Epiphone Dot Studio After a Fall

This semi-hollowbody suffered a fall recently, as one can tell from the cracks on both sides of the neck. These cracks extend from below the nut to about the second fret. Then there's the fractured lacquer all along the neck-and-body joint seam, indicating that the neck has shifted. Exactly how stable the neck is can only be determined after further examination. 

And, as expected, the owner is currently battling tuning stability issues, made all the more serious as he's a gigging musician. In any case, he needs this guitar for an upcoming retro-themed show, and there isn't enough time to fix it before then. So, we've advised him to have a backup guitar onstage in case things go south. Recorded at 22:14 on October 29, 2026. CA Guitar Repair. Taman Impian Ku, 25200 Kuantan.

Takamine G Series - October 23, 2026 Update

Related Video

Glad to report that the belly bulge has finally flattened out, and we've been able to pry the bridge off the top. What's to come will be the usual scraping, leveling, roughening, regluing and clamping, plus some touch-ups where the original lacquer has peeled off. As for the GE-5T onboard preamp, it's been safely disassembled for evaluation, save for the endpin jack assembly. For some reason, even after removing the three external mounting screws, it won't budge an inch. Peering inside the body reveals what could be a nut securing the jack in place. Or it could just be these old eyes seeing something which isn't there. Recorded at 16:11 on October 23, 2026. CA Guitar Repair. Taman Impian Ku, 25200 Kuantan.

Yamaha ERB070 Bass - First Look

This gloss black four-string bass came in as nekkid as the day it was born, with not so much as a flimsy gig bag to shield it from the elements. Yes, I have asked the owner to get one pronto, and even told him where to buy one on the cheap. Now, I won't rehash the obvious, as you can clearly see the corrosion and grime encrusting this once fine instrument. Just watch the video till the end, and you'll understand what needs to be done. One thing we'd like to talk about is the issue of inexpensive string brands, most notably "Alice." Fresh out of the package, "Alice" sounds fine to these ears. Admittedly, these strings lose their tone and go "dead" much faster than the more prestigious brands. You get what you pay for, right? So, just change them regularly, and you'll have no problems. Recorded at 19:04 on October 20, 2026. CA Guitar Repair. Taman Impian Ku, 25200 Kuantan.

MIM Strat Needs an Overhaul

Before we begin, kindly note that although the dialog in this video is in Malay, we have not included English captions as the visual content is completely self-explanatory. That being said, we're looking at a hecho en México sunburst Stratocaster that has not been played in a long time, and is currently in none too good shape. Where do we begin, then? Right, all that rust and grime. Dealing with this is going to be a rather daunting task, and it sure looks like we'll have to take everything apart and do a thorough evaluation. Long story short, hardware that can be reused after servicing will be, and that which cannot, replaced. Electronics-wise, perhaps we fare a little better. Owner says the pickups were working the last time he checked, which was two years ago. However, right now, the selector switch is stuck fast and the knobs barely rotate. Recorded at 18:55 on October 20, 2026. CA Guitar Repair. Taman Impian Ku, 25200 Kuantan.

Ibanez GSR200 - October 20, 2026 Update

Ibanez GSR200 - October 8, 2026 Update

Ibanez GSR200 - September 24, 2026 Update

Ibanez GSR200 in Rather Poor Shape

Just finished rewiring and carrying out a pickup tap test on this bass. The tap test will be covered in a video of its own. To recap, all components except for the P and J pickups were replaced. Replacement electronics were three Alpha A500K pots, a generic barrel jack, and a poly 0.047uF tone cap.

Replacement Electronics

Barrel Jack Wired Up

Pot to Pot Ground (White) & Tone Cap Wired In

Hot Lead (Red) Wired In

Soldering On the Pickup Leads

Rewiring Completed

New Bridge Ground

2018 Custom Prazzecio PJ Bass Revisited

This bass was first put together at CA Guitar Repair in 2018 from a Pit Bull Guitars Australia Jazz Bass Kit. It features a Hipshot A Style Fender® Mount Bridge, Hipshot HB6 - 1/2" Ultralite® Bass Tuners, Hipshot O Ring Knobs, a Hipshot Bass String Retainer, an Allparts AP-0640-003 Black Control Plate for Jazz Bass, Allparts AP-0670-003 Black Strap Buttons, a custom black plastic pickguard, a black neck plate and screws, and DiMarzio DP126 BK PJ Pickups.

