I’ve been meaning to share this crazy repair for a while. It’s a 1960’s National Glenwood 95 – one of National’s “res-o-glass” models in beautiful bright red with the classic “map” shape. Here’s a great article from Vintage Guitar magazine on the history and evolution of these remarkable guitars. Appearing just a few short years after Fender and Gibson’s early designs, the fiberglass body and unique shape were remarkably forward looking and have only gotten more popular through the years. This particular guitar still belongs to its original owner but when the headstock broke off a number of years ago, it was tucked away and more or less left for dead. Once we started planning our approach to this repair, it was easy to see why it wasn’t fixed right away. A few elements of the neck design made a typical headstock re-glue impossible. First was that the front of the headstock featured a white multi-ply plastic overlay with the National emblem in raised plastic. Glue and paint weren’t going to cut it when it came time to make it look right.

But even more troubling was that in the core of the neck, there isn’t a truss rod or even a typical steel reinforcement, but a huge metal bar that takes up easily 80% of the neck mass. That certainly helped keep the neck straight, but it also weakened the headstock area because of the amount of wood removed to make room for it. When it took a blow, the bit of wood left on the sides wasn’t enough to withstand the heavy string tension and the neck snapped in two. There’s almost no wood exposed to create a gluing surface so simply gluing the two sides together isn’t going to be strong enough to function as a guitar. So we decided the neck needs to be replaced.

In an effort to keep costs down, we first turned to aftermarket makers thinking we’d re-shape a paddle-head neck blank. But nobody makes a neck with this scale and heel shape and even if they did, the cost of recreating the ornate fingerboard inlays was going to eliminate any savings. Then we thought of Eastwood Guitars who make fun and affordable replicas of these and other cool vintage guitars. But those wouldn’t work either because of the heel shape.

So the only option left became increasingly obvious: we would need to make a new neck from scratch that fit the exact dimensions of the original, then use the original fingerboard and logo to make it look correct.

After carefully removing the original fretboard with all its inlays, Joe made a rough-cut mahogany neck with the headstock shaped from the original. This neck will get an adjustable truss rod instead of the oversized support the first one had.

Then he shaped the heel and back of the neck to match the old one.

Next, he re-glued the original fretboard, headstock logo and inlays, added new frets, and matched that killer red!

He then removed the back and cleaned up the 50 year old control pots so it sounds just right… (take a look under the hood!)

Finally, it’s time to fit the neck to the body and set it up.

Here’s the stunning final product. This was a long process but it was great to put this historic National Glenwood back on the Map!

The members of Wilco make their music in our neighborhood and we’re lucky to see lots of beautiful instruments from their vast collections. When guitarist/keyboardist Pat Sansone sent us this rather beat-up looking Telecaster we weren’t really sure what it was at first.

Pat, with great understatement, had told us only that he was sending over something “new and cool.” It looked old but was clearly refinished with an unusual pale yellow that seemed to pick up the wood grain beneath. There were no strings and  it really didn’t seem to be anything that special, that is until we removed the neck and discovered that two critical areas of original finish had been preserved. Somehow, after a full refinish, the heel and neck pocket both still had their original handwritten dates.

Fans of early Fenders will recognize those cursive initials as “TG” – belonging to famed Fender builder Tadeo Gomez. The date below reads 2-27-51.

The neck pocket of the body was marked “TK” 3/23/51. That’s another common set of initials in 50’s era Fenders (anyone know the name of the individual behind TK? Let us know!) That would seem to place this “Telecaster’s” construction in February/March of 1951! Pretty cool, eh? That got us looking deeply in the fantastic resource that is  Nacho Baños’ book The Blackguard. There we learned that the date on this neck was printed just days after The Fred Gretsch Company sent a telegram calling for Fender to stop its use of the name “Broadkaster” [sic] on its electric guitars because that was a name Gretsch was already using for a drum set.

Fender, of course agreed (the very next day) but instead of re-naming their product right away, they simply cut the word “Broadcaster” off of the headstock logo and continued making the guitars until settling on the name Telecaster in the late summer of that year. So this guitar isn’t really a Telecaster at all. It’s what’s known as a Nocaster, from those few months in 1951 between Gretsch’s telegram and the release of the first Tele. Knowing this, we looked again at that Tele headstock logo and realized it was a non-original reproduction. It was also in the wrong location and there were several holes that were drilled for additional string retainers (or string trees.)

