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Dan Erlewine & The Trade Secrets Team

	Issue 191 May 23, 2013 The King of Dieselbilly Talks Tele! Titan of the Tele: Bill Kirchen explains why he flips his control plate backwards, and shows how he got the famous sounds he recorded on Hot Rod Lincoln.
	Issue 190 May 9, 2013 How to let your ears find the best tone cap for your guitar Ever wonder whether a different capacitor would affect your tone? It’s between you and your own ears, nobody else can tell you what you hear. Erick Coleman’s got a simple way to prove to yourself which cap is the choice for you.

	Issue 189 April 25, 2013 Rotten old vintage plastic: fabricating replacement parts from pickguard material After nearly 60 years, old celluloid parts start to crumble. The pickup risers on a ‘55 Gretsch are rotting away, and Dan Erlewine builds new replacements from a sheet of tortoiseshell pickguard plastic.
	Issue 188 April 11, 2013 Binding repair on a '55 Gretsch Roundup A truss rod fix leads to a binding repair: Dan Erlewine has to remove the fingerboard from this great old cowboy guitar, and some of the red side dots disappear. He shows two techniques for replacing them.

	Issue 187 March 28, 2013 No-cost tools for shaping Martin guitar bridges Two do-it-yourself tools that I’ve been using for years to shape the bridges on Martins: I show you how to make one in a jiffy, and there’s a free downloadable plan for the other one! -- Dan Erlewine
	Issue 186 March 14, 2013 How to get a good clean solder joint! The three basics to keep in mind if you want your work to be as good or better than the guitar’s original wiring. — Erick Coleman

	Issue 185 February 28, 2013 Is this bridge saddle in the right place? The free Fret Position Calculator at stewmac.com does the math, but can I trust its numbers for placing a Martin bridge? I tested the computer against my “stone age” method. — Dan Erlewine
	Issue 184 February 14, 2013 Do-it-yourself banjo bridge lifter Dave Collins at Herb David Guitar Studio in Ann Arbor, Michigan shows an easy-to-make tool for swapping banjo bridges.

	Issue 183 January 31, 2013 Rare black Dan Armstrong bass: fretboard repair Dan Erlewine’s working on a black lucite Dan Armstrong bass -- one of only eight that Ampeg ever made. The fretboard has a nasty crunch. Step-by-step, Dan details how he does this tricky fix.
	Issue 182 January 17, 2013 Good tone from 0-10: easy clip-on mod Trade Secrets On The Road: Dan Erlewine visits the repair shop at Herb David Guitar Studio in Ann Arbor, Michigan. He brings back this great, simple tone tip from repairman Brian Delaney.

	Issue 181 January 3, 2013 Repairing a broken-off tuner screw In this Trade Secrets video, Dan Erlewine extracts and replaces a broken screw in a Fender peghead.
	Issue 180 December 20, 2012 The simplest custom build ever? Erick Coleman builds a custom guitar that’s even simpler than Bo Diddley's rectangular axe. It's a great example to show the basics of building an electric guitar.

	Issue 179 December 6, 2012 Table saw shooting board for fret slots and flexible cauls A make-it-yourself solution for fast accurate 90 degree cuts on your table saw. Also a cool tip on making bendy, flexible cauls that follow the shapes on a guitar.
	Issue 178 November 22, 2012 How to fit a preshaped nut on a guitar Tips for fitting a shaped and slotted nut. Dan Erlewine tries a preshaped nut in his own Fender Strat: it's so easy "it's almost like cheating!"

	Issue 177 November 8, 2012 A shrinking pickguard cracks the guitar top! In Dan Erlewine’s shop: This Martin D-35 has a cracked top due to the pull of a shrinking plastic pickguard. Dan fixes the problem and shows how to keep this happening from happening again.
	Issue 176 October 25, 2012 Video: Plugging stripped holes in bolt-on guitar necks Dan Erlewine shows what he does when a bolt-on neck's mounting bolts aren't holding tight anymore.

	Issue 175 October 11, 2012 Fixing (and breaking!) a 1957 Gibson P-90 pickup After 55 years, the original owner sells a 1957 Gibson Les Paul Junior because the pickup's dead. Erick Coleman tells the story of bringing that pickup back to life.
	Issue 174 September 27, 2012 Fixing a small chip in your guitar's finish This issue of Trade Secrets is a video: Dan Erlewine demos three of his favorite finish repair tips: 1. Super glue drop fills. 2. Frank Ford’s razor blade trick. 3. Strip-sanding with fingertip pressure.

	Issue 173 September 13, 2012 Video: Gluing a Martin D-35 back brace This issue of Trade Secrets is a video: Dan Erlewine glues a Martin back brace, using Scissor Jacks along with tools you can make in your own shop. After this video, we developed the Brace Gluing Wedge to simplify this job and reduce the number of tools needed.
	Issue 172 August 30, 2012 A curious fact: why the 1970s Musicmaster Bass had such a thin sound Erick Coleman opens up a 1973 Fender Musicmaster Bass and is surprised by what he finds!

	Issue 171 August 16, 2012 Fixing a loose bridge on a yard sale special Dan Erlewine fixes a 1980s Harmony guitar with a bridge that’s falling off. To see how fast he can do this repair, Dan decided to play Beat The Clock!
	Issue 170 August 2, 2012 A sign of truss rod trouble, and an easy solution. Dan Erlewine with a common truss rod problem: an over-adjusted rod that just won’t work anymore. Luckily, there’s an easy fix!

