Click to visit Sweetwater Click to visit Gearank

Guitar Repair Shop.com

Interesting guitar repair articles, maintenance tips, guitar repair labor bluebook, what to look for when buying a guitar, great prices on select strings ,accessories, acoustic guitar pickups, cases and more…

53 thoughts on “Guitar Repair Shop.com”

  1. wiring and drawings for Charvel 475 deluxe
    475 Baffled

    HELP !! All Jackson/Charvel guitar enthusiast on here, I need allot of info for putting the wiring and pots in a 90’s Charvel 475 Deluxe back together. I received it as a basket case and I would be ecstatic to be able to bring it back to life !! Any help on this would be fantastic !

    Thanks !!!!

    1. Re: floyd rose
      Rael0505

      Official Floyd Roses generally go for around $200, but I’m not sure how much liscenced ones go for. Why do you want to change it? Is there something wrong with it? Generally, I would think it’s not financially worth it to change a floyd rose. Another thing to keep in mind is that a new bridge might not fit in your guitar if they’re of different size.

    1. Re: adjusting the arm on yamaha fg 410e
      Kenneth Wills

      : I was adjusting the arm in order to straighten it out but am now getting a ring from the 1st string.
      Which way should the nut be turned in order to alleviate this?

  2. paint beaten
    jaime andres abello

    my gutar have a translucent paint(green)the problem is: my guitar had recived a beat. and the picture was broken in the body the damege siza is 5mm. how to make to remplace this little paint damage.
    my guitar is a esp mh 100.
    thx

  3. floyd rose tremolo on an ibanez
    dustin

    i just bought a ibanez rg350 dx. i lent the guitar to my friend to change the strings on it for me and he completely screwed it up.. he unscrewed the two screws on both sides of the tremolo…he screwed them back in but when you tuned the guitar it pulled the tremolo system so far up the tremolo bar was pushed all the way to the body of the guitar. he unscrewed the two screws again and now they wont go back in. any way how to fix this so the tremolo system isnt stuck at a divebomb angle when you tune the guitar?

    1. Re: floyd rose tremolo on an ibanez
      frank

      does your flyod have a thing in the back that adjustst the tension if it does then turn it the right and ur problem should be fixed
      : i just bought a ibanez rg350 dx. i lent the guitar to my friend to change the strings on it for me and he completely screwed it up.. he unscrewed the two screws on both sides of the tremolo…he screwed them back in but when you tuned the guitar it pulled the tremolo system so far up the tremolo bar was pushed all the way to the body of the guitar. he unscrewed the two screws again and now they wont go back in. any way how to fix this so the tremolo system isnt stuck at a divebomb angle when you tune the guitar?

  4. FOR SALE: EPI CASINO
    Stan Virgulto (via moderator)

    Anyone interested in buying my Epiphone Casino?
    It’s about (1) yr. old. I’ve played it about 10 times!
    It’s still like new.The color is Sunburst. I paid $600.00
    Email me, and we can talk prices.

  5. Fender Percision Bass Guitar
    Mark Violano

    I have a problem with the neck. No matter how many time I have the neck adjusted,within (1) week it’s back to the way it was! The strings are a mile off the neck! Do you think I need a new neck?
    It’s not an American guitar,but a Mexican. Is this why I am having
    this problem?
    Thank you
    >>Marky

    1. Re: Fender Percision Bass Guitar
      Clay Shears

      Mark,
      do you own a fireplace? If so, feed it your guitar!
      What you own is a piece of worthless crap! What on earth
      posessed you to buy a Mexican, or even Jap Fender guitar?
      For a few bucks more, you get the real deal man! If that’s
      your only guitar, I still suggest that you burn it! It’s better to go without for a time, then to attempt to fix
      it!

      1. Re: Fender Percision Bass Guitar
        Jim Handy

        Clay’s right Mark! burn that thing…..now!
        I have a 1972 Fender P bass that I could sell
        you if your interested? Email me so we can discuss
        this in detail.
        >Jim

  6. floyd rose tremolo
    ajit

    hi there!

    i own a FAT-F210/VS Epiphone electric guitar with floyd rose tremolo. while changing the strings the whole spring assembly got unclamped. what followed next was a complete mess. i have landed up with whole lot of problems such as fret buzz, poor intonation etc. can somebody help me fix the floyd rose tremolo? thanks

    1. Re: floyd rose tremolo
      Sean

      hey ive got the same problem. i got a new ibanez rg320 fm and i, not owning a floyd rose style bridge before, made the costly mistake of taking all the strings off at once while i was replacing my strings. now i have tons of "up-pull" and i have no idea how to fix it. somebody please help

      1. Re: floyd rose tremolo
        casey williams

        : hey ive got the same problem. i got a new ibanez rg320 fm and i, not owning a floyd rose style bridge before, made the costly mistake of taking all the strings off at once while i was replacing my strings. now i have tons of "up-pull" and i have no idea how to fix it. somebody please help

        1. floyd rose tremolo
          kendrick colon

          : just got an ibanez guitar and since i’ve never played a guitar with a floyd rose tremolo before when i change the strings i took them all of at once. Now some of the strings sit higher of the fret board and on some of the lower strings i get double tones when i play pass the 12 fret. someone please tell me how to fix this…..all i need to know is how to get all the strings to be the same height of the fret board and how to keep it in tune. thanks.

