10,000

Since the creation of this blog in September 2010, it has been rewarding for my personal growth in many aspects. In particular the craftsmanship relating to guitar restoration has been challenged and augmented repeatedly during this short journey from 0 to 10,000 visits. This posting contains my thoughts and revelations that are derived from this journey.

Firstly, I should pay tribute to guitar4christ, a members' drive online forum. Joining this online forum has moved me to step forward in providing my services. They have played an important role in marrying the guitar players onto a common platform in creating learning and sharing opportunities. Before that, I have been volunteering my services at my friends who play guitars, and nothing more. With some pushes and encouragements from those friends who have benefitted from my help, I made the decision to engage the guitar community through my guitar services.

Knows the market, wins the battle. As such I did some facts finding that allowed me to appreciate the desires of the local acoustic guitar players, a.k.a. consumers. Along with the consumers’ taste, I have learned the strengths and weaknesses of these existing guitar restorers operating within the local guitar community. The sentiments for these local guitar restorers are not homogeneous; instead there are great disparities when viewed from various aspects like, prices, workmanship, turnaround time, attention to details, customer services, and the highly subjective likableness. Possessing the knowledge helped me in pitching the angle of entry into the market.

The contrast between a restored and tarnished tuner knob

More than a decade ago when I started learning guitar, I was not even aware where to seek help when my guitar was in trouble. Today, the many guitar restorers are marketing their services through internet and reaching them has never been easier. The standards of restorations have definitely increased not only through time, very likely through the opened competition among the providers as made possible by the internet.

I was aware of my interest in restoring stuffs beyond just guitars since young. Meddling with spoiled items was as exciting as playing with my Darth Vader action figure. As I grew, so has my knowledge for guitars. The curiosity to restore my own guitars was overwhelming. It was a matter of time before a series of adjustments were made on my second acoustic guitar. There were both successes and failures. Through years of playing guitars, I have also experimented repeatedly on all my guitars in various aspects. All the outcomes have contributed to the craftsmanship I have obtained today. The progress has been gradual and I have not expected my work to yield any monetary rewards from other guitar players.

One of the many radical experiments ...

It wasn’t about guitar restoration only. There were many benefits beyond my expectations. Many clients have turned into my friends. There were great guitar players who I have met. Watching these great players expressing themselves through guitar tunes in close range was simply elating. Some possessed great knowledge about guitars and I have learned tremendously through conversations. The beginners form the most impressionable group; they are so eager and curious to learn. Certain critical customers went no holds barred when offering their comments on my work, which has indirectly augmented my level of craftsmanship. As the blog resides in the open domain, it has invited its fair share of criticisms too. It was indeed interesting to manage these external fires. One of the greatest perks is the chance to play many guitars, regardless they are top-notched pieces or budget line guitars I have enjoyed playing them thoroughly.

Very few guitars are build with such fine craftsmanship
like the Yamaha LL36. It was a pleasure to play it.

There were numerous literatures written about guitars, especially in the technical aspects. As such, it was tricky to determine the appropriate angle to pitch the blog content. Well, certain clichés weren’t avoidable; yes I have included them in the blog on the basis of functional requirement. The tricky part remains; how to benefit the readers? Apart from showcasing efficiency and fine craftsmanship on this blog, I hope to share with the readers who presumably are guitar players too, certain implicit perspectives about guitars and the interest in learning to play it. From my lens, playing guitars isn’t just a mere past time activity. There lies tacitly tremendous amount of insights that will help us in personal growth in the form character building. I have met youth who are disoriented with lives but have found their anchors and foundation in learning to play guitars. There are full-grown adults who have found peace through playing guitars in the midst of this ultra paced society. The patience to attain success in playing guitars is analogous to building a successful life, shared by some of my clients. Most profoundly, during my quest to be a better guitar player, I have discovered the essence of creating music from reading interviews publications of many accomplished players, i.e. playing the right note, at the right moment and with the right touch. How different is life from creating music? I personally saw many close connections that have opened my sights.

Play only what is good for the tune

Taken from: http://leebrownhill.files.wordpress.com/2007/08/johnmayer.jpg

Not forgetting the supporters and friends who have helped me in one way or the other, regardless indirectly or directly. The blog exists because it serves your interest. It was certainly humbling and fulfilling to create something useful for the community. Guitaring Passionately greatly appreciates you and is deeply gratified by your active responses. It will continue to change to adapt to your needs.

Above all, there is God. In year 2009, I was still meddling with my guitars and things took a turn. It was like a tipping point for me. Things about guitars restorations have became vividly clear to me. The reasons that account for aesthetic, feel and tonal qualities were readily comprehensible and crafting guitar parts were never been more interesting and enjoyable. It has reached a point that I felt ready to benefit the community. I could not determine any rhyme or reason for the sudden growth in interest and ability except to attribute to God's blessings being bestowed onto me.

Still honing by God's grace

Last but not least; “And I have filled him with the spirit of God, in wisdom, and in understanding, and in knowledge, and in all manner of workmanship.” - Exodus 31-3.

Featured Restoration (An Instructor’s Guitar)

Yet another challenge presented to me, to restore a guitar instructor’s guitar. It is a Taylor 314CE and the owner is a very talented and passionate local guitar instructor. To find out his identity, go to this blog @: http://alanguitarworks.blogspot.com/

Instead of the usual in-person meeting, we met through our blogs. Soon we realized that we are in agreement in many perspectives about guitars. And with these commonalities, naturally we became friends too. In a warp sense of humor, fixing a guitar instructor’s guitar has proven to be challenging because of certain stereotypical reasons… what can you think of?

Perhaps, some possible stereotypes …fussy, unreal expectations, good in playing but clueless about repairs, excessively directive,” ai pi ai ci” a.k.a. optimize the restorer to the max, the know-it-all, etc.