So Pat agreed to refret and refinish this guitar – which had already been stripped and refinished at least once. This time, however, we would go for a restoration of the original look. We would preserve the back of the neck, the neck heel, and the neck pocket that retained the original finish and those important historic dates. Here’s a look at the process:

With the finish stripped, we can see that the pickup area appears to have been routed out and then filled with a replacement piece of ash that amazingly seems to fit perfectly with the grain of the rest of the body.

That’s some outstanding work by a repair person in the past. The blue tape in the neck pocket will protect the historic pencil markings that are so vital to this guitar.

In the spray booth we start with a blonde under-coat that resembles what this guitar likely looked like in 1951.

But of course 1951 was more than 65 years ago and a nitrocellulose lacquer finish ages over time where it is in contact with sunlight, oxygen, smoke, and other environmental elements. We simulated this effect to leave the silhouette of the pickguard and bridge cover. Those won’t really be visible when it’s all put together but add to the authenticity of the guitar’s appearance.

The headstock’s transformation back to “Nocaster” including stripping and plugging the holes from additional string trees added over the years.

Was it overkill to use a “Broadcaster” logo and trim it by hand like they did in 1951?…

Or to leave the halo of a bridge cover around the bridge?…

Nah. This one deserved it. Once it was strung up with a set of Lollar pickups (that’s a J-Street in the bridge and a Special in the neck) it sounds fantastic. In fact, before even plugging it in it was obvious that this one has a resonance and ring to it that you don’t find in every Tele. There’s something about that piece of wood that was cut more than 65 years ago that reminds us that a guitar’s sound has so much to do with the trees it’s made from. We’re really glad for the chance to bring this special guitar back to life.

There was a time when lots of folks were stripping the finish off their 50’s and 60’s Fender guitars – some thinking that they preferred the look of natural wood grain to solid colors, others thinking that the paint itself was kept guitar’s best sounds from shining through. This Jazzmaster was one of those guitars. And while it had a rough go of it, enough evidence was left behind for us to completely restore it to what its original finish would look like today. Most notably, the de-finisher left the neck – with matching Olympic White headstock – completely alone.

The original headstock finish gave us a road map for what the body should look like. But vintage guitar lovers know that the original clear top finish was nitrocellulose lacquer which tends to age over time from the sun’s ultra-violet rays – turning white to creamy yellow, blues to turquoise or green shades, and bright reds to richer wine-colored tones. The finish that hides under hardware and pickguards often retains the original color, unblemished by the sun. The owner asked if we could recreate this effect – using the remnants of original white left in the tailpiece and electronic cavities.

Here’s the guitar as it arrived, with original finish removed. Our first task was to smooth the rough edges and corners that were left when the finish was stripped.

We can’t put wood back that has been removed but we can sand what’s left to more accurate contours.

As you see above, the neck pocket as well as the electronic cavities were never stripped of the original finish. And because they were hidden beneath the pickguard and other parts, the finish beneath didn’t age and yellow the way the headstock did. We used the whitest area as the model for our base color coat and we’ll leave that color below the pickguard (simulated by paper tracings) for a more authentic vintage appearance.

Next we re-leveled the rosewood fretboard and installed all new frets.

Then, of course we distress and relic the finish before reassembling. With the original pickguard and hardware installed, this incredible guitar looks like it would have had nobody ever removed that original finish. It was hard to send this one home!

Chicago winters kill guitars. The weather gets dry and cold, so we turn on our furnaces – drying out the air in our homes even further. Many will see their indoor relative humidity drop below 20% . That’s 25-30% lower than the factories where guitars are made and the wood just doesn’t like it. Like the skin on our fingertips and the seams on our hardwood floors, dry guitars can crack open without ever being dropped or otherwise mishandled. Other symptoms we see include:

• rough fret ends that stick out past the edge of a fretboard
• loose bridges and braces
• loose neck joints
• separations along the many glue joints that hold a guitar together
• dramatic changes in playing ‘action’

So what can you do to prevent costly repairs to these problems? There’s so many choices hanging in guitar stores that it can be hard to tell which one to buy. Here’s a look at the products that will best help you keep your guitar healthy and happy this winter. You’ll also find a simple formula for how to effectively use them.

