Leicestershire Luthiers

17/07/2026

Wonky Classical Update #5: The Finale!

Well, check out the pics, final outcome was a strong and neat… but not perfect… fix!

We managed to hide a few of the last sessions cosmetic mishaps. Added plenty of strength with the rosewood veneer on the front and back of the headstock.

Nat did a great job (considering the canvas I gave her to work with) making the edges straight/symmetrical. We cut the new tuner holes and channels which left some gaps and uneven areas that I filled with a mix of wood dust and superglue and then levelled it all up. That was all mostly inside the tuner channels so hard to take a decent pic but trust me they look…. ok😵‍💫. Once the headstock is sprayed they’ll be unnoticeable.

The final finishing is being done by the customer to save pennies as this has been an expensive job even with some aesthetic corners being cut.

Overall happy with the outcome. Would definitely not do this type of job this way again!

26/06/2026

Update #4 on the wonky classical…

We’ve got the shape back into the headstock now and routed out the channels for the tuners. Plus we’ve levelled the back and front ready to put some rosewood veneers on and really make the fix strong….. and tidy up some of my woodwork!

I’ve definitely hit some points on this now that I’d do differently given another go at it….

- got carried away shaping the back of the headstock and it’s left us a bit less wood to play with on the overall fix so I’ve had to rethink there.

- routed the tuner channels at a silly angle again leaving little less mass in the weak area of the headstock than would be ideal.

- got the order wrong of when to glue on the new headstock face. Should’ve done it before I did any shaping.

- it’s become very clear (although I was expecting it) that the headstock isn’t quite on straight. I have already made a contingency plan to deal with .

And that’s basically where we’re up to with it.

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01/06/2026

Update #3 on the wonky classical we’ve been working on:

- removed the clamps from the second glue up. Got an acceptable joint. Not instagram perfect but tight enough… and more importantly… strong enough to allow us to progress with the job.

- shaped the new wood to get the sides square and the curves symmetrical (thanks Nat!)

- dowelled the old “safety screw” holes that were left over from the first glue up.

- we finished off making some wood filler and sealing the little gaps (no pics of this yet as it’s still underway and I’ll be adding to it during the week)

Next jobs are going to be strengthening the joins and cutting out the openings in the headstock. Stay tuned!

23/05/2026

A quick update on the classical guitar with the wonky neck fix we posted a few weeks ago…. Here’s how we’re going with the fix (so far):

- chopped out all the useless wood
- tidied up and levelled the broken areas
- added a big chunky piece of mahogany to the neck that will gradually be shaped into the new headstock
- routed channels into the mahogany to fit the remains of the old headstock in the right dimensions
- glued it all up and clamped it with a flattened board to preserve the angle of the headstock.

And that’s where it sits at the minute waiting for the next step.

The main aim for this fix is for it to be strong and to get the guitar playing again so I’ve definitely made shortcuts on certain aesthetic aspects but I have some cunning plans to get a really strong/neat final job. Watch this space.

10/05/2026

If you haven’t made the trip yet, our friends at Moonflower have a neat shop with some interesting instruments… plus they’re in Oakham so you might as well have a day out there! They are celebrating 5 years as a shop with some great deals. If you’re looking for a guitar definitely give them a visit.

Moonflower Guitars is an independent guitar and guitar-related equipment/accessories/repairs shop in Oakham, Rutland with high-quality stock and a warm, welcoming atmosphere.

02/05/2026

Starting out on a bit of a crazy job today, this will be a task that will pop up on here with updates from time to time as I’m fairly sure it could take a while.

Sometimes I’m not really sure how I’m going to fix something until I start.

17/04/2026

Like a flippin’ glove!

08/04/2026

Sun’s out and we’re working on our favourite jobs today…

Nat’s at the neck jig levelling & dressing some newly fitted frets and I’m tidying up and rewiring all the electrics from the same guitar. It’s a much loved and well used 90s Strat that’s come to the Spa for some long overdue TLC.