The Bench

Gibson Les Paul control layout with two volume and two tone knobs, illustrating 50s versus modern wiring

50s Wiring vs Modern Wiring: Does It Actually C...

'50s wiring changes exactly one thing on a Les Paul: where the tone cap connects. Here's what that actually does to your sound, the trade-off nobody mentions, and whether it's...

50s Wiring vs Modern Wiring: Does It Actually C...

'50s wiring changes exactly one thing on a Les Paul: where the tone cap connects. Here's what that actually does to your sound, the trade-off nobody mentions, and whether it's...

Diagram mapping guitar fret buzz location to its cause: open string or first fret means low nut slots, mid-neck buzz means relief or action, a few frets means high or worn frets

Will a Fret Level Fix Your Fret Buzz? What Leve...

A fret level only fixes buzz from high or uneven frets. Here's how to tell where your buzz is really coming from, what leveling does on the bench, and when...

Will a Fret Level Fix Your Fret Buzz? What Leve...

A fret level only fixes buzz from high or uneven frets. Here's how to tell where your buzz is really coming from, what leveling does on the bench, and when...

Illustration of how to spot a repaired headstock break on a used guitar: overspray halo, glue seam, added volute, and color mismatch

How to Spot a Repaired Headstock on a Used Gibs...

A repaired headstock isn't a dealbreaker — but paying unbroken money for a broken guitar is. Here's exactly where Gibsons break, the four tells that reveal a repair (including the...

How to Spot a Repaired Headstock on a Used Gibs...

A repaired headstock isn't a dealbreaker — but paying unbroken money for a broken guitar is. Here's exactly where Gibsons break, the four tells that reveal a repair (including the...

Front of a used Fender Telecaster headstock with standard vintage-style tuners and a string tree, on the Aeonic Frets bench.

Are Locking Tuners Actually Necessary? An Hones...

The word ‘locking’ does a lot of marketing work. A used-guitar tech breaks down what locking tuners really do, where your tuning actually drifts, and the few times they're genuinely...

Are Locking Tuners Actually Necessary? An Hones...

The word ‘locking’ does a lot of marketing work. A used-guitar tech breaks down what locking tuners really do, where your tuning actually drifts, and the few times they're genuinely...

Figured cranberry flame maple top on a solidbody Les Paul — the tonewood debate in one photo

Does Tonewood Actually Matter on an Electric Gu...

An honest, bench-level take on the tonewood debate: it barely moves a solidbody's plugged-in tone but genuinely shapes a hollowbody's voice — and on either it changes feel, weight and...

Does Tonewood Actually Matter on an Electric Gu...

An honest, bench-level take on the tonewood debate: it barely moves a solidbody's plugged-in tone but genuinely shapes a hollowbody's voice — and on either it changes feel, weight and...

Neck and fretboard of a used 1997 Gibson Les Paul Classic on the bench, the first area to inspect when buying a used guitar

How to Check the Neck on a Used Guitar Before Y...

The neck is the one part of a used guitar that can quietly turn a great deal into a repair bill. Here's how I check twist, relief, the truss rod,...

How to Check the Neck on a Used Guitar Before Y...

The neck is the one part of a used guitar that can quietly turn a great deal into a repair bill. Here's how I check twist, relief, the truss rod,...