Lucky Dog Guitars

01/14/2025

My eyes are crossing… time to hit the hay. Stain, violet burst and 1st sealer coat on. By tomorrow evening it should be lookin’ pretty slick.

01/14/2025

Slicker than 10W40 on a H***y tonk dance floor

01/13/2025

ANDROID USERS. I need a couple folks willing to help test the Android phone app so we can make sure it is working properly. Direct link to app at Google play store >> https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.connectifydirect.lucky_dog

01/13/2025

Today we discuss the topic of string/fret buzzing and it's many many causes.

Although I rarely take on repair work, occasionally I'll get a call from a local person/friend needing a setup on their guitar or saying they are getting "fret buzz".

Many times upon inspection we will find the problem to be one of two issues. 1. Uneven or improper string heights at the bridge. 2. Improper neck relief where the neck is set too flat thus resulting in fret buzz.

Sometimes the issue can be high or low frets that produce problems only in certain areas of the neck. All of which can be addressed with the right experience and tools.

But I feel it is very important to bring up something I have seen more times than I can count that is resulting in what people refer to as "fret buzz".

Brace yourself for some possible hurt feelings..... are you ready?.... Your personal bad picking hand technique. (or a playing technique that is not conducive for use with the setup your guitar has).

I can't tell you how many times someone has sat down in front of me to demonstrate the fret buzz they are struggling with... And yes, I completely hear it as they are showing me.

Then I watch as a look of bewilderment comes upon their eyes when they hand the guitar over to me and I play up and down and all over the neck with little to zero fret buzz that they were experiencing and they are utterly confused when I tell them there is no issue with their guitar. And they clearly saw/heard the guitar go from bad to no-problem with just a change of player.

I will separate these players into two categories. Tater diggers and field plowers.

The "tater digger" uses his pick like a garden hoe. Digging almost underneath the string like he's trying to dig a potato out of the ground.. putting enough pressure on the string that it finally gives way and literally flops and buzzes off the top of the frets after being pushed so hard with the pick. When picking a string if you took a slow motion video you would see a wave-like motion as the string resonates. That wave like motion has high and low humps. It's the bottom of the low-hump that often resonates or buzzes off of the surface of the fret. If the action is too low in relation to how hard the string is plucked... the low swoop of the string resonating may "sizzle" on the fret surface or if picked with badly enough technique it may nearly fret out.

Then you have the "Field Plower"... This is the guy that drags his pick across all of his strings like a field plow, using way more pressure than required (often in conjunction with bad pick angle too).. as the string bounces back up into it's natural position you get a much bigger "floppy" wave of the string than you should. Again, often resulting in the string bouncing off the surface of the fretboard and causing buzzing/unpleasant tone.

So what is the resolution for the tater-digger and the field plower?

1. Fix your picking technique. Learn to hold your pick at the proper angle and strike the string in a smoother manner where it glides across the string rather than reaching out and grabbing the string and essentially pulling it out of its lane. As you grow in your technique and perfect it, you will learn how "dig in" for more aggressive playing without causing buzzing issues.

2. Raise your action to accommodate your bad picking technique. There is no two ways about it... if you have truly bad picking technique or if you tend to be a more aggressive, hard picker/strummer... Then about the only way to avoid fret buzz is raising your action to the point that the low-swoop of the string resonating doesnt reach the surface of your frets AND/OR a combination of heavier gauge strings which have higher tension and dont have as profound of a wave when striking the string. (Although this may require having your trussrod adjusted to compensate for the increased tension on the neck).

What is even worse though... If you are a tater digger or a field plower AND you have a poorly setup guitar and/or fret problems... Then the issues of your technique will be even further amplified.

My advice is get a guitar that is properly setup for your playing style then work hard on your picking hand technique and you will become a much better player.

If you are primarily a rhythm player that does mostly strumming, you may benefit from a little higher action. If you're looking to be a fast shredder... hone in that picking technique even more and probably lean towards a lower action setup.

Each player has to find what string action level works for them... But you have to work out that picking technique or you will never reach your highest capabilities and you may blame your guitar when it is not to blame... I am still working on it 35 years later. (I am placing a recommended video in the comments although there are MANY great ones on youtube that will help you)

01/12/2025

I don’t talk about this much but still something that I am incredibly proud of as I grew up listening to these guys. Just a real neat opportunity and so thankful to my good friend Robert who made the introduction.

01/12/2025

I wish that was just sawdust making my beard turn white! 😆. I was a young man when I 1st got into this guitar stuff. Came into the shop today and it’s super quiet in here. I miss my guys when they aren’t in here too. Getting some of last weeks sales setup and ready for shipping and painting some upcoming builds. Hope you all are having a good Sunday! -Anthony.

01/12/2025

Love waking up to posts like this! Makes all the work worth it

01/10/2025

We ended up with about 4-5 inches at Lucky Dog holler. It’s been a fun day. I went over and invited the neighborhood kids over to sled our hills and used my truck to pull them on the sled all around the property. It was a good day.

01/10/2025

3 brand new Lucky Dog customers who took a chance on us and randomly sent me some reviews this morning. Thank you all so much!

From Steven Niemoeller “Man, it’s 3:30am, and I’m having to make myself go to bed. I’ll schedule this text so I don’t disturb you, but I didn’t want to wait to share. I made myself wait until midnight to open the box, and I honestly haven’t set it down since!
In a word - she’s perfect. The tone is unbelievable. I don’t know what magic you put in that tone pot, but it’s got more mojo than I know what to do with! Each pickup shines on its own, but there’s something magic in that middle position.
And the build: hands down, the nicest guitar I’ve ever laid hands on. The finish is superb, it makes the woods jump out and grab you. The frets are the prettiest I’ve ever seen dressed, and I’ll never figure out how you can nail a setup in Tennessee, in the dead of winter, and it comes out of the box two days later in Indiana dead right. God bless!”

01/10/2025

01/10/2025

I need y’all’s help coming up with a good nickname for this one. I usually do good but I’m drawing a blank on this one.

01/10/2025

**SOLD***
Somebody needs to saddle up!

01/09/2025

Please take time to send up some prayers for the families in California tonight. This is what it is looking like there right now and I know we have a lot of Lucky Dog folks out there. Don't forget them tonight as you lay your head down. -Anthony

01/09/2025

***SOLD***
This could be a man’s best friend…. The Golden Retriever. Specs in comments.

01/07/2025

(Sold - Pending Payment)

Apologies. I didn’t get to send an email out on this one.

Wella’ Blessa’ My Soul Whatsa’ Wrong with me?….. I’ll tell ya what’s wrong with this guitar… Nuthin! It’s fit for a king. Killer gold bassboat sparkle.. sparkle guard.. sparkle control plate.. Nuts, museum grade flamed neck and 50’s wind Lucky Dog pickups that’ll take you right back to Sun records when it all started. $4700 with high end case.

01/06/2025

We’ve all heard slide guitar players… but have you heard someone simulate slide-guitar with a Floyd rose? The great Michael Lee Firkins back in 1990

01/06/2025

It’s gotta be a Lucky Dog…. Handcrafted in the hills of eastern
Tennessee