1985 Gibson Chet Atkins Classical ~ pickup preamp

Hard to believe it's been five months since the last post ~ where does the time go?

Here's a fantastic Chet in rare white (aged to blonde) finish.  The owner complained of a pickup issue wherein some of the strings were considerably quieter than others, making this guitar unplayable when plugged in.  This pickup configuration is quite rare and acquiring parts or repairing the transducer is nearly impossible, so the challenge was to repair the problem while keeping it all original.  The very expensive alternative would be to replace the saddle completely and install a new pickup system, which would be rather arbitrary and likely unnecessary.






This was a very innovative system for 1985.  There is a transducer for each string integral to the saddle and connected to a preamp via a ribbon

cable.  On the circuit board of the preamp itself is a trim-pot to adjust the volume of each string individually, allowing the player to customize the EQ of the instrument for more bass, mid, or trebbly output.  Quite cleaver.  Then there is a conventional master volume and tone control easily accessible on the upper bout of the body.

After a thorough cleaning of each internal and external pot as well as the area in and around the saddle itself, there was still a noticeable drop in volume from the low E, D, B and high E strings.  My fear was that there was a break somewhere along the ribbon cable itself, but it didn't make sense that only those strings would be affected.  While the solder connections at the circuit board that connect the ribbon cable appeared intact, a much closer inspection revealed that the fragile ribbon cable had somehow been folded downward along the bottom edge, severing the connection at the solder joint.  It then became obvious why ~ the battery had no clip and was housed rather loosely beside the circuit board, and had bumped against the connection to sever the link.  In turn, the plastic in the ribbon cable had become very brittle and delicate over the years so it was an accident waiting to happen.

So I put my Dentist hat on and armed myself with a tongue suppressor, some dental tools and a magnifying glass to isolate the wire from the ribbon cable and the pin connector at the problem strings.  Once complete, each link was re-soldered into a much more robust connection.  I also had to add a very small 5mm length of three strands of hair-thin wire to the high E connection to bridge the gap.  A very delicate process indeed.  Once complete and after confirming that the problem was resolved, I coated the connections with a generous amount of transparent super glue to strengthen the entire area.

It was then time to address the battery.  Unfortunately, I didn't have a suitable battery clip in stock to install.  Instead of making the trip to the store to purchase one, adding another hour to the job, I decided the more economical way was to make one.  I have various scraps of metal for just such a thing!  A piece 55mm (that's about 2 11/64" for you non-conformists!) in length would do.






Bending it in the vice leaving 17mm (21/32") for the thin side of the battery, then pinching together the opening slightly to add a spring effect made this a very strong clip.




Installed with industrial double-sidded tape (to negate drilling any holes for mounting screws) and this job was complete.  Very happy to have kept it all original.  This guitar is ready for another 29 years of classical wizardry!  I hope Chet would be proud...

1972 Traynor 2x15 cabinet

We recently acquired this cabinet for the arsenal and it arrived infused with a thick coating of nicotine and THC ~ and smell to go with it!  It's missing the Traynor badge, but the screws alone are a tell-tale sign of where it was made.  Only in Canada would a manufacturer use Robertson-head screws!









Equipped with a pair of Marsland 15" ceramic magnet speakers, which give it a super clean, fat tone with a throaty midrange.  The design was originally for bass, but many guitar players have found these speakers quite excellent for Fender-type amp tones with single coil guitars.



We disassembled the cabinet completely for cleaning.  A good scrub-down of warm soapy water did the trick and the brown sludge that resulted was used for weed control in the garden!  It cleaned up very nicely and now has a great road-worn look, plus it no longer smells like Keith's tour bus.  The grille-cloth on these 70's amps is much easier to clean than old tweed style cloth from earlier generations that used cotton as a main material.  Regardless, it still requires special care.

A spray bottle filled with 4 parts hot water, 1 part white vinegar and a few drops of scented mineral oil (to dull the smell of the vinegar) works very well.  Just make sure to remove the speakers first!  With the entire baffle removed, the grille-cloth was sprayed liberally then very gently scrubbed with a soft bristle brush.  We then used a shop-vac to remove all excess water and repeated the process twice more.  Huge difference!  Before and after pics below show the same area of the cloth.  Left in the sun to dry, it took on a classic vintage patina that didn't look stained at all.  This will sure look and sound great under our '69 silverface Bandmaster Reverb!










