The Fret Files

In this episode of the Fret Files Podcast, Eric ponders whether removing the finish from John Lennon’s Epiphone Casino really did improve the tone and answer a few questions regarding fret levelling, fret polishing, fancy strings, moving your Telecaster’s switch, and adjusting your playing style when needed. To participate in the show, you can leave a message with your question or comm...

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...

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 E...

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...

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 an...

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...

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...

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 re...

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 solv...

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 cl...

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 757-774-848...

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...

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 a...

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 le...

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 th...

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 c...

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 co...

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 l...

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 c...

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...

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.