Metropolis Music

06/15/2026

On the bench today is a Stevie Ray Vaughn "Number One" signature Fender Strat. To get that famous tone, he used .013-.058 strings (tuned to Eb) and the heavy tension required using all 5 springs in the tremolo. He also had the original tremolo replaced with a left handed model so the trem arm hung down over the strings rather than below them, making it easier to grab quickly and also to bend notes with his wrist or forearm while still picking. This was done in homage to Jimi Hendrix who was able to use the same playing technique with his "upside down" right handed Strat. Now open for all sorts of guitar repair in West Orange!

06/02/2026

On the bench today is this gorgeous old Taylor 614CE. Mahogany and Rosewood are by far the most common back and side wood for higher end guitars, but occasionally you'll see woods like this beautiful figured Maple, Koa, etc. Other sustainable tone woods have also become very popular over the years, especially on Asian made guitars, including Sapele, Nato, Ovankol, and many others. They can look and sound similar to mahogany and rosewood but are much cheaper and more plentiful. The wood used is not only beautiful, but drastically changes the sound of the guitar, so try them all and see what works for you! Now open for guitar repair in West Orange!

05/26/2026

On the bench today is an unusual one, a 1970s Ovation Breadwinner. Designed to roughly resemble a battle-axe, it actually ended up being just about the most ergonomically comfortable guitar ever made to play either sitting down or with a strap. It also has a very interesting electronics system, and was the first major production line guitar to have active electronics. Like the Gibson Les Paul Studio, the name reflected the fact that this was a guitar for studio use where a musician could actually make money, rather than the flashier guitars used for gigging or touring! Now open for quick turnaround repairs in West Orange so you can get your axe back before the next studio session!

05/19/2026

On the bench today is this 1960s Harmony 1213 archtop. It's getting harder and harder to find good deals on vintage guitars, but you can still find plenty of these great old Harmony guitars made in the USA online, at yard sales, or even thrift stores! They produced them under many brand names, so keep an eye out for Silvertone, Stella, Sovereign, and many others. They often just need a good cleaning and a setup and they're back in business!

05/06/2026

On the bench today is a Fender Pete Townshend Stratocaster, which is actually just an Epic Clapton Stratocaster with a Fishman Powerbridge added on! Pete loved the Clapton Strat but wanted the added flexibility of an acoustic output. Unfortunately the spot where you would normally put the acoustic volume was already a TBX tone circuit and preamp, so with no room left under the pickguard the solution was to just add a volume k**b to the front of the guitar! Have a signature model that you want to add your signature flair to? Now open for customization and repairs in West Orange, NJ...

04/21/2026

On the bench today is this well loved 1978 Telecaster. As a general rule, Fender always used alder for their bodies if it was going to be a solid color and ash if the grain would show through. This beautiful piece of ash somehow slipped through and got painted black, and no one would have ever known if it weren't for a rough life on the road. It had a mirrored pickguard installed in the 80s and a new Fralin humbucker installed in the neck today. Get your ash (or alder) in here! Now open for string instrument repairs in West Orange.

04/15/2026

The quickest way to scare most guitar players is to hand them a fretless guitar! If you're not used to playing fretless it can have a very steep learning curve, but fretless guitars can open a whole new world of playing. They allow for music that falls outside of the traditional "Western" 12-tet tuning system, allow sliding not only between notes but entire octaves, and have a very distinctive warm and smooth tone. This custom fretless Telecaster also sports a very funky bowling ball swirl finish just in case the lack of frets wasn't odd enough. Now open for both fretted and fretless instrument repair in West Orange!

04/03/2026

Why do some hollowbody electric guitars like this 1972 Framus Atlantik 6 have F-holes? It started when people started electrifying acoustic guitars that already had the arch top/F-hole shape and it just became tradition - but it can also help the guitar resonate more openly, provide more unplugged volume, and for people like me, make it much easier to get the electronics in and out for repair! It can add more feedback at higher volumes, which is why if you look closely at B.B. King's famous "Lucille" guitar you'll see the F-hole is actually a decal. And if you look closely you'll see that this Framus doesn't actually have an F-hole either it's just a decal too! Now open for guitar repair of all kinds, no matter how holy they are.

03/28/2026

03/27/2026

On the bench today is this amazing 1968 Vox Apollo. Would you believe it has a built-in electronic tuner, fuzz, and a treble/bass boost? In 1968!! Not to mention the gorgeous funky Vox lines and beautiful condition. Now open for guitar repairs of all kinds, especially wacky 1960s Italian beauties like this, in West Orange, NJ!