What are the opening hours?

Monday 9am - 5pm Tuesday 9am - 5pm Wednesday 9am - 5pm Thursday 9am - 5pm Friday 9am - 5pm

Burtt Guitar Garage

Home
Australia
Geelong, VIC
Burtt Guitar Garage

Setups , repairs, modifications and full custom builds. Let me help you get the most from your guitar experience

09/11/2025

Tips and Tricks from the Garage…

Output jack replacement on hollow/semi hollow guitars: description under each pic

We all have different ways of doing jobs that have tricky access.

Here’s one way to re insert an output jack on a (semi) hollow guitar.

Someone previous to me had tried something similar on this guitar but left a piece of wire entangled on the jack …

Essentially string some wire , in this case speaker wire, through the jack hole and out the f hole. Thread on the jack, knot the wire, pull it through, secure the jack , pull wire out, tighten jack …. Simples! See pics and descriptions below for some clarity. It’s not the only way but it works. Using wire helps with threading it through as it haves a blend of structure and flexibility.

06/09/2025

Tips and tricks
How I put humbuckers into mounting rings without sending the springs into the next dimention where lost socks go…
I didn’t create this , but I do use it a lot.
This can be done with a single alligator clip, but I have a few of these double ended leads for component testing and they are just the thing.

1. Insert the screws through the pickup ring and turn upside down

2. Slip on the springs

3. Compess each spring and hold down with the clip. It doesnt need to be a big clip, the threads on the screw hold it in place just fine.

4. This will now hold itself together while you screw in the pickup

5. Enjoy not finding springs when you vacuum your work area.

23/03/2025

It’s been a while since I’ve posted, but Burtt Guitar Garage is always busy.

Double Bass neck repair.

The owner of this instrument had it leaning against a wall. You can see where this is going: yep it was bumped and it fell.

When an instrument like this lands on its back the first thing that hits the deck is the headstock ( sound familiar Gibson Les Paul owners? )
At first it seemed like it was cracked, but when it came in and I had a decent look, it was actually a complete break.

Repair is similar to guitar. Yet very different. Double basses dont lay flat, they take up more room ( this was repaired on the dining table, don’t tell the Mrs…)
They are very shapely and don’t take clamps easily.

Fortunately this was a pretty clean break, no big shards missing. Not lots of cosmetic touch up, but this one was a functional repair over being cosmetically perfect.

So here are some pics, with some descriptions in the comments.

If you are having issues with a stringed instrument, let me at Burtt Guitar Garage help you get the most out if your instrument.

Thanks for dropping by. New stories to come.

23/08/2024

Ben’s archtop saddle adjustment:

Seems I’m pretty busy and it’s well over time for a post

Here’s a version of a job I see quite a bit: this one is an archtop bridge adjustment.
Whilst adjusting a setup and action there are several things interacting, one of the main adjustments is the bridge saddle(s).

In an archtop guitar the top has more curvature than normal. It’s important that the bridge itself has good contact with the top for best sound transfer, tone and sustain .

This means the base of the bridge , or in this case the saddle and bridge are a single piece, also needs to be curved to conform to the shape of the soundboard.

One of the best ways to do that is to use the top itself to guide the process : tape sandpaper to the top and do it that way.

It’s also important to know how much to remove : too little: keep going. Too much : well now the fix can be harder than the initial job, so go slowly , measure, test fit and creep up on it.

For a guide : 1 mm lower action at the 12th fret is 2mm off the bridge saddle .
We only wanted 0.5mm lower action.

Pics below with comment descriptions . Thanks for visiting

07/05/2024

Too long since the last time
I posted here
Still about and busier than ever.

Warwick’s Fender acoustic:
Warwick has a Fender acoustic that had a non working piezo preamp system, and a gig coming up. It’s always the way.

As well as the usual cleanup , setup and spa treatment , the system was tested and found totally non working.

Not too difficult a job, but the controls of the current system necessitated the placement of the new unit on the forward bout near the neck. This was to work around the control holes of the old unit.
Not ideal since the new LR Baggs system likes a flatter mounting surface. It’s also deeper and was tight against the neck block.

One issue was that this caused the push out battery box to bind when opening.
The solution was to file around the edge of the lip on the lid giving it more room.
It all worked out and in time.

Thanks Warwick, a fun challenge, I hope the gig went well sir.

Pics and stuff of some of the process. Some descriptions in pic captions:

28/05/2023

Tim’s Veena, neck repair

It’s been a while and I’ve been busy , just not active here, so story time for the first time in a while

A Veena is not unlike a Sitar but different, an instrument from the Indian subcontinent. These musical instruments evolved into many variations, such as lutes, zithers and arched harps.

Be that as it may the neck broke off in transit to Tim.

There was also damage to the finish, of indeterminate origin… this mostly buffed out ( took a couple of hours by hand and cloth polishing wheel)

Nothing too special , glue , clamps and time. However the application of each is what determines a successful repair.
This thing has about a billion strings , so tension on the neck is pretty high and a quality glue and glue up technique is important: I only like to fix things once. Aliphatic wood glues are pretty strong and usually the timber will fail in a different spot before the glue bond fails.

The take off points at the nut and bridge are determined by slotted brass rods, which needed new slots and some tweaking.