        2. Re: floyd rose tremolo
          casey williams

          just got a new jackson dkmg, and i messed with the tension skews in the back and when ipull it up it stays up and when i push it down it stays what do i do

  7. I have a 1976 Martin d-35. It has the starburst pattern and has some damage to the back (3-piece rose wood)and needs the neck straightened. Can anyone tell me the best option to preserve the value of the guitar?

  8. Tuning down a step
    Eric

    Hello, I just recently purchased two Esp Ltd’s and want to keep one tuned to standard E and the other tuned down a step. With a liscensed Floyed Rose, I want it to be level with the guitar correct? How do I do this correctly? Just seeing if you could help. Thanks for your time.

  9. 1966 Guild Starfire III pickguard
    Fred Floth

    Factory part needed. Pickguard for Guild Starfire III. This guitar is currently being produced by Fender(?). How can I get the part I need?

  10. fixing strat tone knob
    Andy

    it just stopped working. my strat has a humbucker at the bridge and it broke at 10 (that knob only)…..it’s ear piercing and quite tinny. it still turns, doesn’t sound like anything’s rattling around in there. anyone know how to fix it? does it involve sodder? maybe just dust the damn thing off? i’m hesitant to take it apart ’cause it’s a vintage floyd rose and i really want to keep it in one piece.

    1. Re: fixing strat tone knob
      Ray Himes

      The Tone knobs on a Strat controll the Neck and Middle P/U’s Your stuck with the screamin humbucker, e-mail me if you have questions about an alternative wiring for a strat or anything

      1. Re: acousitc guitar neck adjustment
        Stan Virgulto

        I have a Martin Acoustic guitar.The action now is horrible!
        I need to lower my strings.They are to far off the neck.
        How do I lower them? Lower the action. I want to learn to do this myself. I am tired of bringing my guitar to the shop
        and paying $30.00 for them to do it.
        Thanks,
        Stan

    1. Re: acousitc guitar neck adjustment
      John

      : I need information on how to properly and safely adjust the neck of my Yamaha FG-412 acoustic guitar. Thanks, jdb

      Hey Jeff-
      I have an FG 180, graduation gift from High School 1971. The higher frets have gotten more difficult to play in the last five years and so, I was looking for the same information. I typed in a few key words to search and your site came up. You obviously didn’t get any responses here. Did you ever get an answer from anywhere else?

      John

  11. static sounds
    corey

    when i plug my guitar in it will sound fine but everyonce in a while it will start to give a static sound, usually jiggling the volume knob on the guitar fixes is it but i am getting tired of doing that.

    i am pretty sure it is wiring but the last time i fucked with the wiring i screwed it up and had to get someone else to fix it.

  12. input jack
    RANDY NORMAN

    I have an electric hollowbody ( Carlo Robelli ).
    When I plug into the input jack on the guitar the sound from the amplifier comes and goes. I think the guitar input jack is bad.
    How can I repair this? or should I put it in a repair shop.

    Help much appriciated.

  13. i have a hohner professional scorpion and the tension of the strings really raises the bridge ive tried everything but cant solve the problem also the saddles buzz a lot.does anyone know this bridge or have any tips?

    1. : i have a hohner professional scorpion and the tension of the strings really raises the bridge ive tried everything but cant solve the problem also the saddles buzz a lot.does anyone know this bridge or have any tips?

      It sounds like a problem my buddy has with his Fender Strat. What happened was, his friend restrung it by removing all of the strings at once, and of course screwed up the tremelo in the process. So now, when I try to tune this thing the tremelo rises way up from the body. I would like to know how I should go about fixing this or where I could find info on doing these kinds of repairs. Any ideas?

      1. Re: tremelo
        seth

        hey guys, i think i found the trick to solve my problem with my tremolo. Open the back and wedge a block of wood or something between the body of the guitar and the edge of the tremolo opposite from the springs (this relieves the pressure that tuning up the strings puts on the tremolo). Now, incrementally tune up all of the strings with this block in place. Check to make sure that the springs are tense enough to hold the tremolo in place (if they aren’t, then tighten up the metal "claw" that holds the springs to the body of the guitar–usually by alternately tightening the screws that hold the claw). Now, slowly remove the block from the back of the guitar while making sure that tremolo springs will support the tension of the strings.

        This is just a brief description of the steps, but using these guidelines and some common sense enabled me to fix my "broken" tremolo.

    1. Re: Floyd Rose Tremelo
      Rick Rogers

      : I bought a Fender Fat Strat w/ a Floyd Rose on it. ANy suggestions for keeping it in tune and playing smooth?