Well, the Prazzecio is here again, this time for a string change and setup. But that's not all. Thanks to climate change or the east coast weather, the fret ends are now poking out past the edge of the neck on both sides. We call this "fret sprout," and it's made the bass painfully unplayable. Yes, I hear my fret end dressing files calling out to me from the toolbox. 

There's also upper fret buzz, which we'll deal with separately. Last but not least is the uncomfortably rough neck. Years of outdoor gigs, hot and humid conditions, plus sweat and grime, have worn down the original finish and raised lots of wood fibres. Sanding, restaining and refinishing are definitely on the cards here. Recorded at 16:41 on October 18, 2026. CA Guitar Repair. Taman Impian Ku, 25200 Kuantan.

Greco EB-270 Bass Needs Some Help

Strung with nylon tapewounds, this early '70s MIJ "Gneco" bass appears to be in pretty good shape for its age. There are a number of issues, though, as pointed out by the owner. The first is rather high action in the upper frets, which we've traced to incorrect neck pitch (the neck is angled upwards in relation to the body). There's also buzzing from frets 12 to 15. As neck relief checks out OK, we could be looking at uneven frets. The third issue is a loose volume pot (let's hope it's just that) and intermittent contact on the output jack. Finally, someone over-tightened the upper mute pad mounting post, and it has snapped off cleanly. Although it might be possible to weld the post back onto the base plate, the owner is worried about how that might end up looking. In short, it's just a matter of cosmetics, as he's never used the mute mechanism. We'll see how things pan out. Recorded at 14:48 on October 17, 2026. CA Guitar Repair. Taman Impian Ku, 25200 Kuantan. 

Martin LX1 - Lifting Bridge

This Little Martin (LX1) belongs to the same guy who came in with the Big Baby Taylor. What a cute pair, eh? At a glance, you would not see anything odd about this guitar, except that it's missing strings, a saddle and bridge pins. No belly bulge or lifting bridge, apparently. Wrong! Seems that when tuned to pitch, the bridge does lift, and the gap is wide enough to accommodate an envelope. Well, then, no two ways about this. Just squirting some glue is not going to work as new glue does not adhere to old glue. We'll have to go the whole hog and detach the bridge from the top. Then scrape and sand off excess glue and any splinters from the bottom of the bridge, and make sure we have a level surface. Repeat the same procedure for the corresponding area on the top. Only then can we reglue the bridge to the top. It's going to be a lot of work, but there's no other option. Recorded at 15:52 on October 9, 2026. CA Guitar Repair. Taman Impian Ku, 25200 Kuantan.

Big Baby Taylor - Extremely High Action

Here's a Big Baby Taylor (BBT) in relatively fine condition despite being strung with 12s and left unplayed for quite some time. Seriously, there's no belly bulge or lifting bridge, and for that we should be thankful. The owner's here for a string change, setup, and lower action. A reasonable request, given that the current action is so high as to render the instrument unplayable. The most probable reason is excessive neck relief, but we can only confirm this after further examination. Recorded at 15:41 on October 9, 2026. CA Guitar Repair. Taman Impian Ku, 25200 Kuantan.

Ibanez GSR200 - October 8, 2026 Update

Ibanez GSR200 - September 24, 2026 Update

Ibanez GSR200 in Rather Poor Shape

It's a hot, sweaty and hazy afternoon on October 8, and we've finally manged to pry the bridge plate off the body. Lots of crud and grime to be found underneath, as expected. But here's the pièce de résistance. We're looking at the oblong cavity for the bridge ground, but where's the ground wire? Oh, here it is! However, it's been pulled into the cavity, and is no longer sandwiched between the body and bridge plate. No wonder there was no continuity when we last tested. 

Bridge Plate Pried Off

Here's the Bridge Ground

Right then, all that grime. Tried cleaning it off with naphtha, but to no avail. Time for old faithful, Gibson Guitar Polish. So a spraying, a rubbing and a scrubbing we go. Don't forget the elbow grease. Lo and behold .... this seems to have done the trick!

