Spandex Panda sporting a Guitar O.R. Tee!

Another summer has come and gone, but not before leaving lots of good memories.  Guitar O.R. was once again kept busy in late July  as the official instrument tech to the Calgary Folkfest.  We were also happy to be a part of Calgarys’ latest addition the the festival circuit in Calgarys Soulfest.

Keeping the wide array of instruments at the Calgary Folkfest playing their best is no easy task, but something that we have taken pride in for 5 years now.  Sudden changes in tempurate and humidity can cause a variety of issues in all the different instruments we tend to, which makes for a busy four days.  Being backstage isn’t a bad working enviroment either.  If you haven’t been, I highly recommend attending sometime.  Its truely a uniquely, laid back place to hear some amazing music.  Congrats to Guitar O.R. clients, T. Buckley and Matt Masters for being chosen to take part.

The brainchild of local singer songwriter, Scotty Hills, Calgary Soulfest took place in the beautiful Edworthy Park. Guitar O.R. was pround to be a sponser for what is hopefully the first of many.  Local faves ( and clients ) Tim Williams,  Scotty Hills and many others graced the stage for the one day festival thats all about the music.  Keep your ear to the ground for info on the 2012 edition.

Not to be outdone by the music, many high fives were given by the Spandex Panda who dropped by to say hello at the invitation of Guitar O.R.  This just in…. kids love Pandas.  Check him out of facebook.

High Fives All Around!

K.D. Lang at the 2011 Calgary FolkfestHigh Fives All Around!

Its hard to be without your guitar for a number of weeks if it just needs a few hours of bench time.  In order to keep our turn around time the shortest in Calgary, we have moved to make room for our newest luthier.  More bench space gives us a chance to serve you better.  We invite anyone to stop by and check out the new space. 

The best part about it, is its actually only a couple hundred feet from the old location.  We’re now in unit B15 in Phillips park. 6020 2nd St SE. Located convieniently close to Long and Mquade and St Johns Music

We look forward to continuing to provide the best service possible for all your stringed instrument needs.

On Monday March 28, the Wildrose Brewery will be hosting another Beers and Guitars Night.  Come out for some amazing instruments, special players and beer!

People are invited to bring and display their  favorite guitar. In a safe enviroment for your instruments, you can relax and meet and greet with some of Calgarys’ best players, beginners and general fans.  Listen to songs, play along or just enjoy a pint.

Watch the video from last years event.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oF3uaScNHUo

For the 3rd year in a row Guitar O.R. was able to play a vital role in helping to make folkfest the success it is.  With the weather being all over the map again, many instruments needed last minute professional help. Once again the experience is something that we at Guitar O.R. can use on every instrument that comes through the door.

   As the guitar technician for St Johns Music, some of you may have had me work on your instrument without even knowing about it.    Working together has been a great relationship for both parties,  as it allows St Johns Music to offer high quality stringed instrument repair services and makes is possible for Guitar O.R. to work with clients that may not be aware of what we can do.

   Part of my responsibilties include keeping the store stock playings its very best.  Maintaining this high standard requires many minor ( and some major ) adjustments.  Such was the case this past May.

    As the seasons change, so does the main ingredient in guitars, being wood.  Like all instruments made of wood, June and July are great months to have a complete set up done.  This will ensure that it plays its best for the entire summer, and into the fall.

   Or if you’re in the market for a new guitar or bass, St Johns Music is a great place to start.

You can't fix the problem until you get a chance to play it

"Wild Thing. you make my heart sing" Da da da da

Introducing to the Guitar O.R. team, Mr Jordan Haber.  Jordan recently graduated from the highly acclaimed Roberto Venn School of Luthrie from Phoenix AZ.  Adding Jordan to the team has made it possible to keep up the high quality of work that you have come to expect, without adding to the turn around time.  Something that everyone enjoys and can take advantage of at Guitar O.R.

Does your guitar always sound a little out of tune? Is your E string in tune, but your 3rd fret is sharp? Its a pretty common issue. Without getting into too much detail, the guitar by nature is never really in tune. Its what you call a tempered instrument and the distance between frets is based on a mathematical equation to find the best “balance” between sharp and flat notes. There are a few ways in which we can maniputate the guitar to minimize these issues, however there are a couple of great products on the market to help us achieve better, more reliable results. One being the Buzz Fieten system, and one being Earvana. For various reasons ( I’ll let you do the research and decide on your own ), I’m a big fan of Earvana.

Essentially it is a replacement nut that reduces distance from the nut to the 12th fret. Resulting in a lower amount of string tension, which minimizes the fretted notes from going sharp when pressed. After having installed a number of them, I’m confident that you will be amazed at how big a difference it makes. The pictures in this post are that of a Gibson 336 that recently came through the shop. With it being such a beautiful guitar, the owner wanted the quality of pitch to match. The Earvana nut was just what it needed. No more sharp notes on the G chord that constant retuning wont fix.

The Earvana nut is available for all makes of electric and acoustic guitars. Its made of high quality material similar to graphite, and it does’nt require any irreversable work to be done on your guitar. To book an appointment to have one installed on you guitar,call or email now.

Earvan nut installed

Gibson 336

These images have been published with permission from the owner, Del Anderson. Thanks Del Read the rest of this entry >>