      Here’s a tip:

      When changing strings, first put powdered graphite on the saddles where the strings contact (available at any hobby shop). Zero out the fine tuners on the bridge (turn the fine tuners so they are centered having an equal amount of travel up and down)Stretch each string before you lock it down (ex.: tune the guitar, stretch the low E by pulling up on the string 2 or 3 times, retune the string, repeat until it holds its tuning, same with the A string and so on).
      When the guitar is in tune the bridge should be parallel with the body of the guitar. If not, the screws that hold the springs in place will need to be adjusted until you have tuning and parallelism balanced. Once tuning and adjustments are complete lock the nut and retune using the fine tuners. The graphite will reduce the friction on the strings allowing them to last longer and help keep their tuning.

      Good luck!

      1. Re: Floyd Rose Tremelo
        Dararith

        : those floyd tremelos are pretty cool! it allows me to use the wammy bar for so much better playing on my JACKSON guitar

        I bought a second-hand Jackson from a shop and they gave me the wrong case for it; when I got home and took the guitar out and played it, it buzzed badly. I tried detaching the neck from the body and ended up twisting a string. How do you replace the strings? I just can’t find where to take the square pieces of metal out to put the new strings.

        The Jackson played beautifully in the shop … SIGH!

        Thanks for your help in advance.

        Regards,

        Dararith
        PS: looks like I might have to take it to be repaired (the shop that I got the Jackson from is NOT a guitar shop.)

      2. Re: Floyd Rose Tremelo
        Malinda

        : those floyd tremelos are pretty cool! it allows me to use the wammy bar for so much better playing on my Fender strat(Richie Sambora) guitar

        1. Re: Floyd Rose Tremelo
          R.Donaghy

          : : those floyd tremelos are pretty cool! it allows me to use the wammy bar for so much better playing on my Fender strat(Richie Sambora) guitar

          Oh….what a legend….Richie Sambora is a god!Wise choice.
          I’m considering getting a floyd rose strat, but are you able to ‘gargle’ on them e.g.Blaze of Glory solo?
          Thanks
          R

  14. Restoration
    Reggie

    The Problem Dan is,
    I wish to restore a Telecaster lookalike which the prev owner partially removed the red paint job.
    How do I get around removing the remaining paint (back and sides)? ie: paint remover or sanding etc. What type of remover would you recommend.
    Secondly, I would like to have a natural finish.
    Please tell me the steps to take and materials to use.
    I wish your "repairs" section gets up and running soon.
    Great site otherwise.
    PS Any sites that can provide what I have requested???

    Cheers,

    1. Re: Restoration
      Ken

      TO learn how to paint your own guitar using only a couple of spray cans, go to this site http://www.paintyourownguitar.com I bought a $100.00 Les Paul knock off and repainted it to look exactly like a Zakk Wylde model. The finish is completely factory looking. My finished guitar is posted on that web site. I can’t believe how well it turned out. I highly recommend the site. The author has a series of articles in Guitar magazines. Good luck

      : The Problem Dan is,
      : I wish to restore a Telecaster lookalike which the prev owner partially removed the red paint job.
      : How do I get around removing the remaining paint (back and sides)? ie: paint remover or sanding etc. What type of remover would you recommend.
      : Secondly, I would like to have a natural finish.
      : Please tell me the steps to take and materials to use.
      : I wish your "repairs" section gets up and running soon.
      : Great site otherwise.
      : PS Any sites that can provide what I have requested???

      : Cheers,

    1. Re: This popular thread has been given its own page :... Reggie
      Reggie

      A Revolutionary Way to Order Your Next Guitar!
      Peavey Reactor

      ——————————————————————————–
      Submitted at: 9:36, 1/31/2000
      Price Paid: Czech Crowns (270USD) 12500
      Purchased from: local dealer

      Features: 7
      Excuse my bad english .. i´m czech.

      Sound: 7
      I know louder guitars than reactor. This isn´t right guitar for loud, expressive big beat, but with my hybrid of blues, boogie, funk, beat works OK. It´s clean sound is really teleclean as .. light going through the morning cloud´s sky, nicely sharp. I´m looking forward how it will work with my new PEAVEY CLASSIC 30 tube amp. Both of Peavey´s = maybe there waits some sweet sound surprise..

      Action, Fit, & Finish: 8
      Better average

      Reliability/Durability: 6
      IT´s neck is narrow – it´s pleasure to play, BUT! as i´m playing it two years, you can really see, that it had been played. I think in another two three years i´ll have to change neck (or buy new one but not this tele). The mechanic on the head of reactor is of average quality, i´ve lost one small piece of it (how to call it in english? I call it in czech PRTAVEJ SPRCLIK) The body is OK but heavy.

      Customer Support: N/A
      Can´t say..

      Overall Rating: 8
      As i am using it for few years, i´ll probably buy for more money some other real piece of guitar (what plays John Lee Hooker?) What to say? Reactor works fine.

      Submitted by: Michal D. <[email protected]>

      ——————————————————————————–
      Submitted at: 13:23, 1/14/2000
      Price Paid: US $200+
      Purchased from: Absolute Music, Fairborn, Ohio

      Features: 9
      This guitar is so basic, 1 three-way switch, 1 tone, 1 volume knob, Tele pickups, that it’s easy to lose sight of it’s capabilities. There isn’t much for features. Mine was purchased in 1996. The neck radius is 12" while early Teles were 9", as I understand. I appreciate the wider string spacing on this Peavey while retaining the Tele virtues. The weight and balance of this guitar are almost Les Paul-like with a heavy body bias. Blonde, well-done maple neck. American made, and it really does show in certain aspects of the quality.