	Issue 169 July 19, 2012 Crack repair on a Gibson ES-350T ("Byrdland Lite?") Semi-hollowbody crack repair: Dan Erlewine compares Gibson’s ES-350T to their more famous Byrdland. Includes 1955 catalog descriptions of these two great Gibsons.
	Issue 168 July 5, 2012 None of your beeswax? Potting pickups with paraffin. Erick Coleman answers a frequently-asked question: how (and why) to wax-pot a pickup.

	Issue 167 June 21, 2012 Fixing a 1965 Gibson Firebird with holes in its head! Dan Erlewine fills holes in the peghead of a 1965 Gibson Firebird.
	Issue 166 June 7, 2012 Upgrading an inexpensive semi-hollowbody with P-90 sound Erick Coleman installs P-90 soapbar pickups into the dogear pickup frames on an Epiphone Casino. It’s an easy upgrade that makes a big difference.

	Issue 165 May 24, 2012 A pain in the necks: Gibson doubleneck with a broken truss rod Dan Erlewine has a Gibson doubleneck with a broken truss rod -- a problem that sends lots of guitars to the trash can. What will it take to rescue this one? The answer might surprise you: it takes 65 minutes of work.
	Issue 164 May 10, 2012 Does this bone nut fit my guitar? Erick Coleman answers a question that’s come up a lot lately: how to find the right size replacement nut. He introduces a new Sizing Sheet that makes measuring easy for anybody.

	Issue 163 April 26, 2012 Ideas for your shop: arranging your bench and vise Where to put the workbench in your shop? And where to put the vise on that bench? Dan Erlewine’s helps a friend with those questions in his new garage workshop.
	Issue 162 April 12, 2012 "I wired this guitar, but it didn't work. Can you fix it?" Is it a good idea when a repair shop recommends that a customer try some do-it-yourself wiring? Erick Coleman's customer rewired a Les Paul, but ran into trouble. Now Erick's re-rewiring...

	Issue 161 March 29, 2012 Hiding an "evil smile" peghead break with the Razor Blade Trick After gluing a broken peghead, Dan Erlewine still a finish repair to do. In this Trade Secret, he shows you how to save time by using amber super glue and his favorite razor blade trick.
	Issue 160 March 15, 2012 Wiring a humbucker to get two sounds Erick Coleman shows how he modified a Parsons Street Humbucker, turning it into a switchable single-coil/humbucker combination.

	Issue 159 March 1, 2012 A neat trick for drilling perfectly centered holes in guitar tuners Dan Erlewine shows how to put a round peg in a square hole, literally. Check out this handy drilling idea, and you'll probably find lots of uses for it in your shop.
	Issue 158 February 16, 2012 Bridge collapse! Carving an archtop guitar bridge in a hurry! Erick Coleman got a text message on his cell: his customer’s archtop bridge broke the night before a recording session. Can he replace it overnight? Here’s how he carved a new one in a jiffy!

	Issue 157 February 2, 2012 Dan Erlewine's low-tech "spray booth" for a small shop Dan Erlewine shows how he sprays finish touchups in a small shop with no spray booth.
	Issue 156 January 19, 2012 Fixing Bill Kirchen's "Hot Rod Lincoln" Telecaster Dan Erlewine's doing some Telecaster body work for Bill Kirchen. Bill's famous Tele riff drove Commander Cody's "Hot Rod Lincoln" into the Top Ten back in 1972

	Issue 155 January 5, 2012 Why use a household iron on a fretboard? Erick Coleman uses his wife's clothes iron on a guitar: a simple solution to a problem fretboard.
	Issue 154 December 22, 2011 Electronics cleanup in a beautiful '58 Gibson: "Little Lefty" Inside a "miniature Les Paul case," Dan Erlewine finds a beautiful 1958 Gibson in 3/4 size. Cleaning the electronics gets it playing again. PLUS: Dan shows his shop-made "Guitar Testing Gizmo"

	Issue 153 December 8, 2011 Coil-cuts: how to hop up your humbuckers Erick Coleman shows tricks you can do with those four colored wires coming from your humbucker pickups.
	Issue 152 November 23, 2011 Loose brace in a Martin D-35: how to fix the rattle Dan Erlewine has a Martin D-35 with a loose brace inside, and it rattles. He shows how to make your own brace-fixing gizmos for a clean repair.

	Issue 151 November 10, 2011 How to strip a modern poly guitar finish Erick Coleman's got a Fender bass with a purple metallic finish. He wants to spray an 1960s-style sunburst, but first he's got to get that hard plastic coating off of there...
	Issue 150 October 13, 2011 Fixing dirty, scratchy control pots on a Supro lap steel Dan Erlewine's fixing nasty-sounding control pots on a great-looking Supro lap steel from 1960.

	Issue 149 September 29, 2011 My guitar's too vintage for club gigs, so I created a backup Erick Coleman's 1967 Melody Maker is getting too old and pricey for knockaround club gigs. With some simple mods to an affordable new Gibson, he's made himself a good backup guitar.
	Issue 148 September 15, 2011 Regluing the bass bar inside a standup bass How does Dan Erlewine manage a repair inside a big string bass, without opening up the body? (We suspect he does it with mirrors...)

	Issue 147 September 1, 2011 Tune-o-matic swap: going from Nashville to Kalamazoo Taking a Les Paul from Nashville to Kalamazoo by way of the Tune-o-matic Bridge: Erick Coleman swaps the factory Nashville bridge for a 1950s-style ABR-1 Tune-o-matic.
	Issue 146 August 18, 2011 Fixing a potbelly with the Belly Reducer Dan Erlewine’s got a Martin with a potbelly: string tension has pulled the top into a hump on this 1928 0-18. To make things tougher, the guitar top’s encased in a thick layer of epoxy finish! It’s an interesting puzzle...

