Andy Eagle ( Guitar repair tech for 30 years )

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This in an Allparts neck detail sanded before finishing;
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The neck was fitted to the body before you start the detailing.
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Then the finish;
If they have what you want and can do the last part yourself they are very good.,
 
Eagle said:
Hello everyone.
A few words of introduction;
I have been a repair tech full time for 30 years and on the side of a proper job before that. I also work with collectors, insurance and auction houses authenticating vintage and ex rock star gear.
Basically if you have an issue I have more than likely seen it before.
I firmly advocate that there is objectively good and bad in both music (not for this column) and musical instruments and it is far from just opinion. I base what I write on my experience and empirical data if available and have no affiliation with any companies as this would compromise my ability to say what I find and this is why people come to me in the first instance. I also call myself a repair tech not a luthier because I deal mostly with a diagnostic approach to solving peoples problems and not scratch building .

So as the title says;

Ask me anything!
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Wish you were local to Denver as there is a couple guys here, but it’s kind of hard to find the best ones
 
Hi Andy,

Thank you for being a part of this.

I have a question regarding a Stratocaster neck that I just purchased for my Partcaster build. It's a recent AVII neck with a rosewood fretboard. Unfortunately, I have high frets all over this neck, and I'm wondering how concerned I should be. The frets are flush against the fretboard at the edges, but I can slide a 0.011" string between the fret base and the fretboard towards the center.

I should add that not all of the frets are high; a few are seated properly, so the fret-kissed rocks quite a lot.

I believe the frets are also glued in place, as I had to remove a lot of super glue from the fretboard. There was a long, dried-up stain between fret X and fret XVII that I cleaned up with Scotch-Brite and some naphtha.

So, my question is: is it possible to re-seat already glued-on frets, or am I facing a full refret?
 
Nerd said:
Hi Andy,

Thank you for being a part of this.

I have a question regarding a Stratocaster neck that I just purchased for my Partcaster build. It's a recent AVII neck with a rosewood fretboard. Unfortunately, I have high frets all over this neck, and I'm wondering how concerned I should be. The frets are flush against the fretboard at the edges, but I can slide a 0.011" string between the fret base and the fretboard towards the center.

I should add that not all of the frets are high; a few are seated properly, so the fret-kissed rocks quite a lot.

I believe the frets are also glued in place, as I had to remove a lot of super glue from the fretboard. There was a long, dried-up stain between fret X and fret XVII that I cleaned up with Scotch-Brite and some naphtha.

So, my question is: is it possible to re-seat already glued-on frets, or am I facing a full refret?
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Some pictures of the issue close up please.
If the frets are super glued then they will need to come out but fender don’t superglue frets in on the AV2. Pictures then I can suggest the way forward.
 
Eagle said:
Some pictures of the issue close up please.
If the frets are super glued then they will need to come out but fender don’t superglue frets in on the AV2. Pictures then I can suggest the way forward.
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Darn, im on the airport rn, heading off to Rome for a week. Will do the macro shots when I get back.

Bit worried what ware these stains on my fretboard, now 😳
 
Nerd said:
Darn, im on the airport rn, heading off to Rome for a week. Will do the macro shots when I get back.

Bit worried what ware these stains on my fretboard, now 😳
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If it not been touched you can repress the frets in properly and dress them but I need to see it.
Just post pics when you get back.
 
Dimiguitar said:
What is your view about acoustic loudness of an electric guitar? Does it make any difference plugged in?
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The quality of acoustic tone is super important but the volume of is not . Excessive volume is sometimes just the product of chambering but it also can sap sustain. With an electric guitar you want acoustic properties that enhance sustain and harmonic overtones. You also don’t want any dissonance/dead notes or over loud notes. Balance and tone not volume because your amp can take care of that.
 
Eagle said:
The quality of acoustic tone is super important but the volume of is not . Excessive volume is sometimes just the product of chambering but it also can sap sustain. With an electric guitar you want acoustic properties that enhance sustain and harmonic overtones. You also don’t want any dissonance/dead notes or over loud notes. Balance and tone not volume because your amp can take care of that.
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Thanks for the response. A specific electric guitar (with Floyd rose) of mine has much less acoustic volume than the rest. Like, massive difference. But there's no dead notes, sustains well all over, and it seems to sound great plugged in.
 
Dimiguitar said:
Thanks for the response. A specific electric guitar (with Floyd rose) of mine has much less acoustic volume than the rest. Like, massive difference. But there's no dead notes, sustains well all over, and it seems to sound great plugged in.
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A good electric guitar needs everything except volume acoustically. In actual acoustics higher volume is a trade off against sustain. This is why gypsy jazz guitars have the design differences for volume and to cut through. Longer scales, lighter top, focused sound hole and a higher action. Also the rest stroke style picking attack all hep you pick harder to get more usable volume.
 
Bigsby retrofit: Do you think it's possible to retrofit a Bigsby B7 to a Gibson Les Paul Tribute? They are weight-relieved, so the worry would be to hit a weight relief hole with one of the Bigsby screws.
 
First off, I very much appreciate you being here and answering guitar questions for free.

Second: my next question is about stainless frets. I used to play all nickel. Then got into stainless and prefered the feel and promise of (relative) immortality.

But about a year ago I played a strat with nickel. Well, I loved the feel so much. This ended up with me refretting a neck partially with nickel and partially with stainless of the same size.

I seem to now prefer the bend and vibrato feel of nickel frets. I can polish nickel and stainless as well as I can, but nickel always seems to have more "grip" for bends and vibrato.

There's a more "glassy" feel to bends with stainless. In practice that seems to mean less control for me. I am less confident bending on stainless even after years of playing with them.

So my question is: what things have you heard from your customers AGAINST stainless frets? And is my experience something you haven't heard of or is it more common? Online, people rarely seem to describe preferring the feel of nickel.

Thank you very much.
 
Dimiguitar said:
First off, I very much appreciate you being here and answering guitar questions for free.

Second: my next question is about stainless frets. I used to play all nickel. Then got into stainless and prefered the feel and promise of (relative) immortality.

But about a year ago I played a strat with nickel. Well, I loved the feel so much. This ended up with me refretting a neck partially with nickel and partially with stainless of the same size.

I seem to now prefer the bend and vibrato feel of nickel frets. I can polish nickel and stainless as well as I can, but nickel always seems to have more "grip" for bends and vibrato.

There's a more "glassy" feel to bends with stainless. In practice that seems to mean less control for me. I am less confident bending on stainless even after years of playing with them.

So my question is: what things have you heard from your customers AGAINST stainless frets? And is my experience something you haven't heard of or is it more common? Online, people rarely seem to describe preferring the feel of nickel.

Thank you very much.
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Sorry only just seen this.
I have one or two guys that can make SS frets feel gritty. They also do it to nickel but that sort of self corrects with use because the strings are harder than the frets. It happens with a sledgehammer pick attack and slightly softer SS. Not all SS frets at equal.
I presume you like the resistance of nickel during a bend because the grip is entirely dependent upon the hight not the material?
 
AutomationBias said:
Hey Andy, what's your take on Nacho guitars? I can't tell if it's all hype. Wondering if you've laid hands on one.
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I’ve only played two and they are no different from the guitars I build for players. This is my Strat;
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I’d put this up against anything. I was also a lot more particular about the hardware and pickups used.
They were good but this is better.
 
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