      Sound: 9
      I can’t say this is better than a Telecaster as far as sound goes. I can say that it is as good as a ’71 Telecaster I once owned and as good as any stock standard Tele I’ve played. The question is, do you like Telecasters? I found the shielding on the Peavey to be better than on the Fenders. Noise and hum are minimal, and I don’t find that it twangs too much. I don’t feel the need to replace the pickups. Surprising thing about the sound of this guitar is that while practicing alone, I think about needing a humbucker or another kind of guitar, but I’m always going back to this guitar because I can dial it in quickly and get it to sound as I want with minimal fuss because the ergonomics make me feel comfortable with both left and right hand work. A great utility guitar. Does a fine, ballsy overdrive, decent neck pickup clean to breakup. I play classic rock, clean to breakup overdrive through three different amp/effects combinations.

      Action, Fit, & Finish: 8
      The neck is wonderful, much better, in my opinion, than Fender’s product. It is a barely-finished maple, well-done. The finish is OK, but after four years has a few bumps and scratches. I’ve had to do some re-soldering and retapping of screws and stuff. The position switch is cheap metal and bends too easily, but works fine. I don’t consider any of these to be unreasonable, any worse than the Fender. The weight and balance of this guitar make string bending and left-hand vibrato a pleasure. Mine has a graphite nut, the tuners are OK, but the neck alone is worth the price of the guitar to me and I would choose it over a Fender without cost considerations as semi-finished necks are more comfortable and appealing to me.

      Reliability/Durability: 6
      I resoldered the connections and I’m constantly retightning things and fussing with the setup. I’ve had to do that with most guitars. This one is fine for it’s genre. I also own a Rickenbacker 330, and I don’t have to do anything but change strings and clean it, but it cost a lot more. I’d use this Peavy without a backup before I’d use a lot of other guitars without backup. .009 E strings break a lot if you don’t get the bridge saddle perfect, not a problem once the saddle is right. Tuning keys hold reasonable tune, not as good as the best, not as bad as many are. 3 to 5 songs hold a tune unless a lot of string bending is done.

      Customer Support: N/A
      Nothing to say.

      Overall Rating: 10
      I’ve played since 1964. I also currently own a Rickenbacker 330 and occasionally use a 1974 Fender Mustang. I’ve gone through some popular guitars in my day, Gibsons and Fenders. I try not to take price into consideration, but in this case, I have to mention it. When I bought this Peavey, it was the first step in replacing some stolen gear, mostly Fender stuff. I immediately found that I preferred it over the Telecaster due to the neck and the balance. I understand that Peavey doesn’t make this one anymore, and that’s a shame as it stands by itself as a good piece of gear with no apologies. I like my Rickenbacker for it’s sound and it’s construction quality, but I find the Peavey to have a superior neck action for leads and it’s heavier weight allows me greater single-note bend and vibrato capability. As far as Peavey goes, they’re as good and bad as any of the "classic" makes. I played a "classic" Gretch Country Gent the other night that had me dragging the Peavey out, just like a "classic" Les Paul did not long ago. Hartley Peavey and his company are as good now as Leo Fender once was with his; not taking anything from Fender, just a reminder that the name on the headstock isn’t always a guarantee either way of quality or even innovation. Leo Fender himself was the first to say that and formed G&L to prove it. Time to grow up and get used to it. I was buying and playing the stuff all these years, and quite frankly, the audience 99% of the time doesn’t know or care about what the headstock says except for your buddies at band practice and the wannabees at the music dealer’s, but they’ll walk out if it doesn’t sound good, I don’t care how much you paid for it. I’d buy another Reactor. I wouldn’t hesitate. Shame they don’t list them in the catalog anymore and a genuine Tele would be the only choise at whatever the market price was for Fender that day. Not another Korean Strat copy with the Peavey name which are generally awful, but this model, actually made in the USA by Peavey workers who seem to care about their work. They probably were losing money on it. It’s a good guitar.

      Submitted by: Bill <[email protected]>
      Feel free to contact me if you have any questions.

      ——————————————————————————–
      Submitted at: 8:12, 11/20/99
      Price Paid: US $220
      Purchased from: American Music

      Features: 6
      This guitar is very standard in most respects. The tele-style body style is quite authentic, however, the finish and headstock give away its maker. The guitar has a maple neck with all chrome hardware. The guitar has passive electronics with standard tone and volume controls. This is basic nuts and bolts guitar as is not loaded with bells and whistles.

