The Fret Files

In this episode Eric and Nat take questions regarding reshaping necks, Esquire wiring, winding pickups, adjusting action on a resonator, filling fingerboard divots, and whether or not Nat will sing “Hot Rod Lincoln.” Also included is a guitar history segment about the late 60’s Red Paisley and Blue Flower Fender Telecasters. To participate in the show, you can leave a message wit...

In this episode Eric and Nat take questions regarding rolled fingerboard edges, tool recommendations, stainless steel frets, plain vs. wound strings, and whether or not Paul McCartney knows what the knobs on his bass do. Also included is a guitar history segment about George Harrison’s famous 1969 Rosewood Fender Telecaster. To participate in the show, you can leave a message with your quest...

In this episode Eric is recovering from a cold but manages to slog through a news segment, answer a question about nuts, and replay an old but great interview with Jason Lollar. 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 and Nat do a guitar history corner segment about Dan Armstrong. Then come the questions about vintage guitar pickup winding, refretting, intonation, and the practice of stripping guitars down for parts and selling them one piece at a time online. 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...

In this episode Eric and Nat read listener submitted guitar and gig horror stories for our annual Halloween Special. There’s gigs from Hell, smashed drum kits, drowned Martins, bats 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 Eric and Nat do a little guitar news concerning Les Paul’s “Number One” Gibson Gold Top Les Paul Model guitar selling at auction for $930,000. Then they take questions concerning warped Teisco necks, stiff truss rod adjustment nuts, pickup manufacturing, Bigsby vibratos on Telecasters, and more. To participate in the show, you can leave a message with your questio...

In this episode Eric talks a little guitar history about John Lennon’s famous 325 Capri Rickenbacker guitar, and takes questions concerning treble bleed capacitors, spraying lacquer, RWRP pickups, Gibson Custombuckers, what to charge for parts, and finding the source of a mysterious rattle on a guitar. To participate in the show, you can leave a message with your question or comment by calli...

In this episode of the Fret Files Podcast, Eric and Nat talk about what’s new in Eric’s repair shop, and why Nat’s guitars never seem to get done. Then come the questions regarding headstock repairs, touching up dings, fingerboard extension shims when resetting a neck, refretting a modern Fender neck that has a poly finish on it, and how to get Naphtha when it is banned in your a...

In this episode of the Fret Files Podcast, Eric and Nat talk about what’s new in Eric’s repair shop, followed by a guitar history segment about Kay guitars. Then come the questions regarding filling in ugly inlays, neck heating irons, drop fill finish touch ups, what to do with a truss rod that won’t tighten anymore, and a discussion about why guitars necks got thinner and narrow...

In this episode of the Fret Files Podcast, Eric and Nat talk about what’s new and take questions regarding truss rods, guitar myths, out of phase pickups, filling fingerboard divots, and more. Also included is a discussion about why Isaac Newton is not the greatest guitar player who ever lived. To participate in the show, you can leave a message with your question or comment by calling 757-7...

In this episode of the Fret Files Podcast, Eric talks to Jay Boone, owner of Emerald City Guitars in Seattle about what’s hot in the vintage guitar market these days. Eric also answers a few phone-in questions about vintage Les Paul trapeze tailpieces, microphonic pickups, and how to know when it is time to re-fret a vintage Telecaster. To participate in the show, you can leave a message wit...

In this episode of the Fret Files Podcast, Eric and Nat talk about the history of the solid body electric guitar and the influence of Les Paul, and then take a few questions about truss rods and pickups. The second half of the show is an interview that you won’t want to miss. To participate in the show, you can leave a message with your question or comment by calling 757-774-8482.  To email...

In this episode of the Fret Files Podcast, Eric and Sage talk about the history of the Clarence White B Bender, bowling ball repair, filling finish dings with super glue, sanding the finish off the back of guitar necks, and microphonic Tele pickups. 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.c...

In this episode of the Fret Files Podcast, Eric and Melissa talk about the history of guitar distortion, and take questions regarding fret hump, waterslide decals, removing string ferrules from Telecaster style guitars, vintage guitar values, 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 EricDa...

In this episode of the Fret Files Podcast, Eric and Melissa talk about the history of switch companies, and take questions regarding gold foil MIJ catalog guitars, keeping vibrato guitars in tune, wiring problems on a Gretsch White Falcon, poly undercoats under nitro lacquer finishes, b-bender contraptions, and more. 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 Melissa talk about the history of 6 string basses, and take questions regarding fret leveling, cutting nuts, gluing loose braces, how to join the secret luthier club, and how to tell if a headstock has been repaired properly. To participate in the show, you can leave a message with your question or comment by calling 757-774-8482.  To email the s...

In this episode of the Fret Files Podcast, Eric and Melissa introduce a new segment, The Guitar History Corner! Then they take questions regarding tune-o-matic saddle notches, leather picks, reverse audio taper potentiometers, floyd rose tips, and static electricity pickguard buildup. To participate in the show, you can leave a message with your question or comment by calling 757-774-8482.  To ema...

In this episode of the Fret Files Podcast, Eric and Melissa take questions regarding RWRP pickups, setting up a guitar for an alternate tuning, 3 piece laminated necks, pore filling when finishing, freeing up sticky vintage potentiometers, and fret levelling the neck of a Tele Kit guitar. To participate in the show, you can leave a message with your question or comment by calling 757-774-8482.  To...

Eric is joined by his buddy Nat (Melissa is on vacation) to answer questions about the Trinity Triton Amp Kit build that we talked about in episode 88, and lots of other things including fret leveling, tool misuse, pickup recommendations on an Epiphone SG, and some commentary on Reverb.com. To participate in the show, you can leave a message with your question or comment by calling 757-774-8482. ...

In this episode, Eric and Melissa take questions about Eric’s kit amp, making guitar straps, why do people wax pot pickups, are Martin F-55’s cool, and parallel/out of phase wiring explained. 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 and Melissa take questions about Jerry Garcia’s guitars built by Doug Irwin, stranded vs solid core wire, cutting nut slots, cutting saddle slots, and when is a guitar neck just too far gone? Find out in today’s thrilling episode. To participate in the show, you can leave a message with your question or comment by calling 757-774-8482.  To email the show, vis...

In this episode, Eric takes a question about removing residue from the finish on a pre-CBS custom color Fender Stratocaster, and interviews Rick Tish from playersgearmusic.com about Rick’s shop where he sells used and refurbished guitars, and does repairs also. The big news is that Rick has started manufacturing Neck Straightening Irons and is offering them for sale at his website. Fret File...

In this episode, Eric and Melissa take questions about humming Charlie Christian pickups, Eric’s “secret” out of phase wiring trick, cool Japanese guitars to look out for, brass bridge pins, refretting an ebony fretboard 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.co...

In this episode, Eric and Melissa take questions about cryogenic fret wire, Jazzmaster wiring, linear pots, adjustable saddles on Gibson acoustics, adjustable polepieces on a P-90 pickup, and does tone really “come from the hands?” – credit to @stevievaguewrong on instagram for the meme. To participate in the show, you can leave a message with your question or comment by calling...

In this episode, Eric and Melissa take questions about nickel hardware, Gretsch Guitars, a hipshot multibender, switch tips that won’t stay on, lacquer recommendations, and more. Also, Eric gives Melissa a surprise quiz, “Knob or Pickup?” – and she gets most of them right! To participate in the show, you can leave a message with your question or comment by calling 757-774-8...