Clarke Strings & Sound

Clarke Strings & Sound Guitar repair in the DMV. Authorized dealer for Lollar, Seymour Duncan, AllParts, D’addario and more!

A little extra detailing goes a long way!
03/13/2025

A little extra detailing goes a long way!

Refretting an old Gibson with jumbo fretwire for my buddy . Done using the "Proper" method... While I'm waiting for my P...
03/09/2025

Refretting an old Gibson with jumbo fretwire for my buddy . Done using the "Proper" method... While I'm waiting for my Proper Relief Gauge in the mail, I checked my work on this job using a good old-fashioned notched straight-edge. It still works, but I'm super stoked get some more accurate numbers soon!

Bridge pickup cutting in and out? Yeah, this might have something to do with it…
09/26/2024

Bridge pickup cutting in and out? Yeah, this might have something to do with it…

Birds Eye snapshot view, carving a compensated ebony archtop bridge… 🦅📸
09/23/2024

Birds Eye snapshot view, carving a compensated ebony archtop bridge… 🦅📸

Met a friendly beaver today, and a few wild trout. Thank you all immensely for your patience and loyalty as I work throu...
09/22/2024

Met a friendly beaver today, and a few wild trout. Thank you all immensely for your patience and loyalty as I work through a lengthy backlog, and carve out time to spend with my two best friends. 🎣👩‍🦰🐶🥾

Keeping things nice and tidy on this Aguilar OPB3 bass preamp install. Don’t forget where you can find the best electron...
09/05/2024

Keeping things nice and tidy on this Aguilar OPB3 bass preamp install. Don’t forget where you can find the best electronics luthiery in Rockville! 😜

Not too late for a ! Today we have a Hard Luck Kings thinline on the bench, and I’ve been commissioned to make it great...
05/22/2024

Not too late for a ! Today we have a Hard Luck Kings thinline on the bench, and I’ve been commissioned to make it great! That means a JB/Jazz set, respective Vol and Tone push-pull coil taps for the Neck and Bridge, treble bleed, Oak-Grigsby pickup selector and my custom blower switch wiring, which sends either unattenuated pickup signal straight to the output jack. 🎸🎸🎸

Today it’s been four weeks since my last cigarette, a goal I’ve been working towards for the last two years. Some observ...
05/21/2024

Today it’s been four weeks since my last cigarette, a goal I’ve been working towards for the last two years. Some observations:

1) Increased energy, stamina throughout the work day, longer periods of time spent in “flow state.”
3) Bone dust and lacquer smells hang around the shop WAY longer than I thought.💭
3) The ni****ne craving does not go away, but lessens somewhat over time…

I’ve been an everyday smoker for fourteen years, and I’m feeling better every day. Thanks for your continued support and business, y’all!

Back to work this Monday after a lovely weekend away in the mountains…
05/06/2024

Back to work this Monday after a lovely weekend away in the mountains…

Retro Flyer preamp installation today on this 1979 Rhodes Mk1! 🎹
02/14/2024

Retro Flyer preamp installation today on this 1979 Rhodes Mk1! 🎹

Wrapped up this 1979 Rhodes Mark 1 last night after replacing a few pickups, leveling the keys, adjusting escapement and...
02/02/2024

Wrapped up this 1979 Rhodes Mark 1 last night after replacing a few pickups, leveling the keys, adjusting escapement and strike line, and stretch-tuning the harp. The basic Rhodes setup procedure around here…

If you’re into searching for old keyboards on marketplace and Craigslist like I am, you’ll often see folks selling Rhodes that have been “fully restored!” by the seller, often some guy who cleared a corner of their basement and installed some low quality VV refurb kits to try and boost the value. Dead giveaway for this are wonky, uneven keys, as shown in the last photo. These “fully restored” Rhodes always give me a good chuckle, especially when an offended seller will claim (after this oversight is pointed out) that “you can’t level keys on a Rhodes, that’s just the way Rhodes are!”

Right…. Be very wary of these keyboards, which will almost always need overhauling again by an experienced technician before they will play correctly.

First Rhodes back on the bench since surgery, doc told me not to lift heavy things for awhile, I think 2 weeks is long e...
02/01/2024

First Rhodes back on the bench since surgery, doc told me not to lift heavy things for awhile, I think 2 weeks is long enough. Mornings are nice with an old keyboard, a cup of coffee and the smell of solder in the air 😏

Address

305 Patton Place
Rockville, MD
20851

Opening Hours

Monday 9am - 6pm
Tuesday 10am - 6pm
Wednesday 10am - 6pm
Thursday 10am - 6pm
Friday 10am - 6pm

Telephone

+13012190494

Website

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when Clarke Strings & Sound posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Contact The Business

Send a message to Clarke Strings & Sound:

Shortcuts

Share

Category