Andy Eagle ( Guitar repair tech for 30 years )

vino_buono said:
Hi, I have a question regarding shielding the guitar cavity of my strat with copper foil tape to reduce the single coil hum. If done “right”, is this going to affect the tone?
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It is detrimental to the high end of good single coils and has no affect whatsoever on 60cycle hum. You should just make sure everything works properly and your rig has no ground issues. Do this and you are good to go. I have never come across a guitar that was improved in any way by copper tape. For example; a pair of humbuckers with covers and screened wire is already screened as much as possible. Pots have backs and use screened wire to the jack . Nothing more is going to make any difference. Single coils are affected if you screen them anymore than the traditional approach. Wrapping copper around the coils and the use of screened cable can help but at a price. I don’t recommend it.
Usually you can find something in your rig or the room that makes far more difference.
 
What do you think of adding a zero fret to a guitar? I did on my Gibson and it solved a lot of its issues, including tuning stability and that first fret out of tune major third.

I had replaced the nut, had it done by a well-known pro, and it just wouldn’t stay in tune. It was factory Pleked and played extremely well but it just wouldn’t hold tune.

I did try all the “tricks” at the tuning machines, the silly luthiers knot, wrapping differently, all the internet lore, everything. I wasted so many G and B strings. One or two strums is all it would take to untune the thing.

I ended up with a String Butler and a Zero Fret and it’s finally a usable guitar.
 
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HomespunEffects said:
What do you think of adding a zero fret to a guitar? I did on my Gibson and it solved a lot of its issues, including tuning stability and that first fret out of tune major third.

I had replaced the nut, had it done by a well-known pro, and it just wouldn’t stay in tune. It was factor Pleked and played extremely well but it just wouldn’t hold tune.
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It is usually the angle over the nut that causes the problem. You can fix that by winding the two wraps around the peg up instead of down when you put the strings on. Zero frets are no better than a correctly cut nut from an intonation point. The reason they are often better is because you can’t do one wrong and often a nut is cut too high causing the fretted note to be sharp. If you intonate your guitar between the 3rd and 15th fret your guitar will play in tune better anyway.
If when you tune your guitar using 3rd fret fretted notes the open string is out the nut is the fault.
 
@Eagle should a guitar ABR-1 bridge post studs be loose or snug fit ?
or does not matter when there is string tension ?
could loose studs possibly adversely affect Intonation ?
as you can see I'm a total noob :D
Again thank you for all the help you provide to all here @ TGF

Cheers
Mike
 
Eagle said:
It is usually the angle over the nut that causes the problem. You can fix that by winding the two wraps around the peg up instead of down when you put the strings on. Zero frets are no better than a correctly cut nut from an intonation point. The reason they are often better is because you can’t do one wrong and often a nut is cut too high causing the fretted note to be sharp. If you intonate your guitar between the 3rd and 15th fret your guitar will play in tune better anyway.
If when you tune your guitar using 3rd fret fretted notes the open string is out the nut is the fault.
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Well, my additions are all superstition now. I’m not about to change it because it is probably my #1. 😃
 
Stone said:
@Eagle should a guitar ABR-1 bridge post studs be loose or snug fit ?
or does not matter when there is string tension ?
could loose studs possibly adversely affect Intonation ?
as you can see I'm a total noob :D
Again thank you for all the help you provide to all here @ TGF

Cheers
Mike
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They would have to be very loose to affect intonation.
Loose is ok if it sits well with strings on, in fact slightly loose will find it's own best contact point to allow the string vibration through. If you have a tone pro locking tunomatic and listen carefully acoustic it actually sound fuller with it UN locked.
 
Eagle said:
It increases compliance and makes the strings feel looser. They aren't of course but they feel it.
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Honestly, I don’t feel it. However, it seems to have a smidge more sustain with the tail piece screwed down all the way. Could just be the different angle over the saddles, idunno.
 
HomespunEffects said:
Honestly, I don’t feel it. However, it seems to have a smidge more sustain with the tail piece screwed down all the way. Could just be the different angle over the saddles, idunno.
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If you get the string to not touch the body of the abr1 that is the most important part. If you have a Nashville style tuneomatic and the screw the tail all the way down it’s noticeably worse. This is down to the double contact of each string behind the saddle on the back of the body of the bridge.
 
Eagle said:
If you get the string to not touch the body of the abr1 that is the most important part. If you have a Nashville style tuneomatic and the screw the tail all the way down it’s noticeably worse. This is down to the double contact of each string behind the saddle on the back of the body of the bridge.
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It’s an ABR1 with the tailpiece screwed down all the way and top wrapped. More superstition, don’t want to jinx it, leaving it that way. 😄
 
HomespunEffects said:
It’s an ABR1 with the tailpiece screwed down all the way and top wrapped. More superstition, don’t want to jinx it, leaving it that way. 😄
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Top wrapped reduces the angle the same as lifting the stop tail to the point that you avoid the double contact.
 
HomespunEffects said:
Honestly, I don’t feel it. However, it seems to have a smidge more sustain with the tail piece screwed down all the way. Could just be the different angle over the saddles, idunno.
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That's pretty much my experience with it. To me top wrapping is entirely unnecessary on guitars that don't have too much neck angle.
 
@Eagle, what's the worst case of a neglected guitar that has landed on your bench? Like not a guitar having subpar parts, but just one that has been totally abused by its owner.

I read another thread about somebody babying their guitar and started wondering what it looks like if someone is truly abusing theirs.
 
laxu said:
@Eagle, what's the worst case of a neglected guitar that has landed on your bench? Like not a guitar having subpar parts, but just one that has been totally abused by its owner.

I read another thread about somebody babying their guitar and started wondering what it looks like if someone is truly abusing theirs.
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Hideously dirty and basically untouched for twenty years. Rusty metal green frets . I just quote a figure I guess they would never pay .🤣 fortunately/ unfortunately some say “OK”😱
 
Eagle said:
Hideously dirty and basically untouched for twenty years. Rusty metal green frets . I just quote a figure I guess they would never pay .🤣 fortunately/ unfortunately some say “OK”😱
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I found some footage working on such a guitar:

Season 9 Nbc GIF by The Office
 
I had an early 90s 'Pre Historic' 3-pickup Les Paul Custom that I sold 20 years ago and am having some nostalgia about. They're roughly the same price as recent (2020-2024) Custom Shop models. Knowing that buying any Gibson is a crap shoot, what's your take on the relative quality of the 'pre-historic' guitars compared to current custom shop guitars?
 
AutomationBias said:
I had an early 90s 'Pre Historic' 3-pickup Les Paul Custom that I sold 20 years ago and am having some nostalgia about. They're roughly the same price as recent (2020-2024) Custom Shop models. Knowing that buying any Gibson is a crap shoot, what's your take on the relative quality of the 'pre-historic' guitars compared to current custom shop guitars?
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The stuff they make now is better than older ones. There will always be exceptions but it’s a good starting point. Check over carefully and be very critical. Also be prepared to wait for the right one. Good luck and try and play as many as possible, although unfortunately with this kind of thing you won’t find many.
 
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