News

The Originality Quandary

“But is it original?”This question is raised about everything in, on, and around a vintage guitar, from tuners to tailpieces to all parts in betwee...

1933 Paramount Guitar Style D

In the 1930s, the banjo was fading as a force in popular music and many companies were making guitars with banjo necks in an attempt to keep sales ...

Crunchtime: 1967 D-28 Martin Guitar Structural Repair

I had this 1967 Martin D-28 on my bench a few months ago. It came in with clear packing tape over the damaged area trying to hold loose pieces in ...

Guitar Picks: The Cheapest Way to Change Acoustic Guitar Tone

Acoustic guitarists have a secret weapon for changing their tone: the simple guitar pick. This relatively expensive piece of plastic can do more to...

What is a "Torrefied" Guitar Top?

Players seek out vintage guitars not because they’re old but because they sound great. When I play an old guitar I notice that the notes just seem ...

Collings Guitars

Ask the typical guitar picker about high-quality fretted instruments made in North America and the brands you’ll hear will probably be household na...

Gibson K-2 Mandocello restoration

This is a Gibson K-2 Mandocello from 1920. These were built much like their little brothers in the A style Mandolin family – with one small brace b...

A Smiling Skull From a 1940’s Decal Haunts Two Guitars

My favorite uncle gave me his home-repaired guitar when I was in college. A black paint job hid the Bondo he’d used to smooth out damage from a det...

Does Your Guitar Need a Set Up?

It’s not as easy as you might think to trouble-shoot your own guitar. If you’ve had it for years you may be used to its quirks, or you might think...