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How To Make $60 An Hour As a Guitar Tech/Starting Luthier!

Driftwood Guitars

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Interested in tonewood for your next build? Please visit our personally curated tonewood shop at: http://www.driftwoodguitars.com/tonewood

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The tools used in this video:

StewMac Precision Straightedge for Checking Neck Straightness and Relief on Stringed Instruments, 18" Length: https://stewmac.sjv.io/jWAnn6

StewMac Feeler Gauge Set, 11 Different Thicknesses from .016" to .040": https://stewmac.sjv.io/P0NEkq

StewMac String Lifter Tool: https://stewmac.sjv.io/Gj30y2

Premium Bridge Pin Puller: https://amzn.to/35MdVoP

StewMac String Action Gauge And Ruler, Inches: https://stewmac.sjv.io/Vy39Vk

MusicNomad Premium Guitar Tech Truss Rod Wrench Set - 11 pcs.: https://amzn.to/35r72JN

StewMac Gauged Nut Slotting File Set for Acoustic Guitar, for Light/Medium Strings - Set of 6: https://stewmac.sjv.io/Ry3qWy

StewMac Guitar Neck Relief Gauge and Digital Nut Slotting Gauge Set: https://stewmac.sjv.io/oeZXKW

Heart Sound Ball Bearing Guitar Nut and Saddle Sander: https://amzn.to/3HK2FqE

MusicNomad MN220 GRIP Drill Bit String Peg Winder: https://amzn.to/3tp6ZGD

The Guitar Player Repair Guide: https://stewmac.sjv.io/BXozBq

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20 Comments

@DriftwoodGuitars Creator 4 years ago Pinned

Also, be sure to check out the selection of high quality tonewoods on our website under the "Tonewood" tab. https://driftwoodguitars.com/tonewood

@jackquentin1950 4 years ago

Bless your heart. I've met some luthiers who don't wanna share their knowledge and actually discourage people from pursuing luthery for understandable reasons (such as competition amongst luthiers, etc.), but you're willing to share your stuff online and actually encourage people to do it.

@brade42069 4 years ago

This works. Around the start of COVID I took guitar work seriously after not understanding a Floyd system. I did as much as I could on my own and my buddy at a local shop called me needing some help. He was paying me around $20 an hour which I was grateful for as I was just learning. He eventually went out of town and let me run the shop for a month. I worked there a bit longer when he got back, but eventually we both had to part ways for money reasons. I used what I made there to invest in proper tools and did some solo stuff for awhile (and still do) but got picked up by a local used guitar store billing $60 an hour. While I'm not pocketing the full $60, the workload is incredible and the customer base I'll have in a few years is more than worth it. I'm so thankful for other professionals for sharing their knowledge in person and online otherwise I'd still be miserable as a stage hand.

@seanmccormick3270 4 years ago

I worked for Gibson guitars in Nashville, doing final setup on electric guitars. We used a pretty cool way to mark the nut as a guide to how deep to cut the string slots.

Cut a pencil in half, then lay it it on the frets, with the lead touching the nut. Slide it across the frets to make a line across the nut.

Then cut your string slots, down to where the line is. It gets the action very close to where it needs to be.

Hope that makes sense!

@RC-pj1vm 3 years ago

In my opinion if you’re working on a customer’s guitar and you take the nut action too low you should never use superglue/baking soda. Its not a permanent fix. Ideally you should make a new nut. You can use it in a pinch or on your personal guitar

@doronikgjcs 2 years ago

When a guy who builds astonishingly beautiful guitars suggests a book...go buy that book. Didn't make it past 7:05 without pausing it and going and ordering that book.

@HandToolWoodGuy 4 years ago

I learned setup and repair because I could not afford to pay anyone. Over the years I gained a solid understanding of how they are put together and work, and that morphed into guitar building.
Excellent video. Thanks.

@danherrick2310 4 years ago

A great way to learn setups is to buy the cheapest guitars you can find, set them up so they play better, and try to sell them for a slight profit. I can now set up strats because of this. It's amazing how poorly people care for their guitars. A fret polish (not level, just polish), serious cleaning, some light fret-end dress, and a good setup can go miles for playability.

Even if you break even on your purchase and sale of the guitar, you have already won through the knowledge you gain by fixing it up.

@aamapes 4 years ago (edited)

Great video, guys! On the ‘complex’ math for how much to take off the saddle, it’s as easy as multiply by 2. You wanted to lower the action .030, so times 2 is .060 - the amount to take off the saddle. Your estimate (impressed by your eye and feel for this, by the way) was 1.5mm or about .050. If you’d done .060, perhaps you’d be where you wanted to be. Just times 2!

@7thString84 4 years ago (edited)

Had to pause for a second. I know the math for the saddle height from another luthier channel. It's super simple. Measure the height at the 12th fret, substract the height you want (so you have the excess height) and just double it up. That's what you need to take off of the saddle. E. g. the action at the 12th is 110 and you want 80, you need to take off 60 (30 x 2) at the saddle. Great video(s)! Cheers from Germany! :) Edit: HA!!! Just continued the video and you said, you take off 60. That prooved me right! ;-P

@toddjohnson3857 4 years ago

I'm in the South Suburbs of Chicago, and I charge $50.00,plus strings for a setup. Keep up the great work!

@Maydoggie 2 years ago

My first setup was on my electric bass. I watched 5-6 YT videos so i would know what to do each step of the way. My bass played much better afterwards. Next, I did a setup on my least expensive acoustic. I've now set up a couple of my friends guitars, and I do all of my own guitars. The scariest thing I've ever done is drilling/enlarging a hole in my brand new Martin 000-15M and installing a K&K Pure Mini. At that point, it was the most expensive guitar that I owned, so I was really happy that everything went ass planned. I enjoy working on guitars and I trust myself more than I trust the unknown techs at the big box music store. For years I believed that only highly trained professionals should ever touch a truss rod nut LOL.

@soniah4821 4 years ago

My local Guitar Center in New Jersey charges $65.00 for basic set up

@ZacCostilla 4 years ago (edited)

That’s a great estimation. Lowering 0.030” @12th fret means lowering 0.060” at the bridge because 1/2 of the string length (hypotenuse of the triangle) will be 1/2 the height of the short side of the right triangle. (Edited for spelling)

@paulventura9939 4 years ago

Amazing. You guys are great. I admire your transparency and the information you provide so freely. I am a guitar player, not a maker or repair person, but just watching your videos teaches me so much and enables me to appreciate my instruments more: including a couple of Taylors and a handmade Propsom.

@tedrowland7800 4 years ago

Here is a trick you "might appreciate" for acoustics/classical guitars. You can take a hard cover book and slide it under the strings between the sound hole and the bridge. Slide it all the way down to the bridge, (which will lift the strings) and pull out the saddle to work on it. This is the ultimate time saver on classical guitars

@sfcmp7005 4 years ago (edited)

This seems like a great idea. I retired last year, and this is just the thing I can do to keep me busy, and make a few bucks, while finally doing something I love doing. In my free time, I have been working on guitars for over 7 years, doing setups, mods, and upgrades. Mainly for family, friends, and my own. Now seems like a perfect time to give it a shot. I have the tools, though some will need upgrading, but who doesn't like new tools! Thanks guys! This video has really inspired me.