"Buy Nothing Day" equals...

...turkey sandwich for lunch. Yummmmmmm.

knowledge base

The PLEK device is a spectacularly accurate machine for smoothing and shaping frets on a guitar. Whether electric or acoustic, six-string, twelve-string or a bass guitar of four, five or more strings, this Northern European invention (straight outta Berlin!) sharply reduces the amount of time required to bring a guitar up to its all around best possible playability with a greater accuracy possible than even the most experienced technician can approach. Like any tool, it's usefulness is explicitly defined by the user. Here Gary(R), an early adopter with around three thousand guitars successfully completed using our in-house PLEK machine, explains the process to Trevor, who is learning to do the work himself. Knowledge is at its most powerful and useful when shared.

Contact us: brawer [at] brawer [dot] com for more information.

Further reading (in amusingly translated English) can be found at: www.plek.com

levity schmevity

pressure too much? worries too overpowering? attachment too desperate? sing along with us...

The Strat that weighed the least.

The owner purchased a Mark Knopfler Strat, new, online and felt that the instrument was not as advertised. Namely, the weight of the guitar did not match up to the advertising claim of "lightweight" playing. He returned the instrument, through the online retailer, and the replacement instrument he received felt still too heavy. He then contacted Fender who contacted us (since we are a warranty station for their guitars) and requested whether we would provide excellent service by facilitating the return and delivery of a third Mark Knopfler Stratocaster. Fender would ensure the satisfaction of this particular customer by going though their entire stock of these instruments at the warehouse, weighing each individual guitar and shipping directly to us for him, the Strat that weighed the least. See how helpful Fender can be? All is forgiven (almost).

Does Ed Roman do this on purpose?

Plotting from his Seekret Lair deep in the desert of the American West, does Ed Roman, in his nefarious wisdom, organize the Byzantine logistics required to have the proud owners of his instruments show up at our shop at the exact same moment? Is it espionage? Favored Nation Trading Status? Is he just trying to keep us on our toes? (Tony [L] and Ron compare their Roman guitars upon showing up simultaneously Saturday at the shop)

start the day right

Sometimes the best defense is a good offense...the morning playlist, nice and loud.

are we smart?

Maybe. But we certainly know the truth when we see it.

occupational hazard

These things happen. You wouldn't want your music to be completely and monochromatically saccharine either.

"I love it!"

Intones our customer John Rongley as he checks out his Dean five string bass after having us reinstall the bridge, mill the frets using our PLEK machine and have a graphite nut installed. His demonic demeanor notwithstanding, John is a happy person with a smile for all.

here kitty kitty....

nice kitty....you hold down the fort, okay? we'll be back soon...there's plenty of food and water in the kitchen...we'll see you soon....goooooood kitty!

Celebrate!!!

The election is over and one of our customers shows his appreciation of us, the election results and the state of the Human Condition in general by hooking us up with some of his own brew.

Weather: cool and partly cloudy.
Listening to: Stravinsky's "La Sacre du Printemps" (Valery Gergiev with the Kirov Orchestra)

Halloween around the shop and home

It's Halloween and we are up to all that wacky Halloween hijinks.

The night before Halloween I had to come up with a cool guitar for my 9 year old son Harlan.
His costume is Zora, the guitar playing fish thing from the video game Zelda that plays
a guitar made of fish bones and claws n'stuff . Zora plays in a band
the Indago-go's. I found a photo of a Jackson guitar that had the same Idea we were trying to build.
I blew up some photos sections on photo paper, cut it out, glued it on foam core and cut that out.
On one side is a mini Fender amp, on the fingerboard is an ipod that has the songs from Zelda on it.
It was a big hit!!!!!

We just refinished a customers Les Paul, Cal Trans Orange. Tim happened to wear his fathers
actual flight combat suit that had a perfect match. This is helped out by our fellow acoustic guitar repair pal Mark
from Seattle juiceing up Tim with an orange recharge...

Some friends came by for a costume photo op.
Our Trev "Springstein" and Lt. T. Frick. pose with Yoshi "Jet Boy" and friend.
Oh yeah, hippy boss there in the back.