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50-Point Guitar Inspection

50-Point Guitar Inspection

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When you buy a guitar from RFGE, you can rest assured that we will deliver your new axe in its absolute best playing condition. Our in-house repair shop, headed by renowned luthier Zach Westphal, has a well-earned reputation for offering the highest quality instrument repair in the Greater Baltimore Area. To learn more about Zach and our repair shop, click here.

Ready to Rock, Right Out of The Box

Every single guitar we ship, be it brand new, used, or vintage, takes a trip through our acclaimed repair shop and into the gifted hands of Zach. Once on the bench, it goes through our rigorous process to ensure that it's in the absolute best playing condition and ready-to-play upon its arrival to you. Our proprietary 50-Point Inspection covers every aspect of the instrument, from top to bottom. And if it doesn't meet our standards, it won't be put up for sale.

For electronic gear such as amplifiers and effects, we perform a front to back inspection to make sure that the item is in good working order. We check things like jacks, knobs, switches, faders, and tubes. Additionally, we disassemble used amplifiers to clean the components. You will never need to visit a repair shop when you order gear from us.

Here are a few examples of the things we check...

Play Test

  • Restring if necessary
  • Stretch strings to ensure tuning stability
  • Play open strings and check for buzz at nut
  • Check string action height and adjust as needed
  • Check intonation with strobe tuner and adjust as needed
  • Play all notes on the fretboard and check for buzz
  • Play a range of bends to check for stable tuning
  • Play variety of chords and styles

Electronics

  • Check for smooth and noiseless operation of pots and switches
  • Test all applicable electronic functions
  • Lubricate potentiometers
  • Test any specialized switching
  • Fresh battery (if applicable)

Hardware

  • Check for smooth and noiseless operation of vibrato
  • Check tightness of output jack nut
  • Check strap buttons
  • Check tuning machines for proper operation and tension
  • Perform shake and vibration test

Fit and Finish

  • Check headstock
  • Check tuning machines
  • Check neck
  • Check fingerboard, including inlays
  • Check neck joint
  • Check body back and sides, including any back plates
  • Check body front, including pickguard

Final Check

  • Perform final tuning
  • Polish all surfaces
  • Check to make sure all applicable items are included