The Repair Vault
Real guitars. Real problems. Real work from the bench at Paul's Guitar Hideout.
The Repair Vault is where we document the instruments that come through the shop: what the player noticed, what we found, what we changed, and what happened when the guitar went back together.
Some are simple setups. Some turn into electronics work, fret problems, strange noises, worn parts, or something nobody expected when the case first opened.
These aren't generic repair articles. Every entry starts with an actual instrument that came across our bench.
If your guitar is doing something similar, the Vault may give you a better idea of what could be going on. The bench is where we confirm it.
Browse by Problem
Setup & Playability
- Martin 000-15: Deluxe Setup for High Action
- Schecter 7-String: High Action That Still Buzzed
- Squier Stratocaster: Cleanup, Electronics and a Full Setup
- Ortega Classical: Restrung and Checked Over
- Vintage Ibanez Acoustic: High Action with the Saddle Already Low
- Eastman Mandolin: Fitting a New Bridge
- Guild Starfire: Nut Filled and Recut, String Spacing Reset
- Fender Japanese Stratocaster: Dried Out and Unplayed, Setup and Cleaning
- New Fender Jazzmaster: Factory Action Too High
- Fender Custom Shop Stratocaster: Setup After a Home Attempt
- Fender Japanese Telecaster: Setup and an Electronics Cleaning
- Eastman Electric: Loose Output Jack and a Light Setup
- Fender 50th Anniversary Stratocaster: Cleaning and Setup After Years Unplayed
- LTD EC-1000 (Burl): Uneven Nut and Low Pickups
- Strandberg Boden Prog NX: Nut Too High for the Zero Fret
- Taylor 612ce: High Action and Too Much Neck Relief
- Fender American Jaguar: Bridge Too Low, Micro-Tilt Wrong, Quiet Bridge Pickup
- Fender Telecaster: A Neck Too Straight to Play Clean
- Gibson Les Paul: Buzzing Action, Uneven Nut and Bridge
- Gibson Gold Top: High Action and a Buzzing G String
Tuning & Intonation
- LTD with Floyd Rose: Setup for C# Standard on 9s
- Fender 75th Anniversary Stratocaster: Trem Springs Set Wrong, Nut Uneven, 9s to 10s
- Fender Troy Van Leeuwen Jazzmaster: Tuning Instability and Swapped Saddles
- Hofner Bass: Spinning Jack and a Bridge in the Wrong Place
- Fender 75th Anniversary Stratocaster: Setup for the Move from 9s to 10s
Fret & Nut Problems
- Fender Telecaster: Fret Level and Polish for Divoted Frets
- Vintage Yamaha Electric: Loose Frets, a Bad Ground, and Pickups That Stayed Weak
- Guild Starfire: Nut Filled and Recut, String Spacing Reset
- Guild Acoustic: Buzz from the Truss Rod and Nut, Strap Button, 12s to 11s
- Fender 75th Anniversary Stratocaster: Trem Springs Set Wrong, Nut Uneven, 9s to 10s
- Schecter 7-String: High Action That Still Buzzed
- Strandberg Boden Prog NX: Nut Too High for the Zero Fret
- Ibanez PF200: Worn Nut Slots and a Move to 10s
- Kiesel Headless: Sharp Fret Ends After Dry Storage
- Fender Stratocaster (Black, Tortoise Guard): Buzzing All Over
- LTD EC-1000 (Burl): Uneven Nut and Low Pickups
- Gibson Flying V: Cleaning, Uneven Nut and Saddles, Setup for 10s
- Gibson Les Paul: Buzzing Action, Uneven Nut and Bridge
- Gibson Gold Top: High Action and a Buzzing G String
Neck & Truss Rod
- Guild Acoustic: Buzz from the Truss Rod and Nut, Strap Button, 12s to 11s
- Vintage Ibanez Acoustic: High Action with the Saddle Already Low
- Sterling StingRay Ray34: Truss Rod Nut Working Loose
- Fender Baritone: Genuine Parts, Broken Truss Rod
- Fender Telecaster: A Neck Too Straight to Play Clean
- Taylor 612ce: High Action and Too Much Neck Relief
Electronics
- Vintage Yamaha Electric: Loose Frets, a Bad Ground, and Pickups That Stayed Weak
- Fender Japanese Stratocaster: Dried Out and Unplayed, Setup and Cleaning
- Seagull Dreadnought: Loose Braces, a Cracked Bridge, and a Battery Box
- Schecter (Pink): Loose Jack and a Setup for 10s
- Kramer Aluminum-Neck Bass: A Noise the Quick Fixes Did Not Catch
- Ibanez Roadstar II: Corroded Electronics and a Jump from 8s to 10s
- Godin: Scratchy Electronics and a Setup for 10s
- Fender USA Telecaster, E-Series: Are the Pickups Original?
