Kenny’s Guitar Tech Tips #16
I followed the path to be a touring tech because it is “cool job” and I knew I couldn’t sit in an office or cubicle all day, dealing with paperwork. I mention this because I do a lot of record keeping as a guitar tech. It took me years to gain the discipline to start keeping track of all the work I was doing with instruments, but now I don’t do without. It may seem tedious to check neck relief, and action; to document the situation and the weather, but when you deal with the inconsistencies of road travel with instruments, you constantly have to compensate and try and remember what you did to that particular instrument the last time it was in that situation. So, I have a small spiral bound notepad, in my work box, that I use to write down the type of venue, the weather, then all the instrument info, like, the type, model, action height, relief, and any concerns I have when I bring the instrument out to check it over, that I can look back at. I then make any nessecariy adjustments and document what I did to make the instrument play like it did the previous show. Consistency is key.
Record keeping helps me remember what was done in past shows, and can help cover my butt if anything happens to the instrument between checks. It’s a security factor for me and an awesome tool to use on a day to day. I may run into situations where I get pressed for time and can’t record the work done that day, or even when nothing was done to the instruments. I know that whatever I do keep track of, will help me answer future questions and help me give the most consistence care to the instruments. So, in my opinion, the more info the better. It takes a little more time on the front end, but saves a lot more time on the back.
I recommend stopping by the dollar store, pick you up a notebook and start documenting the life of your instruments!
Related posts:
- Kenny’s Guitar Tech Tips and Tricks #7
- Kenny’s Guitar Tech Tips and Tricks #14
- Kenny’s Guitar Tech Tips and Tricks #9
- Kenny’s Guitar Tech Tips and Tricks #13
- Kenny’s Guitar Tech Tips and Tricks #8
