I've seen more people completely disassembling their Sticks to do a "good cleaning". In my mind this is a bad idea. Just because something can be taken apart doesn't mean that it should be taken apart. Wood screws can only go in and out so many times before the wood weakens not to mention the possibility of putting something back a little off.

An instrument is under tension with the strings pulling one way and the body/neck and truss rod pulling the other. I feel the closer you stay to this equilibrium, the better for the instrument. Yes there are times all the strings need to come off (for fret work) but not for string changes. Cleaning is harder with the strings on, but it is doable.

I just mention this so impressionable folks don't start getting the idea that they *should* be taking their instruments apart.

Thoughts?

Ha!

Don't worry, I was a pro furniture maker and was starting to make instruments before becoming a computer guy. I have great tools and lots of experience. The Stick does not have the same forces on it as an acoustic instrument like a guitar or violin. I've taken those apart, too, by the way. I've sat with a luthier for hours while he casually took a 100-year-old, $10,000 violin apart. I mean take the top and back off by breaking the glue joints.

I agree that knowledge is important, but the Stick, and most high-quality electric instruments are quite sturdy. If you have the tools and knowledge then this is just a normal part of the craft. I've had my SG for over 4 years and this is the first time I've taken it apart to this level. It will be back together soon looking like new.

I promise.

-Eric

Probably OK if you're up to it and you know who you are. Also probably unnecessary as you can clean it about as well as can be done by just removing the strings and maybe the pickup housing if only you got some peanut butter and jelly down in there. I'm pretty good with stuff like that and I'd never need more than a change of strings,clean the fretboard and maybe shoot a little compressed air to get the dust out of the cracks and crevasses. But stuff like taking the tuners off or taking out the trussrod - why?

For me it's about getting an even coat of oil everywhere. The tuners cover enough of the wood that I wanted to get some finish underneath them. When I made furniture I was an expert on finishes. I would wait for months to keep reapplying oil because an oil finish will dry out when it's new. Also, I like to clean my hand oil off the surface. Some people's natural skin oils are hard on a newly a finished wood instrument. By cleaning those off and applying more of the same oil SE puts on at the factory, the wood and finish will be longer lasting at the quality I like.

There's nothing magic about instruments. My SG will not be harmed, the sound won't change. The wood will be glowing more and will be more resistant to deterioration.

-Eric

Another point I forgot to mention. By taking the tuners off I discovered that several of them had become loose since SE put them on. This is normal as wood settles down and over humidity changes. They were so loose I didn't need a wrench to remove them, they spun off with just fingers. That means the tiny wood screw on the back of the tuner was holding all the pressure of the string. I would not have noticed this if I had just done a normal string change. Once back together my Stick will be in better shape than before. For me that is well worth the effort.

-Eric

I took my Rail-board apart the first day I had it. Went back together no sweat, and absolutely ingenious design... Emmet & co don't miss a detail as far as I could tell

Then again, I have had a lot of practice taking instruments apart and stuff.

IMHO, Bad idea. I agree with Russell, once a wood screw is taken in and out, repeatedly, you need to "jimmy" it with soap pieces or pieces of toothpicks to fill in the gap.

I guess it begs a question in the first place why would you? you don't take your microwave apart to clean it?, your car?, your SonyPlayStation?

Emmett once told me you shouldn't take all the strings off at once to change a set, which I used to do. All the cracks and crevices, like the good Captain Strings says can be cleaned or reached with a spray air cannister.

I know Eric, and he is really really smart, and likes to tinker, and Jayessker recently showed us he knew his Ohms from his OMs ( meditative word), so maybe for most us it is kids don't try this at home. And this is coming from someone who built a fretless bass completely from scratch from a 2 x 10 and a piece of pine 12 by 24 labor of love hand sanded over 2 years while listening to Zenyetta Mondatta by the Police - (get the connection ).

If it ain't broke, don't take it completely apart! Let SE do that. Just because you can draw and quarter someone, doesn't mean you have to do it!
junkfood for thought,
Dave B "DBro"

There aren't many wood screws in a Stick. They are mostly machine screws that have been threaded into rosewood, in my case. Unless you cross-thread them they are very secure and can be put back many times by a skilled craftsman.

Yes, I have.

Yes.

If I had one, yes. I've taken apart GameCubes that wouldn't work because they were filled with dust. I once repaired a very expensive and fancy tape-based computer backup system. It had been placed too near where some cats slept and was so full of cat hair it had stopped working. I think I pulled out a couple of grocery bags worth of the stuff from the unit. I had to realign the tape heads and finally got it working.

I know full well why makers of nice things tell their customers not to mess with them. I'm sure Emmett and Grace could tell endless stories of Sticks that have been close to destroyed by an over-zealous hobbyist who thought they knew what to do because they read about it somewhere or they had a friend tell them what to do. Heh, I made furniture for people that I hoped I'd never see again. I knew they would screw it up but good soon.

Thanks. <blushes>


Probably wise for almost everyone. Don't worry about me and my Sticks, they'll be fine.

-Eric

I not only take my stick apart, I do all my own fret work.
My stick is over 30 years old and some frets were worn down.
I used a 4000/8000 grit waterstone to level out my frets.
This is part of my kit for sharpening straight razors.

As risky as this might sound, the grit is fine enough that
only a small amount of material gets removed at a time.
The end result was definitely worth the effort.
No more buzzes and I can lower the strings to my preference.

A slight afterthought. If it weren't for my asthma I would probably still be making furniture, and guitars and basses. I've been a carpenter, a welder, a cabinetmaker, and a furniture maker. I make my own preamps, and my own guitar amp when I played jazz guitar. Many of my guitar friends wanted me to make them one but couldn't afford it.

-Eric

(Ahem, just don't ask me if I've ever made a tapping-based guitar/bass like instrument.)