We’ve heard some interesting home remedies over the 15 or so years we’ve been working on guitars – from leaving a baggie with a wet sponge in a guitar case to putting an apple or potato inside a case (NOT recommended by this shop!) And we’ve seen lots of products too -from film canister size humidifiers with clay inside to rubber tubes with a sponge inside to space-age devices that  can offer protection for months. We’re always looking for answers to this problem and as of 2014, this is our prescription for keeping your guitar properly humidified:

1. Use a good sized room humidifier

We are of the opinion that case humidifiers are not enough for many guitars. Create an environment that is healthier for you and your guitar by humidifying your home or at least the room where your guitars live. Our shop has Aprilaire humidifiers on our furnaces, but we’ve also grown fond the Lasko humidifiers like the one above because they hold lots of water – enough for a couple of days at least. 40-50% is ideal, but if you can keep the room’s relative humidity over 30%, you will sleep and breathe better, and your guitar-case humidifiers will be able to do the rest. So how do I know if it’s over 30% then, you ask. A digital hygrometer placed near the case will tell you.

2. Use a guitar case humidifier. CASE  being the operative word. These will not work on a stand or wall-hanger. Below are our favorites.

First Choice for Acoustic Guitars – Music Nomad Humitar

($14) The Humitar is a new product from Music Nomad and has quickly become our go-to humidifier this year. It’s simple in operation, durable, and holds enough water to last up to 10 days between refills. It uses a super-absorbant antimicrobial-treated sponge inside a hard plastic container that slips easily between strings in the soundhole. The sponge holds quite a bit of (distilled) water and because of its antimicrobial qualities can last almost indefinitely if kept clean. Replacement sponges are available in case that doesn’t happen. A smaller Ukulele sized Humitar is also available to those who play smaller instruments.

Runner up for Acoustic Guitars – Oasis

($20) We really like these humidifiers. They hold enough distilled water to last from one to two weeks without needing to be refilled. Special crystals inside expand into a super absorbent paste that should be replaced each year (replacement kits are available at CFW for $6.)

One advantage Oasis holds over every other product is that it will tell you when it’s time to refill by collapsing into a raisin-like appearance that says “Yo! Gettin’ a little dry over here!”

Third (but sometimes first) Choice for Guitars:  Planet Waves Two -Way Humidification System (formerly known as Humidipak*)

($19) When used with a room humidifier, the Two-Way System is a great product that will keep a constant level of humidity inside your case. Three removable packets hang in black mesh pockets (two for the soundhole and one for behind the headstock,) releasing just enough moisture to keep the inside of your guitar case at a comfortable 48% for up to 3 months. This makes it a fine choice if you don’t play that guitar at least once each week. Because there is moisture is all in those packets, there’s no need for constant refilling with water. It’s also an excellent choice for those who travel with their guitar to different climates because unlike any other product, it will absorb excess moisture if you find yourself in a more humid location.

We do have a couple of concerns about the Humidipak, however. First, it cannot do all of the “heavy lifting” when it comes to humidifying the guitar. If the room it lives in is a dry one, it’s going to work much harder and those packets will dry up within a month. Second, while there’s no refilling a water reservoir every week, the packets do need to be replaced when they dry out and the cost is about $15 for three. We strongly recommend that it be used in conjunction with a regularly maintained furnace or room humidifier.  Read more about it at www.planetwaves.com . While you’re there, be sure to check out the video of Bob Taylor from Taylor Guitars to see what he thinks.

For Tight Budgets – Planet Waves Humidifier

($8) If you play your guitar every day or two and don’t mind refilling a sponge that often, Planet Waves’ original guitar humidifier is the least expensive option. It’ll work as well as the others but will need more attention. The difference between this one and the top-ranked Humitar is the sponge – which in this case holds very little water and dries out within a day or two.

Humidifying F-hole guitars – Humitron/Dampit tube

($8) Finally, we do keep a few of the old-style tube humidifiers for guitars and mandolins that have F-holes or for those who just like this style. Fill them up every one to two days.

SUMMARY: The Recipe For Keeping A Guitar Properly Humidified (in Chicago or similar climates:)

• A humidified ROOM
• A FULL case humidifier that is
• Inside the guitar
• Inside the case   (NOT hanging on the wall or on a stand.)
• From October through April (or as long as the heat is on in your home)

…Or ignore this advice and come see us in the spring for the best structural repairs anywhere!