      Sound: 8
      This guitar suits my style quite nicely. This guitar sounds better through my Marshall JCM 800 than my Gibson Artisan. I originally bought this guitar as a back up for my Les Paul, and ultimately, I made the decision that it sounded better. Anyone who has ever bought an expensive guitar and have it "bumped" by $250 guitar knows how hard that can be on you mentally. I initially liked the sound, but resisted using it because of my preconceptions about Peavey. It wasn’t until my band went into the studio did I fully make the transition. The Peavey was quiet, articulate, and full. This is not a metal guitar, but if you like classic sounds this guitar is excellent. The guiar has good brightness and sounds excellent through my Marshall at about 3/4 gain. I prefer the mildly distorted Stones and Black Crowes sound and this guitar does a good job in this respect. Furthermore, the upper register is clean and clear and is doesn’t "fret out" like my Artisan.

      Action, Fit, & Finish: 5
      The action from the factory was on the low side. If you use to light a gauge of strings you will get fret buzz. I raised the action slightly to account for this. I do not care for the saddles because the tend to adjust up/down on their own. When changing strings you will notice saddles that are higher on one side than the other. This can be an irritation, but this is an easy adjustment to make.

      Reliability/Durability: 5
      The finish is very durable. I do not think the bridge will endure the test of time, but for the money, you can’t expect this to be a 20 year guitar. I’ve never encountered a problem when using this guitar at a gig.

      Customer Support: N/A
      As of yet, I haven’t dealt with Peavey on this matter or any other.

      Overall Rating: 8
      I’ve been playing for 14 years and I own a Gibson Artisan, and a Mountain acousitc. This guitar has taken over as my main guitar because of its good sound and nice feel. If this guitar was lost/stolen I would buy a fender telescaster as this guitar was my experiment to see if I would like them. This guitar is an excellent value and I wish that when I first started playing they had guitars at this price range that are as high in quality.

      Submitted by: Chris Markus <[email protected]>
      Feel free to contact me if you have any questions.

      ——————————————————————————–
      Submitted at: 18:00, 7/31/99
      Price Paid: US $135 without case.
      Purchased from: Private party.

      Features: 10
      Telecaster copy. This should be an early/mid ’90s Peavey Reactor. Not the AX model. Made in USA! Looks almost exactly like a tele except for a little higher pickup profile, headstock and neck shape at upper registers. Single coil bridge pickup and (lipstick?) style pickup for neck. 22 frets. Modern neck with probably 9.5" radius, like newer Fenders. Maple neck with maple fretboard. Fully adjustable bridge with six separate saddles(great for intonation!). Solid body, not laminated. Just your typical Tele copy. It’s a 10 if you wanna Tele!

      Sound: 8
      This guitar has a tone in between the modern American Standard teles and the Mexican teles. More vintage than modern tone. The bridge pickup is the traditional "more treble than should be legal" Tele sound. With tone control offers some tasty possibilities. The neck pickup is great, but for some reason, highs seem more rolled off than your typical Fender. This isn’t bad, because it’s a very smooth, almost crying sound. For blues or jazz, a person would still probably roll the tone control down a little more, but I would just prefer more brightness as an *option*. I’ll eventually mess with the tone capacitors inside to see what possibilities open up. Honky tonk twang and smooth neck pickup tone are all in there.

      Action, Fit, & Finish: 7
      The tuners and bridge are chrome. This is a moderately used guitar(equivalent to what the Fender "relic" series look like). All the metal parts are still nice and shiny. The neck is fantastic. The finish makes for easy movement across the fingerboard. The paint seems really thick and strong, which is not necessarily good for tone, but it’s a nice job. Nothing is skewed or installed weird, like you see with cheaper copies. The pickups seem to stick out more than your typical Fender, but with everything setup, the action is still fantastic. Only the player would ever notice, but it doesn’t hurt the guitar-just means it’s not a 100% copy of the Fender Telecaster.

      The only problem with this guitar is the tuners, which are cheap. They aren’t as smooth as your Fender Am. Std. Strat tuners, for instance. They seem to drag a little bit and take some finesse to not overturn the strings, especially on the sixth string(low E).

      Reliability/Durability: 8
      In a gig with some hard playing, this guitar needs to be tuned every 3 or 4 songs. Everything else seems solid. I had to resolder some ground points in the guitar to minimize hum, but other than that, it’s all good.

      Customer Support: N/A
      NA

      Overall Rating: 9
      Been playing 10 years. Love strats and tubes. Always wanted a Tele to see if it would fit my style. I love to play this thing! Fits me almost as well as my strat(and I despise many guitars in terms of feel). If it was lost/stolen, I’d go out and buy a Fender Std Tele immediately, just cuz I now know that it fits me. I wouldn’t seek out another Peavey specifically, but if one came along for the right price, I’d take it. With decent tuners this would be a really great axe.

      Submitted by: steelcase

      ——————————————————————————–
      Submitted at: 15:40, 5/5/99
      Price Paid: US $40 used
      Purchased from: Pawn shop in Harlingen, TX

      Features: 7
      This piece started out as the basic Reactor with a red body and two stock pickups. I got it trashed, with the 3-way switch broken off. I put in 2 micro switches instead, and modified the switch bar to fit. Since then, I have put in a Carvin bridge pickup, which I had to fabricate a mount for.

