If you didn’t know, Takamine is one of the big names in acoustic guitar manufacture in the world today. With humble beginnings in 1959 as a small family-run guitar shop nestled at the foot of Mount Takamine in the central Japanese town of Sakashita, the fledgling company took the mountain’s name in 1962 and has […]
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The nut and frets’ relationship
When you brought home your guitar and got its initial set-up done, the tech guy ensured that the numbers (measurements – action, relief, nut action, etc) added up. That made your learning and playing a breeze. Now your beloved acoustic guitar is 7 – 8 years old and you have religiously played it almost every […]
Shaving plastic on India’s Republic Day
This lovely cutaway came in the other day for action correction and overall service. A good guitar for the price and considering that it was from Japanese giant Ibanez, the workmanship was not to be doubted. Once I was through with working on it and sat down to write this post, I learned that Ibanez […]
Happy 2020, and let’s bone in on nuts and saddles!
Those of you who have been following my ramblings with dedication, know about my pet peeve: plastic parts masquerading as nuts and saddles. To give the devil his due, it’s not that plastic nuts and saddles don’t do the job, but then there is a huge difference between doing the job and doing it well […]
Billions of Blue Blistering Barnacles – why cheap guitars are just toys!!!
Coming back to the quality of guitars under the Rs 6,000 – to put it simply and straight – there is no quality. Yes! If you wish to gift a 3 – 4-year-old a toy, you got one! The raw material used leaves a lot to be desired, the construction is pitiable and the hardware […]
A single string buzzing on a single fret!
This is one of those problems that can get you pulling your hair! There is whole list of things that could cause it and you can’t just point to one and say ‘this is where the problem lies’. So, the way to go (at least I did), is to start at the beginning and go […]
Chillyburst in hot soup – II (Getting it all together)
This is in continuation from the last blog post – https://lkoguitargarage.com/chillyburst-in-hot-soup-i/ So, I stuck the bridgeplate, drilled out the holes (the view as seen reflected in a mirror) but the top, where the bridge would sit was uncharacteristically warped. Thanks to the missing bridgeplate earlier, the top had been pulled out of […]
Chillyburst in hot soup – I
This sunburst – chillyburst – came to me on its deathbed. A young friend’s first guitar, it is one of those inexpensive contraptions that cost double its actual cost, if repaired. But repair, I had to and yet not put in anything from my pocket. But first what ailed it. Cheap guitars are cheap because […]
Solid vs laminate-wood guitars and their maintenance
If somebody shows you a ‘solid-wood’ acoustic guitar, what they mean to say is that the top of the guitar, its back and its sides are made of single pieces of wood. In comparison, a ‘laminate-wood’ acoustic guitar – as the name suggests – is made up of thin layers of different woods stuck/pressed together. […]
Cardinal sin: steel strings on Classical/Spanish Guitar!
This one is due next. Someone decided to throw on steel strings on a Classical Guitar and get a bigger bang for their buck: foolishness brought on by ignorance! Every acoustic guitar – Western Flat Top (Steel String), the Resonator, Classical (Spanish), the Archtop – was made keeping a particular music in mind. That is […]
And since it’s the season for returns…
Remember this? Well, it was back in exactly the same condition as when I first laid eyes on it – with its bridge lifting!! And why? Because of one silly strip of useless wood in the wrong place. What you see in the mirror is called the bridgeplate – the one with the six holes. […]
The return of Black Beauty II – why not to touch the nut slots
Here is a return customer. Remember Black Beauty II? If you don’t, here it is: https://lkoguitargarage.com/a-date-with-snow-whites-cousin-black-beauty-ii/ However, this time, the complaint was that when you played open chords, the instrument sounded a natural seventh!! I tried playing it and if I had played a major 7th, it wouldn’t have sounded any better! Unfortunately, I […]
Why a visit to the guitar technician/repairman is imperative
Your vehicle develops an odd sound when the engine is running. However, it does not affect the functioning of the vehicle. What do you do? Do you run to the mechanic, or, wait till the time that the engine ceases? 85% of us belong to the second category and the rest in the latter category, […]
On 10, how much would you score?
This is something that I wrote, printed and pasted on some cardboard for my younger customers. It sits on my work counter and is as much for students as it is for the general player. A little care, a few precautions can improve string life – a recurring expense – and the overall life of […]
The makeover of PF15-BK – from Plain Jane to Sexy Alexi!
As promised, here is the metamorphosis of the Ibanez PF15-BK, though a tad delayed. In my opinion, for its price, it is a good guitar with some excellent features. One thing that I will say though for the instrument is that it is a dust and fingerprint magnet! (For those who would like to read […]
Ibanez PF15-BK (from Bajaao) – an honest review
I decided to buy the Ibanez PF15-BK online and on a hunch – going exactly against my own advice to youngsters: don’t buy musical instruments online. Play, listen to them, and then decide!!! The fact of the matter is that I got lucky, you may not (maybe I wouldn’t, the next time!!). I got done […]
The delayed Ibanez upgrade – I
Once again…APOLOGIES!!!!!!!!!! The upgrade that I announced so grandly in my last post is yet to take off. This post is an explanation of the whys. But first, a little confession. The Ibanez PF15-BK that I was supposed to work on, was mine and had been bought from India’s exclusive music instruments’ e-commerce site, Bajaao. […]
Coming on the workbench…
Here it be…in all its majestic glory…Ibanez PF15-BK!! Right off the shelf and straight on my bench. It’s here for the initial setup and while it’s here, we will replace a few things on it, as desired by the owner. Instead of the stock tuning machines, we will give it these swanky things with a […]
A delayed apology
Hi, y’all!!!!!!!! I know I have missed our last few dates, but I have been inundated with work (at home and outside). Will resume our sessions soon and the first one out is going to be a total revamp of a new instrument that has been sent to me for upgrades. It should be very […]
Fretwire sprout…ouch!
Last week, while dwelling upon humidity issues at length, I knew I had missed something. It came to me yesterday evening: fretwire sprout! No! The fretwire does not sprout, as would seeds soaked overnight, but the shrinkage caused due to the loss of moisture in fretboard wood, forces the fretwires to poke out, making it […]
Dry days, ahoy! Stay hydrated, keep your guitar hydrated!
The summer in North India (at least the first few months) is a time for dry weather with the humidity wavering around the 40% mark. This is a bad time for your acoustic instruments. Why? The wood of your instrument loses its moisture to the atmosphere when it is hot and dry. Add to it […]
Caring for your fretboard
This particular post is for people who have been playing for more than a couple of years (and have never really cleaned their fretboard). A couple of years is enough time for a build up of body oils, grime, dirt and skin to get deposited on the fretboard. Like the rest of your guitar, you need […]
How to maintain your guitar and care for it
The acoustic guitar is a rather simple instrument (though a lot of physics went into building it), and requires a very simple regimen to keep it singing for long. If you (are able to) do the following, suffice it to say that there won’t be any SOSs sent out, no frantic runs to the ER. […]
Why change ’em if they ain’t broke. Should you?
I know that I have talked about acoustic guitar steel strings and changing them and how to, etc. However, I failed to address this more fundamental question in that post. The answer is, yes, you need to change strings even if they are not broken: whether they are new ones that you installed on your […]
Compensation – whys and wherefores
Look carefully at the saddle in your guitar. It is not placed in a straight line but angles backwards from the treble (thinner) to the bass (thicker) strings. The thicker the string, more is the length required to flatten it. Also, when you play a string on a (any) guitar, by fretting it, you elongate […]