If you have an all solid wood guitar, or even a guitar with just a solid top, you should humidify. The rule of thumb is: if the heat is on, humidify the guitar. An Oasis, Dampit or Planet Waves soundhole humidifier will do the trick. Leave the guitar in the case with the humidifier in the soundhole. Don't cover the soundhole, that fretboard needs moisture also. Listen to your guitar; if all of a sudden you are getting buzzing and rattling, the top is sinking because it's dry, the strings are closer to the fretboard causing that buzzing. Your guitar is saying, "I'm dry, how about some moisture please"!! If you have a question, call or email.
Do you take trades on consignment guitars?
I wish we could, but in all honesty, customers who consign guitars to us really don't want a trade, they want cold, hard cash.
Which way do I turn the truss rod to adjust the action on my guitar?
Actually, the truss rod is not used to adjust action. It is used to keep the neck straight. To adjust the action, the saddle is either raised with a shim or lowered by carefully sanding the bottom. If you purchase a guitar from us, we will adjust the action and the neck forever, for free!!
OK, I'm sighting down the neck, how do I know if it's straight?
To check if your neck is straight, fret the low E string at the 14th fret and at the same time fret at the 1st fret(you can also capo at the 1st fret); at the 6th fret there should be a distance of a business card between the string and the fret. If the string touches the fret, there is too much back bow and the truss rod needs to be loosened(counter clockwise). If the string is higher off the fret there is too much forward bow and the truss rod needs to be tightened(Clockwise).
Do hand crafted guitars need more attention than production guitars?
Any solid topped or all solid wood guitar needs to be humidified or de-humidified. They all should be kept clean and given the care they deserve.
Do you take credit cards and offer an approval period?
We take all major credit cards. We offer 48 hour approval on all shipped guitars.
What is my trade worth?
On handcrafted guitars, a lot depends on the model, woods and condition. On production guitars, the rule of thumb is that when used it will sell for about half of it's original list price. Thus, a used Martin or Taylor as example. that had an original list price of $3,000 will sell used for about $1500-$1600 so it's trade value comes in at $1200-$1300 depending on condition.
What kind of wood is the best for my guitar?
Wow, that is really a tough one. In production guitars it is kind of cut and dry: Rosewood is bassy, Mahogany is sweet and bright, Maple is trebly. Woods of the same coloration have similar response. But in hand crafted guitars you have to throw out the norms. A hand crafted Maple guitar can have a deep bass, a Rosewood instrument can have bright trebles. The reason: small builders spend a lot of time tuning the tops of their guitars, usually each piece of the guitar is chosen at the beginning of the build to blend with all the other pieces , the result is an instrument that delivers the most from all the pieces as one finished product.
So, is Adirondack the best top, or what about Redwood, or is it Cedar or German Spruce.? Again it depends on the builder and what he or she does with that wood. But rest assured, whatever the wood, a good builder will get the most out of it.
How do I choose a builder?
This has to be one of the toughest questions. Let's start by being honest, money has a lot to do with it. Decide first what your budget allows you to spend and then find a builder who gives you the most for your buck. Then decide if you need options like a cutaway or electronics or fancy inlay. Electronics can always be added later but not that cutaway....even inlays can be added later.
Do your research, read as much as you can about the prospective builder. Take reviews about sound and playability with a grain of salt, these are all personal feelings which may not be the same as yours. Take reviews about construction, fit and finish and the builders response to problems and questions as important, because these are the things that count.
The search for a good hancrafted guitar is half the fun. Enjoy!!
Am I obligated to keep a guitar I special order?
In all our years of doing business, no one, I repeat, no one has ever refused a special order guitar because they have not been satisfied with it. You make a commitment to Cathedral Music and we make a commitment to the builder. A special order guitar however can be traded in for any in stock instrument we have in our inventory and you will receive in trade what you paid for the instrument. We offer this one time trade up on all of our hand crafted instruments.
Where is Troy, NY?
Geographically, we are at the eastern end of the state, 150 miles north of New York City, 150 miles south of Montreal and about 30 miles west of Vermont and Massachusetts. Troy is a lovely old city with a walkable downtown and easy access to the Hudson River. If you come to visit, you will enjoy Troy!
