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First, I apologize if this is too obvious, but… many of us do an evaluation of a guitar on several levels: its size and form factor, its appearance, its feel and action, and lastly, its sound. I had finished up this build last August:


(It’s in the Blog section)

I was happy that it was finished because there had been so many issues to conquer, but deep down, I wasn’t really happy with the guitar. So during the last couple of weeks and with the benefit of a few months to think about it, I went back in.

• The neck felt chunky and rough: I used a wax pencil to outline the problem areas and got out the rasp, sandpaper and tru-oil (which as a finish was very easy to repair). I rolled the edges of the fretboard just a bit.
• The fretboard needed further leveling
• The nut needed a little more slot filing
• The saddle needed some more rounding
• And of course, the finish always needs a touch more here and a polish there. (Note: You really need a good set of magnifiers in your shop.)

Each tweak improved the feel, the action and the sound. Right now, there is one last fret that needs to be ‘kissed’ - there is a barely noticeable buzz, but of course I noticed it.

You can’t beat experience and a fresh set of eyes. So glad I went back into this. It’s funny, I never put the label on last August. Now, I feel I can.

It seems as though I never get the nut and saddle just right the first time around.

I seem to struggle with the neck and heel being on the chunky side where they could probably be taken down some, although I don't think any "owners" have ever complained about it.

Also try as I may to find and take care of all the little gaps between especially the binding and body I always seem to have them show up later at least once a few coats of finish are on. They're sure easier to fix BEFORE any finish us down.

My experience has been to never accept a job as completed until I inspect it after a night's sleep. I can't count the number of times that I've unconsciously rushed a task until I look at it after being away from it overnight.

the more skilled you get the more wrong you find. Its the little details that can drive you nuts. A not perfect mitre and not perfect finish. It is the small details

I definitely tweak a setup several times, sneaking up on nut slot depth & saddle height.
Sleeping on it is definitely a good idea.

I have taken a chunky neck down as well.

Many of the “not perfect” visuals (like the missed miter and the veneer patch) were disguised with some acrylic paint and a fine brush. This has worked so well, that I have to do a double take to find all of the ‘clams.’

I forgot where I saw it, but I picked up a good piece of advice re: building and mistakes.

Strongly resist pointing out said mistakes, which seem glaring and obvious to you, to others when showing them your guitar.

👍

remember that you are often your own worse critic