The Bench

Gibson Les Paul with two covered humbuckers — you can't tell the magnet type by looking

Ceramic vs. Alnico Pickups: Does the Magnet Act...

A guitar tech's take on ceramic vs. Alnico pickup magnets — what each really does to your tone, why ceramics get called cheap, and how much the magnet actually matters.

Ceramic vs. Alnico Pickups: Does the Magnet Act...

A guitar tech's take on ceramic vs. Alnico pickup magnets — what each really does to your tone, why ceramics get called cheap, and how much the magnet actually matters.

Illustration comparing a Fender three-bolt neck plate with Micro-Tilt to a four-bolt neck plate

Are 70s (CBS-Era) Fenders Actually Bad? An Hone...

The three-bolt neck, Micro-Tilt, and bullet truss rod gave CBS-era Fenders a rough reputation. Here's what actually went wrong in the 70s, what's just myth, and exactly what I check...

Are 70s (CBS-Era) Fenders Actually Bad? An Hone...

The three-bolt neck, Micro-Tilt, and bullet truss rod gave CBS-era Fenders a rough reputation. Here's what actually went wrong in the 70s, what's just myth, and exactly what I check...

Front of a Fender American Professional II Stratocaster headstock showing a single string tree retaining the B and high-E strings.

Do You Actually Need a String Tree? (And Should...

If your guitar has a flat, Fender-style headstock, that little string tree isn't optional — but it's also the most common tuning-stability culprit on Strats and Teles. Here's what it...

Do You Actually Need a String Tree? (And Should...

If your guitar has a flat, Fender-style headstock, that little string tree isn't optional — but it's also the most common tuning-stability culprit on Strats and Teles. Here's what it...

Diagram of the ideal guitar humidity comfort zone, 45 to 55 percent relative humidity, with too-dry and too-humid problems on either side

Do You Really Need to Humidify an Electric Guitar?

An electric isn't an acoustic, but dry winter air still causes fret sprout, setup drift, and nitro finish checking on the fretboard. Here's how dry is too dry, and when...

Do You Really Need to Humidify an Electric Guitar?

An electric isn't an acoustic, but dry winter air still causes fret sprout, setup drift, and nitro finish checking on the fretboard. Here's how dry is too dry, and when...

Illustration comparing a mini-humbucker and a full-size humbucker: the mini has narrower coils and a tighter string-sensing window, giving a brighter, more focused tone.

Are Mini-Humbuckers a Downgrade? The Les Paul D...

Mini-humbuckers get dismissed as a lesser pickup. They're not — they're a brighter, tighter, more focused voice. Here's the honest bench take on the Les Paul Deluxe: why it has...

Are Mini-Humbuckers a Downgrade? The Les Paul D...

Mini-humbuckers get dismissed as a lesser pickup. They're not — they're a brighter, tighter, more focused voice. Here's the honest bench take on the Les Paul Deluxe: why it has...

How Often Should You Actually Change Your Guita...

There's no magic number. A used-guitar tech breaks down when to actually change your strings: the signs that matter, rough timelines by how much you play, why strings die, and...

How Often Should You Actually Change Your Guita...

There's no magic number. A used-guitar tech breaks down when to actually change your strings: the signs that matter, rough timelines by how much you play, why strings die, and...