Leaderboard

I learned to fix my own guitars when I realized it was a waste of money bringing them to a tech all of the time. When I went full time as a musician, I started realizing in closer detail what I wanted my guitars to do, so I learned how to dial them in. I learned out to do the things that others didn't want to, truss-rod adjustments, fret dressing, special electronic wiring, etc. Not luthier stuff, just basic guitar setup and repair. When I found I had a knack for it, I turned it into a side hustle to supplement my gig money. I worked on guitars for people one day a week, and then that turned into two days a week, until I had enough gigs where I didn't need to do it anymore. In the process, I really learned what I liked, and I also found out that many of the things touted on the internet as guitar setup gospel, weren't

Some of us are born with inclinations towards solving problems, engineering, and being a mechanic. I'm one of them. I learned soldering, replacing harnesses, set ups, etc. with guitars because I liked learning and doing it. Every time I pick up a guitar I subconsciously assess the set up and the state of the strings. I had not thought of this before, but it reminds me of the military, particularly the Marines. They bond to their rifle and care for its every need.