The Fret Files

In this episode of the Fret Files Podcast, Eric and Nat answer a few questions regarding P-90 pickups, mysterious pickups with 3 wires, how to get naphtha down under, how to loosen stiff potentiometers, and more. To participate in the show, you can leave a message with your question or comment by calling 757-774-8482. To email the show, visit Eric at EricDaw.com and click the contact link.

In this episode of the Fret Files Podcast, Eric and Nat answer questions regarding removing sticker residue, an archtop that won’t stabilize, sloppy fitting tuner ferrules, vintage style knobs and more. To participate in the show, you can leave a message with your question or comment by calling 757-774-8482. To email the show, visit Eric at EricDaw.com and click the contact link.

In this episode of the Fret Files Podcast, Eric and Nat answer questions regarding Eric’s book “Solid Sound,” discuss out of phase guitar tone recordings, and wonder if hide glue can be made from gummy bears. To close the podcast, we discuss the merits of and proper methods for using hot hide glue. To participate in the show, you can leave a message with your question or comment by calling 757-774-8482. To email the show, visit Eric at EricDaw.com and click the contact link.

In this episode of the Fret Files Podcast, Eric and Nat read a little bit of guitar news and then answer questions regarding acoustic guitar neck resets, crack repair, synthetic vs. bone, guitar wiring, neck shapes, and how to prep bolt on necks for screws. To participate in the show, you can leave a message with your question or comment by calling 757-774-8482. To email the show, visit Eric at EricDaw.com and click the contact link.

In this episode of the Fret Files Podcast, Eric and Nat read a few book reviews of Eric’s guitar wiring book, Solid Sound. Then the two read and answer questions regarding guitar repair costs, acoustic guitar pickups, cleaning gold plated hardware, Danelectro lipstick tube pickups, and refinishing a neck with a mystery undercoat. To participate in the show, you can leave a message with your question or comment by calling 757-774-8482. To email the show, visit Eric at EricDaw.com and click the contact link.

In this episode of the Fret Files Podcast, Eric answers a few questions about F-stamp tuner installation problems and using wax to lubricate wood screws. Also included in this episode is a replay of some guitar related quizzes of past episodes. To participate in the show, you can leave a message with your question or comment by calling 757-774-8482. To email the show, visit Eric at EricDaw.com and click the contact link.

In this episode of the Fret Files Podcast, Eric and Nat field your guitar tech questions regarding soldering, the fingerboard radius of Martin Guitars, wire recommendations, installing custom made bone nuts, and there’s also some Solid Sound Book reviews peppered in here and there. To participate in the show, you can leave a message with your question or comment by calling 757-774-8482. To email the show, visit Eric at EricDaw.com and click the contact link.

In this episode of the Fret Files Podcast, Eric goes over some of the contents of his new book, “Solid Sound.” Then comes listener submitted questions, including questions about grounding volume pots, adding a volume control to a Piezo pickup, de-glossing guitar necks, the P-13 pickups and flipping magnets over to get an out-of-phase sound, and a discussion about the different eras of Fender guitars. To participate in the show, you can leave a message with your question or comment by calling 757-774-8482. To email the show, visit Eric at EricDaw.com and click the contact link.

In this episode, it’s the book release for Eric’s new guitar wiring book “Solid Sound.” Get your copy at SolidSoundBook.com! Joining Eric for the book release is Dan Petrzelka, who was instrumental in getting the book looking right and getting it printed. Also joining the podcast is Rick from Player’s Gear Music who is giving away 2 pedals in conjunction with the release of the book, and Brett Jameson from APEX Coffee Roasters joins for a giveaway of coffee and APEX merch. The second half of the show is Q&A featuring good old Nat in the co-host seat. To participate in the show, you can leave a message with your question or comment by calling 757-774-8482.  To email the show, visit Eric at EricDaw.com and click the contact link.

