The Bench

Diagram comparing a rounder 7.25 to 9.5 inch fretboard radius to a flatter 12 to 16 inch radius

Does Fretboard Radius Actually Matter? A Straig...

Yes, radius matters, but less than the forums claim and less than a good setup. A plain-spoken guide to 7.25 vs 9.5 vs 10 vs 12-inch and compound radius, and...

Does Fretboard Radius Actually Matter? A Straig...

Yes, radius matters, but less than the forums claim and less than a good setup. A plain-spoken guide to 7.25 vs 9.5 vs 10 vs 12-inch and compound radius, and...

Diagram comparing a one-piece angled Gibson headstock, where straight grain runs off at the nut and creates a weak short-grain break line, with a scarf-jointed neck whose grain follows the headstock angle

Should You Buy a Guitar With a Repaired Headstock?

A guitar tech's honest take on buying a used guitar with a repaired headstock. Why a clean, well-glued break is mechanically a non-issue, what the repair really costs you in...

Should You Buy a Guitar With a Repaired Headstock?

A guitar tech's honest take on buying a used guitar with a repaired headstock. Why a clean, well-glued break is mechanically a non-issue, what the repair really costs you in...

Diagram of a passive guitar tone control showing the capacitor wired between the tone pot and ground.

Do Boutique Tone Capacitors Actually Change You...

The cap's value genuinely shapes your rolled-back tone, but the boutique brand mostly doesn't. A bench tech's honest take on paper-in-oil vs. orange drop vs. ceramic, and where the upgrade...

Do Boutique Tone Capacitors Actually Change You...

The cap's value genuinely shapes your rolled-back tone, but the boutique brand mostly doesn't. A bench tech's honest take on paper-in-oil vs. orange drop vs. ceramic, and where the upgrade...

Illustration comparing guitar fret profiles to scale: 6230 vintage, 6130 medium jumbo, 6105 narrow-tall, and 6100 jumbo fret wire, with crown width and height in inches

Does Fret Size Actually Change Your Tone and Fe...

Jumbo, medium jumbo, or vintage frets — does the size actually change your tone? An honest bench take on what fret size really affects (feel, bends, and intonation), what it...

Does Fret Size Actually Change Your Tone and Fe...

Jumbo, medium jumbo, or vintage frets — does the size actually change your tone? An honest bench take on what fret size really affects (feel, bends, and intonation), what it...

Illustration comparing vintage, medium jumbo, and jumbo fret wire profiles in cross-section with width and height dimensions

Does Fret Size Actually Change How a Guitar Pla...

Does fret size actually change how a guitar plays? A plain-spoken bench take on vintage, medium jumbo, and jumbo frets — how each feels, the intonation catch on tall frets,...

Does Fret Size Actually Change How a Guitar Pla...

Does fret size actually change how a guitar plays? A plain-spoken bench take on vintage, medium jumbo, and jumbo frets — how each feels, the intonation catch on tall frets,...

Close-up of the rosewood fretboard and frets on a PRS S2 McCarty 594 Thinline, in stock at Aeonic Frets

Is a PLEK Job Actually Better Than a Hand Fret ...

PLEK machine or a hand fret level? The honest bench answer: at equal operator skill they're closer than the internet claims. How each actually works, where each genuinely wins, what...

Is a PLEK Job Actually Better Than a Hand Fret ...

PLEK machine or a hand fret level? The honest bench answer: at equal operator skill they're closer than the internet claims. How each actually works, where each genuinely wins, what...