The Bench
Should You Buy a Used Guitar That Needs a Refret?
A refret isn't a dealbreaker — it's a line item. What refrets really cost in 2026, how to tell a refret from a simple fret level, when a worn-fret used...
Should You Buy a Used Guitar That Needs a Refret?
A refret isn't a dealbreaker — it's a line item. What refrets really cost in 2026, how to tell a refret from a simple fret level, when a worn-fret used...
How to Actually Use Your Guitar's Tone Knob (an...
Your tone knob is a low-pass filter, not a decoration. Here's exactly what it does and the bridge- and neck-pickup settings I actually use on the bench.
How to Actually Use Your Guitar's Tone Knob (an...
Your tone knob is a low-pass filter, not a decoration. Here's exactly what it does and the bridge- and neck-pickup settings I actually use on the bench.
Why Are My Guitar's Fret Ends Sharp? Fret Sprou...
Sharp fret ends are almost always fret sprout — the fingerboard shrinking in dry air, not damage. What causes it, which guitars get it, how a tech fixes it, and...
Why Are My Guitar's Fret Ends Sharp? Fret Sprou...
Sharp fret ends are almost always fret sprout — the fingerboard shrinking in dry air, not damage. What causes it, which guitars get it, how a tech fixes it, and...
Are Partscasters Worth It? What an Assembled Gu...
A partscaster is usually a great guitar to own and a poor one to sell. A bench tech breaks down build cost vs. resale, when a parts-built guitar beats a...
Are Partscasters Worth It? What an Assembled Gu...
A partscaster is usually a great guitar to own and a poor one to sell. A bench tech breaks down build cost vs. resale, when a parts-built guitar beats a...
Do You Need a Different Setup for Drop Tuning? ...
Tuning down lowers string tension, which flattens neck relief and shifts intonation. Here's the bench-honest breakdown of when you can just tune down and when your guitar genuinely needs a...
Do You Need a Different Setup for Drop Tuning? ...
Tuning down lowers string tension, which flattens neck relief and shifts intonation. Here's the bench-honest breakdown of when you can just tune down and when your guitar genuinely needs a...
How Much Neck Relief Should a Guitar Have? (And...
Not dead flat, not a banana. The bench answer is about .010" of relief at the 8th fret. Here's how to check it in 60 seconds, the Fender and Gibson...
How Much Neck Relief Should a Guitar Have? (And...
Not dead flat, not a banana. The bench answer is about .010" of relief at the 8th fret. Here's how to check it in 60 seconds, the Fender and Gibson...