In this episode of the Fret Files Podcast – Eric hosts solo while answering all the calls that have piled up since there hasn’t been a Q&A episode for a while. There’s questions about Epiphone New Yorker pickups, straightening out a hump in an Epi Les Paul fingerboard, installing a K&K resonator pickup, and a Harmony H-160 with a curious problem that Eric can’t solve. To participate in the show, you can leave a message with your question or comment by calling 757-774-8482. To email the show, visit Eric at EricDaw.com and click the contact link.

In this episode of the Fret Files Podcast – just a quick few announcements concerning price increases and my soon-to-be-released book. Also, we have a quick visit with Rick Tish from Player’s Gear Music about his effects pedals. To participate in the show, you can leave a message with your question or comment by calling 757-774-8482. To email the show, visit Eric at EricDaw.com and click the contact link.

In this episode of the Fret Files Podcast, Eric interviews Dave Staudte, veteran luthier, longtime guitar repairman and former Taylor Guitars employee. Eric and Dave talk about guitar humidification, guitar neck resets, fretwork, CA glue, stainless steel frets, and Dave’s steel wool hack. To participate in the show, you can leave a message with your question or comment by calling 757-774-8482. To email the show, visit Eric at EricDaw.com and click the contact link.

In this episode of the Fret Files Podcast, Eric and Nat take questions about repair cauls left inside guitars, bridge plate repairs, making an electric 12 string, cutting the slots in a bone nut, restringing acoustic guitars, and widening the saddle slot in an acoustic guitar to accommodate an under saddle pickup. To participate in the show, you can leave a message with your question or comment by calling 757-774-8482. To email the show, visit Eric at EricDaw.com and click the contact link.

In this episode of the Fret Files Podcast, Eric and Nat call Jeff Metz in PA for a conversation about finish touch up and Yamaha neck resets. Then they take questions about Gibson ES125s, locking tuners, lacquering over an oil finish, and routing neck pockets. To participate in the show, you can leave a message with your question or comment by calling 757-774-8482. To email the show, visit Eric at EricDaw.com and click the contact link.

In this episode of the Fret Files Podcast, Eric and Nat take questions about fret levelling, Paulownia wood for guitar bodies, intonating acoustic guitars, and a follow up about 3 humbucker Gibsons. To participate in the show, you can leave a message with your question or comment by calling 757-774-8482. To email the show, visit Eric at EricDaw.com and click the contact link.

In this episode of the Fret Files Podcast, Eric takes questions about building a pickup winder, string breakage, standing on guitar necks, and a follow up to the dinged guitar neck from last episode. This episode also includes a replay of one of the most informative interviews ever featured on this podcast, the 2016 interview with master luthier Mark Tossman. To participate in the show, you can leave a message with your question or comment by calling 757-774-8482.  To email the show, visit Eric at EricDaw.com and click the contact link.

In this episode of the Fret Files Podcast, Eric and Nat talk about the guitar history of the famed Stratosphere Twin double neck guitar from the 1950’s made famous by Jimmy Bryant. Then comes the questions – what’s the shelf life of Titebond glue, what’s the difference between linear and audio taper pots, what to do about a dinged guitar neck, and more. To participate in the show, you can leave a message with your question or comment by calling 757-774-8482. To email the show, visit Eric at EricDaw.com and click the contact link.

In this episode of the Fret Files Podcast, Eric takes questions regarding adding a 3rd pickup to a Les Paul, how to deal with critics, what kind of glue to use for plastic binding, adding carbon fiber to strengthen necks, and more. To participate in the show, you can leave a message with your question or comment by calling 757-774-8482. To email the show, visit Eric at EricDaw.com and click the contact link.

In this episode of the Fret Files Podcast, Eric and Nat talk about Framus guitar history, and then take questions regarding amp handles, dubious bass modifications, Gibson made P-13 pickups, and reinforcing broken headstocks. To participate in the show, you can leave a message with your question or comment by calling 757-774-8482.  To email the show, visit Eric at EricDaw.com and click the contact link.

In this episode of the Fret Files Podcast, Eric and Nat talk about P-90 Staple pickup history, and take questions regarding adding an acoustic pickup to a Gibson J-160E, how to get an authentic look on a ‘relic’ finish, using capacitors to get a half out-of-phase sound, and getting the right vintage look when spraying lacquer on a solid maple neck. To participate in the show, you can leave a message with your question or comment by calling 757-774-8482. To email the show, visit Eric at EricDaw.com and click the contact link.

