Naked Guitar Repair

Naked Guitar Repair Professional Guitar Repair Expert fretted instrument repair and modification with years of experience. No job is too big or too small.

We can make your instrument play properly: setups, neck adjustments, action adjustments, setting intonation with a strobe tuner, custom fit bone nuts and saddles, fretdressing (leveling, re-crowning, and polishing existing frets), complete re-fretting, etc. We can fix your broken instrument: headstock repair, re-glue acoustic bridges, re-glue loose braces, repair cracks in acoustic instruments, re

-set necks, etc. We offer electronic work: install new pickups (both acoustic and electric), re-wind and repair dead pickups, replace pots, switches, and jacks, complete re-wiring, custom wiring, etc. We can custom modify your instrument in any way from re-shaping the neck to installing a tremolo to winding custom pickups. We can handle all your repair and modification needs.

Ready for the next Guitar Repair class?? I only have space for four students so be sure to reach out to me right away if...
08/08/2025

Ready for the next Guitar Repair class?? I only have space for four students so be sure to reach out to me right away if you’re interested. The class will be at my shop in Madbury every Saturday afternoon starting September 13th until December 6th (except the Saturday after Thanksgiving). The class will cover a full refret (nickel-silver or stainless steel), fretdress, making a bone nut from scratch, full rewire (including how the components physically work), and a perfect setup. You will be working on your own guitar or bass (yes, bassists are welcome too). Don’t be afraid… I’ll be supervising every step myself and your guitar will play better than ever before. My former students can attest to that. More than half of them now work on their own instruments without issue and two former students now make their own guitars and basses. The cost of this class is $1,200. Send me a message or an email at [email protected] to reserve your spot.

Very proud of the work my students did in my last repair class. Stainless steel refrets, bone nuts, new Stonewall Pickup...
01/18/2025

Very proud of the work my students did in my last repair class. Stainless steel refrets, bone nuts, new Stonewall Pickups, and custom wiring in their guitars. This Sonex also got all new hardware and a custom tortoiseshell pickguard with a custom electronics configuration: master volume & tone with a three-way lever switch wired for three unique humbucker tones… the middle position is the neck north coil & bridge south coil wired in series so. The Nashville double cutaway also got all new hardware and the Slutty Wolf H90 set with 500k pots for the neck volume & tone, 250k pots for the bridge volume & tone, and a push/pull pot to put the Wolves in series for a massive tone. The Kiesel headless also got the Slutty Wolf H90 set with a four-way switch that puts the Wolves in series.

I love teaching this class but it’s not really worth it for me if the class isn’t full. My next class will start mid February, if I can get four people to sign up. I already have two people who want to sign up for the next autumn class. Let me know if you’re interested in learning how to fix up your guitars.

There’s a lot I don’t like about the Gibson Victory but the main reason to NOT buy it is because you can’t play past the...
12/11/2024

There’s a lot I don’t like about the Gibson Victory but the main reason to NOT buy it is because you can’t play past the 15th fret. See the magnet in the center of the 20th fret?? That’s where the end of the truss rod is anchored. Which means that the last six frets don’t adjust with the rest of the neck, causing a terrible hump hindering playing. Gibson, why did you build a guitar with 24 frets when you can only play up to the 15th fret without it fretting out?? If you stopped at 21 frets, it would play just fine. Or maybe do something crazy like make a truss rod that supports the entire neck??

93 years and Rickenbacker still can’t put the bridge in the right place. Took me thirty minutes and several metal splint...
12/05/2024

93 years and Rickenbacker still can’t put the bridge in the right place. Took me thirty minutes and several metal splinters to back out the intonation screws, clip the springs, and preset the intonation. If anyone at Rickenbadguitar had a strobe tuner, they’d realize that all their bridges are in the wrong place by a quarter-inch and they’re sending out guitars that aren’t intonated. Ideally, these saddles should be in the center of the bridge… not backed out as far as possible. I wish I thought to take a picture of the saddles (factory preset) before I fixed it.