      Sound: 9
      I am playing this through a silver-faced Champ. The sound is great, and with the new bridge pickup the versatility in tone is also great. The Carvin is much louder and fatter than the stock bridge pickup was, and since I was always satisfied with the mellow, full tone of the neck pickup, I am really satisfied with the sound. I may swap neck pickups just to balance the volume for quick pickup switches, though. I play mainly classic rock, and the guitar holds up through the usual effects well.

      Action, Fit, & Finish: 9
      Since I basically rebuilt the guitar through a full overhaul, I can’t say how it was set up originally, but just like the Predator I used to have, the set-up was effortless and the guitar can take a pretty low action, especially for it’s price range. I have more expensive guitars that have much worse fretwork and less adjustability. The neck angle adjuster, similar to a Fender, is a great feature.

      Reliability/Durability: 10
      The finish was beat up when I got the guitar, but it seems reasonably durable. I would go with a longer strap screw if I was going to thrash it.

      Customer Support: N/A
      Our local Peavey dealer is willing to order parts if you need OEM stuff. Most generic parts work well. I have never had new Peavey stuff.

      Overall Rating: 9
      I also use a Gretsch style Electra, and really prefer the Peavey. It is probably the easiest playing guitar I have owned, and I buy, repair and sell stuff on a regular basis. I have heard that it has the same neck as the Predator, but I prefer the neck on mine for some reason. This one is not for sale. If it were stolen, I would get something with the identical neck (my hands are big, so some people might want a faster neck). I do wish that it had a better plug jack. Like most cheaper guitars, I will have to replace this one before it goes live in a band because it will cut out. I think most people would pay the extra 5 bucks for better jacks.

      Submitted by: Huck <[email protected]>
      Feel free to contact me if you have any questions.

      ——————————————————————————–
      Submitted at: 18:20, 4/1/99
      Price Paid: US $250
      Purchased from: Manor Music in Pacifica, CA

      Features: 5
      Mine is a 1994 model with a solid poplar body, maple neck/fingerboard, 2 "classis series" pickups, and 1 volume and 1 tone knob. Its a Tele so naturally there isn’t going to be many features.

      Sound: 9
      The guitar has great sound for country, rock, and blues. I use it with a Boss Chorus and an Ibanez Tubescreamer an a Marshall Valvestate. The picmups are silent, as quiet as the humbuckers on my Les Paul, and these are single coils. They used great shielding I guess. Being a Tele, it isnt very vesatile but its great for my style of playing which is mainly stuff like Waylon Jennings, CCR, Tom Petty, and Lynyrd Skynyrd. The only thing I dislike about it is that it doesnt sound like a vintage Tele, it sounds identical to an American Standard, it isnt a bad thing, I just prefer the vintage Tele sound.

      Action, Fit, & Finish: 8
      The setup was perfect, the action low, and everything was adjusted good. The only problem was it had a lot of chips in the finish, on the sides and towards the bottom of the guitar, none on the face. Ive had the guitar for about 3 years and everything is fine except the finich looks awful. Its black and chips and scratches really easily, it looks more like Ive had it for around 10 years not 3. It doesnt bother me much, Teles are supposed to be beat up. Other than the finish, this guitar is great, everything is good and secure.

      Reliability/Durability: 9
      This guitar is very solid, the hardware looks like it will last for a long time. The only problem is the strap buttons dont hold the stap very well and has a tendency to come loose. I was using the guitar with a strap once and it completely pulled out the stap button, screw and all, when I was playing. It is extremely durable once you put some strap lock buttons on it and line the threads of the screw with super glue before installing.

      Customer Support: N/A
      Ive never dealt with them…I heard they had great support though.

      Overall Rating: 10
      Ive been playing for about 5 years and this is my favorite guitar. I also have a Fender Sratocaster, Fender Redondo, and an Epiphone Les Paul Custom, and the Peavey Tele is the one I play most. If it were stolen I would buy one of those new mexican made 50s reissue Fender Telecasters since I really want a vintage style Tele and can afford the real thing or an American reissue. I wouldnt be able to buy this guitar again since Peavey discontinued them, if I could find a used one in decent shape I would give buying it some serios thought, but I RWALLY want a 50s reissue Tele more. If youre looking for the look, feel, and sound of an American Standard Tele but dont have that kind of cash, this is the guitar for you. If you want the sound of a vintage Tele you should go for a Fender Reissue instead, but give the Reactor a test anyway.

      Submitted by: Mike

      ——————————————————————————–
      Submitted at: 18:39, 1/5/99
      Price Paid: US $130 used
      Purchased from: Guitar Center — Massachusetts

      Features: 9
      Made in USA like all Peaveys; don’t know the year, but looks recent. Standard Tele look, shape and configuration — two single-coils, volume, tone, three-way switch, maple neck. Black finish on this one, I believe over an alder body. Strings through the body. Neck is middling thick, with a fairly flat radius. Feels medium wide, too — a little skinnier across than my Ibanez Roadstar. Flat finish, not too glossy. Not *quite* my dream neck, but I get around on it fine. This doesn’t have any frills, but what the hell: It’s a Tele-style. If I wanted built-in fuzz/wah, I’d have bought a Vox.

