The Bench

Illustration inspection map of a guitar body showing five places a refinish reveals itself

How to Spot a Refinished Guitar (Before You Ove...

The outside of a guitar is the last place to look. A bench tech's guide to the cavities, serial stamp, binding and under-hardware tells that reveal a refinish or overspray...

How to Spot a Refinished Guitar (Before You Ove...

The outside of a guitar is the last place to look. A bench tech's guide to the cavities, serial stamp, binding and under-hardware tells that reveal a refinish or overspray...

Illustration comparing a genuine Gibson headstock with counterfeit red flags: logo angle and font, two-screw versus three-screw truss rod cover, serial number, and a scarf joint behind the nut.

How to Spot a Fake Gibson When Buying Used (Wha...

A used-guitar tech walks through the tells that actually catch a counterfeit Gibson - neck joint, logo, fret nibs, serial, control cavity - and the price and provenance checks that...

How to Spot a Fake Gibson When Buying Used (Wha...

A used-guitar tech walks through the tells that actually catch a counterfeit Gibson - neck joint, logo, fret nibs, serial, control cavity - and the price and provenance checks that...

Illustration comparing hardness of nickel-silver frets versus stainless steel frets

Are Stainless Steel Frets Worth It? An Honest A...

Stainless frets barely change your tone, but they last two to three times longer than nickel-silver and feel like glass under a bend. Here's when the upcharge is worth it...

Are Stainless Steel Frets Worth It? An Honest A...

Stainless frets barely change your tone, but they last two to three times longer than nickel-silver and feel like glass under a bend. Here's when the upcharge is worth it...

PRS SE Custom 24 in Blue Fade, a 24-fret double-cut electric guitar, photographed on a sheepskin

PRS Custom 22 vs Custom 24: Which One Should Yo...

The real difference between a PRS Custom 22 and a Custom 24 isn't the two extra frets — it's where the neck pickup ends up. Here's how that changes the...

PRS Custom 22 vs Custom 24: Which One Should Yo...

The real difference between a PRS Custom 22 and a Custom 24 isn't the two extra frets — it's where the neck pickup ends up. Here's how that changes the...

Diagram comparing bolt-on, set neck, and neck-through guitar construction from a top view

Bolt-On vs Set Neck vs Neck-Through: Does the N...

Bolt-on, set neck, or neck-through — does the neck joint really change your tone? A bench tech's honest take on tone, sustain, playability, and what the joint actually means when...

Bolt-On vs Set Neck vs Neck-Through: Does the N...

Bolt-on, set neck, or neck-through — does the neck joint really change your tone? A bench tech's honest take on tone, sustain, playability, and what the joint actually means when...

Gibson Les Paul Traditional Pro headstock showing the nut, string path and tuners

Why Won't My Guitar Stay in Tune? (It's Usually...

Nine out of ten tuning complaints trace back to the nut, not the tuners. Here's the 30-second diagnosis, what a properly cut slot looks like, and the fixes — from...

Why Won't My Guitar Stay in Tune? (It's Usually...

Nine out of ten tuning complaints trace back to the nut, not the tuners. Here's the 30-second diagnosis, what a properly cut slot looks like, and the fixes — from...