on this restoration; 

is easily worth the Patreon, 

price of admission !! 

Guitar Repair Class Online

Getting the goods on professional Guitar Repair

Become a patron

Bridge slotting

Bridge Slotting

This old Framus guitar NEVER played in tune.

I calculated where the bridge slot SHOULD

 be for PERFECT intonation.

We filled in the original ( adjustable ) saddle slot

with rosewood, then "did the math" on proper saddle location,

laid out the the new saddle locate, 

and set up the bridge slotting jig.

Then, with the Bosch Colt router, we cut a 

perfect, crisp, flawless bridge slot,

and fabricated a fresh, radiused, intonated, bridge saddle.

Now for the first time since the guitar was manufactured 

back in the 60's .... it plays perfectly in tune.   

When you look ( above ) at the original

saddle footprint .... you can see that the 

original slot was 3/8" too short for the scale length !!!

Congratulations to Jeff, Adam, 

Ryan, Alex and Herb on your 

TechDeck purchases !

I'm certain that all of you will be 

putting these Workstations to very good use !

1967 Ricky 

It's really fascinating to see all of the hand-tooling 

on these early " production " guitars.

Imagine the guy with a 1 1/8" forstner bit, 

standing at the drill press  and hogging out

all of that lumber for the electronics cavity !

I sculpted the bridge (above) from a block of 

bell brass .... the original aluminum bridge

had been replaced with a rosewood 

archtop bridge, at some point in the past. 

NOTE: This was sculpted for a plain third 

"G" string. The original bridges were sculpted for a wound third

I've posted this play by play on this Taylor 

Comp-Nut and partial refret for all of the 

students .... as a refresher ;^ ) 

The final intonation values were cut into the saddle

as I finished up the comp nut and comp saddle calibrations.

Guitar Repair and Design Courses ... Online !

Join the Students and TechDeck Owners around the World 
as you get the goods on Pro Guitar Repair techniques.

Become a patron


Binding and Purfling

Bridge Re-Glue

The Crazy Maple back !

BTW: That's Her Sister in the background 

same flinch of ( raw wood ) maple, same sitka top wood.

A 12 String Guitar that actually plays in tune ??!!??

Oh Ya ... have a listen ...

01:51

Ready for tapered end splice ...

Another flawless dovetail .....

Dovetail / spalted maple rosette /

soundport / cedar top

BTW: That's a left handed cutaway in the background 

Neil finished up the compensated nut 

on his American Strat.

Rick re-glued the the 12-String guitar bridge.

Ryan, laying out the compensated nut

for his 8-string ... we'll finish it up next class.

Guitar Repair and Design Courses

Looking for an intellectual, tactile and 

conceptual challenge ?

 Join us on Patreon , for an exercise

in Design Studies, Analysis,

Trouble-shooting, Problem-Solving, 

Geometry, Engineering, History

and more .... 

Check out this 60's era',

 Trini Lopez copy 

Guitar Repair and Design

Kids in a candy shop ;^ ) !

My Patreon subscribers are happy

 to spend the money that they

 would have spent anyway .... 

learning to setup their instruments .... 

the only difference is ....

Now they are getting a front row seat

in my Luthier's repair shop ....

Acquiring a truck load of 

Guitar-related knowledge ....

Michael's Roster ....

All of theses guys had covered, or
 exceeded, the price of administration
 by their 4th class;
by saving the money they would have spent on 
Guitar Setups and calibration ;^ ).

Increasingly more and more students, are signing up 

on my Patreon 

channel, to learn precisely what is involved, in a professional 

guitar setup, and to have a clear understanding why 

Guitarists are willing to pay a professional price 

for a professional job.

BTW: 3 of the setups that I did in my own shop 

this past week, were brand new guitars that came with a

"free setup " from the place of purchase.

 All 3 of those customers 

were not interested in a free setup.

There were HAPPY to pay for a professional setup;

knowing that their guitars will be absolutely 

PERFECT when the job is done ;^ ) !

Many of these students have already

 " tooled up " 

and continue to do this type of work to 

generate a part time or full time income.

.....  we've worked on Epi 330 / 

Left handed Les Paul / a Classical 

Precision Bass / Fender Strat

a couple of Seagull acoustics /

7 string Ibanez / 

and more .... 

300 + Videos posted so far 

on Patreon

plenty more to come ...

stay tuned ... 

