Fretted Instrument Repair Services

Have a Repair Question?

Click Our Blue TEXT US Button

In Bottom Left Corner

Words from Carl:

My name is CARL JOHNSON and I have been around the King Music family for a pretty long time. I'd give Dave a hand when a customer would ask for a particularly involved wiring scheme, like a Jimmy Page LP conversion or rewiring a Lucille. We often hung out in the repair room laughing and telling jokes. I came in full time when we lost Dave and now, I have the best job in the world for the worst reason, my friend and mentor is gone.

I picked up a bass when I was 14 and always played it like a guitar. Eventually I migrated over to the guitar and early on my grandfather got me interested in working on them. He would write to Fender, and they would send us wiring diagrams (this was well before internet) I watched him set his own guitars up and being mechanically inclined I began to adjust my guitars to get the best feel and play ability out of them. My first instrument was a Fender Mustang bass, and my first electric guitar was a Teisco body and neck with a pick guard I made with a DiMarzio pickup I installed. A real rat.

Almost 50 years later, everything I know about guitars I learned from trial and error on my own guitars and by scouring every article I could get my hands on, magazines early on and now with the internet, much of the information is at our fingertips. But you have to know what to do with it. You have to have care in execution, pride in and a love for your work. I also continue to expand my knowledge. I'm a silver certified guitar technician by Fender. I've been in communication with another manufacturer about certifying with them and I have taken some additional luthier classes on re-fretting this summer. I have a two-year degree in Industrial Electrical and I'm a Journeyman Carpenter. It's always been wires and wood, sounds like a guitar to me...

Along with guitar and other stringed instrument setups, I know many custom wiring and pickup switching schemes. I love hot-rodding guitars and I've got return customers who value my ideas and my integrity. I won't devalue your heirloom. But I can upgrade your instrument. Re-voicing your guitar with a pickup swap, phase switching, custom switching or simple coil taps are all available. I can do tuner or other hardware upgrades as well.

I'm also a self-styled artist in many types of media. Steampunk guitars are a favorite of mine and I've done quite a few. You want a burnt Strat? I can do that, but I'm also quite capable of subtlety. Often a pick guard swap is all an instrument needs to be personalized. I've de-glossed guitars with a simple rub down. I won't repaint or refinish your guitar, there's plenty of painters out there. But I can help you re-imagine your axe into a piece of artwork you can enjoy playing for years to come.