      Sound: 9
      I use it through a Peavey amp and a Boss distortion box (mostly in the basement.) Most of what I play is crunchy blues-based rock, like Crowes and old Aero. This guitar works just fine for that — sound is most impressive, considering what it cost. Also does nicely on the clean country twang, as you’d imagine. Neck pickup combines roundness and bite nicely. Back pickup seems a *little* thin, but then again it is a Tele … and for what I paid, I could drop a Duncan in the bridge and still come out ahead. There’s your usual single-coil hiss, but that’s the nature of the beast. Also, it doesn’t quite hack the really heavy AC/DC-type stuff as well as other guitars, but that’s more because of its inherent qualities than any shortcoming in manufacture.

      Action, Fit, & Finish: 8
      I got mine used, so don’t know about the factory setup. (I have been satisfied with other new Peavey gear.) The thing came set up fine — could’ve been Guitar Center. I haven’t had it quite long enough to give it a 10 in this category — something could still flake out. But for now it seems plenty solid, in the Tele tradition.

      Reliability/Durability: 9
      Again, it’s a little early, but everything seems solid here; you could swing your way out of fights with this thing. Finish seems solid, though I haven’t dropped it down any ravines yet. I generally wouldn’t gig without a backup in any circumstance, but if I had to, I’d feel comfortable getting by on this.

      Customer Support: N/A
      No reason to call Peavey on this one. Again, past products have been satisfactory.

      Overall Rating: 10
      I’ve played bass for 13-14 years, guitar maybe seven. I also own an Ibanez Roadstar strat-style, and Peavey and Squire basses. (Comments from this list led me to check out the Reactor.) If the Reactor got lost, I’d definitely pick up another one,and would recommend anybody seeking an inexpensive Tele-style do the same. This doesn’t sound, feel or look cheap.

      Submitted by: Nissel Zayango

      ——————————————————————————–
      Submitted at: 23:31, 1/4/99
      Price Paid: US $220
      Purchased from: Lentine’s

      Features: 7
      American-made Tele clone, poplar body, maple fretboard, string-thru body. I couldn’t agree more with the below reviewer’s comments on Fender products. Their guitars are way-over priced.

      Sound: 7
      Origional pickups (OK, but no character) replaced with SD’s Jerry Donohue Lead and Alnico II Pro rhythm. They give this tele a warmer more sustained sound, but yet decent punch and brightness. I play blues, rock and country through a fender blues jr. Now I hear the exact same tones an old, old friend got from his jazzmaster/twin reverb – 33 years ago! Also, I think it’s safe to say that *most* single coils these days are as quiet as humbuckers. so who needs ‘buckers?

      Action, Fit, & Finish: 7
      Excellent neck, excellent finish on fretbrd, average action. Hardware seems to be of good quality for the price. No matter what guitar you buy in store, it’s always good to check out at least two of the same model for variations in sound/assembly. There were some minor flaws (ground-down machine head screws, poorly seated strap button) on some of the other reactors.

      Reliability/Durability: 8
      Nothing’s gone wrong after 2 years. I’ve only used it for practice/studio so far.

      Customer Support: 9
      I e-mailed a tech just before purchasing. Got an immediate response. Peavey makes a good product.

      Overall Rating: 10
      Without becoming a gearhead, I wanted a righteous-sounding, american-made and inexpensive tele. Now i’ve got it. I would buy another peavey. The only regret is that the body isn’t butterscotch, but that’s a cosmetic thang.

      Submitted by: jerry

      ——————————————————————————–
      Submitted at: 21:19, 11/5/98
      Price Paid: US $180
      Purchased from: Blue note guitars

      Features: 9
      It is a popular body telecatser for all intentional purposes. Maple neck, etc…Nice feel better than most fenders and it is dirt cheap, as well as American made. Its a telecaster so it is kinda limited on features.

      Sound: 9
      Pretty damn good, I rally can’t stand strats, but i like really mellow telly’s. This worked, and i didn’t have to pay a small portion for a fender.

      Action, Fit, & Finish: 8
      Finish on neck was great, much better than Fenders which tend to be over laquered were it gets tough to play then, this was pretty damn smooth. The body finish was so so, nothing spectacular.

      Reliability/Durability: 10
      YEs, it words, and like most tele’s you can pound the shit out of it…

      Customer Support: N/A
      Donno

      Overall Rating: 10
      Lets put it this way, peavy, seagull, as well as a few other companies are putting out some damn fine guitars that do not cost alot of money, and are american made. I am really begining to question companies like fender, gibson, and martin and company who tend to charge far to much for their guitars. If i can get both a seagull and A peavy Telecaster, for about 300 dollars less than the low end fenders, martins and gibsons there is something wrong. These companies are using their names to sell guitars and one day people are going to realize that they can get quality american made instruments for the same price or less than their imports. I love the peavy and I love seagulls, they are provig good instruments do not have to cost a fortune.

