DIY Guitar Repair Mistakes to Avoid

We see it not a ton, but we do see it: guitars that arrive with problems the owner installed personally. Oftentimes it is because your uncle played in a band, so he can adjust the guitar. Well, sometimes he can, sometimes he cannot. Here are the mistakes that actually come through the door, and what to do instead. If you want the safe version of poking at your own guitar, start with our home setup check, which is all diagnosis and no surgery.

Mistake one: cranking the truss rod

The classic. The string height is too high, the forums say take the relief out of the neck and the action comes down, and technically that is true, up to a point. But if the neck is already fairly straight with just a small amount of relief, which is where it should be, there is nothing left to take out. Getting aggressive with the rod from there does not lower the action, it just loads the rod, and it is not uncommon for a truss rod to snap. That turns a setup into a major repair.

The proper order when action is high: relief first, and if the relief is already right, the saddle comes down. If there is no saddle left, the conversation is a neck reset. Reading where your neck actually sits is the first step, and we have a whole video on that.

Mistake two: over-filing the fret ends

Sharp fret ends are a real problem, especially after a dry Calgary winter, and filing them is a real fix. The trouble starts when the filing gets too aggressive and changes the edges of the fingerboard itself. That changes how the entire guitar plays, and if enough width goes, the strings start falling off the side of the neck. Unfortunately there is not a lot that can remedy that. You are looking at potentially a new neck, which makes it the most expensive version of an avoidable mistake.

Mistake three: the soldering gun

Swapping pickups is one of the most popular DIY jobs there is, and plenty of people manage it fine. The casualties come from heat: too much of it cooks pots, and every now and again the pickups themselves. It only takes one little wire getting cranked, cracked or broken for a pickup to become an open coil, and then it needs a rewind or a replacement. If your soldering practice so far is one YouTube video, maybe do not learn on your best pickups.

The honest rule

Be mindful of what you are doing, and if you are not completely comfortable with a job, take it to a professional. It will save you a lot of time in the long run, and a lot of grief in the long run as well. And if a project has already got away from you, bring it in anyway. You will not be the first, and it is a judgement free bench.

Common questions

Is it safe to adjust my own truss rod?

Small, careful adjustments with the right understanding, yes. The damage happens when the rod gets cranked to chase low action that was never a relief problem. If the neck is already fairly straight, the fix lives at the saddle, not the rod, and forcing it is how rods snap.

I filed my fret ends and now strings slip off the neck. Can it be fixed?

That one is tough. Aggressive filing changes the edge of the fingerboard itself, and once enough width is gone there is not a lot that can be done short of a new neck. It is the most expensive version of this mistake, which is why we flag it.

What is the right way to lower high action?

In order: check the relief and correct it if it is off, then look at taking the saddle down, and if the saddle is out of room, the conversation is a neck reset. Cranking the truss rod past correct relief is not on the list.

How risky is soldering on my own guitar?

The circuit is more forgiving than the parts. Too much heat cooks pots, and it only takes one cranked or cracked wire for a pickup to become an open coil needing a rewind or replacement. If your iron time is limited, practise somewhere cheaper than your pickups.

Project gone sideways, or want it done right the first time?

Bring your instrument into the shop during opening hours, no appointment needed. Assessments are free and we can usually do them while you’re here, so you leave knowing exactly what it needs. Hours and directions are on the contact page.

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