Repair
Ever since dismembering my brothers Eko six-string in 1968 to sort out it's notoriously bad intonation, I have found the prospect of diagnosing and repairing stringed instruments one of life's little joys! After nearly three decades of experience, and not a few irreparable repairs, I still find the challenge of a tricky job irresistible.
Of late, I have spent most of my repair time on structural work and modifications: neck resets, cracked ribs, more than several headstock breaks (Japanese and American, so it isn't just those ancient Gibbies that snap in two when your grand-dad sits on them!) and some restoration work for violin and mandolin.
The hurdy-gurdy rebuild was interesting too!
The market in France at the moment requires quite a lot of violin repair in the working week, which has caused the Electric Violin project to rear its pretty head again, so there's one to watch!
Standard set-ups of electric and acoustic guitars will, I guess, always be the staple diet of repair persons the world over, although I plan to begin teaching set-up in 2007 which I find rather exciting - perhaps I can look forward to doing less work myself and passing on some of the secrets to the next generation, who knows?!
