Protecting An Autographed Guitar
Autographs on a guitar can disappear over time. Here's how we make sure they don't. I've got a baseball behind my workbench signed by 1970's Cubs outfielder Jose Cardinal (my favorite player as a kid.) I don't play ball with it because I know that autograph would...
Gibson Les Paul – Body Crack and Goldtop Refinish
This Les Paul looked very different when we were finished with it. This late 60's Les Paul Deluxe has had lots of work done to it over the years. Its original P90 or mini-humbucker pickups were removed and replaced with full size humbuckers, it has had mini toggle...
The Heat Is On; Time To Humidify Your Guitar!
Here's a reprint of last-year's guide to humidifying your acoustic guitar. 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...
Featured Guitar – Vintage 1960’s Epiphone Casino
Hang on...something doesn't look right here. A neighbor of mine brought us this 1960's Epiphone Casino that he was thinking about selling. But he was rightfully concerned that a few obvious alterations would make it hard to sell at its full value. The first concern is...
Vintage Guild Jetstar Bass – Refin and Restoration
This online auction purchase made a layover at CFW for a body refin, before heading to its new home in France. The buyer lives in France and the seller lives in Chicago. So before it shipped, the new owner of this vintage Guild Jetstar Bass asked that it be brought...
The Guitar Recycling Project
Have you got a guitar, bass or piece of equipment you don't use anymore? Join us in supporting Chicago's Intonation Music Workshop by donating it through our shop. We'll fix it up nice and pass it on to some kids who will put it to good use! You'll find a new page on...
Vintage Martin Neck Reset & Refret
This well-worn 1957 Martin 000-18 has definitely earned some 'spa treatment' - a neck reset, refret, and side crack repairs. Guitars are meant to be played and enjoyed, so it always makes us smile to see one that has clearly been doing just that. This 1957 Martin...
Refret on a Vintage Kel Kroydon Acoustic
Kel Kroydon guitars were no-frills, economical instruments made by Gibson during the Great Depression. This is a good example of how we re-fret a guitar. When this Kel Kroydon arrived in our shop, it was suffering from a case of excessive relief, or "front-bow" where...
Featured Guitar – A Washburn Falcon Comes Home
After more than 25 years, a favorite old friend comes home with a little help from Facebook! We have a love/hate relationship with Facebook around Chicago Fret Works. But one of the great things about the site is how it helps old friends reconnect. In this case, the...
Vintage Epiphone Devon Archtop Restoration
A great reason to check out estate and garage sales. You never know when you'll find a 1950's Epiphone Devon archtop for a song! Here's a project with humble beginnings that grew into a full vintage restoration. The owner picked up this very old Epiphone Devon at an...