...I'm sending my beloved baby, my Ernie Ball Music Man Eddie Van Halen guitar in for MUCH NEEDED repairs.
It's criminal how bad a shape I've let her get in. Fret wire so worn, no amount of neck adjustment would stop string buzz or the strings from resting on the fret wire. A stripped original nut that was replaced with a Fender nut right before a gig. If I remember correctly, I had to add broken pieces of guitar pick to adjust the height. Shameful how I never fixed that properly.
OR, the lousy job I did with trying to adjust the action, and screwing up the bridge bolts. The tremolo bar was also a problem. It was screeching like mad, and adding a little bit of gun oil took care of it, but not before making a bid dilemma out of it. Plus, I think the tremolo spring tension is way to little. I'd bend a string, and adjust the tremolo tension until the bridge wouldn't dip.
And lets talk grime; I was too lazy the last time I replaced the strings to clean the fingerboard. That was, a year and a half ago. So, maybe three years worth of finger-grime is on the fingerboard, but at least I did clean the back of the neck. But, I didn't use fine sandpaper or oil and wax her down. Shameful.
So, this is what I'm having done to her.
Nut Replacement and Proper Fitting (Original Style Nut Only)
Refret, Leveling and Dressing (Original Size Fret Wire Only)
Lightly Sand (Clean) Neck and Fingerboard then Oil and Wax
Replace Toggle Switch (It’s now a five-way Original Style Switch Only)
Replace Volume (“Tone”) Potentiometer (Original Style Pot Only)
Replace Missing Tremolo Blocks
Guitar Setup Including: Flat, Even and Close (Short) String Action, Proper Tremolo Bar Setting, String Replacement and Proper Intonation
I spoke with Dan over the phone and got a RA# and I sent her off. Should be there Saturday, or Monday at the latest. I hope USPS ships it OK. I was told not to trust UPS or Fed Ex, since people have had real bad luck with them.
I told Dan who I was, and added if he wanted to take before, during and after pictures of my guitar, that he had my permission. When you first see her, take it easy on me. This guitar has been through hell and back, and back through hell again. I play her all the time, and with out a doubt, my most favorite guitar and I'm very nervous about sending her in. But, it had to be done.
So, Dan, take good care of my baby, for me, please! It might not look like she's loved, but she is. I think I'd be lost without her. She's in your hands, now. Good luck!
Dennis "Sin"
It's criminal how bad a shape I've let her get in. Fret wire so worn, no amount of neck adjustment would stop string buzz or the strings from resting on the fret wire. A stripped original nut that was replaced with a Fender nut right before a gig. If I remember correctly, I had to add broken pieces of guitar pick to adjust the height. Shameful how I never fixed that properly.
OR, the lousy job I did with trying to adjust the action, and screwing up the bridge bolts. The tremolo bar was also a problem. It was screeching like mad, and adding a little bit of gun oil took care of it, but not before making a bid dilemma out of it. Plus, I think the tremolo spring tension is way to little. I'd bend a string, and adjust the tremolo tension until the bridge wouldn't dip.
And lets talk grime; I was too lazy the last time I replaced the strings to clean the fingerboard. That was, a year and a half ago. So, maybe three years worth of finger-grime is on the fingerboard, but at least I did clean the back of the neck. But, I didn't use fine sandpaper or oil and wax her down. Shameful.
So, this is what I'm having done to her.
Nut Replacement and Proper Fitting (Original Style Nut Only)
Refret, Leveling and Dressing (Original Size Fret Wire Only)
Lightly Sand (Clean) Neck and Fingerboard then Oil and Wax
Replace Toggle Switch (It’s now a five-way Original Style Switch Only)
Replace Volume (“Tone”) Potentiometer (Original Style Pot Only)
Replace Missing Tremolo Blocks
Guitar Setup Including: Flat, Even and Close (Short) String Action, Proper Tremolo Bar Setting, String Replacement and Proper Intonation
I spoke with Dan over the phone and got a RA# and I sent her off. Should be there Saturday, or Monday at the latest. I hope USPS ships it OK. I was told not to trust UPS or Fed Ex, since people have had real bad luck with them.
I told Dan who I was, and added if he wanted to take before, during and after pictures of my guitar, that he had my permission. When you first see her, take it easy on me. This guitar has been through hell and back, and back through hell again. I play her all the time, and with out a doubt, my most favorite guitar and I'm very nervous about sending her in. But, it had to be done.
So, Dan, take good care of my baby, for me, please! It might not look like she's loved, but she is. I think I'd be lost without her. She's in your hands, now. Good luck!
Dennis "Sin"