Not a particularly valuable guitar, but a challenging project, and one worth doing. This Japanese Kiso-Suzuki classical is from 1973 and probably would have been a mid-grade instrument in its day - something a little higher than a student model. When I got it the tuners were broken and so was the neck block. Someone... Continue Reading →

It’s not “Trigger”, but it is a Martin and I took it from an unplayable piece of firewood, back to prime Martin sound and playability. Someone had really abused this poor thing and it was pure garbage. It had been allowed to dry out so badly that the back split (not even a two piece... Continue Reading →

Did this one as a favour. It is a turn of the 20th century round back mandolin, and it had very special sentimental value to the owner. As you can see in the followings few pictures, the top braces had let go and the top sunk pretty badly. After a few days of humidifying it... Continue Reading →

This thing is ultra cool. The wooden tailpiece was only used by Harmony during WWII when metal was reserved for the war effort. The original tuners are like none other I’ve seen either, with the gear peened onto the tuning post and no screw. It came to me from the family of the original owner.... Continue Reading →

This was another guitar that was headed for landfill, a 50's or 60's Harmony Archtone H1215. These are pretty cool guitars there were inexpesive in their own era, but which have such a unique sound that they have become fairly desireable in modern times. I'm very excited to have been able to rescue and restore... Continue Reading →

This came to me from a friend of a friend.... a “word-of-mouth” kind of thing from other folks who can’t stand to see instruments end up in landfill. At first had had absolutely no idea what the heck it was .... a cittern, a lute, an oud, a bouzouki, a mandela, ?????? Twelve strings, a... Continue Reading →

UPDATE MAY 10, 2020 ..... see below for final results ..... This will be my most involved amateur restoration yet, but this thing is so cool that I’m excited to see it playable again. I picked it up from somebody who had planned on restoring it, but who realized that the work required was too... Continue Reading →

This is exactly how it came to me. An acquaintance found this old 60’s Eko (made in Italy) in a garbage can out in the rain. Most of the finish was gone. The top was cracked and had lots of water damage. The top and bottom had partially separated from the body. The fret board... Continue Reading →

I definitely overpaid for this thing. It was in pretty rough shape, but it is the sister instrument to my first ever Takeharu WK-300 (also made by Kiso-Suzuki) and I just couldn’t walk away. Some young fella in Winnipeg’s North End was laughing all the way to the bank with my $160. (He, by the... Continue Reading →

Here is another garbage can find, this time an electric guitar. Before starting this project I knew absolutely nothing about electric guitars... but how hard could it be?!?! This is an unbranded (or at least unknown brand) made in Japan Les Paul style guitar from the 70’s. Well, I’m guessing it’s from the 70’s because... Continue Reading →

Two broken back braces + one broken neck + a lifting bridge + a decade of grime = a guitar for the garbage dump. Unless of course I end up with it. A simply amazing sounding guitar when it was fixed.

The bridge was lifting and twisted, and there was a bit of a belly happening. I experimented with a “bridge-on” belly reduction by cutting a hardwood caul to fit between the X bracing under the bridge. Then I clamped the bridge lightly and used a clothes steamer to soften the belly and the bridge, slowly... Continue Reading →

Picked this up for a decent price because it had a broken heel and the neck was a little wonky. The heel fix was really clean, almost imperceptible. The neck and action was more work. The neck had some serious relief in it with the action at the 12 fret unplayable. I lubed the truss... Continue Reading →

This Jasmine got stepped on and was headed for the dump when I intercepted it. It was never a “high-end” instrument, but it looked like it would have been a decent player in its day.... despite the black textured spray paint all over the back. I figured it try and make it live again. It... Continue Reading →

Restoration of broken cedar top.

This was my first ever guitar, which I received on a barter with a local vintage shop owner. I gave him a bag full of stuff that had no value to me and he gave me this gorgeous guitar. Solid spruce top. Solid 3 piece rosewood back. Was just stunning. After fixing it up a... Continue Reading →

This one didn’t need too much restoration, and wasn’t destined for the garbage, but it had sat in a closet for many years when I found it. I only needed to make a new nut, new saddle and adjust the neck. Very happy with the result.

Picked this up at a local swap meet for next to nothing because there was a huge crack in the back that went all the way through. Found a piece of solid rosewood and sanded it down to a 1/8” so I could brace the crack from the inside. Turned out great and sounds simply... Continue Reading →

One of the nicest sounding classicals I’ve ever heard .... after I was done with it. Rescued from the trash, this guitar had a broken heel, and some hammer-head had tried to fix it by putting two giant wood screws down through the fret board at the 11th fret. Unbelievable!! The photos below show how... Continue Reading →

This was the first Framus I restored. Framus has an amazing history of making quality stringed instruments, which began in 1946 as highly skilled German luthiers were being expelled from Czechoslovakia after the war, and resettled in the Bavarian region of Germany. This vintage Framus Texan 5/196 was made in 1968 in the former West... Continue Reading →

Framus has an amazing history of making quality stringed instruments, which began in 1946 as highly skilled German luthiers were being expelled from Czechoslovakia after the war, and resettled in the Bavarian region of Germany. This vintage Framus Texan 5/196 was made in October 1969 in the former West Germany. These acoustic guitars are unique... Continue Reading →

Another guitar destined for the garbage dump, rescued, revived and playing on. This Mann AJ-331C was stamped August 13, 1982, and had a badly broken heel when I saved it from destruction. Even once repaired, the neck angle wasn’t great, but after I was done with it, the guitar ended up being left behind in... Continue Reading →

Old guitarists say the “FG” in Japanese Yamahas stands for “Fu€&ing Great”. this is one of the earliest Yamaha acoustic guitars ever made, and has the coveted Nippon Gakki Red Label. Made only between 1968 and 1972. This guitar does not have a serial number inside it, indicating a very early production year, 1968 or... Continue Reading →

When I got this guy, it had a cracked heel, cracked neck near the nut, hole in the side, no saddle, missing and broken tuners, two broken back braces, and a neck angle that was crazy high. Solid spruce top, mahogany back and sides, and a striking resemblance to a Martin D18. Made in Japan.... Continue Reading →