What on earth did you do to my JP6? I mean, I always liked the way it sounded but it's.......well......bigger, tighter. It just sounds huge. And I'm not just talking about the new switching option. It just feels and plays amazing.

Phil

I would like to say a big thank you for the set up and fret dress work you did on my Martin D 28. I have just spent a weekend playing various sessions and gigs at a festival ( first chance to play publically since picking it up ) and:   1. The action is exactly right - the feel all the way up the neck is great without being too high or low, and yet there is no buzz even when playing hard (in a bar with no PA !) 2. The sound is astonishing. I've always loved the sound but somehow it is now clearer, more balanced and with a glorious warmth and depth on the mid and treble, and cleaner, less muddy bass. The tusk saddle and bridge pins worked a treat.   It's never sounded or played better. I'm totally delighted with the quality of your work, the empathy you have with guitars and the level of service.   so   THANK YOU    

John Keighley

Just to let you know I am delighted with the work you did on my Gibson 355 guitar, I have put it through its paces over these last 10 days since I got it back to check out your work and it is now a really well balanced guitar, I am thoroughly delighted.   Yes it has been all you said it would be after the Funky Nut was fitted and the fret trim done and thanks again also for you advice on the balancing arrangement for the strings.  

Regards     

George  

I tried the Tele through my little AAD amp this morning - it sounds absolutely great with all the controls set flat on the neck pickup and no effects - even better than through your Marshall! Single notes really "pop" out of the guitar the way we jazzers like and every chord voice is crystal clear.

I asked Phil to build me a T-style guitar for jazz playing based on a USA Custom Guitars body and neck. Phil was enthusiastic about the project from the start and came up with a lot of ideas and suggestions that wouldn't have occurred to me. I've played and/or owned a number of exceptional guitars from top makers over the years and the guitar Phil built for me is easily in the same league. It sounds great, the action is superb and thanks to Phil's Funky Nut the intonation is perfect all over the fretboard - I don't think I've played another guitar with such good intonation! I would highly recommend Phil to anyone looking for a guitar build or setup/repair work.

Bill

Hi Phil, Just a quick word of thanks for the mojo transplant on my SG. What a difference! How did you manage to remove those old frets and install those new fangled teflon ones? Lovely Job, thanks a million!

Regards

Steve Johnson (08 SG fret dress)

Just a note to thank you for yet another outstanding set up job, this time on the Larrivee.  Your attention to detail is, let's face it, bordering on the obsessive.....but that's why I wouldn't take my guitars to anyone else.  The K & K Pure Western pickup you fitted sounded terrific when I played it publicly for the first time yesterday (if only the same could be said for my playing!)

Thanks again, and I'll be in touch to arrange for you to put the new pickups in two of my other guitars.

Best wishes
Richard

It's a masterpiece!
The fret job has made a spectacular improvement to the playability. The range of sounds is incredible, the P90s sound so rich and fat and the humbucker is an absolute beast! The even harmonic growl makes it awesome for rock and metal. Just playing an open position chord and holding it is a joy, the way the notes develop and then decay is incredible, it's almost like using a delay/chorus effect!

Thank you so much Phil, this has been the best investment in any piece of musical equipment I have ever made. A unique guitar that fits my needs perfectly.
 
All the best Phil, thank you so much for the superb job!
 
Cheers,
 
David McMillan

Just like to say thank you for a fantastic job you have done on my guitar.
I've played for over 20 years and have had numerous technicians set up my
guitars and I've always been disappointed with the end results. I would
not hesitate to recommend your services to anyone who wanted any kind of
work doing to their guitars.

Phil is a very approachable, polite man who takes great pride in his work.

Keep up the good work Phil!

Paul (Wato)
South Shields.

Thank you for the excellent service and work carried out on my new Les Paul Studio - fret dress, delrin nut and set up.
You show a genuine interest in your work and listened to what I wanted during the consultation.
Your extensive knowledge and advice were invaluable.
The lowered 'buzz free' action, smooth frets and tuning stability are all instantly noticeable. The guitar is a pleasure to play.
My 'pride and joy' was returned spotlessly clean, polished and at a remarkably reasonable price.
I will not hesitate in recommending you to friends and other guitarists.

Thanks again
Mick Ginn

Just had a Warmoth guitar built by Phil. I wanted a Hank Marvin style guitar built with the specs I wanted.  WOW !! what a amazing job. Not only does the guitar look great, feel great, it plays and sounds like a dream. In my opinion it is better than a Fender Custom Shop. The attention to detail and craftmanship Phil bestows on your guitar is really first class. So much so I have left my other guitar with Phil to work his magic... Cheers Phil

Carl

Phil did a great custom job on my fretless bass, the sound and playabilty is second to none, thanks Phil,

Graham from Blackburn

Matthew loves the guitar, it has a nice strong sound to it on his amp.
I'll let you know when we record some more Videos on YouTube with it.