In this episode of the Fret Files Podcast, Eric and Nat talk about Albert King’s many flying Vee guitars, and take questions regarding how to set up a Strat trem, bass setups, home made case humidifiers, and tuning stability. To participate in the show, you can leave a message with your question or comment by calling 757-774-8482. To email the show, visit Eric at EricDaw.com and click the contact link.

In this episode, Eric and Nat field questions about friction in potentiometers, using super glue for refrets, fret polishing wheels, and how to drill clean holes in finished surfaces (hint, use a brad point drill bit). To participate in the show, you can leave a message with your question or comment by calling 757-774-8482. To email the show, visit Eric at EricDaw.com and click the contact link.

In this episode, Eric reads a segment from his forthcoming guitar schematic book, and then fields questions about guitar humidification, Fender neck heels and why they are different shapes, custom pickups, and a lengthy discussion about this video on youtube about what affects electric guitar tone. To participate in the show, you can leave a message with your question or comment by calling 757-774-8482. To email the show, visit Eric at EricDaw.com and click the contact link.

In this episode, Eric and Nat take questions about upgrading cheap resonators, improving an electric guitar’s resonance, polishing frets, vintage Danelectro neck reinforcement, and chasing strange overtones. To participate in the show, you can leave a message with your question or comment by calling 757-774-8482. To email the show, visit Eric at EricDaw.com and click the contact link.

In this episode Eric and Nat take questions regarding reshaping necks, Esquire wiring, winding pickups, adjusting action on a resonator, filling fingerboard divots, and whether or not Nat will sing “Hot Rod Lincoln.” Also included is a guitar history segment about the late 60’s Red Paisley and Blue Flower Fender Telecasters. To participate in the show, you can leave a message with your question or comment by calling 757-774-8482. To email the show, visit Eric at EricDaw.com and click the contact link.

In this episode Eric and Nat take questions regarding rolled fingerboard edges, tool recommendations, stainless steel frets, plain vs. wound strings, and whether or not Paul McCartney knows what the knobs on his bass do. Also included is a guitar history segment about George Harrison’s famous 1969 Rosewood Fender Telecaster. To participate in the show, you can leave a message with your question or comment by calling 757-774-8482. To email the show, visit Eric at EricDaw.com and click the contact link.

In this episode Eric is recovering from a cold but manages to slog through a news segment, answer a question about nuts, and replay an old but great interview with Jason Lollar. To participate in the show, you can leave a message with your question or comment by calling 757-774-8482.  To email the show, visit Eric at EricDaw.com and click the contact link.

In this episode Eric and Nat do a guitar history corner segment about Dan Armstrong. Then come the questions about vintage guitar pickup winding, refretting, intonation, and the practice of stripping guitars down for parts and selling them one piece at a time online. To participate in the show, you can leave a message with your question or comment by calling 757-774-8482. To email the show, visit Eric at EricDaw.com and click the contact link.

In this episode Eric and Nat read listener submitted guitar and gig horror stories for our annual Halloween Special. There’s gigs from Hell, smashed drum kits, drowned Martins, bats and more. To participate in the show, you can leave a message with your question or comment by calling 757-774-8482. To email the show, visit Eric at EricDaw.com and click the contact link.

In this episode Eric and Nat do a little guitar news concerning Les Paul’s “Number One” Gibson Gold Top Les Paul Model guitar selling at auction for $930,000. Then they take questions concerning warped Teisco necks, stiff truss rod adjustment nuts, pickup manufacturing, Bigsby vibratos on Telecasters, and more. To participate in the show, you can leave a message with your question or comment by calling 757-774-8482. To email the show, visit Eric at EricDaw.com and click the contact link.

