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Guitar Doctor
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Guitar Doctor
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Repairs and Restoration Services |
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Here at the Guitar Doctor we are highly experienced in repairing guitars, bass guitars and all stringed instruments. As
all players know, trying to play an ailing guitar is like trying to drive
without a steering wheel... We will make your guitar
play its very best |
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This page is not meant as |
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This is a short list of
some common problems that we see every day and some possible solutions. |
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The Doctor’s Possible Diagnosis |
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| HIGH ACTION | TOO MUCH NECK RELIEF, NUT SLOTS NOT DEEP ENOUGH, BRIDGE/SADDLES TOO HIGH, OR ANY COMBINATION OF THESE |
| LOW ACTION, NOTES BUZZING | NECK IS BACK-BOWED, NUT SLOTS TOO DEEP, BRIDGE/SADDLES TOO LOW, OR ANY COMBINATION OF THESE. MAY NEED FRETWORK TO MAINTAIN CLEAN PLAYING IF YOU WANT TO KEEP LOW ACTION. |
| ELECTRICS NOT WORKING (ELECTRIC) | BROKEN CONNECTION @ JACK, FAULTY SWITCH, SHORT IN WIRING, POOR SOLDER JOINT. |
| ELECTRICS NOT WORKING (ACOUSTIC) | BROKEN CONNECTION @ JACK, DEAD BATTERY, SHORT @ BATTERY CAP, BROKEN PICKUP, CONTROLS NEED CLEANING. |
| TREMOLO BRIDGE GUITAR - WON’T STAY IN TUNE OR CAN’T INTONATE | WORN OR LOOSE LOCKNUT, GUITAR NECK IS LOOSE, TREMOLO BRIDGE PINS DRIFTING, STRINGS PINCHING IN NUT, TOO MUCH DRAG THROUGH NUT AND STRING TREES. |
| SCRATCHY SOUND WHEN KNOBS TURNED | CONTROLS NEED CLEANING OR REPLACEMENT. |
| GETS BUZZY IN SUMMER/ HARD TO PLAY IN WINTER | GUITAR IS HUMIDITY SENSITIVE AND REQUIRES SEASONAL MAINTENANCE, ESPECIALLY TRUSS ROD ADJUSTMENT. |
| PICKUPS HUM | POOR OR NO GROUND CONNECTION, SINGLE COIL P-U 60 CYCLE NOISE IS ACCENTUATED WITH HIGH-GAIN AMP SETTINGS, SHIELDING MAY BE REQUIRED, HUM-CANCELING P-U’s MAY NEED TO BE INSTALLED. |
| PICKUPS SQUEAL / SCREECH | THIS IS MICROPHONIC NOISE AND HAS AN ABRUPT & UNCONTROLLABLE THRESHOLD. OCCURS COMMONLY IN OLD AND/OR SINGLE COIL P-U’s. P-U’s MAY NEED TO BE WAX DIPPED (POTTED) OR REPLACED. |
| INTERMITTENT SIGNAL / CUTS OUT | BAD SOLDER CONNECTION OR SWITCH, HOT CIRCUIT MAY BE TOUCHING GROUND WIRE SOMEWHERE IN CONTROLS, CORRODED JACK CONTACTS. |
| VOLUME CONTROL INEFFECTIVE/ CUTS OUT TOO QUICKLY | CONTROL WILL NEED REPLACEMENT OR "TONE CIRCUIT" MODIFICATION. A LINEAR POTENTIOMETER INSTEAD OF USUAL AUDIO POT MAY BE DESIRED. |
| BUZZING / DEAD NOTES ON NECK | TRUSS ROD TOO TIGHT, WORN FRETS, POOR SET-UP, POOR FRETWORK FROM FACTORY. WILL NEED SET-UP OR FRET WORK. |
