Official Luthiers Forum!

I and my most recent project visited a good friend and luthier (150 completed and counting) trying to resolve a raspy overtone (NOT a string buzz, not nut, not loose saddle, not loose braces, not frets), but gotta be something we're missing) to no good effect. I need the cavalry. Can anyone recommend a thoughtful, careful, thorough, and wise expert in setup available by road trip from NW Connecticut?

THANKS!

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Peter Havriluk

Wish I lived closer Peter I would invite you to my home and/or our shop.

Be sure to check that the nut slots angles are flat and there is no hump in the middle of a slot. Another common one with small builder guitars is a nut slot that is too wide and the string shimmies around on a microscopic level. A few quick passed with the proper gauged nut file making a grove in the slot for the string to ride in fixes that one.

There is back buzz too as a possibility as well as a flat spot on the saddle top. Be sure the break angle behind the saddle is sufficient too.

A loose brace can rattle and buzz too and I always hit notes while closing my hands on the tuners too just to make sure they are not the source of any rattle.

We can usually find this in under a minute at our shop. I'm surprised that someone with that many guitars under their belt did not find it. It kind of underscores that there is a LOT more to Lutherie than just building which is why I love the repair side it's something different every time.

Lastly you guys are the home of Ben and Jerry's Maybe offer up some free Ben and Jerry's and ice cream junkies like me might get on a plane and come to you

You might check out Bob Stubblebine. https://www.stubblebinelutherie.com/

Hesh, thanks, you added to the list some gremlins we didn't eliminate, a back buzz and a loose tuner. These, I'll do tomorrow. Saddle is an untouched Tusq, and I've used the same ones in all my projects. And the buzz is evident on the first three strings and I can't see any particular nut or saddle problem simultaneously affecting three strings. I'm still catching up on my rest, the visit was to darkest New York, the thriving village of Whitney point, five hours each way. This was only one item on my punch list. Just like in a lot of the things we associate with, fixing them takes a whole different set of skills than making them.

Ben and Jerry's is some hours north in Vermont. Fun visit. I'll happily provide all the Ben and Jerry's you can tolerate.

I just might be trying to darken your shop door next spring after the Muskegon/Milwaukee ferry starts running.

More to follow!

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Peter Havriluk

Much obliged. I just might wind up there. Somerville is a real nuisance for me to get to, it's next to Cambridge and there's a lot of unavoidable metro-Boston traffic to wade through.

But you've given me an option! Thanks!

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Peter Havriluk

I did some grazing around - - - 'Becker and Cumpiano Instruments' (I think it's Famous Author Cumpiano) is an hour up the road for me. Anyone have anything to share about whether their repair skills might be worth a visit?

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Peter Havriluk

If you’re happy with a 4-hour drive to northern Vermont, Cat Fox is on Grand Isle. http://www.catfox.com Level head and knows her stuff.

Many full-time luthiers will not be keen to spend time trying to diagnosis and fix an instrument while a client is looking over their shoulder. I can’t say about Cat. Just keep that in mind as you approach.


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When we take something in we do triage with the client present and enjoy some level of collaboration so we can get more of the scoop on the instrument without having to guess. It can save a lot of trouble when someone inadvertently says something that gives you a clue to what may be wrong. We call it "listening...."

When we find the issue(s) we like being able to point it out to them on the spot even handing them the mirror and flashlight. They are far more inclined to be onboard with the repair even if extensive and expensive if they are part of the discovery process. This is also known as MBO management by objectives in the business world.

It's one thing for someone to receive a call with an expensive quotation conveyed when they can't see that their bridge plate is all chewed to hell and they are much more on board with what things require including cost wise when we can show them exactly where the problem is and what it will involve to correct.

We are also very busy so we don't want to have to revisit something multiple times. Every interaction we have with an instrument we want some progress to be made toward the goal of resolving the issues.

As such we don't let anything be dropped off at our shop until we have had the opportunity to collaborate in person with the steward/customer with a hard quotation offered in writing and agreement on the scope of the repair. All our jobs have a defined beginning, ending and definition of success and customers are important to be present to let this happen.

The work is of course done without the client present but I have done repairs by appointment with clients present who I enjoy and like personally and I like talking to them and showing them what I do. They like it too, most of them. We have had a few who looked like they were going to faint when they saw the sausage making of some repairs...

I grew up in Canton, just down the road from where you are. We were just down there this weekend!

I'd recommend Trevor Healy in Easthampton, MA. A great guy, extremely experienced, and he runs a tight shop.

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Burton
http://www.legeytinstruments.com
Brookline, MA.

Thanks, I was wondering about him. I was in his guitar cave a few years ago when I was starting to build and I was gathering bits of wisdom wherever I could find it. Still in the hunt.

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Peter Havriluk