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So you took your guitar in for a restring and action setup, and got it back with problems, and damage! Thought you’d be in good hands with the big boys, did you? The chain store is bigger, better, and more likely to handle a customer service issue than the pricey local boutique guitar shop, right? Maybe not. Sadly, any place you go for guitar repair can make a mistake, create damage, or just not know what they’re doing. The point here is don't assume all shops are experienced and careful based on their trade name. That’s why this article will focus on what to do...

Guest Blog Some guitars gain notoriety because of the price at which they were sold. Even the best top-tier acoustic guitars would seem like a bargain compared to some very special acoustic models sold at auction. Yep, today we’re taking a look at three acoustic guitars that are distinguished for their provenance, history, famous owners, their estimated value and the price the new owners paid for just to have them in their collection. 1930 Martin OM-45 Deluxe, sold for $554,500 C.F. Martin & Co. is one of the oldest guitar manufacturers in the United States. Martin has been building quality...

"How important is the wood in my guitar, and the tone it creates?" Read on to determine why ‘tonewood’ matters in your next guitar purchase, and how to make sense of the many wood choices out there in your next acoustic. Tonewood, or tone wood, is simply the description of the wood species components of your guitar and the sound created while vibrating. Beating on a paint bucket versus a drum, or a countertop versus a crafted guitar surface, all have characteristic sounds. Playing guitar strings creates vibrations, which in turn vibrate the wooden body of your acoustic guitar, creating...

Ready for the truth about guitar construction? You’ve probably heard about solid wood guitars (not to be confused with solid-body guitars which refers to electric guitars). These are acoustic guitars, that use either solid wood or laminate in their body wall construction. Should you spend thousands of dollars to get a solid wood acoustic guitar? That decision is yours, but a little foreknowledge can help you determine the benefits and reasons for either choice!  As wood becomes more scarce and guitar companies struggle to keep price points low, one way to save resources is to use laminate woods in the body construction of the guitar,...

 by Jay Gordon - GSR Staff Writer When you buy a new guitar, or new car, you expect it to be perfect, right? After all, the factory has people that quality check these babies before shipping them off for sale, yes? Well, not exactly. Read on to find out about serious flaws with new instruments that should never be acceptable. Why Any Flaws At AllOver the past four decades most manufacturing has shifted from the USA, to Japan, and then to the rest of Asia. While you can still get good guitars out of Asia, its sad to see how...