	Issue 145 August 4, 2011 How to install a Strat tremolo and get it right Erick Coleman has a quick tip that will save you a lot of trouble.
	Issue 144 July 21, 2011 Replacing a shrunken pickguard Dan Erlewine shrinking pickguard martin D-35 adhesive micro-mesh

	Issue 143 July 7, 2011 Rugged and road-ready: replacing skimpy parts Erick Coleman finds that a 1970s Hondo is really well built, but the parts weren't road-ready. A couple of fixes, and this guitar's ready to tour the world!
	Issue 142 June 23, 2011 How to fix this guitar if my elbow's stuck in the soundhole? Dan Erlewine needs to fix the inside of a classical guitar, but can't fit his arm through the soundhole. Thinking outside the box, he finds the solution to this puzzle!

	Issue 141 June 9, 2011 Christine's inexpensive guitar needs a bridge repair: fix it or pitch it? Should you put $100 worth of repairs into a guitar you can replace for $200? Erick Coleman tells why his answer is yes. And he hands over the repair tools to Christine, who works in StewMac's office.
	Issue 140 May 26, 2011 Installing side dots with the help of plywood scraps Dan Erlewine shows the easy way to install side dots in guitar neck binding. And he has some tips for using plywood scraps around your shop, too!

	Issue 139 May 12, 2011 Dan Erlewine's Facebook fretless bass Dan Erlewine's been posting photos on Facebook, creating this photo story on how to convert a fretted bass to fretless. It's a Trade Secrets story and it's on Facebook too!
	Issue 138 April 28, 2011 Unusual transplant: 12-string guitar tuners save a mandolin Erick Coleman can't find tuners to fit a Martin mandolin -- so he modifies 12-string tuners to do the job!

	Issue 137 April 14, 2011 The damage caused by storing a guitar in a hot car or attic Erick Coleman fixes a slipped neck joint on a beautiful Gibson ES-125, showing what can happen to glue joints that get too hot.
	Issue 136 March 31, 2011 Moneytalk: an easy repair -- until it blew up in my hands! Dan Erlewine started a simple, quick repair, but one unlucky hammer tap created a whole new problem to solve!

	Issue 135 March 17, 2011 Mixing active and passive pickups in a jazz guitar Dan Erlewine wants to install two very different pickups in a jazz guitar. When there's no place to fit active system's battery he comes up with a simple, flexible solution.
	Issue 134 March 3, 2011 Build this bypass pedal to turn your stompboxes OFF! Erick Coleman's got a simple wiring project that most guitarists need: a true bypass stomp switch to take your effects pedals in/out of your signal chain.

	Issue 133 February 17, 2011 Moneytalk: Quickly installing an acoustic pickup In our Money Talk series about operating a repair business, Dan Erlewine tallies up the time and expenses of a profitable pickup installation job.
	Issue 132 February 3, 2011 Fine tuning a bolt-on replacement neck Erick Coleman pulls his old Strat out of mothballs and gives it a new neck. He shows what's needed to get a replacement neck ready to play.

	Issue 131 January 20, 2011 How to bind a fretboard, Gibson-style Erick Coleman's restoring a 1950s Les Paul, and returning the bound fretboard to its original condition. With small files and elbow grease, he shows how to create the fret-end "binding nibs" for that distinctive Gibson look.
	Issue 130 January 6, 2011 Keep that body in shape! Go-bar/neck jig gluing rig. Dan Erlewine has to leave a guitar body with the back off for months. How to keep the sides from going out of shape during this time? Believe it or not, the answer is blue foam insulation from the home improvement store.

	Issue 129 December 23, 2010 Make custom labels for your guitars! Dan Erlewine's making a forgery of an old Gibson label, using his brother as an accomplice (he's got a good excuse). While he's at it, he shows how you can make new custom labels for your own guitars.
	Issue 128 December 9, 2010 How (and why) to use templates to rout control cavities If you sometimes think of making a custom electric guitar, Erick Coleman has tips to make one part of the process a lot easier. Here's how to rout the neck pocket and control cavities so they look as good as a factory build.

	Issue 127 November 25, 2010 You need a bag of clothespins for your workshop! Dan Erlewine modifies wooden clothespins for a bunch of jobs around the shop -- today it's gluing kerfing into an old Gibson. While he's at it, he plays Santa Claus and offers a make-it-yourself holiday gift idea.
	Issue 126 November 11, 2010 An emergency pickup transplant for Skeletonwitch Erick Coleman gets an urgent call on a Friday night: the Heavy Metal band Skeletonwitch needs some custom pickup work in time to head to Ozzfest in 24 hours!

	Issue 125 October 28, 2010 Rubber bands as clamps: super-useful, and cheap! Erick Coleman has a simple tip that saved a lot of time at the recent Purdue Guitar Workshop: rubber binding bands make great clamps! They’re for lots of things -- check out the examples in this issue.
	Issue 124 October 14, 2010 1955 Gibson TV finish: recreating that unique see-thru yellow Erick Coleman fixes a chip on a 1955 Gibson TV Model, which means figuring out how to recreate that unique see-through yellow finish.

	Issue 123 September 30, 2010 How would you reach inside a guitar to do this gluing? Dan Erlewine's got a puzzle on his hands: this guitar's center strip fell out along with the braces. These parts are meant to be glued BEFORE the guitar is assembled. How do you reach inside to do this on a completed guitar?
	Issue 122 September 16, 2010 When dry air makes fret ends stick out, here's the fix Years of hot dry storage caused the fret ends stick out on the sides of this banjo neck. Mark Hyatt found that it's easy to file them back into line!

