My music experience
I am Ricki Leigh, owner of Key Note Guitar, and have been playing guitar since the early1970’s. In 1973, I left for the west coast and after a few stops along the way ended up in Los Angeles, CA. I was fortunate to put together a blues rock band with all original songs I wrote at the time and hooked up with a promoter looking for jazz & blues acts. After doing that for about 14 months I got a job at West LA Music, “The music store of LA” where I learned to rewire and custom wire guitars. I also did pickup installs on electric guitars, basses and acoustics. I learned from some of the best and graduated to fret jobs mostly full fret boards and compound radius fingerboards.
There were two repair techs that worked at the shop since its opening sometime in the 60’s and they had seen it all; worked on any of the famous artists guitars and amps in their day. Names like The Doors, Beach Boys, John Lennon, Jefferson Airplane, Paul Simon, Sammy Hagar, Scorpions, and many, many more. The store was plastered with signed posters to photographs on all the walls.
Acoustic instruments are very delicate, they need extra humidity and should not be out of the case more than 24hrs at a time. Glue joints will dry out and either the bridge may lift or a neck joint loosen in extreme dryness. On the inside bracing loosens which may sound to the uneducated like a fret buzz but I can tell within a minute ore so if its fret buzz or bracing. Frets may feel sharp because the fret board and neck shrunk from dryness.
The best way to protect an acoustic is to get a guitar humidifier and use it. You should fill it once per 7-10 days. Always use a foam insert style that hangs suspended between the strings that will promote humidity throughout the inside body and into the case for the neck. Electrics can take more time out of the case a week or so but should go back in the case for a time.
Some areas where electrics are kept are very dry so a humidifier in the case certainly will prevent anomalies in the neck or frets. A humidifier and can save ten times its cost on repairs. It’s best to bring any guitar acoustic, electric or bass in during the fall and spring seasons to have it checked with the right tools the right way and Key Note Guitar will do that for FREE to let you know what condition the guitar is in and what we can do to make it play as good as it should.
Guitar Repair Experience
Since the late ’80s, I have done over 50 fret jobs. Releveled 80 plus uneven fret jobs, about a half dozen compound radius fretboards or new radius fretboards.
I’ve done numerous broken headstocks and fractured necks, refinishing and spot touchups. I have amassed guitar repair specialty tools, painting and refinishing tools to about $4,500.
If your guitar needs service, I can service it. If your guitar needs a major repair, I can do that too; but more importantly, if your guitar needs a custom set up such as a compound radius fingerboard, ultra low action, natural sustain at all frets or to play as good as a guitar that belongs to a top professional player; I can do this as well.