GuitarSam eZine Volume 29 March 2001   Subscribe Email us Back to Index

Chip Wilson: Guitar Tech Talk

Guitar Tech Talk is from Chip Wilson in New Orleans. If you have a question about guitar building, repair, or maintenance, send it to Chip at jumpinsomethin@aol.com. Musician/luthier Chip Wilson lives in New Orleans, LA. Chip worked with Borys Guitars when master archtop builder James L. D'Aquisto served as a consultant before Chip opened his own business, Better Guitars. Better Guitars served as an authorized repair shop for most of the top US guitar manufacturers. Chip recently wrote a book review for Guitarmaker, the quarterly publication of the Association of Stringed Instrument Artisans (ASIA). Chip is now primarily a performer in New Orleans, typically playing 25 to 30 gigs per month, as a soloist, sideman, and with his own band A Jumpin' Somethin'. His 1999 release "A Jumpin' Somethin'" was nominated for Best Traditional Jazz CD By A Louisiana Artist by Offbeat Magazine, the most widely distributed Louisiana music publication. "A Jumpin' Somethin'" can be obtained online at www.louisianamusicfactory.com, or by contacting Chip at jumpinsomethin@aol.com Guitar Tech Talk Sometimes it is obvious when a guitar needs service. There is a fine article by expert repairman Frank Ford in the March 2001 Acoustic Guitar magazine advising players about what might justify a trip to the shop. Having decided you are going to bring your instrument in for service, what can you and your repairperson expect from one another? First, a good repairperson will look over your instrument, checking out your problem areas, and pointing out other problems that might need to be addressed. Try to communicate the symptoms of the problems clearly, even play the instrument to demonstrate both your style, technique and your concerns. Then, trust the luthier to decide on the appropriate solutions and give you an estimate of cost for necessary or optional work. Remember that an estimate is just that, although a responsible repairperson will contact the owner if other problem areas arise that might justify an increased cost. Some players like to give a repairperson a budget that they can afford at that time. Some repair shops have a price list, although I personally don't view instrument repair as being an entirely predictable science. Communication between the parties is key as in any financial discussion. When I ran a full-time repair shop, I usually had between thirty and fifty instruments on my to-do list, a time consuming work load. A quick repair is important to many players, but there may be an extra financial cost to pay for that service if a "rush job" is demanded. An experienced repairman will give the customer a reasonable idea of the time frame for a repair . . . and then it will likely take longer. Be patient. Also remember that all the time that the luthier gives to you in telephone calls, social visits during work hours, and in assessing your repair before and after the fact is multiplied by the amount of guitars and cases you see in the shop. Try to give your repairperson a break, so there is time to work. He doesn't need to know you or your guitar's life story, he needs to know what it really takes to do the repair. If you call and get an answering machine, it could be that he is working on your guitar right then. Or maybe not. In either case, leave a brief message, with your number clearly stated up front and a good time for a return call during normal business hours. It's quite likely that your repair person doesn't really want to talk about your guitar on Sunday afternoon or during dinner with his loved ones. Of course, you assume you are going to have a properly done repair. You, the repairman and knowledgeable friends may be the judges of that. However, when you get your instrument back, you should be able to expect a few things. The case and instrument should be at least as clean as they were when they arrived. Don't necessarily expect a repairman to dig through endless layers of beer residue, barroom dust and finger crud, but you should expect the instrument to look reasonably nice. Shops are dusty places, but most repairmen will try to clean up the case for you if it has gotten dusty. Glue drips, drops of shielding paint, and other evidence of repairs should be nonexistent in a well run shop, although the demand for rush jobs can sometimes result in cut corners. Don't necessarily expect your instrument to be perfectly set-up if you brought it in for a crack repair. Fretwork, nut or bridgework, and neck adjustments, however, should come back with a good setup. Every player is different, though, and you should budget a few minutes to play some familiar stuff on your instrument to make sure that the setup suits your style, within the limitations of the instrument. The finest repair shop can't transform a pawn shop junker into a professional player guitar. If some additional tweaking needs to be done, it's possible you may need to leave the instrument for a bit more time. A few other notes: first, don't expect the shop to have a "loaner" for you. A serious musician has a backup instrument, even if it means skipping a meal or some partying to get the bread for one. Second, a note to do-it-yourselfers: nothing is more frustrating and often time consuming for a repairman than trying to correct someone else's incompetently performed repair job. Finally, there is a whole other etiquette and price structure for the repair of vintage instruments which takes into account the issues of collectability and originality over playability. To me, the best music is about communication between the musicians and the audience collectively. (It's ironic how poorly many of us communicate off the bandstand). Logically, the best repair work will also be a joint effort between the guitarist and the luthier. This can best be accomplished with good, clear, to-the-point communication. Chip Wilson Email jumpinsomethin@aol.com Web www.jumpinsomethin.com

ISSN: 1529-0956 Library Of Congress, Washington D.C. USA
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