	Issue 121 September 2, 2010 Preparing a guitar for a professional recording date Erick Coleman gives The Business to Rontrose Heathman's Les Paul to get it ready for a recording date with L.A. legends, The Hangmen.
	Issue 120 August 19, 2010 Recreating a lost part from from 1917 Dan Erlewine is missing one last part needed on a 1917 archtop Gibson. It's a long gone, irreplaceable pickguard support that he recreates from found material in his shop. A useful tip for fabricating modern plastic parts, too!

	Issue 119 August 5, 2010 How Boogie Fever led to a Neck Transplant Erick Coleman's buddy wanted a guitar just like the one he saw on Soul Train in the 1970s. Curing his Boogie Fever required a neck transplant, but Fender's Micro-Tilt neck adjustment makes that tricky. Here's how to do it.
	Issue 118 July 22, 2010 Using a utility knife blade as a saddle shaper Dan Erlewine shares a tip for putting a rounded shape on bone saddles: use the notch in one of those utility knife blades in your toolbox!

	Issue 117 July 8, 2010 Used guitars: great deals if you do some after-sale fixup Erick Coleman just went guitar-shopping and picked up a used Gretsch Corvette from 1963. It needs a little fixup/setup. This Trade Secrets is about tweaking your pawn shop prize.
	Issue 116 June 24, 2010 How to match color on vintage binding repairs Working on an aged Les Paul, Erick Coleman has to sand part of the yellowed binding. The sanded spots are a glaring white mismatch. Erick makes turns the repair invisible with a little ColorTone spray and stain.

	Issue 115 June 10, 2010 Using fret polishing wheels on a flex shaft Todd Sams shares his method for getting a mirror finish on newly-installed frets
	Issue 114 May 27, 2010 Fixing a badly worn neck: super glue as both fill and finish Somebody's wrung this guitar's neck with years of string bending -- the wood is gone from the edge of the fingerboard. The customer doesn't want a new neck, so Dan Erlewine improvises a great solution.

	Issue 113 May 13, 2010 Quick fix for a loose bolt-on neck Dan Erlewine's got a wobbly neck, but not for long: here's a fast way to tighten the screwholes in a bolt-on neck.
	Issue 112 April 29, 2010 Simple guitar wiring: DIY mods to expand your guitar's tone Erick Coleman shares some tips for modifying your guitar wiring: easy mods that give you a new tonal range.

	Issue 111 April 15, 2010 Two 1917 Gibson L-1 archtop guitars: each with too-high action Dan Erlewine got a blast from the past in his shop recently, and before the dust settled he got another one! He’s working on two Gibson L-1 archtops from 1917, and they both have the same trouble: too-tall bridges and too-high action.
	Issue 110 April 1, 2010 How to French polish for a fast finish without spraying Dan Erlewine finishes up a last-minute present for his granddaughter: a tiny-size Gibson J-45. With her birthday just around the corner, he needs a good finish and he needs it fast!

	Issue 109 March 18, 2010 Are you supposed to slot Tune-o-matic bridge saddles? Customers often ask how and why they should put slots in the saddles of their new Tune-o-matic bridge. Erick Coleman provides the answers in this issue of Trade Secrets.
	Issue 108 March 4, 2010 Sharpen your chisels so they cut like razors Dan Erlewine shows how to sharpen, hone and strop an edge onto any chisel, creating a super-sharp cutter.

	Issue 107 February 18, 2010 How to know a bridge will play in tune before gluing it on Dan Erlewine finds an old bridge to fit a 1950s Gibson, but will the saddle slot be in the right place? He measures and calculates, but still wants to prove it's in tune before gluing. Here's how he did that.
	Issue 106 February 4, 2010 Simple inlay repair on a Les Paul Triumph bass This bass from the early '70s is in great shape except for a gaptoothed peghead inlay. Erick Coleman shows how to quickly replace a missing inlay, including coloring the new work to match the old.

	Issue 105 January 21, 2010 Which sandpaper to use for instrument work? Dan Erlewine looks at specialty papers for lutherie, and comes up with a handful of tips for tricky sanding.
	Issue 104 January 7, 2010 Using a "swiss cheese knife" to fix the back on a 1923 Gibson Dan Erlewine's working on great old Gibson L-1 with back problems. The challenge: how to fix this on a budget today, in a way that won't interfere with more thorough repair work in the future.

	Issue 103 December 24, 2009 Make a "stunt double" guitar body for benchtop work Erick Coleman shows how he made a surrogate body for neck and fret work, following the free plans online at stewmac.com.
	Issue 102 December 10, 2009 Relic finish: faking age cracks on a 1956 Strat Dan Erlewine shows how he makes a new finish repair on a 1956 Strat look as old as the original finish all around it.

	Issue 101 November 26, 2009 Final-shaping a D-18 or D-28 style guitar neck Guitar maker Todd Sams directs the production of our StewMac guitar necks, and he uses the necks in his own custom Sams guitars. Todd shows how to spend twenty minutes final-shaping a neck to get it to look and feel exactly right.
	Issue 100 November 12, 2009 It’s a crime to cut pickup leads this short! Erick Coleman has been rooting around in the parts drawers at Dan Erlewine's shop, and he's found a 1960s Gibson patent-sticker humbucker. It would be valuable if somebody hadn't cut off the pickup lead. Erick shows how to fix that.