Thanks for all your hard work.

David, Debbie and Matthew.

 

I was just wanting to let you know that everything is going great on the guitars since you worked on them. The Funky Nut is an absolute blessing, especially since I play with a keyboard player all the time. I'm glad you are finally marketing it as such. The strat with the Funky Nut has been working hard up and down the country and is performing excellent and it is just about to go to Isreal for a month of solid playing 3 sets a night. All the best

Adam Cawthra.

Wow what a difference that made...it's like a new guitar!!!The new pick up sounds fantastic & the overall playability has improved ten-fold!!!!I had a good guitar(gibson SG Pete Townsend), but now I have a great guitar. Cheers Phil, I shall be back for the same treatment for my other baby's!!

GED

The Warmoth Guitar you built for me is great. I am very happy with it in every respect. The playability is great and all the pickup choices make the guitar very versatile and sound fantstic. Also choosing the multi radius neck was a very good choice and it simply feels great.

One word is all I need to say really - fantastic!

Johannes (Have a look at the guitar in the warmoth Gallery)

I used to think my Strat was OK.... it is now GREAT.
It now feels positive and plays well in all positions. But equally important,
it sounds musical and sweet in all positions too.

The standard of work is superb and I want to thank you for your great attention
to detail. Above all, this is the reason I will come back because it is so rare
to find these days - someone who actually cares and knows exactly how to
achieve the desired result!

In the future, if anyone asks me to recommend a guitar expert/repairer in
Warrington I will be telling them they need to go to Bolton..

Thanks and regards
Darrel Hardwick

Just a quick mail to say that I am very happy with the Buzz Feiten nut that
you fitted to my Strat. Last night was my first Feiten-equipped gig, and the
results were very pleasing. Not only did the guitar sound generally more in
tune with the rest of the mix than before (particularly around frets 1-5),
but it also *stayed in tune* beautifully. I only had to tune once near the
start of the night, despite some whammy bar use and liberal amounts of
string bending - a fine testament to your precision nut-cutting! I could
swear that the open strings ring out more clearly now too, perhaps a feature
of the bone nut? (aided by the slots being cut 'just so', of course).

The downside to all this (well, the financial downside) is that I'm now
playing the guitar more than ever, and that fret-dress time is going to come
round all the sooner... So I could well be back in touch with you in a few
months' time for a fret recrowning!

All the best,

Barry

Just a few words to say, Great Job.   Instead of ploughing a field with a spoon, is like creating a gentle breeze that carries a gentle hint on the strings of life.

Martin

  I just wanted to write a little note to thank you for the work you did on my guitar.   I played a gig with it last night and was absolutely chuffed to bits with the sounds I was getting.  Your advice and ideas were spot on, I love the way the single coils clean up but still have enough presence and balls behind them.  These are the sounds I've wanted for a long time and now they're easily acheivable.  I'm glad you suggested single coils now as opposed to stacked humbuckers, they were the right choice, and the coil tap just adds to the versatlity and opens the whole thing up. It played very nicely and the action, even though a bit lower than I usually have it, worked for me.   Thanks again, I will be recommending you.  

Dave Lodge

 

A couple of years back I was having major intonation problems with a side-serving of fret buzz. We’ve all been there and it’s a total damper on the joy of playing when all you hear is notes that are slightly discordant no matter how long you spend tuning your axe. I started searching for solutions to this problem after hearing about the legendary “Buzz Feiten” tuning system and this search led to Phil…

Now if you ever need to know anything about guitars, and especially issues regarding intonation, upgrades and mods Phil is your man. I’ve used several different guitar techs in my time and Phil offers the most reassurance, experience and attention to detail I’ve ever come across. It’s his personal mission to make your precious baby the best it can possibly be.

He’ll talk you through anything, actually listens to you and he’s damn polite as well. No grouchy opinionated guitar-tech attitude here!! Viva le Phil

Andy Craig

I've played guitar for over 30 years now but it wasn't until I purchased another guitar in 1991, that I realised just how good a guitar sounded after being properly set up and fret dressed. I had previously assumed that new guitars would be riff ready, especially when a substantial amount of money was changing hands!

I was surprised to realise that guitars are frequently released from the factory with poor set ups and with fret imperfections. Even Custom Shop models I've owned or seen have needed improvements to the setup and frets. This means that the true potential of the instrument is hidden and the tone impaired to some degree. This hidden potential can however be uncovered if the guitar is worked on by an expert.

