The Top 5 Reasons Why You Should Take Your Guitar to a Repair Shop

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 We all love to rock out to our favourite tunes, play those killer licks and scream those riffs through our amps like the best of them, but when things go wrong for your trusty axe or something isn’t sounding right, why not take a trip to your local repair shop for them to give it a quick look over. If your guitar is in more than twenty pieces, it may be too late, but you’d be surprised at the top 5 reasons why your guitar needs a little TLC when it comes to repairs.

5. Get Your Guitar Professionally Setup

Getting that shiny new guitar out of its case for the first time is an exhilarating experience that will stay with you for the rest of your life, followed by the overpowering urge to quickly find that backing track to rock out to. But think for a moment of the time it took to get to your hands, the distance it travelled to be played for the first time and understand that not every guitar leaves the factory sounding its best.

Every guitar should be setup according to the way you play it, as well as being setup in a way that prolongs the life of the instrument and allows it to be played to its best ability. Your local guitar repair shop will have an experienced professional on hand to professionally setup your guitar to give you the best out of your new axe.

From tuning, action, intonation and nut adjustment, paying a little extra for that pro feel is worth its weight in gold.

4. Wind Your Neck in

One of the more common issues you may find with your guitar is warping of the neck. This can cause a whole host of issues down the line if not taken care of early, including damage to the neck, permanent warping, fret-board and inlay damage as well as pretty much destroying the guitar play-ability overall. 

Take your guitar and with your head near the tail piece, look down the fret-board to see if any warping is occurring. You will notice that when lined up, the frets will either curve down or up as you look down the neck. A simple adjustment of the nut is in order in this instance, but be careful; you could crack the neck of the guitar if not done properly.

3. Modifications

You can obliviously try some modification to power up your guitar. This is one of the best things that a decent guitar repair center will be able to offer is a series of modifications to your guitar. It is one of the many added benefits of enlisting the services of an authentic Luther or guitar engineer.

Popular modifications include installing a pickup to an acoustic guitar, changing your existing pickups on your electric guitar for a newer model, or making simple repairs such as replacing lost screws, broken pick guards and toggle switch knobs.

2. General Maintenance and Servicing

Every once in a while it is a good idea to get your guitar serviced so you know that everything is in great working order. This is especially true if you are regularly gigging and need a reliable and stage-ready axe. You may wish to employ the services of your local guitar repair shop to upgrade your guitar with better pickups, replace the frets due to damage as well as replacing inlays and machine heads.

A good oiling and waxing every now and again is a great way to improve the longevity of your guitar, especially if it is a vintage model, so ask your local repair shop about suitable polishes and oils that can bring out the best in your guitar finish, as well as preserving its overall durability.

1. Damaged Electronics

The most common fault to happen to guitars across the world of music is with its electronics. Any decent guitarist will testify to the somewhat flaky electronics in some of the most popular guitars out there. Knocked a switch off your axe The volume control spins continuously No signal Buzzing and hissing Call in a pro.

With a few simple tests to see what the problem is, a decent guitar repair shop will have your guitar up and singing again in no time at all. With tips to help lengthen your guitars life time, repairs can be a regular addition to any gigging guitarist with an axe to grind.

With a little care and attention, your guitar can not only last a lifetime, but for generations. Like the vintage guitars you see in the bigger guitar shops, the careful owners took pride in their axes to ensure generations to come could enjoy their sweet, sweet tones. Accidents can happen though, so when in need, check out your local guitar repair centre for repairs, upgrades and more!

Choosing your first Pro-Level Guitar

Finding a high-quality guitar that plays as great as it sounds used to require hard work and a little luck, but these days there are numerous guitar manufacturers to choose from to find your ultimate axe. To start your foray into guitar music, you might want to an acoustic guitar to give you that flexibility and ease of use you need when you’re starting out. However, there starting with an electric guitar is also safe if you’ve got your heart set on playing that kind of music. To avoid the dilemma whether you should play an electric guitar or acoustic guitar let’s take a look at 2 of the brands we recommend for beginners.

The Epiphone Les Paul Electric guitar

 

Epiphone, a company steeped in 140 years of history for their musical instruments is one of the cornerstones of the modern electric guitar industry. The guitar came into being after Les Paul was asked to consult on a new design for Gibson guitars to rival the introduction of the Fender Telecaster. This iconic design, as well as its innovative circuitry which give it an iconic sound has made the Les Paul one of the most famous guitars in the world.

When the Epiphone musical instrument company was bought out by Gibson, the Epiphone brand was used to create high quality, yet affordable versions of the Gibson branded guitars. With many other innovations still being made by Epiphone, they continue to create new designs, independently of Gibson.

A range of tones

 

The Epiphone Les Paul comes in a number of different options available for the beginner or the pro which allows you to choose a high-quality instrument that doesn’t break the bank. The Epiphone Les Paul Standard is well regarded as a high quality professional musical instrument, despite its relatively low price compared with Gibson models. A number of famous guitarists use this guitar and swear by its quality and sound.

Other variants of Les Paul include the Les Paul Studio; a ‘no frills’ version of the standard that has less finishing options such as body and neck binding, dot inlays and a natural top finish. The Les Paul Plus Top features a beautiful A+ wood top finish that usually contains quilted maple. But for those that want a true Les Paul experience on a budget, the LP-100 comes in at an amazing price to give you that authentic Les Paul sustain and tone. You can check out this review on Epiphone Les Paul guitar and make the decision a little  easier for you:

Cole Clark Guitars

 

Finding your tone is one of the most enjoyable aspects of guitar playing, and as you progress you will find that the materials used in the production of your guitar will play an essential role. For this reason, many people choose to find a specialist guitar maker that uses the best materials combined with a high-quality finish.

Cole Clark guitars are a small producer of high-quality musical instruments that utilise years of experience and craftsmanship to offer some of the finest sounding acoustics on the market. Cole Clark guitars use indigenous Australian fine woods to create their masterpieces, which allows a tonal range that is rich and true to hear.

The finest materials and construction

With two separate classes to choose from when it comes to acoustics, the Fat Lady and the Angel series, a wide range of choice is on offer to give you an acoustic tone to fall in love with. Cole Clark acoustics are made from the finest materials, offering Quilted Maple, Indian Rosewood and Tasmanian Silkwood tops to give you a rich deep tone.

The finish on all of the acoustics in the range is second to none, giving you high quality craftsmanship in the binding and fretwork, delicate inlays and the refined class of the headstock which screams quality. Cole Clark guitars also offer their very own range of pickup systems which are incorporated into their acoustic models.

Standing the test of time

So if you are looking for a fine guitar that has a history of superior quality, fine craftsmanship with high-quality materials, Cole Clark acoustic guitars are the way to go. Similarly, with a rich history of build quality, super cool looks and killer tone, the Epiphone Les Paul models are your best bet at your first pro model guitar.

If taken care of, these guitars will last you a lifetime of enjoyment. Built with the finest materials, designed by world leading skilled luthiers, and a brand name that many artists swear by, your first pro level guitar is just waiting to be played.