	Issue 99 October 29, 2009 How to see inside a guitar body if you don’t have X-Ray Specs Dan Erlewine says he has the last working pair of X-Ray Specs on Earth, and he won’t share them. At least he has some alternatives for the rest of us.
	Issue 98 October 15, 2009 3 tips for cutting finely detailed custom inlays Dan Erlewine's cutting a curvy script letter "L" out of pearl. It's a spidery-thin shape, so he uses some tricks to cut it cleanly without breaking. He also talks about his favorite headgear...

	Issue 97 October 1, 2009 How to clean a guitar that REALLY needs it! Rock's a dirty business, but somebody's got to do it: Dan Erlewine cleans up a Les Paul that hasn't had a bath in four years -- and 650 gigs!
	Issue 96 September 17, 2009 Custom-shaping a replacement pickguard for a 1990s Gibson Erick Coleman’s got a busted-up pickguard, and off-the-shelf replacements don’t fit. He shows how to make and use a custom-shape template for a new guard.

	Issue 95 September 3, 2009 A knife in the back! Popping the back off a 1929 Gibson L-5. Dan Erlewine's trying to pop the back off a pre-War Gibson, while keeping the binding intact. He hopes to put it back on the guitar just like snapping a lid back onto Tupperware. (Well, maybe not quite that easily...)
	Issue 94 August 20, 2009 Fishing a volume control out of a semi-hollowbody for soldering. Erick Coleman’s got a guitar with one dead pickup and a volume control that spins around when you turn the knob. That’s trouble. And it’s inside a semi-hollowbody guitar -- that’s double trouble!

	Issue 93 August 6, 2009 Tune-O-Matic setup: is the trouble with the bridge or the neck angle? Dan helps the local music store with a customer complaint about a Gibson Tune-O-Matic bridge setup. Who's to blame here?
	Issue 92 July 23, 2009 Guitar repair money talk: estimate hours, not dollars While Dan Erlewine gives a relic finish to new tuners on a 1945 Gibson J-45, he talks about making money with a guitar repair business.

	Issue 91 July 9, 2009 Cleaning up after sloppy fretwork: fixing chips in the fingerboard Erick Coleman's got a neck to fix, including a broken peghead. One thing leads to another, and it turns out the toughest job is hiding the fretboard chips left by the last repairman to work on this guitar.
	Issue 90 June 25, 2009 Vintage retainer wire: searching Nashville for one little guitar part! Dan and Leon Rhodes need a retainer spring for a vintage Gibson bridge. Visiting repair shops in Nashville, they find out how to make their own.

	Issue 89 June 11, 2009 Day of the Zombie: curing an undead Telecaster pickup The multimeter tells Erick Coleman that this pickup is dead, but nobody told the pickup: it’s still playing!
	Issue 88 May 28, 2009 Making a custom fire stripe pickguard to fit a baby guitar! Dan Erlewine's in his guitar shop (or is it a toy shop today?) making a custom "fire stripe" pickguard just like the one on his 1939 Gibson J-35. He shows how to make a custom pickguard in any color variation you like.

	Issue 87 May 14, 2009 New pickups and new sound, with Golden Age Prewired Pickguards Erick Coleman responds to a tech call emergency: "This guitar sounds bad, and I'm supposed to record with it tomorrow night!"
	Issue 86 April 30, 2009 Putting the new Nut Slotting Gauge to work on a "burn victim" guitar Dan Erlewine shows a before and after of a 1958 Gibson that’s (barely) survived a house fire. It needs a new nut, and he’s using the Nut Slotting Gauge to get it right the first time.

	Issue 85 April 16, 2009 Whoops! How to hide a scratch in your big brother's guitar Erick Coleman's neighbor has put a chip in his big brother's guitar. It needs to be repaired invisibly, and fast! Touch-up markers do the trick.
	Issue 84 April 2, 2009 Easy, affordable way to make your own custom-fit guitar case Hardshell cases are sold for a few of the most common guitar sizes, but what if your guitar is a different shape? Todd Sams shows an easy way to make a great custom case.

	Issue 83 March 19, 2009 Bad news: a stripped truss rod nut. Good news: an easy solution. Erick Coleman’s using the Gripper truss rod wrench to solve a problem that’s familiar to all of us.
	Issue 82 March 5, 2009 Making custom-colored patching filler baking soda Dan Erlewine's cooking with baking soda and ColorTone stains -- fixing a hole in his granddaughter's birthday present.

	Issue 81 February 19, 2009 A traveling guitar repair kit for duty in Iraq Erick Coleman helps a serviceman put together a complete carry-all kit for service in Iraq with the Air Force Band.
	Issue 80 February 5, 2009 Workin' in the soundhole with the scissor jack and a mirror Dan Erlewine's got a repair that needs repairing again. Working inside the guitar body is too tight for comfort, but Dan shows some tools and tips that make it easier.

	Issue 79 January 22, 2009 This eBay pickup’s a bargain, if you do a bobbin transplant Erick Coleman’s used pickup sounds great, but a broken baseplate makes it useless unless this bobbin transplant works.
	Issue 78 January 8, 2009 ShopStand: solving the space problem in a cluttered shop Dan Erlewine faces facts: too many tools and not enough workspace. He clears the decks and sets up a whole new floorplan using two ShopStands.

	Issue 77 December 25, 2008 How to rewind a 1959 Strat pickup Erick Coleman shows how to rewind a vintage singlecoil in a 1959 Strat.
	Issue 76 December 11, 2008 Using a foam buffer in a hand drill on Junior Brown Guit-Steels® When a pedestal buffer can't accommodate the shape of Junior Brown's famous Guit-Steels, Michael Stevens finds that a simple foam buffer does a great job!