      Submitted by: Chris Paluch

      ——————————————————————————–
      Submitted at: 16:34, 5/23/98
      Price Paid: US $$140 delivered used
      Purchased from: on the internet at webelectricguitars

      Features: 8
      Tele-copy, two single coil pickups, maple neck and fingerboard, three way switch – nothing fancy, but well constructed, balanced – feels good to hold.

      Sound: 9
      Adjusted the pickups so they were quite close to the strings. This is an easy adjustment with a philips-head screwdriver. Has that ol’ tele-tone. I’m not an expert on this but I was surprised how good the Peavey pick-ups sounded on such an inexpensive instrument! Also, good feed-back and sustain with little effort. I have been playing it though my Crate GX-40M amp (solid state – clean and overdrive channels, reverb, chorus) and it sounds mighty good.

      Action, Fit, & Finish: 7
      Bought the thing used so I can’t comment on factory set-up. It seems very solidly put together- all parts work – feels solid.

      Reliability/Durability: 8
      Not much to break in a tele. And if something does, easy to fix.

      Customer Support: N/A
      Peavey has a great web site – lots of info at http://www.peavey.com. Never called them for help, though.

      Overall Rating: 10
      I’m an amateur player and really enjoy this instrument. My criticisms are minor – the worst is the color of the instrument (white with white pickguard) but that will be remedied soon as I am having a three ply black-white-black pickguard cut and installed. This is the bottom of the Peavey guitar line and I paid very little for it second-hand so I didn’t expect much. There’s no doubt in my mind that for the money its a great buy. Sounds good, feels good, has a nice neck and frets, and even good sounding pickups. I was all ready when I bought it to replace the pick guard, nut and install new pickups. After playing it for a week, the only work I am doing is the pick guard. That’s pretty good! It’s a good choice for someone looking for a US-made tele-style guitar for less than the cost of a Fender Mexi-tele. I also have a Mexi-Strat (amazing for the price – but I played close to 100 before I found the one I bought), an old Epi Melody Maker (modified to scream with 2 humbucking pick-ups), and a Gibby dot neck 335. This tele has quickly found its own nitch in my collection. I am really enjoying it!!

      Submitted by: Jim <[email protected]>
      Feel free to contact me if you have any questions.

      ——————————————————————————–
      Submitted at: 8:59, 4/13/98
      Price Paid: US $209
      Purchased from: New Song Guitar Center

      Features: 8
      US made Tele clone w/poplar body, maple 22-fret neck, two standard single coils

      Sound: 9
      Stock bridge pickup was a little too twangy for my tastes but very quiet; replaced it with a SD Broadcaster. Neck pickup is nice and clear, also quiet (and reverse wound). I couldn’t improve on the neck pickup with a SD replacement. For the money the electronics are very impressive. I play through a 50-watt Carvin XT 112 tube amp.

      Action, Fit, & Finish: 10
      The fit and finish and electronics are amazingly good for such an affordable guitar.

      Reliability/Durability: 10
      Any Tele worth its salt should be like a hammer.

      Customer Support: 10
      I posted a question regarding the pickups on this guitar to the Peavey Message Board and got an answer from a Peavey rep in about 2 days.

      Overall Rating: 10
      Been playing on and off for about 10 years. I recommend anyone looking for a Tele equivelant give the Reactor a test drive first.

      Submitted by: Steve Plavick

  15. I have a jackson Sharvel with a Floyd Tremelo. Its a pain it snaps of, loses tune, or simply doesn’t work. can I convert to another type of bridge?!

  16. Neck adjustment
    Bill Fish

    My Friend has a Gibson Les Paul Custom and an Alverez acoustic. Both Guitars have recently started getting a slight bow in the neck right before the body of the guitar. How can he adjust the neck to get that bow out? Thanks

  17. authorized Martin Repair
    Danny Cook

    Steve-

    I’m looking for an authorized Martin repair shop in the Nashville vicinity. I own a 1973 Martin D-28 12 string that I bought new, with the lifetime warranty. Needs help on the bridge and soundboard.

    Any Help, Many Thanks.

    Danny

    1. Re: authorized Martin Repair
      Joe brandt

      : Steve-

      : I have a 1992 Martin Les Paul Studio with a intonation problem on the open G string had donot have any one that is capable or knowledgable enough to fix it can you help?
      If so let me know please.
      thanks
      Joe Brandt

      1. Re: authorized Martin Repair
        Clay Shears

        :
        Do you mean A "Gibson" Les Paul? I’ve never heard of a
        Martin Les Paul?

        >>Clay

        : Steve-

        : : I have a 1992 Martin Les Paul Studio with a intonation problem on the open G string had donot have any one that is capable or knowledgable enough to fix it can you help?
        : If so let me know please.
        : thanks
        : Joe Brandt

    2. Re: authorized Martin Repair
      rich

      Check out Martin’s website- martinguitars.com, and they have a list of warranty places- these would do general repair work also I would expect.

      : Steve-

      : I’m looking for an authorized Martin repair shop in the Nashville vicinity. I own a 1973 Martin D-28 12 string that I bought new, with the lifetime warranty. Needs help on the bridge and soundboard.

      : Any Help, Many Thanks.

      : Danny

Leave a Reply