Down the rabbit hole... First off, this might get a little weird. If you like exploring the nature of reality, please come along. The discussion below is not really about guitars. What does the Solstice mean? I am inspired by the remote beauty of northern Arizona and the turning of seasons here. The biannual Solstice event is foundational to … [Read more...] about Philosophy in Depth
Climate & Instrument Wellness
In this Article... Humidity Myths & Rumors Temperature Welcome to Flagstaff, AZ. We have big skies, beautiful mountains, full seasonal changes, and a pretty harsh climate for string instruments! Our humidity can get down into single digits, and the wide fluctuations can severely irritate guitars and other things made of … [Read more...] about Climate & Instrument Wellness
Why I Charge $600 Minimum for Re-Fret Jobs
No matter what kind of car you drive, sometimes it needs new brakes and tires. And sometimes with guitars, taking out and replacing each and every fret is the only way to correct certain problems like long-term fret wear and fingerboard irregularities. Most players have heard of this job: the infamous Re-Fret. It's a labor intensive process. And … [Read more...] about Why I Charge $600 Minimum for Re-Fret Jobs
RESPONSE & TRANSITION
WE HAVE MOVED FROM OUR LOCATION ON BEAVER STREET. DETAILS BELOW. This post provides info about what Custom Sound has done in response to the covid pandemic. We now operate by appointment only! My new office location is only a few blocks from the old store. • NEW PROTOCOLS & BUSINESS CONDUCT- If you can't make it up the stairs, just let me … [Read more...] about RESPONSE & TRANSITION
Humidity Discussion
What happens when a guitar gets dried out? Here's one example. Aside from cracks like the one shown here, the critical geometry is affected. This makes any setup adjustments difficult. There are many different pieces of wood glued together inside a guitar, braces and parts with grain lines pointing in all different directions. When these … [Read more...] about Humidity Discussion
Acoustic Pickup Systems
What is an "Active" Pickup System? When talking about acoustic pickups, an "active system" means it's powered by an internal battery. This is technically called a preamp. Preamps are simply small powered circuits designed to make the pickup signal sound better before it leaves the guitar. A preamp adds frequency equalization (EQ) to … [Read more...] about Acoustic Pickup Systems
Five Ways to Improve Your Electric Guitar Tone
We bet your guitar could sound better! This article covers the five best things you can do with your electric guitar to improve the tone, clarity & voice. There are endless things you can do beyond your output jack to change your sound. Read below to learn about specific upgrades and mods you can do to the instrument itself. 1. NEW … [Read more...] about Five Ways to Improve Your Electric Guitar Tone
Five Ways to Improve Your Acoustic Guitar Tone
Chances are your guitar can sound better. Below are the five best things to improve tone, get more volume, and achieve a better voice from your instrument. 1. NEW STRINGS A guitar can come back to life with a new set of strings! We also recommend trying different tensions and types of strings. Experiment to see which brand and material sounds … [Read more...] about Five Ways to Improve Your Acoustic Guitar Tone