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Broken potentiometer shafts

Here's a Les Paul who's owner prefers the look of Tele Custom style volume & tone control knobs.  Not a bad option until a while later they go wobbly and off-centre because they're a set-screw, solid shaft type that don't fit properly over the typical splined shaft of a Les Paul or Strat.  Once removed, the two tone control shafts were broken as a result of the set screw and the volume controls were obviously destined for the same result.

In order to keep the original controls intact ~ and to have the guitar ready for a fast approaching gig ~ a workable solution had to be found.  The intact volume shafts were an easy fix/mod.  Inserting a 1/16" piece of metal cut to fit the gap in the splined shaft is an effective repair that is easily reversible.  You can see how the lop-sided knob has dug in to the maple cap, which won't be a factor after this.  For the tone controls pictured above, however, I had to think outside the box...

It needed a small piece of sculpted 3/16" diameter steel rod to complete the missing 2/3 of the shaft, effectively making it a solid shaft.  Where to find such a thing without driving across town to the industrial metal supply store to ask for scrap?  Peg Board hangers!  They are the exact diameter required and also have a protective coating that prevents corrosion.  The added bonus is the little blue rubber ends ~ they fit perfectly snug over the 9v adapter cable train to stop shorting out of the unused terminals of my pedalboard.  For a package that was less than $2CDN at the local hardware store, this is a great find!

After some persuasion with a hacksaw, vice grips,  sander, file and some super glue, the solid shaft was established.  Granted, this can't be used with the original knobs but for this particular instrument it's all about function and less about fuss!

Travelling Tone Lab

Hello everyone!

We've recently taken the Tone Lab on the road and will be working on some great projects in the near future.  Some wonderful things developing with Birchway Sound and our partners that we look forward to telling you all about, so stay tuned for updates.  Also, if you would like to read about or see the occasional picture of our ongoing guitar repair work, please follow us on Twitter @Birchway_Sound.

Our friends at guitartonetalk.com were kind enough to post an article by our resident Luthier which can be read here:
http://www.guitartonetalk.com/2013/07/22/tone-vs-feel-the-importance-of-a-good-setup/
Some excellent reading through the whole site and we look forward to providing articles for them in the future.

Any suggestions, ideas, rants or bad jokes related to music, bands or guitar work are always welcome!  Please drop us a line at BirchwaySound@gmail.com

Favourite Luthier Tools that aren't Luthier tools...

The old pink paisley Tele dropped by for a pit stop the other day with some burrs that had developed in the nut and one of the saddles.  Not a repair that I would usually post something on, but I thought I'd take the opportunity to show a few of my favourite Luthier tools that weren't designed for Luthiers...

Tools made specifically for Luthiers can be irritatingly expensive considering what they actually are.  Looking around at tools from other artistic professions can often lead to some great discoveries that won't put such a dent in your pocket.

This is a cleaner tool for the tip of a welder's cutting torch.  Inside are a series of round files that are near-identical in radius to guitar strings.  Thereis also a small flat file.  Perfect for getting burrs out of nuts and saddles.  The other bonus is, with the addition of the layer of cork adhered to one side, it is the perfect taper for Strat style trems for when you want to keep them flush to the body for set-up!  An outstanding tool that can usually be found for well under $10.  To top it all off, it folds away nicely into a pocket friendly Luthier multi-tool!

This is easily the crown jewel of budget-friendly, can't-do-without non-Luthier contraptions.  There are a few other gems that I'll add to this post as they are discovered and put to good use.



The spray tube from WD-40 or contact cleaner also has a bonus feature.  Speed-up that Tele or Strat re-string by feeding the spray tube through the string channel first, then feed the string itself through the spray tube.  It eliminates the possibility of getting the string caught on any misaligned ridges ~ as if guitar players ever have trouble finding the hole!

Just because I don't like going to the dentist doesn't mean I liberated their tools!  These super handy and versatile dental tools can be easily found in any discount industrial surplus store.  This lot cost less than $20 and their stainless steel construction holds up to daily use.  Perfect for a multitude of detail work ~ scraping, scribing, inspection ~ and the forceps are wonderful as mini vice-grips/clamps for wiring.  You'll spot these on many of my posts.







The thin metal fingerboard guards that allow you to isolate a fret are certainly handy, but cost around $15 delivered for a set of six.  This stainless-steel erasing shield for $2 from a local art & craft store can be used on most frets, and is also an excellent tool for repairing minor dents and scratches.  With it's stencil-like variety of shapes you can usually find one that will surround the area to be treated while protecting the rest of the body.  It's flexibility also allows it to sit flush against a contoured surface.