- Fender G-5A VG Stratocaster: Synth Dropout and Setup for 10s
- Fender Japanese Telecaster: Setup and an Electronics Cleaning
- Fender 50th Anniversary Stratocaster: Cleaning and Setup After Years Unplayed
- Gibson Les Paul Tribute: Sticking Selector Switch and a Move from 8s to 10s
Pickups & Wiring
- Ibanez SoundGear Bass: Pickup Cavities Routed for Active Humbuckers
- Ibanez 7-String: Bridge Pickup Back to the Factory DiMarzio
- Fender G-5A VG Stratocaster: Synth Dropout and Setup for 10s
- LTD EC-1000 (Burl): Uneven Nut and Low Pickups
- Fender American Jaguar: Bridge Too Low, Micro-Tilt Wrong, Quiet Bridge Pickup
Humidity & Storage
- Fender Japanese Stratocaster: Dried Out and Unplayed, Setup and Cleaning
- Kiesel Headless: Sharp Fret Ends After Dry Storage
Rattles & Noise
- Seagull Dreadnought: Loose Braces, a Cracked Bridge, and a Battery Box
- Schecter (Pink): Loose Jack and a Setup for 10s
- Vintage Yamaha Electric: Loose Frets, a Bad Ground, and Pickups That Stayed Weak
- LAG Acoustic: Interior Rattle Traced to the Jack Washer
- Kramer Aluminum-Neck Bass: A Noise the Quick Fixes Did Not Catch
- Gretsch Tim Armstrong: Output Jack About to Fall Inside
- Eastman Electric: Loose Output Jack and a Light Setup
- Hofner Bass: Spinning Jack and a Bridge in the Wrong Place
- Fender Stratocaster (Black, Tortoise Guard): Buzzing All Over
- Fender 50th Anniversary Stratocaster: Cleaning and Setup After Years Unplayed
String Gauge Changes
- Epiphone DG-335: Setup for the Move from 9s to 10s
- Ibanez Hollowbody: Setup for the Move from 9s to 10s
- Schecter (Pink): Loose Jack and a Setup for 10s
- Guild Acoustic: Buzz from the Truss Rod and Nut, Strap Button, 12s to 11s
- LTD with Floyd Rose: Setup for C# Standard on 9s
- Fender 75th Anniversary Stratocaster: Trem Springs Set Wrong, Nut Uneven, 9s to 10s
- PRS S2 Studio: Setup for the Move from 9s to 10s
- Gibson Les Paul Tribute: Sticking Selector Switch and a Move from 8s to 10s
- Gibson Flying V: Cleaning, Uneven Nut and Saddles, Setup for 10s
- Godin: Scratchy Electronics and a Setup for 10s
- LTD EC-1000 (Purple): Setup for the Move from 11s to 10s
- Ibanez Roadstar II: Corroded Electronics and a Jump from 8s to 10s
- Ibanez PF200: Worn Nut Slots and a Move to 10s
- Fender 75th Anniversary Stratocaster: Setup for the Move from 9s to 10s
- LAG Acoustic: Interior Rattle Traced to the Jack Washer
- Fender G-5A VG Stratocaster: Synth Dropout and Setup for 10s
Headless & Multiscale
- Strandberg Boden Prog NX: Nut Too High for the Zero Fret
- Kiesel Headless: Sharp Fret Ends After Dry Storage
Browse by Brand
Fender & Squier
- Fender 75th Anniversary Stratocaster: Trem Springs Set Wrong, Nut Uneven, 9s to 10s
- Fender Telecaster: Fret Level and Polish for Divoted Frets
- Fender Japanese Stratocaster: Dried Out and Unplayed, Setup and Cleaning
- Squier Stratocaster: Cleanup, Electronics and a Full Setup
- New Fender Jazzmaster: Factory Action Too High
- Fender USA Telecaster, E-Series: Are the Pickups Original?