In this episode Eric talks a little guitar history about John Lennon’s famous 325 Capri Rickenbacker guitar, and takes questions concerning treble bleed capacitors, spraying lacquer, RWRP pickups, Gibson Custombuckers, what to charge for parts, and finding the source of a mysterious rattle on a guitar. To participate in the show, you can leave a message with your question or comment by calling 757-774-8482. To email the show, visit Eric at EricDaw.com and click the contact link.

In this episode of the Fret Files Podcast, Eric and Nat talk about what’s new in Eric’s repair shop, and why Nat’s guitars never seem to get done. Then come the questions regarding headstock repairs, touching up dings, fingerboard extension shims when resetting a neck, refretting a modern Fender neck that has a poly finish on it, and how to get Naphtha when it is banned in your area. To participate in the show, you can leave a message with your question or comment by calling 757-774-8482. To email the show, visit Eric at EricDaw.com and click the contact link.

In this episode of the Fret Files Podcast, Eric and Nat talk about what’s new in Eric’s repair shop, followed by a guitar history segment about Kay guitars. Then come the questions regarding filling in ugly inlays, neck heating irons, drop fill finish touch ups, what to do with a truss rod that won’t tighten anymore, and a discussion about why guitars necks got thinner and narrower in the late 60’s and early 70’s. To participate in the show, you can leave a message with your question or comment by calling 757-774-8482. To email the show, visit Eric at EricDaw.com and click the contact link.

In this episode of the Fret Files Podcast, Eric and Nat talk about what’s new and take questions regarding truss rods, guitar myths, out of phase pickups, filling fingerboard divots, and more. Also included is a discussion about why Isaac Newton is not the greatest guitar player who ever lived. To participate in the show, you can leave a message with your question or comment by calling 757-774-8482. To email the show, visit Eric at EricDaw.com and click the contact link.

In this episode of the Fret Files Podcast, Eric talks to Jay Boone, owner of Emerald City Guitars in Seattle about what’s hot in the vintage guitar market these days. Eric also answers a few phone-in questions about vintage Les Paul trapeze tailpieces, microphonic pickups, and how to know when it is time to re-fret a vintage Telecaster. To participate in the show, you can leave a message with your question or comment by calling 757-774-8482. To email the show, visit Eric at EricDaw.com and click the contact link.

In this episode of the Fret Files Podcast, Eric and Nat talk about the history of the solid body electric guitar and the influence of Les Paul, and then take a few questions about truss rods and pickups. The second half of the show is an interview that you won’t want to miss. To participate in the show, you can leave a message with your question or comment by calling 757-774-8482. To email the show, visit Eric at EricDaw.com and click the contact link.

In this episode of the Fret Files Podcast, Eric and Sage talk about the history of the Clarence White B Bender, bowling ball repair, filling finish dings with super glue, sanding the finish off the back of guitar necks, and microphonic Tele pickups. To participate in the show, you can leave a message with your question or comment by calling 757-774-8482. To email the show, visit Eric at EricDaw.com and click the contact link.

In this episode of the Fret Files Podcast, Eric and Melissa talk about the history of guitar distortion, and take questions regarding fret hump, waterslide decals, removing string ferrules from Telecaster style guitars, vintage guitar values, and more. To participate in the show, you can leave a message with your question or comment by calling 757-774-8482. To email the show, visit Eric at EricDaw.com and click the contact link.

In this episode of the Fret Files Podcast, Eric and Melissa talk about the history of switch companies, and take questions regarding gold foil MIJ catalog guitars, keeping vibrato guitars in tune, wiring problems on a Gretsch White Falcon, poly undercoats under nitro lacquer finishes, b-bender contraptions, and more. To participate in the show, you can leave a message with your question or comment by calling 757-774-8482. To email the show, visit Eric at EricDaw.com and click the contact link.

In this episode of the Fret Files Podcast, Eric and Melissa talk about the history of 6 string basses, and take questions regarding fret leveling, cutting nuts, gluing loose braces, how to join the secret luthier club, and how to tell if a headstock has been repaired properly. To participate in the show, you can leave a message with your question or comment by calling 757-774-8482. To email the show, visit Eric at EricDaw.com and click the contact link.