Say AWWW!  Regular tongue suppressors are a must-have in every shop.  Not only is it handy to have a thin piece of wood around to use for various projects without sacrificing a choice piece of veneer, but these have many other uses.  When a single fret needs some TLC, for example, these 3/4"x1/16"x6" pieces can help simplify the process by keeping the strings out of the way without having to remove them.  Being soft wood, they cause no damage.  Also perfect as a quick shield between a clamp face and finished surface, or between wiring and components when applying heat to shrink-tubing.  And a box of 200 cost just $6.


Any avid bicyclist will recognize this little contraption.  It's the quick-release wheel skewer from the front axle of my old mountain bike.  These come in various sizes, with the rear wheel skewers being the longest.  This one allows for 2.5-3.5 inches to be clamped and the springs are great for holding it in an awkward place while setting-up and tightening.  The lever operates on an elliptical cam so once it's screwed on snug you simply turn the lever and it clamps down tight. Very strong and durable, you can often find a bunch of them used for quite cheap.  Add a couple of pieces of maple dowel with some cork lining and you have a binding clamp that you'll find is better than the usual threaded rod type with the butterfly nut.  I made this one years ago and it's come in handy dozens of times for small jobs, and I've since added a few more.  Drilling the hole through the dowel off-centre is advantageous too as it makes it much more versatile.

Stay tuned for more!  Would love to hear your suggestions on this topic as well ~ please email me at BirchwaySound@gmail.com or tweet @Birchway_Sound!

The way ahead...

Lots of exciting things happening with Birchway Sound!  Great friends and contacts are being made, new clients every week, website is being developed, and the new logo is ready for launch!  Keep an eye on this blog for page updates including sound samples, video and pictures of the instrument arsenal as well as some very talented musicians throwing their hat in the ring.  We couldn't be happier with the way things are unfolding and we owe a lot to the kindness and professionalism of many friends and colleagues.

Follow us on Twitter:  @birchway_sound

Over the last few months we've been displaying some of the Guitarsenal in "The Sanctuary" at Prodigal Recordings in Cayuga.  It's certainly generated a lot of interest and ideas which will be shared very soon.  This is an intimate live entertainment lounge that offers a unique chance to connect with the artist in a way like no other.




Check out this clip kindly put together by our friends at Prodigal of the incomparable Phil Naro and John Rogers enjoying some of our guitars... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=liq0F7riys0


Stay tuned!

Schatten BJ-02 Banjo Pickup Install

Although it's an acoustically loud instrument, putting a mike in front of a banjo isn't always the best solution, especially when you're a player that uses the "clawhammer" picking technique!  The owner of this banjo became tired of not be able to hear himself on larger stages or with a full band, so we opted for the elegantly simple yet very effective Schatten BJ-02.













This is a piezo pickup that is fastened on the underside of the drum skin (head) beneath the centre post of the saddle.  The volume/jack box is clamped to two tension posts (brackets) of your choice, and the wire is hidden discreetly in the resonator after being fed through the rim.

After setting the intonation so the saddle is positioned perfectly, the resonator was removed.  From the underside of the head, the piezo element was fed through the rim and fastened using just a drop of epoxy ~ easily removed with a heat gun and razor blade if need be.  The excess wire is first tied loosely around the tension rod and then a zap-strap around the threads to prevent it from moving.

Before clamping the control box to the brackets, I wanted to make sure the chance of it coming loose and/or damaging the finish was minimized.  Some double sided tape and a thin piece of cork sheet will do the trick ~ it acts as both a lock washer and finish protector.

Installed at the bottom beside the tailpiece is the perfect spot for volume control access and you can still set it on a stand without knocking it.  The cork subsequently acted as a spacer to make the jack positioned at the perfect angle.

The two screws at the bottom of the control box go through the unit to a small threaded bar behind the two brackets, clamping it in place.  A very discreet and excellent sounding unit that any pro would be happy to use!

1987 Road Worn "Blackie" Fender Strat

There's a difference between Road Worn and Performance Worn!  This old battle-axe certainly has some significant war wounds.  I've known the owner for years and recall seeing this particular Strat launched across the stage on several occasions to the delight of the audience and to the rest of us thinking "that's going to hurt!"  It certainly did ~ the owner was on the verge of retiring it for good but decided that if Stevie Ray and Clapton can play those old beat-up Strats for so long, he can too.  He dropped it off for resuscitation...



