guitar repair hints and tricks....

[casey]

well, i got to thinking about how i came up with a little trick
to fix a guitar.

one of the screws from the saddle on my tele came out
and so i went to a local music shop in search for a new
one and the spring that goes with it.  well, we finally came up
with a spring....the screw that goes into the saddle was easy....
but the spring was challenging to find.

later, i came up with this idea:

Take apart a "click" pen.....  there is a spring inside
that is usually the perfect size for most guitar saddles.

There is my trick....does anyone have any others they'd like
to share for the benefit of all?  :lol:

[petemoore]

That;s a good one.  I went through that process some time ago...sometimes they don't fall out...having a source like this means you'll probly be able to replace it pretty quick...I could never get mine to stay in when the bar's not holding it.  I used to carry spares.
 Surprizing the # of Strat type owners that don't realize a spring is part of the guitar there...
 Now I use a urethane sheet, melted into a blob, and inserted instead of a spring..to get it out [for blob size testing] I would insert a hot guitar string into the blob, and let it cool, then pull it out.
 If you can get some urethane, roll the warmered blob to about the diameter of the trembar hole and cut it to about 1/4'' long.
 Deerfield, and Stevens Urethane were our suppliers of urethane sheet...we were getting 800+ Lb. rolls of it...TONS of scrap I couldda had...the stuff's not cheap !

[BillyJ]

You can sharpen a dull pick (if a sharp one is your thing) on just about any carpet.
Angle pick with the point facing away from you and drag the pick on the carpet towards you.  A couple of swipes is all it takes with a little practice.
Be careful as a little goes a long way. I suggest using an old crappy pick first for pratice.
You can 'work' the edge with a little practice and renew an otherwise hating it pick.
It takes a little more pressure with thicker picks...anyway give it a try.
I am sure others know about it but I discovered this one on my own  long ago.

Another great tips is over/under with your cables. I can't explain that one though maybe someone else more articulate than I?
It's a great one though nothing like tossing one end of any length cable and have it splay out without even a hint of a tangle...too cool.
Hopefully someone can give the details on that one. I would just confuse folks.

[javacody]

pete, wouldn't a piece of surgical tubing work pretty good for that application as well?

[casey]

hey pete,
can you expound on the urethane thing....i am not for sure
that i understand....

[Mike Burgundy]

Over/under... Do you mean *the* way to roll up cables?
It really is tough to explain if you can't show someone in person.
Start with a cable that's as widely laid out as you can manage. Loads of coils on top of each other will end up in knots.
Ok. Stick out a vertical fist with your left hand, thumb up. I know it feels stupid but it helps if you actually try this, with a cable -read on.
Hold one end in your left hand (lefties mirror everything please) so that you have the plug end coming out of the bottom of your fist, and the end that has all the rest of the cable attached out of the top. Hold the cable loosely in an open fist, it's not going to try and escape.
Measure off a length of cable (say a foot or two) and grab the cable there with your right hand. While tightening your grip with both hands, *twist* your right hand anti-clockwise, and make the first coil (clockwise looking from the right). When you reach the top of the coil, release the cable from right to your left hand.
If you've done this correctly, the coil will not want to knot itself up and be a poster advert for all of coildom. If the coil twists, start it over. It takes some practice to get the hang of what loop size goes with what amount of twist. I usually pre-twist my wrist clockwise before grabbing the cable to get enough twist in there.
Once you get the hang of this, you can roll up rather long cables, without knotting, very fast.

Now for the hard bit: the knot at the end.
The last bit of cord should be not really enough for a complete loop, but it's also longer than a couple of inches. Look at the coils in your hand from the right.
Pick up the end of the cord with your righthand, and lift it up a bit. Now run it behind the coil in your left hand, keeping its position on top of the coils in your left hand secure. Let go with your right. Reach through the coils, and pull the loose end through, end bring it to the top again. The trich is to make the knot a "mini-loop" so make absolutely sure the cord is still doing the same thing as in the loops, only smaller.
Put the end over the top of the "start of the end" which you're still securing with your left hand. Run it between that piece of cord and the rest of the coil, pull tight, done.
If done correctly, the cable makes no sudden twists and turns or sharp corners, not even on the knot.
NEVER pull on jacks or other connectors, just the cable. If the knot is executed correctly, a cable can withstand more punishment than you can throw at it pulling it tight.
Also, I like to start at the "end" bit of a cable (On XLR that's usually the female plug) - this leaves the knot at the starting point - the stage connection block. From here you can throw the entire coil away on stage, and it will unwind nicely.
Hope this makes a little bit of sense.

[BillyJ]

Thanks Mike that is it!!!!
I see so many guy do this figure eight thing or they use there arm and elbow....yikes!! LOL!

It is super easy to show but hard to explain but folks if you no idea what the heck we're talking about try Mike instructions you will never regret it.
Thanks Mike I would have botched that special.

[Samuel]

That cable rolling thing was about the ONLY thing I learned from my crummy studio internship in CA.

[MRTelec]

For cable wrapping:  http://stagecraft.theprices.net/gallery/cablewrap/cablewrap-rm.html

[Ansil]

they sell slightly higher tension springs of the same size at ace hardware