Guitar Workbenches

[Spook410]

So, do you work on guitars at home? Got a picture of your workbench?

Here's mine..

[jasonc]

Here's my repair/setup bench.

[Jehu]

Wow, you guys are tidy!

Here is the world's smallest workshop, but hopefully only for a few more months as we're building a new house. (We'll see how my plans jive with my wife's!)



Update: A few shelves have been added for more efficient use of space, thought it doesn't look that efficient!

[cosmic gumbo]

My workbench is under there somewhere...

[mr quick]

I'm ashamed to admit that I do not have one, as of now. I do my things on the dinner table

[mr quick]

I'm sorry to double-post, but it's better that this thread reach the front page again!

We're moving a bunch of stuff in our house, which frees up a very small space in the hallway for me - The room will be sufficient for a work bench but I'm not sure that's the way to go - Do I really need a work bench? I don't usually do wood work but I do a lot of setups (for friends too) and enjoy doing so.

Hmm.. It's either that, or it's going to be a storage area.

[JazzyJim]

You don't *need* a workbench, but it's easier. I have one which folds down so I can store it elsewhere if I'm not using it. Cheap ones are fine for me, I just tape a wash towel to the surface to prevent scratching the guitar. When the weather is better, I use the workbench in my shed. I bought a cheap padded headstock rest from Amazon, drilled a hole through my bench, and a hole into the base of the rest, put a threaded steel insert into the rest, and I just pop a bolt through the bench and screw it into the insert on the base of the rest when I need it. When I'm done, I just unscrew the rest and I have the full bench to work with for non-guitar projects. I'm a total hack guitar tech, but I enjoy tinkering.

[jazzbow]

Clean finishing table plus prospective renovation.


Woodworking bench with vice


Messy finishing table with wide strat neck



This was my set up when I was in Scotland but I have moved and I'm in the process of sorting out my new set up.

[drbhrb]

My work bench is at my tech's store

[JazzyJim]

Is that a shaving brush, Jazzbow?

[Spook410]

- Do I really need a work bench?

Yes. Maybe you won't work on guitars all that much but where are you going to fix the toaster when it breaks? Where will you take apart your fly reels when they need lubrication? What happens when the middle wheel on your mouse sticks?

Workbenches and the tools that go with them are about craft and self autonomy. They represent your self reliance. A workbench is a place to think and sip coffee as you sort the internals of some electronic bit you only vaguely understand. Yea.. it'll never work again especially after you take it apart but that's not the point. It's about independence. (background music swells..) It's about motivation and the satisfaction of getting something done. It's a place where you can be yourself and indulge your inner engineer without a corporation looking over your shoulder with schedules and budgets looming. It is a place you set up yourself, choose tools for yourself, and iterate on as your needs and insights evolve. A workbench says a lot about you and things to come. (crescendo..) Somewhere, somehow, through workbenches we know ourselves and the world around us. Yes Marwin of Norway.. you need one. We all do.

[JazzyJim]

Spook, I'm going to carve those words into a nice piece of timber and hang it up on my shed wall.

[Deng]

Lol...

.

[Jehu]

Is that a shaving brush, Jazzbow?

Just because your chisels are razor sharp doesn't mean you should actually shave with them, JB!

[s1track3d]

Lol...

.

Fish tank tubing, the secret to hollow/semi hollow work!

[s1track3d]

Peavey Studio Pro and Lap (yes, you can feel hot solder through denim…)

[Spook410]

Peavey Studio Pro and Lap (yes, you can feel hot solder through denim…)

Umm.. soldering on your lap with bare feet? Are you sure that setup is OSHA approved?

[cc_mac]

I've been doing setups and "non-woodworking" repair work on guitars for about 5 years. The operation has moved around the house a few times since I started. Each time I've had a dedicated "workbench" which really amounted to a spare table of some sort. What has developed over the years is less of specific space and more organization of tools and materials. Nut files, saw, nuts blanks, bridges etc in one container - cleaning an chemicals in a dedicated bin - solder, tape, wire, shrink VOM etc in a small tackle box - screwdrivers, hex keys, small wrenches in a dedicated container - and then a open bin that I keep all of the most used setup tools together such as fret rocker, feeler gauges, sting heigh measurement tool from Stewmac etc. I also have an Atlas neck stand, a pad to put the instrument body on, and hinged arm lamp with magnifier glass built in. If needed I can pack most of the smaller containers into a larger one and take everything to a remote location to do some work for someone. Most of the time I simply work at home, take out the containers I need for a job and work at what would loosely be referred to as our dining room table.

As mentioned, this setup evolved over time and is what works now. I do like the idea a having a real workbench that would have
a) standing height work surface
b) built in storage drawers and a pegboard/shelf above it
c) excellent dedicated lighting
d) a very solid structure that wouldn't move and rack if heavy filing etc is done
e) has a dedicated bench vice (related back to "d" above) which I seem to need the most and have the least.

[jazzbow]

Peavey Studio Pro and Lap (yes, you can feel hot solder through denim…)

You should use scissors for a pedicure and not a soldering iron!

[jazzbow]

Is that a shaving brush, Jazzbow?

Yep, it has retired to the tool box as I've had it for the last 35 years.

It's great for removing dust from between strings and body.

[jazzbow]

Just because your chisels are razor sharp doesn't mean you should actually shave with them, JB!

What, like this???

I have workshop accidents but thankfully nothing like these!

[mr quick]

I made a very improvised work bench (if it can even be called that)


Here it is in action, doing a setup for a guy who just bought a 339:



It is incredibly crude but does the job well. My neck rest is an upside down razor packaging thing taped down. Ah well, if it looks stupid but works, it ain't stupid I guess.

[Spook410]

Good lighting.. neck stand.. tools and materials at hand..all the stuff you need. I think it's awesome.

[balthazar]

Hi,

A carpenter's bench, a blanket, a good lighting, a guitar neck rest made from a chestnut tree post and a piece of cork, some tools...

[Spook410]

Ahh.. going for a neck reset I see.