Guitar therapy

[Kac]

Just fixed an old USA Kramer Beretta that was in desperate need of a new volume pot. Fixing/working on guitars and swapping pickups is such great therapy for me. I sometimes appreciate it more than even playing guitar.

I know playing guitar is great therapy for a lot of people and a great release, but who else enjoys the time spent with a soldering iron almost or just as much?


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[Archer250]

Re: Guitar therapy

I enjoy being around the soldering iron. It's truly fun.

 

[Snake Aces]

Re: Guitar therapy

I love the soldering aspect too. Mainly because I get excited to hear what the work I'm doing is going to sound like when I'm done. There, I said it, installing new pickups, caps, pots or a new wiring scheme gives me a big chubby.

 

[DreX]

Re: Guitar therapy

There are all sort of things that are fun about it, taking care of these objects we're emotionally attached to, making them somehow better, getting to play around with liquefied metal, building something and seeing it work, taking pride in attention to detail, experimenting and seeing how various changes effect the final result, the fun of designing a control scheme... and after all that, you get play the thing.

 

[MetalManiac]

Re: Guitar therapy

I loathe it. Endless source of frustration and almost inevitable failure for me.
I only wish I could have found a competent reasonable tech around here, I've spent too much money and time on worthless techs who were practically no more skilled than I, which ain't saying much. So I've had to try and do it myself ..I've botched so many jobs, but since buying all my harnesses pre =wired ( even then half of the ones I have bought were sent wired wrong) with time I've become somewhat better, but even then, when I do something right, its only a relief, not anything that I enjoy, but I always wish I could've enjoyed that wiring part of it. I never really ever even enjoyed any aspect of assembly; all just work I had to undertake and hated , that I would've much rather been able to have paid someone competent to do for me.

 

[firebirdguy72]

Re: Guitar therapy

I usually love it for the most part (except for the whole re-stringing pain in the ass). However sometimes I find myself victim to my own stupidity. Like yesterday for example. I got these super cool cream butyrate humbucker bobbins for a PAF clone I'm building. Anyway I got done winding one coil, got the lead wires soldered on and got the coil taped off. The tape I have is too wide so I have to trim it off the bottom a bit. While trimming the tape I cut the start coil wire. Unusable and now has to be rewound because of my idiocy... UUUUUGGGHHHH!

 

[ehdwuld]

Re: Guitar therapy

You guys are gettin high on the lead fumes.
Try a bit of ventilation and see how you like it

*(Sent from my durned phone!)*

 

[GuitarDoc]

Re: Guitar therapy

All phases of designing, building, assembling, fixing, soldering, painting, etc....GREAT therapy and source of enjoyment.

 

[Archer250]

Re: Guitar therapy

All phases of designing, building, assembling, fixing, soldering, painting, etc....GREAT therapy and source of enjoyment.

Until you go full retard and poke yourself with a soldering gun.

 

[skyydogg01]

Re: Guitar therapy

I truly enjoy working on guitars. At a very young age, I was taking apart electronics to see how it works. I love soldering and actually was certified for a while.

I don't get to do it much anymore, considering I have a (almost) 1 year old son and my wife is an accountant (come on April 15!!!).

 

[LLL]

Re: Guitar therapy

I do it for the fumes; aromatherapy.

 

[Kac]

Guitar therapy

I was actually burning an incense nearby when I was soldering last night. Probably a little too close, I was inhaling quite a bit.

 

[uOpt]

Re: Guitar therapy

Active relaxation. Works well if the activity has mechanical work involved and if it hurts if your mind wanders too much.

 

[BriGuy1968]

Re: Guitar therapy

I was surprised at how much I enjoyed rewiring guitars. From idea, to design/schematic, to installation, and yes... even troubleshooting my screw-ups! I was just telling my wife last week that I was kind of itching for another guitar project.


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[Liam1963]

Re: Guitar therapy

Absolutely love it, have my basement workshop set up primarily for guitar repair/customization. Nothing like taking a guitar that sounds lifeless, swap pickups, and install some DECENT electronics (pots, caps, resistors), and have the instrument sound better than imagined....

 

[kramersteen]

Re: Guitar therapy

Wiring pains me to no end. But as i get better i enjoy it more. I like working with the wood

 

[daan]

Re: Guitar therapy

I'm ashamed to admit that even though I'm a total hack at working on guitars, I'm still better at THAT than actually playing one...
I totally understand about the therapeutic aspect of working on guitars though, taking what was a pile-0-parts and having a playable instrument when you're done is actually kinda awesome. Me sitting there botching the chord changes over and over on a song I've heard for years, and then having my wife look at the sheet music of the song for 30 seconds and then playing it on her Viola sounding like she should have been on the record makes me want to take up Golf or something.

 

[Snake Aces]

Re: Guitar therapy

I like working with the wood

That's what she said

 

[MetalManiac]

Re: Guitar therapy

Wiring pains me to no end.

BE the soldering iron.

 

[GuitarDoc]

Re: Guitar therapy

I hear ya on that one!