EvO:R Entertainment The Ask Rick Andrews Section

Hello, this is Rick Andrews owner of Andrews Guitar and a long time member of EvO:R. This section has been put together to help you with your guitar related questions. I did not agree to do this so I could simply plug my guitars, I did this so you could finally have answers to many of those burning questions you may have had about your guitar.

OK, I do get a small plug!
Join The Team of Professional Choice . . Andrews Guitar! Come In And See What State Of The Art and Quality Is! Let Us Build The Ultimate Dream Guitar For You!
rickandrews@andrewsguitar.com
or call us at (615) 826-3317
Andrews Guitar - 103 Crestview Dr.
Hendersonville, Tennessee. 37075

A question about paint

I wanted to ask a question about paint. I have remodeled several guitars, never made one from scratch but I've gotten pretty close, any way. What I always get screwed up on is the finish. I can't get that hi-gloss look. It's like the paint always soaks up all the shine which is fine for flat colors but I have a PRS that I want to repaint. My question is this. If I were going to do a transparent finish what should I use and what is the best method for applying it?
Thanks
Jonathan

Rick Andrews Answers Your Question Below.

Hello Jonathan,
Take a look at www.stewmac.com There you will find clear lacquer for wood. If you are finishing a more pourous wood like mahogany, you should use the filler/sealer. If it is hard maple then the laquer alone is sufficient. You spray several thin coats and sand between each coat as soon as it ias dry enough to sand to a white powder. Each time you will notice the grain fills in until the last time you can not see any pours at all. Then you can buff it out and get that supper high gloss mirror finish. On the web site I show above you can find everything you need to get a pro job. Hope this helps you. These all come with good instructions.
Rick Andrews, Andrews Guitar

Are the single actions truss rods really bad?

Rick,
in your opinion, If you had a 10 degree tilt back headstock on a 24fret 34" scale bass neck with a ebony finger board. I love the ease of the single action truss rods, and the lighter weight. Are the single actions truss rods really bad? The neck will also have two graphite composite stiffening rods. The double action truss rods take a lot of torque to operate and are almost double the weight. What would be the pros and cons here? Do you think I would have trouble with the single action truss rod? Regards,
Steve Z.

Rick Andrews Answers Your Question Below.

Well Steve,
I have been through this myself and personally I like the single rod better. One time as I recall I saw a guitar that actually warped and bowed backwards. That is very unusual because the string tension pulls the neck inward. Only the one have I ever seen do this. It had to be a piece of wood that was incredibly strongly warping favoring the oposite of the string tension. The single rod is lighter weight and I think more efficient as well as more accurate. I suggest the single. That is what I use in the guitars I build.
Rick Andrews
Andrews Guitar

replacing the neck of a guitar

When replacing the neck of a guitar, is it necessary to adjust the truss rod? If so, how does one do this?

Rick Andrews Answers Your Question Below.
Monday, September 08, 2003 10:23 PM

The answer is absolutely. A new neck must be properly aligned and set when installed. It depends on the type guitar as to how you would approach this. For instance, a bolt on neck on a Fender guitar would adjust by one method while a glue in neck in a Gibson would be adjusted another way. Most Gibsons adjust at the peghead while solid body guitars adjust at the end of the heel of the bolt on neck and must be done before the neck is installed, unless of course it happens to be an older model Fender that was adjusted from the bullet adjustment nut at the peghead. In either case you would string the instrument and tune it then see what direction the rod needs to go to do its work. Then you take the strings off and readjust the rod. Then you string it up again and tune it again. Recheck and start the process again throughm the same steos and continue to do this until you have it exactly where you want it.

Never adjust the truss rod while the strings are tuned. It can put too much tension and makes you have to apply too much torque on the nut when you turn it therefore making you shear off the threaded end of the truss rod. Now you are in big trouble. My advise is to take it to a qualified luthier to do this. There are other concerns as well. The frets will probably need to be dressed down to match final rod and neck adjustments. It really gets hairy in getting the best playing action with true intonation. It takes years experience to get really good at this. Hope this helps you.
Rick Andrews
Andrews Guitar

Rick Andrews, Andrews Guitars