	Issue 75 November 27, 2008 Patch a hole in a guitar: the BridgeSaver is also a HolePlugger Erick Coleman finds a new use for StewMac's BridgeSaver: quickly repairing a hole in the side of a guitar.
	Issue 74 November 13, 2008 eBay mandolin: fret work and using JB Weld to rebuild a truss rod nut Dan Erlewine's customer got a deal on eBay. Whether it was a good or a bad deal depends on how much it takes to make it playable. Dan fixes fret buzz and a warped neck, then rebuilds the truss rod nut using JB Weld repair epoxy.

	Issue 73 October 30, 2008 How to choose the right pickup for your acoustic guitar Erick Coleman clears up the confusion about acoustic pickups: separating them into different types and helping you figure out what’s what.
	Issue 72 October 16, 2008 Money talk: estimating prices for repair work Dan Erlewine shows the steps of inspecting a customer’s guitar, and gives advice on repair prices for the work required.

	Issue 71 October 2, 2008 "Which binding tools should I choose?" Erick Coleman answers a frequent question from customers: Which tools to use for routing channels for instrument bindings?
	Issue 70 September 18, 2008 Fixing a 1937 Martin bridge. The first step is fixing a sandwich! Dan Erlewine’s got an unusual bridge problem and an unusual repair.

	Issue 69 September 4, 2008 How to open a humbucker and reverse the polarity Erick answers a customer question about reversing a humbucker's pickups, and finds that the hardest part is getting the cover off the pickup!
	Issue 68 August 21, 2008 Removing the glued-in saddle on a 1937 Martin D-28 Herringbone Someone shaved down the saddle on this great old Martin until there’s barely a nub showing above the bridge. It needs to be removed, but it’s glued in and so low you can’t grab it. Dan Erlewine shows how to solve this problem.

	Issue 67 August 7, 2008 What’s the problem with swapping Fender and Gibson bridges? Erick Coleman answers a Frequently Asked Question from StewMac customers: “What if I want a Gibson bridge on my Fender?” (Or vice versa.)
	Issue 66 July 24, 2008 Strengthening a square-tube Martin truss rod Dan Erlewine’s doing a neck reset on a Martin that has a square-tube truss rod. While he has the neck off, he shows how to improve the truss rod before regluing the neck.

	Issue 65 July 10, 2008 How not to mess up a soldering job Erick Coleman shows how easy it is to do a pro-quality soldering job.
	Issue 64 June 26, 2008 Adding color to hide glue for an invisible repair Dan Erlewine's got a neat trick for a mandolin repair, and he makes his pitch to get us all to join the hide glue club!

	Issue 63 June 12, 2008 How to make a string nut for the first time Why you might need a new nut: Cracked nut. Poor string spacing. Hollow plastic nut sapping tone. Nut slots are too low, causing fret buzz on open strings. If you're nervous about replacing the string nut you've got company, and this week Erick Coleman shows that making a nut is no big deal.
	Issue 62 May 29, 2008 When frets don’t fit the slot, resize the fret tang This week, Dan Erlewine’s pumping iron (nickel steel, actually!) He’s showing how to bulk up your skinny fretwire and slim down your fat fretwire.

	Issue 61 May 15, 2008 Tremolo tips: staying in tune with a twang bar You don’t have to have a locking system to have a tremolo stay in tune. Erick Coleman shows tips for keeping your tremolo tuneful.
	Issue 60 May 1, 2008 Why Dan Erlewine is attracted to repair magnets Dan’s been using repair magnets in his shop for a dozen years, and they’re doing tricks all over his shop.

	Issue 59 April 17, 2008 Carlos Santana's Strat: repair and setup Dan Erlewine tells what happened with two guitars sent to him recently by Carlos Santana.
	Issue 58 April 3, 2008 Save time and money with Dan's pickup wiring tips Dan Erlewine's upgrading an inexpensive guitar with replacement pickups. The job's got to be done quickly at a low price, so he demonstrates some time-saving tips.

	Issue 57 March 20, 2008 Fixing an acoustic pickup fast — it has to be onstage in an hour! Dan Erlewine does some emergency surgery on an undersaddle transducer in time for it to make it on stage with Emmylou Harris.
	Issue 56 March 6, 2008 Waverly upgrade: replacing the factory tuners on your Martin Erick Coleman responds to a question in the online lutherie forums: What’s involved in replacing Martin factory tuners with a new set of Waverly machines?

	Issue 55 February 21, 2008 Where’s the best spot for your strap button? Dan Erlewine raises a simple question that comes up often in any repair shop. Is there a best spot for your strap button?
	Issue 54 February 7, 2008 How to spray a sunburst using aerosol cans Erick Coleman uses tinted aerosols to recreate a vintage Strat 3-tone 'burst.

	Issue 53 January 24, 2008 Setting up a banjo's 5th string: nut, capos and peg Todd Sams shows how he sets up a banjo 5th string using railroad spikes, a block of wood, and a camless clamp.
	Issue 52 January 10, 2008 Single-coil buzzkill: the why and how of electric guitar shielding. Erick Coleman talks about the causes of buzzes and electrical noise, and how to beat them.

	Issue 51 December 27, 2007 Banjo Killer? The scoop on forward X bracing for greater guitar volume. Todd Sams gives a simple and clear explanation of how to position dreadnought braces for the sound and volume of an early-30s Martin.
	Issue 50 December 13, 2007 Scraping, not sanding, to prepare wood for finishing Dan Erlewine shows why he uses scraper blades instead of sandpaper for the final smoothing before the finish goes on a guitar.