| FINGER NOISE ON STRINGS | STRINGS ARE OLD AND TARNISHED OR RUSTED, FRETS NEED CLEANING & POLISHING, FLAT OR SEMI-FLAT WOUND STRINGS MAY BE DESIRED. |
| STRING ENDS STUCK IN TREMOLO BRIDGE | CLAMP BLOCKS HAVE BEEN OVER TIGHTENED AND ARE SPLIT AND SPREAD, LOCKING SCREWS ARE STRIPPING AND JAMMED FROM OVER-TIGHTENING. IN STANDARD TREM BRIDGES, THE HOLES MAY BE TOO SMALL FOR THE STRING BALLS. HOLES WILL NEED TO BE ENLARGED. |
| STRINGS BREAK AT HEAD | STRING IS PINCHED IN NUT SLOT, SHARP BURR @ TENSION BAR, STRING TREES, OR HOLES IN STRING POSTS. |
| STRINGS BREAK AT BRIDGE | SADDLES WORN, SHARP BURR AT SADDLES OR STRING ANCHOR POINT. SADDLE CROWN TOO STEEP OR SHARP. TOP ↑ |
| STRINGS BREAK IN MIDDLE | WORN OR SHARP FRETS; "DING" IN FRETS; STRINGS TOO OLD – MORE FREQUENT STRING REPLACEMENT REQUIRED. |
| STRAP BUTTON LOOSE | STRIPPED OR WORN SCREW HOLE. HOLE NEEDS TO BE PLUGGED (WITH WOOD) AND RE-DRILLED. |
| AWKWARD CONTROL PLACEMENT OR FEW CONTROL OPTIONS | GUITAR CAN BE REWIRED TO SUIT NEEDS OF PLAYER. |
| SIGNAL BREAKS UP | BAD SOLDER CONNECTION, FAULTY SWITCH, HOT/GROUND SHORT AGGRAVATED BY VIBRATIONS IN GUITAR. WEAK BATTERY (ACTIVE SYSTEMS) |
| CRACKED OR BROKEN NECK | DON’T FIX IT YOURSELF!!!!! NOTHING IS HARDER TO FIX THAN A BAD REPAIR. THIS IS OFTEN AN INEXPENSIVE REPAIR EXCEPT FOR REFINISHING THE DAMAGED AREA ON MORE EXPENSIVE INSTRUMENTS WITH COLORED PAINT. |
| OPEN STRING TWANGS IN NUT | NUT SLOT TOO WIDE, NOT ENOUGH BACK TENSION BEHIND NUT, NUT SLOT CUT TOO LOW. |
| BROKEN OR CHIPPED NUT | THIS CAN OFTEN BE REPAIRED WITH "DENTAL" STYLE FILLING AND RE-CUTTING, OTHERWISE NUT REPLACEMENT IS REQUIRED. |
| CONVERT RIGHT HANDED GUITAR FOR LEFT HANDED PLAYER | MAY NEED ADJUSTMENT OF SADDLE(s), BRIDGE, PICKGUARD, &/or CONTROLS. NUT WILL NEED RESLOTTING OR REPLACEMENT. DIFFICULTY OF WORK DEPENDS ON GUITAR. |
| ACOUSTIC GUITAR PROBLEMS |
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| CRACK IN FACE OR SIDE | NEEDS CAREFUL GLUE, CLAMP, REFINISH AND REINFORCEMENT ON THE SIDE |
| DEEP CRACK W/ GAP (WON’T CLOSE) | NEEDS TO BE SPLINTED, REINFORCED & REFINISHED. |
| HUMP IN NECK @ BODY | FRET DRESSING FOR MILD HUMP — RE-FRET &/or FINGERBOARD LEVELING FOR SEVERE CASES |
| HIGH ACTION THAT CAN’T BE ADJUSTED | BRIDGE AND SADDLE PROFILING FOR MILD CASE—NECK RESET FOR SEVERE CASE |
| HEEL SEPARATION FROM BODY | RESET NECK ON BETTER GUITARS. "SALVAGE" FIX ON CHEAP GUITARS INVOLVES PENETRATING GLUE AND A BOLT THROUGH HEEL AND NECKBLOCK, DISGUISED WITH A STRAP BUTTON. |
| FRETS BUZZING @ 1st POSITION | FRETS MAY BE WORN DEEPLY FROM HEAVY USE WITH OPEN CHORDS – NEEDS FRET DRESSING OR PARTIAL FRET REPLACEMENT |
| WON’T TUNE WELL | MAY NEED SADDLE SLOT FILLED & RE-CUT—MAY NEED GOOD SETUP—MAY NEED TUNERS TIGHTENED OR REPLACED OR INSTALLATION OF "INTONATED SADDLE" |
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