Naphtha Hasn't Done Much

A Spritz of Gibson Guitar Polish

After Much Elbow Grease

Time to work on the frets, which are seriously tarnished. So, we go in with guns blazing. Or rather, a rotary tool with a brush attachment. The frets are looking better already. But we're not done yet. Let's do a little polishing with some 0000 steel wool. Icing on the cake! 

Rotary Tool and Brush Attachment

Polishing With 0000 Steel Wool

This next step, well, we don't really like doing it. But sometimes dirt is so deeply ingrained in the fretboard wood that the only recourse is a good scraping. Gently, of course, with a repurposed scraper blade. Then followed through with some abrading to smoothen the fretboard a bit.

Scraping the Fretboard

Abrading the Fretboard

Now the fretboard is coated with a layer of wood dust, as well as fine particles of dried crud and grime. The most effective removal method is sweeping these particles off with a painter's brush, and then cleaning up with a cotton ball soaked in naphtha.

Cleanup With Naphtha

Fretboard After Cleanup

Our fretboard is now as clean as it will ever be, albeit a little dry, so we need to move on to the next step, which is conditioning. As always, our conditioner of choice is Dunlop 65 Ultimate Lemon Oil. Apply, let it sit awhile, wipe off the excess, and your fretboard will thank you. 

Dunlop 65 Ultimate Lemon Oil Applied

After Wiping Off Excess Lemon Oil

Jaguar Replica - The Home Stretch

Jaguar Replica - September 27, 2026 Update

It's October 7 today, and you can both see and smell the thick haze that's blanketing Kuantan. We're in high spirits, though, as this Jag is good to go. How did we get to this point? Glad you asked that question, now let's dive right in. We'll start off with that extra length of nut jutting out on the High E side. Well, it's now flush with the binding after careful filing, sanding, and buffing. 

High E Overhang

Filing in Progress

Trimmed Flush

With that out of the way, let's move on to the nut slots, which need to be deepened. Here, we like to see about a hair's breadth of daylight between the bottom of the strings and the top of the first fret. The tools we use are nut slotting files, torch tip cleaners, and silicon carbide paper.

Deepening the Nut Slots

Yes, we've eventually gotten the nut slots down to the desired depth. One new experience here was the great difficulty in cutting into the TUSQ nut. Whatever it's made of is really slick, and the files could not "bite" into it as easily as bone or plastic. They just kept slipping and sliding. 

Desired First Fret Action Achieved

End of story? Not quite yet, folks. Yes, the nut slots are as deep as we need them to be, but just look at the mess. There's excess "plasticky" material and burrs all over the place, something that would never happen with bone. Bone would just leave you with lots of dust. You can also see that the D, G, B and E strings are now buried too deep in their slots.

Strings in Deepened Slots - Top View

First Four Strings Buried Way Too Deep

Lots of Excess Material and Burrs

Let's take care of the mess, then. We'll first "reprofile" (file and sand) the top of the nut, which allows for more of the strings to be exposed above the top of the nut. For a wound string, no more than half its diameter should be buried in its slot. On the other hand, an unwound string should be buried just deep enough so it doesn't pop out during bends. Next, we'll work on slots individually, removing excess material, smoothing out burrs, and generally cleaning things up. Finally, there's finessing and polishing with the aid of various abrasives.

Reprofiling in Progress

Nut Work Completed

Techno T3000 Acoustic - A Quick Look

Remember that guy and his old Santa Cruz? In that video, you might have noticed a black acoustic in the background. It's a pre-loved Techno T3000, and he wants us to give it a once-over before restringing. So, what's the verdict? Well, besides needing a good clean and polish, fretboard conditioning, as well as a gig bag, there's nothing much to worry about. And, as always, we go on and on about the absolute need for a gig bag, and even mention by name three stores in town that carry affordable ones. Recorded at 15:37 on October 3, 2026. CA Guitar Repair. Taman Impian Ku, 25200 Kuantan.

 

Santa Cruz Acoustic Needs Lots of Help

Here's a weather-beaten Santa Cruz acoustic that's had lots done to it over the years, the most obvious being a body refinish. As Dad doesn't play it any more, it's been hanging on a wall for ages. Fast forward to today, and the guitar is now in the hands of the son, who'd like it restored to playable condition once again. Fair enough, methinks. 