Hard not to be a little star-struck with this one. It’s a 1959 Fender Jazzmaster belonging to Nels Cline (Nels Cline Singers, Wilco) that’s now known as WATT. Nels got it from Mike Watt (The Minutemen, Firehose, The Stooges.) There’s thousands of miles of wear, love, and music on that guitar and it wears its scars and gray hairs proudly. While it was once heavily abused on-stage, it’s become Nels’ most prized instrument and is vital to his sound – especially with Wilco. We were charged with getting it ready for some fall concert dates. We started with the electronics, and the pickguard. If you’ve seen Nels on-stage with Wilco, you’ve seen him yank the cord out of this guitar before grabbing a different one. Of course this puts some strain on the now 55 year old plastic pickguard and it eventually cracked in that spot.

While Nels was happy to drill a couple of new screws into the guard to hold down the cracked tip, we wanted to at least see if it could be secured without more screws. It’s supported underneath by  a steel shielding plate so a little epoxy held the pieces and the plate together neatly.

Once the jack area was strong and secure, we made a new bone nut…

and freshened up the setup with a new set of GHS Boomer 12’s. (There’s three different spots where the previous owner inscribed his name on the guitar. One is below the original Jazzmaster tailpiece/ vibrato.)

As with all of Nels’ offset guitars, WATT employs a Mastery Bridge. In fact the Mastery was developed specifically for this guitar. If you don’t know about this brilliantly-conceived bridge, take a look at their site and all the players who use it. Suffice it to say the Mastery solves virtually all of the quirky issues guitar techs have always had with Jazzmasters, Jaguars, and similar guitars.

It was really enjoyable getting a chance to work on such an immediately recognizable guitar – especially one that’s been through as much as this one.  And yes, it still sounds amazing.

Look at the top of this website and you’ll see a link to our guitar services and prices. It’s basic, but still rather extensive and will give you an idea what to expect for most jobs. Head over to the Amp Repair (Chicago Amp Works) page and  you’ll find one price – our $40 deposit that we collect when amps are dropped off. Why is this? Why don’t we have a price for replacing a speaker or re-biasing an amp?

The answer is that we can look at a guitar and tell you what work it needs. An amp – with all of it’s parts deep inside the cabinet, requires disassembly and often testing with oscilloscope and voltage meter to tell what’s causing a problem. Sometimes disassembly is just a small handful of screws and popping out the chassis. Other times like with an Ampeg SVT or this Hughes Kettner can require 20-30 minutes of unscrewing and removing parts just to get it on the bench! Take a look at the effort that went into just getting to the bias control on this one.

First, Pat removes the handle screws which are anchored in the steel chassis beneath the amp top.

The mirrored plexiglass panel on the front is part of the chassis and hangs in front of the black speaker baffle. So he has to remove the entire baffle – held in place by a half dozen screws – to get the chassis out. This however  is not as simple as it sounds.

To get the baffle out of the box, he has to take the back off – four more screws…

But now we notice four metal nubs sticking out of the amp floor (there’s two in this shot.) They’re caster housings and they’re going to block the baffle from coming out; so they’ll need to go too!

Sixteen screws for the casters.

A couple more at the base of the speaker baffle (note the holes where the caster mounts poke up.)

Don’t forget to disconnect the reverb tank plugs!

Now with a little help from a co-worker, it’s out with the speaker and baffle. Wait! Those power tubes are going to get broken off! Better take them out too.

Finally, with the tubes, speaker, and baffle out, Pat can loosen the screws that hold the chassis in place.

Up on the bench, screws number 37 and 38 hold a steel top in place. Once those are out…

…we can finally see this little bias trim-pot inside. It’s been close to a half hour so far and we haven’t even started repairing the amp. Fortunately, there are lots of amps that are much easier to open up than this. Less time should mean less expense to the customer and it does here. We price each amp repair according to how long it takes to get the job done right.

With some new tubes and a couple of other tweaks, Pat got this amp sounding better than ever. And when it’s lit-up, it looks as good as it sounds. Definitely worth the effort!

Chicago winters kill guitars. The weather gets dry and cold, so we turn on our furnaces – drying out the air in our homes even further. Many will see their indoor relative humidity drop below 20% . That’s 25-30% lower than the factories where guitars are made and the wood just doesn’t like it. Like the skin on our fingertips and the seams on our hardwood floors, dry guitars can split open without ever being dropped or otherwise mishandled. Other symptoms we see include:

• rough fret ends that stick out past the edge of a fretboard
• loose bridges and braces
• loose neck joints
• separations along the many glue joints that hold a guitar together
• dramatic changes in playing ‘action’

So what can you do to prevent costly repairs to these problems? There’s so many choices hanging in guitar stores that it can be hard to tell which one to buy. Here’s a look at the products that will best help you keep your guitar healthy and happy this winter. You’ll also find a simple formula for how to effectively use them.