11/15/2024

It’s that time of year for the maintenance post... if it’s been three to six months, it’s time to:

• change strings

• oil unfinished fingerboards (typically rosewood and ebony)
- also bridges on acoustic guitars
- and any other raw rosewood or ebony such as tuner buttons, truss rod covers, tailpieces, pickguards, and k***s
- use 3-IN-1 Oil to oil fingerboards and other raw hardwoods. Avoid using citrus oils as they contain citric acid and can dry out wood in the long term; especially ebony. Do not use olive oil; it will turn rancid. Walnut oil is also acceptable. Just apply the 3-IN-1 Oil directly to the wood, use a paper towel to rub it in, then use a dry paper towel to wipe away any excess. If the wood soaks in all the oil before you can wipe away any excess, it’s too dry; apply more oil. Do this at least twice a year; you can’t overdo it as long as you wipe away the excess.

• humidify all guitars
- the temperature is cold and the air is dry. Your heat is also on at home and a lot of the heating systems dry out the air even more.
- leave your guitars in their cases when you’re not playing them with case and/or soundhole humidifiers. Be sure to check the humidifiers regularly: every couple weeks right now and weekly in January and February. Make sure all guitars are out of direct sunlight and away from heaters: that will turn the humidity into steam and cause more damage.
- if you have a dedicated “music room” with a room humidifier, make sure you refill the humidifier daily and use a hygrometer: stay around 30% to 40% humidity in the room. Of course higher humidity is better for the guitars but if you take your guitar from your 60% humidity music room to the gig which has less than 10% humidity, your guitar and your fingers will loudly weep.

• “use” all electronics (this should be done monthly)
- spin all k***s back and forth a dozen times
- flip switches back and forth a dozen times (be gentle with mini switches, push/pull pots, and push button switches)
- not just guitars but amps and recording equipment as well
- “using” electronics like this monthly will prevent corrosion from building up and your electronics will last (potentially) forever.

• check the batteries in guitars with preamps (acoustic/electrics, EMGs, etc.)
- remember that the output jack in these guitars acts as the switch for the battery so don’t leave your guitar plugged in; the battery will drain even if you’re not playing it, even if the amp is off. And a lot of people don’t know that their acoustic guitars have batteries... if your acoustic guitar has an output jack, it most likely has a battery. And if you haven’t replaced it, that’s why it doesn’t sound good plugged in.

• remember to always wipe down your guitars after playing

• remember to always wash your hands before playing

I’ll try to remember to post these reminders a couple times per year to help everyone keep their guitars in better condition. Comment below if you have any questions; don’t send a private message, other people could also benefit from your question.

If you don’t have time to do it right now, set a reminder on your phone. And please share this post so that more people can better maintain their guitars. I don’t make any money by making these posts; in fact, I’m saving you money by teaching and reminding you to maintain your guitars so that they stay healthy and won’t need future repairs. I make these posts because I care about your guitars, even if I’ve never seen your guitars or met you.

Nope.
11/01/2024

Nope.

I’m just going to leave this here.
10/04/2024

I’m just going to leave this here.

07/18/2024

Dear Auto Manufacturers,

Please design windshield wipers that move in-time with the music playing on the stereo. I’m surprised that I have to request this. Until such time, I refuse to use windshield wipers.

Sincerely,
Scott “Stonewall” Miller

Ready for the next Guitar Repair class?? The last one was so much fun. I only have space for four students so be sure to...
07/01/2024

Ready for the next Guitar Repair class?? The last one was so much fun. I only have space for four students so be sure to reach out to me right away if you’re interested. The class will be at my shop in Madbury every Saturday afternoon starting September 14th until December 7th (except the Saturday after Thanksgiving). The class will cover a full refret (nickel-silver or stainless steel), fretdress, making a bone nut from scratch, full rewire (including how the components physically work), and a perfect setup. You will be working on your own guitar or bass (yes, bassists are welcome too). Don’t be afraid… I’ll be supervising every step myself and your guitar will play better than ever before. My former students can attest to that. More than half of them now work on their own instruments without issue and two former students now make their own guitars and basses. The cost of this class is one thousand dollars. Send me a message or an email at [email protected] to reserve your spot.

Edit: only three spots available now.