Now, let's see what ails this baby, and how best to go about fixing things. For one, all that grime and dust has got to go. Same applies to anything rusty, like the tuners. The fretboard? Well, you can see just how messed up it is. What needs to be done here is not "conditioning" per se, but rather, "reconditioning," if you get my drift. Someone's also had a go at the nut and saddle, so they'll need to be replaced, as will the broken strap button. Recorded at 15:19 on October 3, 2026. CA Guitar Repair. Taman Impian Ku, 25200 Kuantan.

AK HB-8ACEQ Acoustic - Unbalanced Output

Just in today is this AK acoustic belonging to a full-time busker. He's such a busy performer that the strings, which he only put on a week ago, are already tarnished. The main issue is unbalanced output on the D and A strings, probably due to uneven string pressure on the under-saddle piezo element (pickup). Sad to say, he's replaced both the piezo element and preamp, but to no avail. 

So, we'll be running a full diagnostic check, and eventually identify the root of the problem. There's also the issue of the noisy and crackly output jack, which is most probably worn out from prolonged use. Easy enough to replace if need be. CA Guitar Repair. Taman Impian Ku, 25200 Kuantan.  

 

Kapok Acoustic - September 27, 2026 Update

Here's an honest-to-goodness Kapok six-string acoustic that belongs to a local busker. Sad to say, it's normal place of residence is hanging from a hook on the wall, and it's had a great fall. As expected, both the top and back are suffering from numerous cracks and serious delamination. We'll be dealing with the back first. And, as always, it's Titebond Original Wood Glue (red label), cauls, and clamps to the rescue. CA Guitar Repair. Taman Impian Ku, 25200 Kuantan.

Delaminated and Cracked Back

Delaminated and Cracked Top

Titebond Original Wood Glue

Regluing the Back

Clamps Applied

Jaguar Replica - September 27, 2026 Update

Jaguar Replica - September 20, 2026 Update

To date, we have confirmed a fretboard radius of 9.5 inches. We've also reapplied lemon oil as the fretboard was still looking a tad dry. The TUSQ PQL-5000-AG nut has been installed temporarily to enable restringing, and it's jutting out a little on the High E side. First fret action is also a little higher than we'd like. After restringing with D'Addario NYXL1046s, under-string radius, as set by the previous repair shop, was measured at 9.5 inches. However, there's noticeable fret buzz on all strings towards the end of the fretboard, and a slight disparity with regard to intonation. We'll definitely need to run a full setup once the strings and neck have stabilized. CA Guitar Repair. Taman Impian Ku, 25200 Kuantan.

Fretboard Radius is 9.5"

Second Application of Lemon Oil

D'Addario NYXL1046 Strings

Checking Under-String Radius

TUSQ Nut Is a Little Too Wide

First Fret Action Is a Little Too High

Ibanez GSR200 - September 24, 2026 Update

Ibanez GSR200 in Rather Poor Shape

After dealing with frozen screws, nuts, and the like, we've finally disassembled this bass. On the electronics front, a full rewire is on the cards, with only the pickups retained. As for hardware, we'll be retaining whatever is reusable after servicing, and replacing what's not. CA Guitar Repair. Taman Impian Ku, 25200 Kuantan.

GSR200 Control Cavity

9V Battery Compartment

Disassembly in Progress

Empty Control Cavity - Note Shielding Paint

Empty 9V Battery Compartment

Control Cavity Electronics

Pot Nuts, Flat and Lock Washers

B500K Neck Volume Pot

B500K Bridge Volume Pot

A500K Master Tone Pot

Phat II EQ PCB and B20K Bass Boost Pot

Output Jack Solder Joints

Neck Joint Sans Hardware

Neck Screws and Ferrules

Strap Buttons, Washers and Screws

Truss Rod Adjustment Nut

Die-Cast Machine Heads

Fretboard and Frets

Neck Heel

Bridge Mounting Screws, Saddles Disassembled

Bridge Plate Is Stuck Fast to the Body

Bridge Ground - Broken Connection