- Fender G-5A VG Stratocaster: Synth Dropout and Setup for 10s
- Fender Custom Shop Stratocaster: Setup After a Home Attempt
- Fender Troy Van Leeuwen Jazzmaster: Tuning Instability and Swapped Saddles
- Fender Baritone: Genuine Parts, Broken Truss Rod
- Fender Japanese Telecaster: Setup and an Electronics Cleaning
- Fender 75th Anniversary Stratocaster: Setup for the Move from 9s to 10s
- Fender Stratocaster (Black, Tortoise Guard): Buzzing All Over
- Fender 50th Anniversary Stratocaster: Cleaning and Setup After Years Unplayed
- Fender Telecaster: A Neck Too Straight to Play Clean
- Fender American Jaguar: Bridge Too Low, Micro-Tilt Wrong, Quiet Bridge Pickup
Gibson & Epiphone
- Epiphone DG-335: Setup for the Move from 9s to 10s
- Gibson Les Paul Tribute: Sticking Selector Switch and a Move from 8s to 10s
- Gibson Flying V: Cleaning, Uneven Nut and Saddles, Setup for 10s
- Gibson Les Paul: Buzzing Action, Uneven Nut and Bridge
- Gibson Gold Top: High Action and a Buzzing G String
Gretsch
Ibanez
- Ibanez Hollowbody: Setup for the Move from 9s to 10s
- Vintage Ibanez Acoustic: High Action with the Saddle Already Low
- Ibanez SoundGear Bass: Pickup Cavities Routed for Active Humbuckers
- Ibanez 7-String: Bridge Pickup Back to the Factory DiMarzio
- Ibanez Roadstar II: Corroded Electronics and a Jump from 8s to 10s
- Ibanez PF200: Worn Nut Slots and a Move to 10s
LTD
- LTD with Floyd Rose: Setup for C# Standard on 9s
- LTD EC-1000 (Burl): Uneven Nut and Low Pickups
- LTD EC-1000 (Purple): Setup for the Move from 11s to 10s
Schecter
Guild
- Guild Starfire: Nut Filled and Recut, String Spacing Reset
- Guild Acoustic: Buzz from the Truss Rod and Nut, Strap Button, 12s to 11s
Basses
- Ibanez SoundGear Bass: Pickup Cavities Routed for Active Humbuckers
- Kramer Aluminum-Neck Bass: A Noise the Quick Fixes Did Not Catch
- Hofner Bass: Spinning Jack and a Bridge in the Wrong Place
- Sterling StingRay Ray34: Truss Rod Nut Working Loose
Acoustics
- Martin 000-15: Deluxe Setup for High Action
- Seagull Dreadnought: Loose Braces, a Cracked Bridge, and a Battery Box
- Ortega Classical: Restrung and Checked Over
- Vintage Ibanez Acoustic: High Action with the Saddle Already Low
- Guild Acoustic: Buzz from the Truss Rod and Nut, Strap Button, 12s to 11s
- LAG Acoustic: Interior Rattle Traced to the Jack Washer
- Taylor 612ce: High Action and Too Much Neck Relief
Everything Else on the Bench
- Vintage Yamaha Electric: Loose Frets, a Bad Ground, and Pickups That Stayed Weak
- Eastman Mandolin: Fitting a New Bridge
- Strandberg Boden Prog NX: Nut Too High for the Zero Fret
- Kiesel Headless: Sharp Fret Ends After Dry Storage
- PRS S2 Studio: Setup for the Move from 9s to 10s
- Godin: Scratchy Electronics and a Setup for 10s
- Eastman Electric: Loose Output Jack and a Light Setup
New entries publish as work comes through the bench. If your guitar is doing something described above, that is what our repair bench and setup service are for. Setups are $79 standard, $109 deluxe, $99 specialty. See the full repair and setup pricing.
Common Questions
What is the Repair Vault?
It's a documented record of real guitar repairs done at our bench in Glens Falls, NY. Every entry names the instrument and walks through what came in, what we found, what we did, and how it played when it left.
Are these real repairs or generic advice?
Real repairs, documented as we do them. Each entry is bench notes from an actual instrument that came through the shop, not a how-to written from memory or stock advice under a stock photo.
Can the Repair Vault tell me what's wrong with my guitar?
It can point you in the right direction. The same problems come through the door over and over, so if your guitar is doing something described in one of these entries, you'll likely have a good idea what's wrong before you bring it in. A repair or setup at the bench is how we confirm it.
Is your instrument not playing the way it used to, or just due for a tweak? Bring it in and we'll look at it together. We're located at The Shirt Factory in Glens Falls, NY. Use the Cooper Street entrance and take the stairs up. If stairs are difficult or you're bringing in something you don't want to carry up, call or text us and we'll arrange access.
Paul's Guitar Hideout · The Shirt Factory
71 Lawrence St., Suite 201B, 2nd Floor
Glens Falls, NY 12801
Wednesday–Sunday, 12–5 PM
(518) 217-8695 · info@paulsguitarhideout.com