The repair went well , but I left the string up to the expert. Whilst repair technique can be very similar, there’s no way I can easily string up a Veena , Sitar or the like. A 12 string guitar is enough fun for me…

Here are the pics, thanks Tim for trusting me with this very cool instrument, may you have years of enjoyment now you can finally get to play it

12/01/2023

In the Guitar Garage doing some servicing and listening to the legendary Jeff Beck. RIP Mr Beck and thanks for all the music

24/12/2022

To my wonderful clients, followers and friends : thank you so much for your support and bringing me your wonderful instruments this past year.
I’ve had the pleasure of meeting some great people and helping them with their guitars .
I’m several updates behind and I’ll endeavor to get them out as soon as I can.
Have a wonderful Christmas and 2023, I greatly look forward to more guitar adventures and challenges in year ahead.
And a very exciting project to feature for the year coming…
Take care and thank you

12/09/2022

Jeff’s 60’s Hofner : a full refurb.

This fine vintage machine is owned by Jeff Raglus: musician, artist, singer, songwriter. You may know him as the trumpet player in Bachelors From Prague. Oh, and he’s a gent.

Initially, Jeff wanted a setup. However certain quirks of a vintage guitar made that not quite so simple. In the end we settled on a new bridge, a new hand made bone nut and lets throw in a complete refret. Oh and let’s get it done before a tour in Queensland… I wanted it done with a couple of days to spare - the guitar was going to feel different, not always ideal before a tour, so some time to become reacquainted and make adjustments if required.

The original bridge had been replaced with an interesting hand made brass saddle of sorts - a bit unreliable, and average intonation at best. We decided on a fully adjustable Schaller unit. New posts relocated ground wire and better performing roller saddles.

Frets were very low and the first few well dented and worn : a refret with medium frets. However due to the fretboard inlays and old binding, each fret had to but cut and shaped prior to installation.

Bone nut was next, hand made and shaped. The original was breaking down. Whomever glue this one in was a little too thorough, at it had to be taken out in pieces and the remainder filed away. Oh and its slot was far from square and level, so that needed to be squared away also.

Reassemble , setup and return to owner and in time too. Some fret tweaking after the fact and all was fine.

You can often see Jeff performing along the Surf Coast and surrounds and see some of his retro cool art in local galleries - he is on all the socials and worth checking out.

Thanks Mr Raglus for trusting this cool vintage guitar to Burtt Guitar Garage for it’s refurbishment, these jobs are always a fun challenge.

If you haven’t gone to sleep yet, a tonne of pics below to inform, amuse and entertain, thanks for looking.

17/08/2022

Harry’s Gibson Les Paul Junior: full refinish.

Here’s a job I don’t get too often : refinish a perfectly good guitar to a completely different finish

Harry had a typical red faded LPJ, it looked fine. Some damage at the logo thanks to a cat , but that was it.

But Harry wanted a sunburst instead . We discussed the pros and cons of refinishing vs selling and getting what he wanted and potential devaluing of the instrument.

So sunburst it was.
Guitar was totally stripped of all parts and then it’s finish. The Gibson finish is nitro and we decided to use that again for the new look.
It was discovered that the top was a proper thick maple drop top, so I had an idea to make it a bit more interesting : faux binding.

This is a technique where the edge is taped off during the painting/finishing process to leave the maple edge without colour, so it looks like timber binding. It’s a nice effect and can look good.

The finish was done in stages: tape up the top. Back, sides and neck. Re tape do the main top colour . Then the edge burst ( for those playing at home , a busrt is done from the outside towards the centre). When all is done then clear over, in this case satin.

Cream plastics and different tuners were added to complete the look and we decided to leave the pickguard off.

I have to say, Harry got it right with his choice and it does look so much better than the thousands of red LPJs out there.

Thanks Harry, this was a great project for me at Burtt Guitar Garage, a real challenge.

I believe this one has since sold , so I guess it passed muster! Edit: even better, he decided to keep it !

I’ll let the pics tell the story, enjoy !

15/08/2022

David’s Gibson SG restoration

Warning - many pics!

David brought in what was once a nice Gibson SG, that needed, well, everything. A previous owner had “refinished it” in a purple /red nitro that was shoddily applied, with a fire hose it seems, and far too thick. And it was on everything, hard to see on the headstock but the Gibson logo was tinted purple.

Worst of all, during this vandalism the serial number was sanded off! This greatly devalues this type of guitar, reducing it to player grade only.

So the plan was to restore it nicely, but to a budget, with playability in mind, no need to go all out on a more detailed restoration.

Apart from that the issues included:
Incorrect tail pice (Ibanez…)
Bridge posts and bridge didn’t match
The edges of the neck inlays were shrunken back - the celluloid plastic used can shrink and deform over time, and one was missing. It was impossible to match, so the inlays were all removed, the holes in the fretboard squared up again, and new inlay (gold mother of pearl - the real stuff ) inset.
Electronics had seen better days
Pickguard missing…

Guitar was stripped down, gutted of electronics and then the hard work began.

Guitar was stripped back to bare timber, refinished in satin polyurethane (non original for this guitar, but more durable), new electronics, new bridge and posts, new tailpiece, and as discovered, the pickguard had to be made from scratch due to the mini humbucker pickups having different spacing. The new inlays were set in after sorting the fretboard.

So here are the pics of the journey from ugly duckling to something far better looking, and a real players guitar.

Thanks David, for bringing in this SG to Burtt Guitar Garage. This one was a challenge, but I think we made a cool guitar.

Many pics and some descriptions in the comments of the pics

Address

Geelong, VIC
3220

Opening Hours

Monday	9am - 5pm
Tuesday	9am - 5pm
Wednesday	9am - 5pm
Thursday	9am - 5pm
Friday	9am - 5pm

Telephone

61409272462

Website

https://www.burttguitargarage.com/

Alerts

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

Shortcuts

Address
Telephone
Opening Hours
Alerts
Contact The Business
Claim ownership or report listing

Want your business to be the top-listed Autos & Automotive Service in Geelong?