04/25/2026
In 1986 I attended Berklee College of Music, trying to broaden my horizons. I was 19 and wide open, looking for a path that wouldn't lead me to selling out for a paycheck. On a community bulletin board I saw a 3x5 notecard with a handwritten note: are you interested in learning about the finer points of guitar setup and electronics? Call Eric Miller, phone number. Hands On Guitars.
I called and was kind of a cocky jerk. I said I saw his card and wondered if he was really good. His reply was classic Eric. He said here's three phone numbers for reference, and if that's not enough call back and I'll give you three more, and we'll keep doing that until you get a sense of what I'm about.
I called the first number. The guy couldn't stop raving about Eric, offering a stream of superlatives that got the idea across. The second number was no different, telling me that he's the best by far and nobody else even comes close. By the third I was convinced and called Eric back to arrange a meeting. We met at Eric's humble shop, a loft in the Boston suburbs. He asked what I wanted to learn and I said fretwork for starters. He showed me a 1964 Firebird on his bench that he was refretting. The going rate at that time was $160 for a refret and Eric was charging $400, and he had a waiting list. That got my attention. He said the tools are simple and the quality of the job is almost all in the attention to details. Over a few weeks he showed me how it's done and more importantly how to cultivate the eye.
The exam was simple. Buy a j***y guitar at a yard sale to practice on, spend ten dollars or less, and do not come back with a '59 Strat. I found a beat up Tiesco. He had me diagnose everything that it needed, and then gave me some fret wire and said come back when it's done. No rush but also no excuses. I spent two weeks working on the neck and brought it in for evaluation and critique. His critique was a learning experience; I found that one's work is always subject to close inspection, that attention tells just as does inattention. I loved that this was a field in which being a little OCD was actually an asset.
With appreciation for the man who served as mentor without whom I don't know where I might be, thank you Eric Miller.