	Issue 49 November 29, 2007 Binding and fretting a Red Diamond mandolin fingerboard Don MacRostie shows us his methods for fingerboard binding and fretting on a Red Diamond vintage model mandolin.
	Issue 48 November 15, 2007 Making a Les Paul clone look more vintage Erick Coleman's finished tweaking a budget-priced Les Paul copy. It plays great, but one last thing's needed: making it look more like Jimmy Page's 1970s original.

	Issue 47 November 1, 2007 Polishing papers: flexible, reusable abrasives Why has Erick Coleman been hiding small scraps of 3M Polishing Papers in his tool chest?
	Issue 46 October 18, 2007 For ebony streaks, use black fingerboard stain Erick Coleman shows why black fingerboard stain is a standard item in any guitarmaker’s shop, including the big name builders.

	Issue 45 October 4, 2007 Custom-fit your bridge pins for better sound Erick Coleman talks about why each guitar he works on gets six custom-fit bridge pins. It's all about hardware coupling, energy transfer, and tone.
	Issue 44 September 20, 2007 Go-bar decks: fast, flexible gluing This week, Dan Erlewine asks Todd Sams to show how a go-bar deck in his home shop turned two hours of work into twenty minutes!

	Issue 43 September 6, 2007 Super glue your frets for better tone! Erick Coleman shows why so many guitars need their frets fastened. Add a touch of water-thin superglue to lock down your already-installed frets, and get better tone, too!
	Issue 42 August 23, 2007 The best nut-making material: Bone for Tone! Customers ask, "What material makes the best string nut?" Erick Coleman's says it's Bone for Tone.

	Issue 41 August 9, 2007 How to use a Fret Hammer A fret hammer was one of the first lutherie tools Erick Coleman ever bought, and it's still an essential in his shop. In this issue of Trade Secrets, he shows how to use it.
	Issue 40 July 26, 2007 Lacquer drop fill: hiding a scratch on a customer’s Les Paul As Dan Erlewine was packing a customer’s Les Paul for shipment, he noticed that somebody in his shop had scratched the top! Time for some fast finish fixing -- here's how he made the scratch go away.

	Issue 39 July 19, 2007 Clean up your old electric guitar saddles Erick Coleman shows why brushing your guitar saddles is as important as brushing your teeth!
	Issue 38 July 12, 2007 Lesson in pearl engraving from Doug Unger Doug Unger restores and reproduces exquisite turn-of-the-century 5-string banjos and early archtop mandolins. Doug shares a lesson in pearl engraving with Trade Secrets readers.

	Issue 37 July 5, 2007 Making a pearloid pickguard with a 1950s vibe Dan Erlewine’s got an unusual 1951 guitar: a National with a Gibson body. The old pickguard came off in an earlier Trade Secrets, and now the new one goes on: it’s an oddball pearloid guard that’s worth checking out!
	Issue 36 June 28, 2007 Build your own custom pickups Erick Coleman needed a pickup like a good old Gibson P-90, but sized to fit a 3-string cigar box guitar! Here’s how he built it, and how you can build yourself a custom pickup for any instrument.

	Issue 35 June 21, 2007 Plastic nuts are high-speed and low-cost! Dan Erlewine races the clock to show that plastic nut installations are quick and profitable!
	Issue 34 June 14, 2007 Why hide glue is best for this cracked neck A badly broken neck on this Martin D-35 almost goes unnoticed, and the repair leads to an innovative do-it-yourself jig. Dan Erlewine explains how he chose the gluing method for this repair.

	Issue 33 June 7, 2007 Don’t be nervous about adjusting that truss rod! Erick Coleman shows how quick and easy it is to evaluate a neck and adjust the truss rod.
	Issue 32 May 31, 2007 One dead string driving me crazy! (Transducer trouble...) I thought I'd fixed this acoustic saddle pickup, but the customer sent it back because the problem wasn't solved (STRIKE ONE)! I took another swing at it... (STRIKE TWO)! I almost struck out! -Dan Erlewine

	Issue 31 May 24, 2007 How to install a Fender style (bolt-on) neck Erick Coleman shows the steps involved in replacing a Fender-style neck, with tips for tuner installation, truss rod adjustment, and correctly positioning the neck.
	Issue 30 May 17, 2007 Which super glue to use: thin, medium or thick? Dan Erlewine uses photo examples to show when to choose thin, medium or thick super glue for instrument work.

	Issue 29 May 10, 2007 Removing a pickguard: easy way and hard way This week, Dan Erlewine’s got two pickguard removals in his shop. The Martin D-18's pickguard has cracked it's top, and Dan shows how a pickguard’s supposed to come off. The “Gibsonational” is another story: this pickguard is nothing but trouble!
	Issue 28 May 3, 2007 Using the String Spacing Rule for guitars and mandolins Erick Coleman uses Kevin Ryan's proportional string spacing rule for more jobs than Kevin ever expected: 12-strings, mandolins, bridge saddles... Plus: an explanation of the difference between equal spacing and proportional spacing.

	Issue 27 April 26, 2007 Plugging old tuner holes on the back of the peghead When installing new tuners leaves old screwholes showing on the back of your peghead, here a 1-2-3 step method for making them disappear.
	Issue 26 April 19, 2007 The fake through-saddle bridge: stronger than vintage Dan shows us a Martin D-18 with a nasty looking broken bridge, and explains his technique for making a replacement that looks vintage but is stronger than the original.