A tremendous amount of time and passion has gone in to playing this guitar ~ most likely logging more hours than a majority of other guitars.  It's been unplayable for quite some time now as the owner cited issues with tuning, alignment, notes fretting-out and gremlins in the electronics.  A thorough assessment showed why...

Removing the pickguard revealed a large crack that goes diagonally all the through the upper bought of the body.  It runs through the bass side of the neck pocket which explains a lot about the issues with playability.  This is just one of the causes ~ more to follow...













This will be a tricky clamping job once the glue is injected into the crack.  The glue will need to be diluted so it runs through the entire crack and not just around the outer edges of it.



Fortunately, the rest of the guitar is still very solid, meaning a lot of force will be required to open this crack enough for the glue.













Using this ruler to keep the crack open at the top provided enough of an opening to inject the glue.

Regular carpenter's glue is the best option here, as it dries as solid as possible and is water soluble so I can get the right viscosity to have it reach through the entire crack.  I'll use the smallest gauge of syringe (on the right) to reach the most areas.  About 40/60 water to glue turned out to be just the right mix.

Once set and clamped, I wiped off the excess glue with a damp rag and tilted the assembly so that the larger opening of the crack is upmost, allowing the glue to flow down into the crack as much as possible.  After drying overnight, it was very solid and didn't open at all when pressure was applied.  The surfaces aligned perfectly ~ success!

Now for the other concerns...

With the tremolo removed it's obvious this has had some work done to it in the past.  You can see where there used to be a two-post style trem and the anchors have been removed and doweled in favour of the vintage six-screw style.  A reinforcement plate has been glued over top for stability, but it unfortunately didn't extend past the original post holes and created a weak area at the edge that eventually cracked.

A solid maple shim, 1/4" wide by 1" deep, will be installed along the scribed line extending to the outer pickguard screw holes, making it stronger than the day it was made.  By leaving about 1/3rd of the screw holes will eliminate the guesswork of where they need to be once the shim is in place.



Once the area was routed out it was clear that this was not the first place these holes were drilled, making the already thin area even weaker.

The router bit leaves rounded ends.  To square them off in the slot would be a pain, but getting the radius right on the shim itself is equally challenging.  I used a drill bit gauge that has a 1/4" hole to mark the radius at the end of the shim.  It was then carefully hand sanded to create a very snug but not a stiff fit ~ need to leave room for the glue and don't want the shim to induce added stress on the already weak area.

Clamped in place ~ I wanted to make sure both sides of the long edge were flattened evenly as well as being flat against the bottom of the routed slot.  The shim was left about 1/16" higher than the slot to provide a clamping surface as well as to be sanded perfectly flush with the body once dried in place.








Much better!  No more concern with this area cracking away for a very long time ~ if ever.

In addition to a fret dress and fretboard cleaning, the bare wood that has been exposed on the neck over years of wear also need to be addressed.  This was wet-sanded thoroughly with 400 to 800 grit paper in order to lift any loose dirt and smooth it to a satin finish.  It was then french polished with five coats to protect both the fantastic worn patina and the bare wood itself.  I'm certain the french polish will be worn off again in due time!

Now for the pickguard assembly. This certainly isn't original, but it has been in place for a very long time and for many shows. Definitely an amateur job that didn't stand the test of time, as a few of the solder joints were lose (a.k.a. "cold" solder joints), the ground wiring was very messy, and the shrink tubing was the wrong size and covered bad splicing.

Time to warm up the soldering gun!

Before and after ~ much cleaner and the volume pot is ready for some neater soldering.

The pickup "springs" were also dried out and therefore non-functional for height adjustment.  These are the vintage style surgical tubing pieces and luckily I had some in stock...

These are the graphite saddles that were on the guitar when it arrived.  Terribly out of adjustment, likely to compensate for the shifty neck angle.  They were replaced with vintage style saddles as well as larger diameter mounting screws through the new maple shim.  This made it sound and function much better.

The neck pocket required a couple of small pieces of veneer to shim it to the correct angle.  Although there is a micro-tilt set screw in the neck pocket, whenever there is enough space crested in it's adjustment it's always best to use a wood shim so as not to put unneeded strain on the mounting screws and to provide more wood surface contact to transfer the tone (camera batteries ran out for this part ~ sorry)


Overall this was a great project and I'm very pleased how it turned out.  The guitar plays very well and feels as solid as a Strat should.  Can't wait for the owner to have this old friend back and hopefully have it return as his number one!