When I first met Phil in 1991 he explained what a proper set up and fret dress involved and why guitars benefited from the process. The improvements in playability and tone brought about by Phil on my Les Paul were stunning.

Since 1991 I've discovered that guitars I've bought have been dramatically improved by Phil's expert work. I've entrusted Phil with my guitars for well over a decade now and he has performed many tasks and repairs on them. These have included fitting strap-locks, adjusting action and intonation, pick up and other hardware changes, fret dressing and polishes and more. The improvements in tone and playability have always far outweighed the cost of the work.

Phil has always done an excellent job and given prompt and courteous service. He has a wealth of experience and knowledge and has provided me with loads of honest advice over the years on guitar, amp and effect purchases as well as worthwhile improvements to my guitars.

I highly recommend Phil as a guitar expert and repairer and trust him implicitly with my very valued instruments.

Steve Green, Musician

 

Just a short note of appreciation for the painstaking and inspired work you undertook for me on both guitars (classical and archtop).

The transformation you made to the classical guitar is astonishing; you have turned a very difficult and challenging instrument into a gem – and an unlovely and unloved guitar into a cherished friend.

Many thanks and best wishes

Peter Baxendale

"Phil has been working on my guitars for years. He's done refrets, set ups, repairs etc. I know I can trust him to produce the highest level of quality craftsmanship and attention to detail possible. I highly recommend his services."

Johnny Heyes (Dennis Rollin's Badbone and co. / Pocket Central / Session guitarist)

Phil,

I've now had a chance to play my Les Paul Standard following the recent set up and fret dress that you gave it. As you know I have had the guitar from new having bought it about six months ago, and it played ok. However, it is now like a different guitar and I cannot believe the difference - you have transformed it from an off the shelf Standard to something that I believe would compare well against most custom shop items - having made the investment for a quality guitar, I would say to anyone that it is worth spending that bit more with you so that the instrument can reach it's true potential as mine has done. The same is true of your work on my USA vintage re-issue Strat.  In the seven years I have dealt with you and your service and attention to detail is second to none. I would recommend you to anyone who is serious about their guitars.

Gary Connor, Customer

A good setup makes any guitar play and sound better and, if you're anything like serious about your playing, well worth the money.

Setting up a guitar is easy - in theory. Practice is a different story. I gave up trying years ago and have learned that it's much easier and safer passing it on to someone who knows and cares.

Phil Hartley has a genuine love for and great knowledge of guitars and has passed impartial advice and worked on many of the guitars I have owned over the last 10 years and every one played better when it came home. I have never had need to go back and complain about his work or service. I will willingly let him loose on anything I own from my original '52 Tele or '53 Les Paul to my Custom Shop Strat or Martin D18VS. I admit to being nervous the first couple of times when he asked how I wanted the setup and I didn't know what to ask for but he confidently guided me through and soon knew my preferences without having to ask.

Another thing I soon learned about Phil - he won't sell you anything you don't need. I have no qualms about recommending his service. Go and talk to him. And listen.

Ron Bury, Guitarist

After numerous visits to HW Audio and several conversations with Phil, and with 25 years of guitar 'playing' behind me, I finally purchased the guitar of my long ago teenage dreams - a Gibson Les Paul Standard in heritage cherry sunburst. This was in 1994. The purchase included a basic set up by Phil - neck relief, nut and bridge adjustment, pickup height. I've never looked back! During the years previous I had attempted to adjust various guitars to my liking, usually only achieving mediocre or disastrous results.

About three years after the purchase, Phil fitted replacement pickups with push-pull volume knobs as coil taps. He admitted that he found the job somewhat tricky, but everything still works perfectly and I still gig the guitar regularly. I suppose the end result was part way towards the yet to be issued Jimmy Page signature model. Over the subsequent years, Phil has set up other guitars for me i.e a '94 USA Strat Plus Deluxe, a '94 USE Tele Standard, a 335 dot neck and a Norman acoustic. Each time Phil has exceeded my expectations.

On the strength of that work, I have without hesitation recommended Phil to numerous 'muso' pals here in West Cumbria. All those, of which their are many , who have taken the trouble to discuss their requirements with Phil, and have travelled to Bolton have been totally satisfied.

I am convinced that their are many players out there who don't really appreciate what a professional set up can do to a guitar's playability and sound - even some of those players who've been around the block a few times.

PS. Phil DID NOT pay me to write this! It's all true and genuine.

Nigel Wood, September 2005