I took my 1970/72 Gibson J40 to Andy. It really was in a sorry state. The bridge had lifted the top, which subsequently cracked.

The neck was bent, and the truss rod had been tightened so much it had disappeared into the neck! In short, the guitar was unplayable!

Andy raised an eyebrow, rubbed his chin, and said “Yeah, pretty sure I can sort that out!”!

To be honest, I was sceptical, as I’d been fairly close to putting it in it’s case and forgetting about it forever.

Anyway, fast forward 2 weeks and I went along to collect.

Absolutely astonishing! The truss rod was shimmed and working, the neck was straight, and the top crack was solid with cleats fitted and a small injection of glue.

The bridge had been brought back down with the fitting of a device called a ‘Bridge Doctor’ flattening out the top.

The guitar now plays beautifully and has a sweet, quite gentle tone.

Great job!!

Fender Starcaster refresh

I bought an original 1974 Starcaster on eBay. When it arrived, it was filthy! All the pots crackled, dirt was everywhere, and the previous owner (who I understand was a chef on a cruise ship!)

must have played it for years wearing a large ring on his left hand as all the finish on the neck near the fingerboard had been worn away, leaving a razor-sharp serrated edge of varnish along the full

length of the neck. Very uncomfortable to play!! Andy took the neck off, feathered the edges to get rid of all the rough parts, oiled and waxed it, and polished the frets. The electrics were cleaned and checked,

neck re-fitted, and a full setup carried out including intonation. I have hardly put this guitar down since!