	Issue 25 April 12, 2007 Better tone with a lighter Tune-o-matic bridge and tailpiece This week, Erick Coleman steps into the ring for Round Two in the Battle for Better Tone: his secret weapons area lightweight Tune-o-matic bridge and tailpiece.
	Issue 24 April 5, 2007 Making a perfect bridge with the Sanding Station Dan Erlewine's getting fancy with his Sanding Station: with his shop-made jig, he's making better bridges than he ever has before.

	Issue 23 March 29, 2007 *Use a Fret Setter upside down* for faster fretwork!** This week, Dan gets an email with a Trade Secret from luthier Jason Ingrodi. Jason's tip makes fret filing faster (this means a lot when you've got dozens of frets to file!)
	Issue 22 March 22, 2007 Tricks for installing humbuckers This week Dan shares two tips for installing humbucking pickups, including a simple jig you can make yourself. Also, he repairs a broken pickup ring that his customer thinks is worth $10,000!

	Issue 21 March 15, 2007 How to choose a fret-crowning file Erick Coleman answers an important tech-support question: What's the best fret-crowning file?
	Issue 20 March 8, 2007 Lubricating guitar tuners This week, we're in Dan's Guitar Garage for a Tune-up Special: how to clean and lube old guitar tuners, and get them working smoothly again.

	Issue 19 March 1, 2007 Fitting an archtop bridge, easily and accurately Did you ever try to fit a bridge to an archtop guitar or mandolin? (Or a violin?) This week Dan Erlewine shows how it’s done with sandpaper and a bridge-fitting jig.
	Issue 18 February 22, 2007 Upgrading the electronics in a "Less Paul" Erick Coleman answers tech questions from StewMac customers, and here he answers a popular one: How do I soup-up this low-priced guitar?

	Issue 17 February 15, 2007 Making new tuners look vintage This week, Erick Coleman shows how to add 50 years in 30 minutes: he makes a new set of tuners look like they've been around since the 1950s!
	Issue 16 February 8, 2007 New ways to use the Guitar Repair Vise In this issue of Trade Secrets, Dan makes his Guitar Repair Vise sit up and roll over. Who knew cast iron could be so flexible?

	Issue 15 February 1, 2007 Using candle wax to keep a vintage P-90 working This week in Trade Secrets, Dan runs into pickup trouble and turns to Lindy Fralin for help. The simplest possible solution keeps a P-90 pickup from 1957 from falling apart.
	Issue 14 January 25, 2007 Replacing damaged tuner knobs This week, Dan's got a 1957 Les Paul Junior in his shop. It hasn't been out of the case in 25 years, and the tuners are unusable. Here's how to put new knobs on old tuners.

	Issue 13 January 18, 2007 Fixing fret ends that stick out in dry weather This week, Erick Coleman answers a wintertime question: What to do about fret ends that stick out of the sides of the neck?
	Issue 12 January 11, 2007 Installing an old-time banjo dowel stick This week, Don MacRostie invents a new technique for an old technology: he shows how to accurately install a banjo dowel stick. Also, Bart Reiter sends a dowel-stick tip.

	Issue 11 January 4, 2007 Mixing red epoxy for cherry-finish repairs This week, somebody's attempt to fix a 1960 Les Paul is an example of what not to do. Dan Erlewine tries an experiment that saves this smashed-up guitar's finish: he creates cherry-red epoxy.
	Issue 10 December 28, 2006 Installing an endpin jack Ever have trouble installing an endpin jack? Did you chip the guitar’s finish, or drill the hole out-of-square? Did you goof up on a customer’s guitar? You'll want to read this week’s Trade Secret from Dan Erlewine.

	Issue 9 December 21, 2006 Straightening the neck on a 1914 Gibson mandolin This week, Dan Erlewine and Erick Coleman revive a beautiful old Gibson F2 mandolin that's become warped after nearly 100 hot summers stored in the attic.
	Issue 8 December 14, 2006 Make this brad-point bit for installing side dots In Trade Secrets this week, Dan Erlewine shows a trick for installing side dots that are perfectly positioned: he modifies a hardware-store drill bit to make the job easy.

	Issue 7 December 7, 2006 Acoustic guitar pickups: installation problems to avoid In this week's newsletter, bad sound from a good acoustic guitar pickup: the problem and the solution.
	Issue 6 November 30, 2006 Finding the right location for a guitar's saddle slot This issue shows how to locate and cut the saddle slot for an acoustic bridge.

	Issue 5 November 23, 2006 Give your buffer a haircut, and store it on the wall This week's issue is about instrument finishing: a good tip about setting up new buffing wheels, and an idea to save space in your workshop.
	Issue 4 November 16, 2006 Two ways to fix a Telecaster's wobbly input jack If you play a Telecaster, you've probably experienced a loose input jack. This weeks issue offers two solutions.

	Issue 3 November 9, 2006 *Cut binding strips with an upside down* Dremel tool** In this week's issue, Don MacRostie shows Dan Erlewine a neat trick for making custom wood bindings: using an upside-down Dremel tool.
	Issue 2 November 2, 2006 Use your drill press as a planer to make custom bindings In Trade Secrets this week: Did you know you can plane wood on your drill press?

	Issue 1 October 26, 2006 Making new bridge pins look old on a vintage Gibson This week, Dan Erlewine reveals the seven-pin bridge that's hidden by Robert Johnson's hand in that most-famous photo of the King of the Delta Blues.
	Welcome e-mail October 12, 2006 Super glue drop-fill: quick fix for finish chips This week's subject is one that comes up a lot: how to quickly repair chips in an instrument finish.

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