What do you use as a holder/cradle/stand for changing strings/setups?

BrianSlatter

I want to learn how to setup and maintain my guitars and create a little workspace to do this. What do some of you use or do in order to do things like changing of strings and making adjustments on your guitar?

I see there are things like a Dunlop guitar neck cradle for R335 and Fender has a workstation they sell. They both seem pretty expensive for the simple things they are.

There are also simple DIY ones you can make that I have seen online like this one:

If I build one myself are there certain specs or measurements that they have to be in order for them to work properly or does it just have to hold the neck up and that's it?

V8

BrianSlatter wrote: There are also simple DIY ones you can make that I have seen online like this one:

If I build one myself are there certain specs or measurements that they have to be in order for them to work properly or does it just have to hold the neck up and that's it?

That'll work, though I don't have a '59 neck spare, - 63 yes ?.

Dunno about other peeps, but I don't use anything particularly special - either a old guitar hanger or a piece of sponge to support the neck and another chunk of sponge to rest the guitar body on.

ezietsman

My lap. But then again, I also built 3 amps with only a Leatherman, wirecutters and a 30 watt soldering iron, in the space between the edge of my desk and my keyboard :O

Attila

Use one of these sandbag/beanbag dead rests that is used for shooting or camerar work costs about R60-80 from Safari and Outdoor

Some of them have U-form where that barrel would normally lay in, which comfortably holds an cushions around a guitar neck. the fabric in that area is soft leather suede

example of what I am talking about comes in various sizes...

studmissile

Attila Barath wrote: Use one of these sandbag/beanbag dead rests that is used for shooting or camerar work costs about R60-80 from Safari and Outdoor

Some of them have U-form where that barrel would normally lay in, which comfortably holds an cushions around a guitar neck. the fabric in that area is soft leather suede

example of what I am talking about comes in various sizes...

Useful!

BrianSlatter

Thanks for the replies

That sandbag/beanbag does look useful.
I saw now that some people say you should not use a rest or cradle at all when doing work on the neck such as intonation because of the tension that gravity creates on the neck and that you should work on the guitar in the same position you would play it.

It seems like there are so many different opinions and debates on what the right thing to do is when it comes to guitar setups ???

Attila

Opinions are like bottholes. Everyone has one ?.

Use a bit of logic when working on yer guit. For example think about it ... the forces inflicted on the neck are by the strings not much by gravity. Strings inflicts a predominantly compressive and forward force and gravity is comparitvely insignificant

On any kind of neck work such as leveling for eg. You want an absolutely straight neck which means you need a large area supporting the neck so the downward work force of the leveling file does not bend/bow the neck backwards, you can see that this will defeat the purpose of leveling . as you say Intonation setup you will need the neck in a natural string tensioned playable state no external pressures .

There are a few threads on the forum dealing with this..... take it easy