When was the last time you repaired a cord? Replaced a volume pot in your guitar? Put a new jack in an effects pedal or guitar? Installed new tuning machines? Some of you have done some of these things. Some have done none of them. And a few have done them all. If you’re reading this, chances are good that you’re a guitarist. After all, this isn’t Build Your Own Guitar Magazine or Rewire Your Amp Quarterly. Wanting to know about gear doesn’t necessarily mean wanting to build or fix it. But it doesn’t mean you can’t, either. Some repairs and mods aren’t too difficult, and even the hard ones aren’t impossible. Here are some thoughts to guide you before you start playing surgeon with your beloved gear.
Knowing what to do yourself is the key. Believe me, there’s nothing more humbling than taking something to a real, live, qualified repairperson after you’ve botched the job, or only got through it partway before chickening out. And unlike painting a house, where you can stop midway through and still be able to live in it, if you stop working on your guitar before reinstalling the tuning machines or pickups, you’re pretty well out of commission. You’ll get as good a sound from that half-done guitar as you would if you were to strum a brick.
Start simple.I haven’t met many guitarists who didn’t express a desire to build their own guitar at one time or another. A handful actually attempted it, and only a few of them succeeded. The biggest problem they all had was the classic imbalance of too much desire and not enough experience. Don’t try to be the next Bob Benedetto or Paul Reed Smith in a week. Set some simple, realistic, attainable goals, like learning to solder, or learning to refinish wood–something that’s a bit contained in its scope. Building or repairing a guitar requires dozens of refined skills, and none of them are developed to the point of expertise in a short time. Knowing how to replace pickups or pots is a whole ’nother thing from resetting a neck or cutting a nut. You have to accumulate specialized skills. So, pick one small project, and study what it takes to get it done.
Read, watch, and learn. There are zillions of books on guitar and amp repair and modification, and columns in guitar and electronics magazines intended to educate you. If you can attend a workshop or find helpful books and/or videos, spend the time and money learning, rather than on repairs to botched do-it-yourself jobs. If you’re going to do any electronics work, get a resistor color chart (it tells you how to interpret the color bands on resistors so that you know their resistance value), learn about capacitance, and find out how to work a volt/ohm meter. If you’re going to build guitars, take a woodworking class so that you not only know the techniques, but the safety guidelines, as well (fingers are hard to replace!). Go online and ask questions to other builders and repairpeople at news:rec.music.makers.builders, news:alt.guitar, or through Harmony Central or other guitar-related web sites.
Don’t paint yourself into a corner. Plan your project carefully, and do a "dry run" before you really do it. I used to build electronic kits–fuzz boxes, filters, preamps, synthesizer modules, etc.–and one of the best habits I got into was laying out the parts and tools before starting. I estimate that about half of the projects were delayed by missing parts (that’s why the kit makers would always warn, "Check your parts") or a lack of the proper tools.
Know the warning signs of "don’t do it!" There’s a multitude of things you shouldn’t do, unless you’re a seasoned pro builder or repairperson, contrary to what a lot of books might tell you. You might think that only you can decide what you can and can’t do. Look in some of the books, and if a procedure looks amazingly complicated or scary-dangerous (to you or your gear), or if it specifically tells you to steer clear of it, then believe the author. Or, ask a repairperson who does what you want to do. If you’re nice and they’re nice, they’ll tell you what it takes. Ask what that kind of work costs. If they tell you something like $25.00 parts and $350.00 labor, then that should clue you to the complexity and required skills. If specialized tools–like a $5,000 milling machine–are required, think real
Practice makes perfect. Turn on one of the millions of "home improvement" shows, and whenever they’re going to paint or varnish or stain something, they say, "Practice this on a scrap piece of wood before you do the real thing." If you’re going to replace a pickup, but you don’t even know which end of a soldering iron to hold, put in a little practice time before attempting the surgery.
Don’t rush. This is important. Very, very, very important. Don’t rush the learning process. Don’t rush the job. Don’t rush to decide whether you should even do a job. Most mistakes are small, but they can have major consequences. Doing the job right is your primary objective, and the ability to do something fast and well (at the same time) comes through repetition. I once helped a friend replace the front springs on his van, and it took four hours to do the first spring. The second one took 25 minutes. I’m sure if there were more front springs, we’d have had the whole process down to 10 minutes per spring, easy. By doing something multiple times: you develop your confidence and technique, and you can concentrate on the craftsmanship. Another reason not to rush is safety. The more you try to "push the clock," the more likely it is that you will damage something, which includes yourself. Power tools, in particular, are unforgiving and don’t care why you reached into the path of the blades, bits, or other moving parts; they just chomp. And electrical devices–especially amps–can be lethal if you don’t play by their rules.
Know how to deal with frustration. Here’s one you don’t often read in DIY books, because they’re always pushing the "can-do" spirit. When something goes wrong–your guitar hums mercilessly, your fuzz box makes a gargling sound, whatever–after you’ve done your work on it, remain calm. If you get the urge to put your fist through the wall, resist it! Don’t yell. Don’t scream. Take a few deep breaths. Okay, maybe walk out in the back yard and yell and scream for a minute. But don’t do anything stupid. Let your brain air out, and once you’re calm, return to the project. Retrace your steps, check for loose parts, bad solder joints (if you soldered, that is), etc. Be very methodical, and in most cases you’ll soon see the problem’s source.
Finally. Be patient, and you’ll get good at just about anything. And remember: Learn from your mistakes, so you don’t have to repeat them!