We’ve heard some interesting home remedies over the 15 or so years we’ve been working on guitars – from leaving a baggie with a wet sponge in a guitar case to putting an apple or potato inside a case (NOT recommended by this shop!) And we’ve seen lots of products too -from film canister size humidifiers with clay inside to rubber tubes with a sponge inside to space-age devices that  can offer protection for months. We’re always looking for answers to this problem and as of 2013, this is our prescription for keeping your guitar properly humidified:

1. Use a good sized room humidifier

We’ are of the opinion that case humidifiers are not enough for many guitars. Create an environment that is healthier for you and your guitar by humidifying your home or at least the room where your guitars live. We’ve grown fond of the Lasko humidifiers like the one above because they hold lots of water – enough for a couple of days at least. 40-50% is ideal, but if you can keep the room’s relative humidity over 30%, you will sleep and breathe better, and your guitar-case humidifiers will be able to do the rest. So how do I know if it’s over 30% then, you ask. A digital hygrometer placed near the case will tell you.

2. Use a guitar case humidifier. Below are our favorites.

First Choice for Acoustic Guitars – Oasis

($20) We really like these humidifiers. They hold enough distilled water to last from one to two weeks without needing to be refilled. Special crystals inside expand into a super absorbent paste that should be replaced each year (replacement kits are available at CFW for $6.) One advantage Oasis holds over every other product is that it will tell you when it’s time to refill by collapsing into a raisin-like appearance that says “Yo! Gettin’ a little dry over here!”

Runner-up Choice for Guitars:  Planet Waves Humidipak*

($30) When used with a room humidifier, the Humidipak is a great product that will keep a constant level of humidity inside your case. Three removable packets hang in black mesh pockets (two for the soundhole and one for behind the headstock,) releasing just enough moisture to keep the inside of your guitar case at a comfortable 48% for up to 3 months. Because there is moisture is all in those packets, there’s no need for constant refilling with water. We do have a couple of concerns about the Humidipak, however. First, it cannot do all of the “heavy lifting” when it comes to humidifying the guitar. If the room it lives in is a dry one, it’s going to work much harder and those packets will dry up within a month. Second, while there’s no refilling a water reservoir every week, the packets need to be replaced when they dry out and the cost is about $20 for three. We strongly recommend that it be used in conjunction with a regularly maintained furnace or room humidifier.  Read more about it at www.planetwaves.com . While you’re there, be sure to check out the video of Bob Taylor from Taylor Guitars to see what he thinks.

For the tight budget – Planet Waves Humidifier

($8) If you play your guitar every day or two and don’t mind refilling a sponge that often, Planet Waves’ original guitar humidifier is the least expensive option. It’ll work as well as the others but will need more attention.

Humidifying F-hole guitars – Humitron/Dampit tube

($8) Finally, we do keep a few of the old-style tube humidifiers for guitars and mandolins that have F-holes or for those who just like this style. Fill them up every one to two days.

The Recipe For Keeping A Guitar Properly Humidified:

• A FULL humidifer
• Inside the guitar
• Inside the case   (NOT hanging on the wall or on a stand.)
• From October through April (or as long as the heat is on in your home)

…Or ignore this advice and come see us in the spring for the best structural repairs anywhere!

We love working on old Martins here. They are repairman-friendly and always satisfying when they’re finished. This one dates back to 1948, and is in excellent shape for its age. It needed some repairs that are very common for any steel string acoustic over 25 years old (and for many that are far younger.) We wound up re-gluing a separating bridge, re-setting the neck to its proper angle, and re-fretting completely. With a combination of Sunrise (soundhole) and Fishman (under-saddle) pickups, it will be a nice addition to Jeff Tweedy’s collection of stage-worthy Martins. Here’s a look at the process.

About the only visual blemish on the guitar was the series of scratches, scrapes, and dents on the back of the neck. One peek inside the case explained where they came from.

This capo is probably nearly as old as the guitar and makes us think of Civil War era medical tools!  A little cork on the back-of-the-neck side would have been nice, but the marks and scars of honest wear and tear are nothing to complain about. They simply add to this guitar’s character.

