There’s a new guitar repairer in town, Todd Macalpine investigates Reuben’s Guitar Repairs

TM:- Can you tell me a bit about your musical background?

R:- I started playing guitar at 8 years of age on a junker I found at trash and Treasure at Mt Isa Civic Centre. It was horrible, but it was a guitar.  After seeing Ace Frehley and Kiss on Countdown in the 70s I knew what I wanted to be. I couldn’t play much but I sure could air guitar to a Kiss record!

TM:- Can you tell me how you got started in guitar repairs?

R:- When you break as many strings as I used to,  then you start to tinker with things. I did my own repairs for years and it worked out usually well – only problem was that there was no one to ask. Over the last 20 years Guitar Repairers have shared a wealth of knowledge, which makes for a much better repair industry and better outcomes for everyone.

TM:- Most of the pictures Ive seen so far of your work are of electrics, do you do work on acoustics too?

R:- I do lots of Acoustics – everything including bridge reglues, brace reglues, and neck resets. I love modifying them and doing tone altering tricks like compensated bone saddles, brass and bone bridge pins. It gives a new sound to an old guitar and customers seem to really like it.

TM:- I hear you wind your own pickups, can you tell me a bit about the process involved in that?

R:- Yeah, it’s going great, I wind hand wound humbuckers, single coils, P90s, Jazz Bass, P Bass etc..
Tone is very subjective and usually customers want “a little more” than the stock pickups put out. I have done lots of experimenting with windings, magnets, coil shapes and layering and testing in different guitars. It’s really exciting to know that you can make an ok guitar sound great or turn a seller into a keeper just but rewinding or custom making replacement pickups.

TM:- Are your pickups wax potted?

R:- I will wax pot pickups by request for free, but generally not. Half the magic of a replica or modified pickup is in their microphonic (notice I didn’t say “high pitched screeching”) ability to let extra vibration colour the sound a little, to my ears wax potting is like putting a sock on a microphone and then singing through it. You hear way more of the natural guitar resonance without potting. If you wind them with enough tension – they won’t ever need potting in wax or lacquer. Original PAFs and Fender pickups were not potted.

TM:- Being a bit of a guitar perve myself, I have to ask, have you ever worked on an instrument that you really didn’t want to give back?

R:- I definitely have G.A.S! (Gear Acquisition Syndrome). From time to time some really cool instruments come into the workshop and just like everyone’s guitars I care for them like they were my very own! People have dropped in late 50’s Strats, Early 70’s Les Pauls and lots of really cool stuff. I have bought the guitars I always wanted so I don’t really get guitar envy these days. Now I just make or put together what I want! It’s always great to see customers really enjoying their instrument after repairs/adjustments.

TM:- Any plans to build complete instruments?

R:- Obviously I am a Les Paul fanatic haha, I am making 4 Les Pauls this year, 2 x Customs (1 for me) and 2 x 59 Replicas,
I have some really nice blanks in stock and can’t wait to see the finished product being played. I can put together some really cool stuff like Vintage Strat Replicas etc but I am open to anything. Maybe even some PRS inspired guitars vey soon..

TM:- Have you ever toyed with the idea of coming up with a completely new design from scratch?

R:- I think up crazy designs occasionally. A good customer of mine recently toyed with the idea for me to build them a Dimebag style Dean recently with a twist – it was to be neck through with a maple cap on top. That would have looked awesome! PRS is the forerunner in the “halfway guitars” as I call them – its kinda like making a humbucker sound like a single coil and vise versa. You can have either benchmark tone or with a bit of clever design – anything in between.

 

You can call Reuben on 0402 623 067

His workshop is located behind music city in Sheridan st above Austwide Speaker Doctor.

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