There are many of such stereotypes created for different category of people in this society, e.g. an owner of many expensive guitars usually can’t play. Have you come across that before? I am sure you have encountered exceptions to this stereotype. So we can say that stereotypes aren’t true, can we? One thing you can be sure about stereotyping is its autonomous nature. Such thoughts appear in your mind without your consciousness and much less with your permission. Is it all bad to stereotype? Since we have no holding on stereotypes, can we be held guilty of it? I am sure if this topic is left in a forum, it should invite immense amount of views. Feel free to comment in my blog’s comment if you wish to.

For those who have certain knowledge in psychology or life skills, you may agree that stereotyping helps us in managing the huge amount of information that bombards our minds. It gives you the ability to make judgments or draw conclusions quickly, without the need to deeply analyze situations or events. Imagine if our minds are required to consciously process and analyze every bit of information we receive. Our minds will literally explode. However the accuracy and quality of the judgments and conclusions are totally not connected to the ability. While stereotypes protect us it creates problems for us too. In another words, there is no running away from stereotyping but it does speak volume of one’s character if someone has the courage to acknowledgment the ripple effects generated by one’s stereotypes. Use it wisely, won’t you?

So are guitar instructors like the description earlier? It was all a joke and it wasn’t even half serious. Actually they can be exactly opposite of the mentioned reasons, i.e. an absolute unassuming and thoughtful customer. Something unique about this guitar instructor; very meticulous and detail in the way the restoration jobs were requested. Every requested job that can be labeled on the guitar was done. The rest of the required jobs were listed clearly on a note. There was no running away from the list and the labels. See below pictures for illustrations.

Talyor 314CE

A crack on the fingerboard

Crack line down the mid binding stripe

Binding is not level

Slight bridge lift

Tarnished tuning machines

Uneven gloss finishing at the cutaway apex area

No guitar restorer can possibly miss out those requirements, right? As mentioned earlier, guitar instructors can be customers who are absolutely unassuming and thoughtful and it is true herein. Summoning my courage, I advised against certain listed and labeled restoration jobs as they were not necessary because to engage those jobs, it will propagate into a larger extends which may incur high cost even they appeared to be small and easy repairs at the onset. The advices were accepted with understanding. Such acceptance and understanding was very assuring to any guitar restorer because it signals a vote of confidence in one’s judgment and evaluation. Of course it doesn’t imply by the complying with a guitar restorer’s advices makes an ideal customer. The essence here was the willingness to listen and appreciate different views.

The owner produced a note with all the required jobs itemized. See picture below.

The list of requested jobs

For clarity, the list is re-produced in verbatim as below.

1. Replace with bone nut and saddle

2. Refretting

3. Full Setup

4. Seal HOLE in fretboard

5. Seal Crack line at pickup area

6. Seal protruding edge at neck joint area

7. Seal gap at bridge reglue area

8. Cleaning and polish tuning machines

9. Matt finish at cutaway section (if possible)

Is that a mouthful or what? While the list was pretty long, I think the effort was relevant and useful as the guitar restorer will have little doubts of what to execute. The effort made in presenting things clearly was greatly appreciated.

Item 6 & 7 were placed on hold. Item 6 requires leveling the binding with the adjacent two surfaces that inherently has accessibility issues. After weighing the amount of work involved, it was better off to remain status quo. Item 7 is the typical bridge lift due to dislodged glue. The amount of lift is very minor that makes applying glue difficult and much less effective. As such, it stays until the state changes. The first job (Item 2 & 4) to tackle was replacing the first three frets because they are functional components of a guitar. The rule of thumb is to eradicate all structural issue as priority. In this case, there was no structural repair. Many guitar restorers should agree that changing all the fret wires is easier to do. There was much detail to observe when replacing only three. Nevertheless, it was done. A picture to show that it was in progress.

In progress, replace new fret wires

There after, a set of unbleached bone and saddle (Item 1) was hand crafted for the 314CE. See picture below.

Handcrafted Bone Nut and Saddle

The rest of the jobs that follow are cosmetic related. Item 6 received my attention first. When see the picture below, you will notice the unusual position of the guitar. There was a crack line near the jack area, which is located at the end block of the guitar. You will intuitively understand from the pictures.

In an unusual position

Leveling the crack line

I then moved on to Item 9. There was a crack repair job done on the apex of the cutaway some time ago. The repair job has left a layer of semi-gloss coating that differs slightly from the satin/matt finished of the guitar side. The owner has requested to have the semi-glossed area to be transformed to satin/matt finish, as like the rest of the guitar side. Some times I was there was a 10-year series solution to such jobs. By following a formula mindlessly, I will arrive to the desired outcome. However it was all but the 10-year series solution I can rely on. After thinking through, I went ahead with my intuited plans. By God’s grace, it was decently done.

There are many customers who expect their guitars to be cleaned but this owner has emphasized the polishing of the tuning machines on top of that. Cleaning jobs are not exactly a glamorous job in this society as many people have stereotyped it this way. However, the positive effect it can provide is tremendous even it is always underrated. The request to polish the tuning machine was respected and adhered to my best ability.

After a few days of work on the 314CE, the main work bulk was accomplished. Finally, the guitar was set up and dehumidified. The outcome was satisfying I reckon. Here are the pictures of the completed work for your viewing pleasure.

Before and after looks of the tuning machines

Hole on the fingerboard was sealed

Crack filled and leveled

Before and After looks of the re-finished job

New fret wires, the first three

New bone nut - View 1

New bone nut - View 2

New bone saddle

It is finished!

I am glad to have undertaken this restore job. I got paid, I got to play, and I know one more nice person and I have one more friend.