EG&L Lyretale – A Red Special Tribute
For years I have wanted to build a tribute to Brian May’s “Red Special” guitar. I decided I wanted it to be special as well and not a direct clone of what he had created.
Here is a link to the build process I undertook:
https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.5062544793783093&type=3
1957 Silvertone Archtop
My friend Kris dropped off his 1957 Silvertone Archtop for some upgrades and a few minor repairs. I love to bring these old guitars back to life. Always a pleasure to work on.
https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.411595384323157&type=3
Antonio Tsai Archtop Repair
My client asked if I might be able to fix a repair to her Antonio Tsai Archtop. The guitar had been damaged by an airline during shipping and she had gotten it repaired by a shop that no longer exists in Edmonton. I took on the job hoping to make a repair that was close to the original as possible. Here is the link showing the process I took to do the repair:
https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?vanity=ercseguitar&set=a.434683605347668
Fixing Fretboard Divots
There are times when you have an older guitar come in that has seen a lot of love and a lot of playing. Fretboards can take a beating but will wear down over time. This was a well played Takamine that came in to see if I could help keep it going. He was afraid he’d worn out his guitar. I gave it a thorough cleaning, fixed the divots with cyanoacrylate, rosewood shavings and dust. Scraped the fretboard surface and gave it a second application to fill any imperfections. Then I scraped and sanded it level, did a full fret dressing and oiled the fretboard. After new strings and a setup, it’s back to playable condition. 🙂
Strat Style – Client Build
A client got in touch with me earlier this year about finishing up a build that his Grandfather has started 13 or 14 years ago. He told me this body was built by his grandfather and his grandfather’s best friend, but his best friend has passed away before they could complete the project.
So the client asked if I could complete it so that he could give it to his grandfather as a present. I was happy to take on the project. The EG&L custom built Strat made it’s way home. The client’s Grandfather loves it. Glad to have been able to help finish up what he had started.
https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.2442197995817799&type=3
Ibanez Hummingbird Restoration
Every once in a while you run across a gem that someone is throwing away. I found this Hummingbird posted online for $40 with a stand and electronic tuner. I was amazed that someone would let this beauty go for such a price.
Well there is a little more to it. This is an Ibanez knock off from the late 60s early 70s. One of the old Gibson lawsuit models. It has the Gibson crown logo and open book headstock. There is a reason Gibson sued the Japanese companies making these guitars….they are as good if not better built than the Gibsons they copied.
This one is no exception….but it had it’s issues.
1. The bridge was beginning to lift, like on most old Gibsons.
2. It was dried out and needed some TLC.
3. It had the original adjustable aluminum saddle…..the mounts cut right through the top’s X brace. Not good.
4. The frets were shite. Someone had tried to level them to get the guitar to play better, but didn’t recrown them.
5. The fretboard had a large hump on the body of the guitar.
So being the adventurous type, I decided that this guitar would be worth the effort and I’d make it my own. So I ordered some new parts and set about repairing this beauty.
Initial Restoration
https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.1961875960516674&type=3
Final restoration
https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.5221581921212712&type=3