The neck angle is the first thing we check on any old acoustic guitar. One tip-off is high string action and very little bone saddle showing above the bridge. After inspecting it closely, Dan determined that the neck angle had changed over the years and needed to be re-set. Decades of  more than 100lbs in string tension was enough to compress the wood fibers a few thousandths of an inch – drastically affecting the playability of the guitar. (It also speaks to the great craftsmanship at Martin in this era that these repairs didn’t need to be done for more than 60 years!)

Around this time, we also noticed that the bridge appeared to be lifting off the top slightly. It only took a little pressure from the repair knife to pop it off completely. With the neck already off, it was a good time to take care of the bridge.

Once we cleaned off the old glue residue from both the bridge and the top, we re-glued it using hide glue.

While the bridge glue dried, Dan starts reinforcing and shaping the dovetail joint, insuring a perfect fit with the correct angle.

Once the fit and angle are correct, he applies some traditional hide glue to the neck joint and clamps it back together!

With body and neck back together, we turn to playability and can see clearly that these loose frets need to go. We leveled the fretboard and installed the new frets before stringing it up!

Finally, we installed a Fishman under-saddle pickup in the bridge and made a new saddle to insure a great fit. Jeff combines the signals from the saddle pickup with a Sunrise sound-hole pickup, running both through tube pre-amps for one of the best acoustic stage tones you’ll ever come across.

Hopefully we’ll be seeing and hearing more of this guitar soon on tour with Wilco!

Since it’s release a few years back, we’ve loved the Fender La Cabronita. It’s got a Telecaster body shape with Gretsch style pickups by TV Jones. A great combination of classic looks and killer sound.

But we’ve loved and suffered with the Chicago Cubs for much longer. Let’s estimate it as roughly our entire lives. Two years ago, our team brought in new president of baseball operations Theo Epstein – the architect of the Boston Red Sox teams that broke an 86 year drought between World Series titles, winning two championships. Since his arrival, he’s brought vision and hope to our favorite team and there’s something else we like about him. He plays and loves guitars. And twice a year, Theo plays in support of a great organization he co-founded to help lots of underprivileged youth – The Foundation To Be Named Later. (For the non-baseball-freaks among us, trades between teams – a big part of his job – often include a “player to be named later.”)

So we got to thinking, why not build a La Cabronita, add some Cub images, and offer it to the FTBNL, to auction off at their signature event “Hot Stove Cool Music?” That’s what we’ve done and here are the results!

Dan created this handmade – one of a kind pickguard using actual baseball stitching.

A neck (not actually) made from a (not actually) game-used bat!

A TV Jones Classic pickup in the neck, a Classic Plus in the bridge, with a stacked volume/tone control and 3 way pickup selector switch.

We’ve got high hopes that Theo Epstein & company can someday bring a title to Wrigley Field. We’re also hoping this guitar will bring a huge donation to the Foundation To Be Named Later and that we see lots of you at the Hot Stove Cool Music Event on Friday June 21st at Metro Chicago. I’ve got a good feeling; as I write this, the Cubs are dismantling our crosstown rivals the White Sox 6-1, in search of their fourth straight victory. Could this finally be the year??

It was this vintage 1974 Fender Strat with the original case and a Silverface Fender Princeton (not sure how that little Gibson amp photo-bombed us, but anyway…) Most of our donations – ALL of which are appreciated – are less expensive instruments that just aren’t being used. We spruce them up and give them to Intonation Music Workshop for their work teaching Chicago youth to play and write music together. It made sense to sell these pieces and use the proceeds to buy lots of instruments better suited to young learners. Both needed some attention and with big thanks to pickup repair expert Tom Brantley and the staff at Chicago Music Exchange, we were able to

turn this donation into enough funds to buy lots of instruments for IMW.

Even the original owner’s manual was in the case!

The Strat had two bum pickups, so we called on the great Tom Brantley Electric Guitar Pickup Rewinds who generously donated his time to re-wind them.

The amp sounded pretty bad, so we spruced it up with some new tubes and a thorough cleaning.

With both pieces looking and sounding their best, we passed them on to Chicago Music Exchange who listed them on reverb.com . When the amp sells this donation will have raised nearly $3000 that will be used to buy instruments for the IMW kids. If you have an instrument in working or close to working condition that you’d like to donate, bring it in any time. We’ll get it into the anxious hands of a youngster just getting started playing music.

How about a look at some of those IMW kids performing with none other than Wilco bassist John Stirratt?