I am just ramping up ;^ )

For anyone old enough to 

remember these .... 

Fender's answer to the Gibson ES-335'

I just barely had enough "Real Estate" ( below ) 

 on the "saddle travel" to squeak out the intonation. 

The compensated nut was the final touch  ....

It is now 100% Perfectly in tune  .

This is now locked and loaded 

... ready for some rippin' guitar licks !

Customer's response, after the ultra-tweak ;^ )

I plugged her in when I got home and Holy S**t!!!!!! 

 Now that's a damn fine guitar!!!

It's totally changed the feel!!

Thank you for your Mastery Michael!

Terry

The Fender Starcaster ( above) ,

 was originally introduced 

in the late 70's ( 1977 / 78 ).

Warren ... moving right along with his 

Parlour Nylon string soundboard bracing !

Jordan will be gluing up all of his 

Steel String Parlour braces next class

Rob has the dovetail fitted and is now moving on

to the headstock overlay / binding and fingerboard.

This group of Guitar Enthusiasts 

"dug right in" on the first night ( Monday ) 

of the 2014 Fall GRAD Session

Guitar Repair and Design

#guitarrepaircourses

Dear Michael,

You have been delivering this training through Continuing Education at Conestoga College for over 15 years now( actually 23 years ).  The quality of your courses and the feedback from your students is nothing but exceptional.  Your passion is contagious.  Your students respect your knowledge and you inspire them to further develop their skills and allow them the opportunity to apply what they have learned.  Conestoga College is proud to have you as a Professor.  You are expert in your field, reliable, punctual and a pleasure to work with!

Sincerely,

Sandra Schelling

Dean, Continuing Education and Corporate Training

Conestoga College

#collegeguitarrepaircourse

With 6 neck surgeries on the go,

we prepared all of the splines in advance. 

Guitar Repair and Design

Taylor Neck Reset / Les Paul ...

Norman Headstock Surgeries

#brokenlespaulneck

The customer brought this Gibson Les Paul in for neck surgery 

after seeing the "glued up break" ( no splines )

 let go, for the 3rd time !

This 1960 Gibson VOS LP neck, is now stronger 

than the day it was made !

Hamilton TechDeck owner, returning Level 2 student, 

Chris Knowles, jumped right in for 2 neck surgeries 

after picking up his neck surgery kit.

12 string back replacement, and 71' Jazz bass refret.

This Gibson LP V.O.S. 1960 Classic

neck, was broken previously, 3 times.

So when this one showed up at my shop; 

I decided to bring it in for the  "Real Time"

Neck surgery Video- tutorial, for my students and all of the 

TechDeck / NSK owners.

At a glance  ... you  

have to "really look", to see the

 "faint ghost marks" of the splines.

I'm OK with that ... 

even a complete headstock

 replacement will be seen ( scarf joint ),

"through the shader coats". 

The old glue was steamed out of the break,

it was then re-glued with hide glue;

sliced / spliced / and refinished.

There was so much damage to the soundboard bracing; 

that we decided to remove the back, 

to gain 100% access to the soundboard.

A new solid wood back, was fabricated,

to replace the old plywood back.

Rob  picked up his

 TechDeck ( and all the goodies ) 

a couple of years ago.

Chris and Tony setting up for the 5th + 6th 

neck surgery jobs for this group. 

Tony ( London ) is a very talented electrical engineer,

bass player and guitar enthusiast. Tony ordered his TechDeck

 from last Fall's production run. He picked up all of

 the accessories, last term.

Chris is setting up for his second neck surgery job 

this class. He ordered his NSK, and promptly 

performed two jobs, "right out of the gate" ! 

Kim ( St Thomas ) is a full time gigging 

Bass player. He is a Graduate of the

 Humber College Jazz program and 

a seriously good musician. 

Removing the neck on this old arch top Stewart

and resetting the neck angle; has been a great lesson

 for all of the students in this class.

Globe-trotting Mining Safety Expert, and big time guitar enthusiast

Tim; jumped right into Level 2 after completing his Level 1

and purchasing his TechDeck and all of the accessories.

 Tim's long term plan, is to retire in New Zealand

 and to continue doing his Guitar work in his retirement years . 

Sounds like a good plan to me ... 

You're off to a good start Tim !

Congrats !

So far .... he has removed and re-glued a 12-string bridge,

completed a neck surgery job and will be doing a compensated nut

for his American Tele.