The Bench

Gibson Les Paul Traditional in ebony fitted with aftermarket EMG active pickups, an example of a reversible modification on a used guitar

Which Guitar Mods Actually Hurt Resale Value?

Buyers do not pay for your taste — they pay for originality and the absence of surprises. An honest breakdown of which modifications cost you real money on resale, which...

Which Guitar Mods Actually Hurt Resale Value?

Buyers do not pay for your taste — they pay for originality and the absence of surprises. An honest breakdown of which modifications cost you real money on resale, which...

Diagram explaining how to read a CTS guitar potentiometer date code, with 137 as the CTS maker code followed by two digits for year and two for week

How to Tell If a Used Guitar's Electronics Have...

Take the control cavity cover off before you buy. Solder joints, wire, and the date codes stamped on the pots tell you almost everything in about fifteen seconds — here's...

How to Tell If a Used Guitar's Electronics Have...

Take the control cavity cover off before you buy. Solder joints, wire, and the date codes stamped on the pots tell you almost everything in about fifteen seconds — here's...

Diagram showing how eddy currents in a humbucker pickup cover reduce treble and lower the resonant peak, comparing no cover, nickel silver and brass

Do Pickup Covers Actually Change Your Tone?

Yes, but far less than the internet claims. Nickel silver takes a decibel or two off the top end; cheap brass takes a real bite. Here's what a cover actually...

Do Pickup Covers Actually Change Your Tone?

Yes, but far less than the internet claims. Nickel silver takes a decibel or two off the top end; cheap brass takes a real bite. Here's what a cover actually...

Close-up of a Bigsby vibrato tailpiece and tune-o-matic bridge on a Gretsch Electromatic Double Jet FT

Do Bigsbys Actually Stay in Tune?

Bigsbys get blamed for tuning problems they didn't cause. The real culprit is friction, and it's almost always the nut. Here's what actually goes wrong, what fixes it, and what...

Do Bigsbys Actually Stay in Tune?

Bigsbys get blamed for tuning problems they didn't cause. The real culprit is friction, and it's almost always the nut. Here's what actually goes wrong, what fixes it, and what...

Diagram of a Norlin-era Gibson Les Paul pancake body cross-section showing a thin maple layer sandwiched between two mahogany slabs under a figured maple cap

Are Norlin-Era Gibsons Actually Bad?

Pancake bodies, volutes, heavy builds. Are 1970s Norlin-era Gibsons really junk, or underrated used bargains? An honest bench-level look at what changed, what got a bad rap, and how to...

Are Norlin-Era Gibsons Actually Bad?

Pancake bodies, volutes, heavy builds. Are 1970s Norlin-era Gibsons really junk, or underrated used bargains? An honest bench-level look at what changed, what got a bad rap, and how to...

Close-up of a Tune-o-matic bridge and stopbar tailpiece on a Gibson Les Paul Standard HP in Heritage Cherry Fade

ABR-1 vs. Nashville Tune-o-matic: Does the Brid...

ABR-1 or Nashville? The honest, bench-level difference between Gibson's two Tune-o-matic bridges — what actually changes (width, saddle travel, the retainer wire), whether the tone debate holds up, and which...

ABR-1 vs. Nashville Tune-o-matic: Does the Brid...

ABR-1 or Nashville? The honest, bench-level difference between Gibson's two Tune-o-matic bridges — what actually changes (width, saddle travel, the retainer wire), whether the tone debate holds up, and which...