06/13/2024

Scheduled maintenance post... if it’s been three to six months (or longer), it’s time to:

• change strings

• oil unfinished fingerboards (typically rosewood and ebony)
- also bridges on acoustic guitars
- and any other raw rosewood or ebony such as tuner buttons, truss rod covers, tailpieces, pickguards, and k***s
- I use 3-IN-1 Oil to oil fingerboards and other raw hardwoods. Avoid using citrus oils as they can dry out wood in the long term, especially ebony. Do not use olive oil, it will turn rancid. Walnut oil is also acceptable; I’ve been told that coconut oil is also acceptable, but I’m not entirely sure… don’t use virgin coconut oil. Just apply the oil directly, use a paper towel to rub it in, then use a dry paper towel to wipe away any excess. If the wood soaks in all the oil before you can wipe away any excess, it’s too dry; keep applying oil until the wood stops drinking it up, just remember to wipe away the excess.

• stop heavily humidifying guitars
- we are all turning the heat off around now so guitars can finally come out of their cases and live on stands and wall hangers for the summer
- if your guitar still seems dry, you can continue to humidify it in the case; just be careful not to over-do it
- make sure all guitars are out of direct sunlight (in or out of cases) and don’t leave them in cars for extended periods
- unless you have a dedicated, climate controlled music room and your guitars never leave that room. If you’re humidifying or dehumidifying your guitars and then take your guitars out into the world, they’ll react to the change in climate. We humidify guitars in the wintertime because it’s necessary; it could just cause problems in the summertime.

• “use” all electronics (this should be done monthly)
- spin all k***s back and forth a dozen times
- flip switches back and forth a dozen times (be gentle with mini switches, push/pull pots, and push button switches)
- not just guitars but amps and recording equipment as well
- “using” electronics like this monthly will prevent corrosion from building up and your electronics will last (potentially) forever.

• check the batteries in guitars with preamps (acoustic/electrics, active electric guitars, etc.)
- the output jack in these guitars acts as the switch for the battery so don’t leave your guitar plugged in; the battery will drain even if you’re not playing it, even if the amp is off. And a lot of people don’t know that their acoustic guitars have batteries... if your acoustic guitar has an output jack, it most likely has a battery. And if you haven’t replaced it, that’s why it doesn’t sound good plugged in.

• remember to always wipe down your guitars after playing

• remember to always wash your hands before playing

If you don’t have time to do it right now, set a reminder on your phone. And please share this post so that more people can better maintain their guitars. I don’t make any money by making these posts; in fact, I’m saving you money by teaching and reminding you to maintain your guitars so that they stay healthy and won’t need future repairs. I make these posts because I care about your guitars, even if I’ve never seen your guitars or met you.

So proud of my three students from this class who just finished up their guitars. Al restored a 1972 ES-335 that he brou...
05/04/2024

So proud of my three students from this class who just finished up their guitars. Al restored a 1972 ES-335 that he brought brand new all those years ago with a new TonePros bridge, stainless steel frets, a bone nut, all new electronics, but stuck with the original pickups. Scott upgraded his Epiphone ES Les Paul with new hardware (Kluson Revolution tuners, TonePros roller tune-o-matic, and Bigsby B12), stainless steel frets, bone nut, the Stonewall Slutty Wolf H90 set, and all new electronics including a series/parallel switch. Sean upgraded his Epiphone SG with stainless steel frets, bone nut, a Stonewall Slutty Wolf H90 in the neck & T-60 bridge humbucker, and all new electronics including a coil split for the humbucker and a momentary kill button. They all learned so much and did fantastic jobs on their guitars.

I’I’m starting up the Guitar Repair Class again this year!! Electric Guitar Repair Class first… if there’s enough intere...
01/18/2024

I’I’m starting up the Guitar Repair Class again this year!! Electric Guitar Repair Class first… if there’s enough interest, I will consider an acoustic repair class in the future. I know that a number of you have been waiting for this. I only have space for four students so be sure to reach out to me right away if you’re interested. The class will be at my shop in Madbury every Saturday afternoon in February, March, and April. The class will cover a full refret (nickel-silver or stainless steel), fretdress, making a bone nut from scratch, full rewire (including how the components physically work), and a perfect setup. You will be working on your own guitar or bass (yes, bassists are welcome too). Don’t be afraid… I’ll be supervising every step myself and your guitar will play better than ever before. My former students can attest to that. More than half of them now work on their own instruments without issue and two former students now make their own guitars and basses. The cost of this class is one thousand dollars. Send me a message or an email at [email protected] to reserve your spot.

Update: only one space available.

Address

282 Knox Marsh Road
Madbury, NH
03823

Opening Hours

Friday 3pm - 7:30pm
Saturday 1pm - 6pm

Telephone

+16033434488

Website

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