In this episode of the Fret Files Podcast, Eric and Melissa introduce a new segment, The Guitar History Corner! Then they take questions regarding tune-o-matic saddle notches, leather picks, reverse audio taper potentiometers, floyd rose tips, and static electricity pickguard buildup. To participate in the show, you can leave a message with your question or comment by calling 757-774-8482. To email the show, visit Eric at EricDaw.com and click the contact link.

In this episode of the Fret Files Podcast, Eric and Melissa take questions regarding RWRP pickups, setting up a guitar for an alternate tuning, 3 piece laminated necks, pore filling when finishing, freeing up sticky vintage potentiometers, and fret levelling the neck of a Tele Kit guitar. To participate in the show, you can leave a message with your question or comment by calling 757-774-8482. To email the show, visit Eric at EricDaw.com and click the contact link.

Eric is joined by his buddy Nat (Melissa is on vacation) to answer questions about the Trinity Triton Amp Kit build that we talked about in episode 88, and lots of other things including fret leveling, tool misuse, pickup recommendations on an Epiphone SG, and some commentary on Reverb.com. To participate in the show, you can leave a message with your question or comment by calling 757-774-8482. To email the show, visit Eric at EricDaw.com and click the contact link.

In this episode, Eric and Melissa take questions about Eric’s kit amp, making guitar straps, why do people wax pot pickups, are Martin F-55’s cool, and parallel/out of phase wiring explained. To participate in the show, you can leave a message with your question or comment by calling 757-774-8482. To email the show, visit Eric at EricDaw.com and click the contact link.

In this episode, Eric and Melissa take questions about Jerry Garcia’s guitars built by Doug Irwin, stranded vs solid core wire, cutting nut slots, cutting saddle slots, and when is a guitar neck just too far gone? Find out in today’s thrilling episode. To participate in the show, you can leave a message with your question or comment by calling 757-774-8482.  To email the show, visit Eric at EricDaw.com and click the contact link.

In this episode, Eric takes a question about removing residue from the finish on a pre-CBS custom color Fender Stratocaster, and interviews Rick Tish from playersgearmusic.com about Rick’s shop where he sells used and refurbished guitars, and does repairs also. The big news is that Rick has started manufacturing Neck Straightening Irons and is offering them for sale at his website. Fret Files listeners can get a discount, listen to the episode for more info. To participate in the show, you can leave a message with your question or comment by calling 757-774-8482. To email the show, visit Eric at EricDaw.com and click the contact link.

In this episode, Eric and Melissa take questions about humming Charlie Christian pickups, Eric’s “secret” out of phase wiring trick, cool Japanese guitars to look out for, brass bridge pins, refretting an ebony fretboard and more. To participate in the show, you can leave a message with your question or comment by calling 757-774-8482. To email the show, visit Eric at EricDaw.com and click the contact link.

In this episode, Eric and Melissa take questions about cryogenic fret wire, Jazzmaster wiring, linear pots, adjustable saddles on Gibson acoustics, adjustable polepieces on a P-90 pickup, and does tone really “come from the hands?” – credit to @stevievaguewrong on instagram for the meme. To participate in the show, you can leave a message with your question or comment by calling 757-774-8482. To email the show, visit Eric at EricDaw.com and click the contact link.

In this episode, Eric and Melissa take questions about nickel hardware, Gretsch Guitars, a hipshot multibender, switch tips that won’t stay on, lacquer recommendations, and more. Also, Eric gives Melissa a surprise quiz, “Knob or Pickup?” – and she gets most of them right! To participate in the show, you can leave a message with your question or comment by calling 757-774-8482.  To email the show, visit Eric at EricDaw.com and click the contact link.

In this episode, Eric takes questions concerning when and how to lubricate tuning machines, fretting a compound radius, why are luthier’s turnaround times so long, when is a guitar a lost cause, and more. Also, we replay an interview with Scott Freilich from 2018. Scott passed away earlier this year, and this is our tribute to him. To participate in the show, you can leave a message with your question or comment by calling 757-774-8482.  To email the show, visit Eric at EricDaw.com and click the contact link.