Watson Bailey Instrument Co. - Frequently Asked Questions.

How long does a Watson Bailey instrument take to make?
Depending on model and style, most instruments take between three and six weeks to progress from a few planks of wood, to a fully set-up, high quality musical instrument. The actual time between ordering and receiving, however, depends on the availability of stock and the back log of orders and is therefore estimated when each order is placed. Waiting times can vary from same day (for on-hand stock) to about 16 weeks for a scratch start during peak times.

What payment methods do Watson Bailey accept?
Cash, wire transfer and cheque are our only payment methods. Payment can be in any currency, with an equal monetary value to the Australian dollar price at time of purchase. Credit cards are not currently accepted.

What types of timber are used in the construction of Watson Bailey Instruments?
Australian grown, sustainable plantation woods are always preferred, however some recovered timbers are used from private bequests. Species vary with availability, even wood provided by the buyer can be used to personalise thier instrument.

Which method of timber drying is favoured by Watson Bailey, air or kiln dried?
The most debated topic in guitar building. Here's what we say at Watson Bailey: "It doesn't make a lick of difference how is was dried, only that it is dry." Enough said about the drying process, however we do keep our dry timber in a rack, where it can sometimes sit and continue to air-dry for years before being used.

What kind of truss-rod system do Watson Bailey use?
For many years, there have been three main categories of truss-rod design used in guitar manufacturing, 1: Non-adjustable stiffening rod (most classical guitars, and many budget manufacturers such as Danelectro), 2: Thaddeus McHugh adjustable curved rod (designed for Gibson, and used by most manufacturers since), and 3: Rickenbacker compression-tension bars (two of which two are used in each Rickenbacker neck, and are freely removable).

Watson Bailey use a set-up that combines the best of each design to produce, what we believe, is the best truss-rod system available. Our rods are removable and work on the same compression-tension concept of Rickenbacker rods, except our compression-rod is much thicker (to add the innate stability of a stiffening rod), and shaped with a bottom curve, which causes our tension-rod to bend in the manner of Thaddeus McHugh's original Gibson design.

Why don't Watson Bailey use two-way adjustable truss-rods?
Two-way adjustable truss-rods are only required to correct a reverse-bow neck, and this problem only occurs if the neck has not had a good truss-rod system in the first place. When adjusted correctly, Watson Bailey truss-rods will never cause a neck to reverse-bow , and so correction of a non-existent problem is not necessary.

What materials are Watson Bailey truss-rods made from?
Our tension rods have always been made from 304 grade stainless steel, but due to extensive experimentation and development, our compression rods have been made from brass, aerospace aluminium, stainless steel and carbon fibre.

How do I adjust a Watson Bailey truss-rod?
Watson Bailey truss-rods are adjusted at the body end of the neck with either a hex-wrench or Phillips screwdriver (depending on rod type). String tension must be lowered, and the neck physically held in the desired position as the rod is tightened. The truss-rod alone, should never be used to straighten a bowed neck (especially whilst under string tension), it is purposefully designed to simply hold and stabilise an already-straight neck. Loosening the truss-rod can be successfully performed without loosening the strings or holding the neck.

How long is a new Watson Bailey instrument guaranteed for?
All Watson Bailey instruments are guaranteed against faulty materials and workmanship for the life of the instrument or 1,000 years, (whichever comes first). This, however, does not include neck resets after 5 years, as these are a procedure required by all stringed instruments as they age, nor damage caused by a negligent owner.

Where can I purchase genuine Watson Bailey replacement parts and accessories?
Unfortunately, we are the only place in the world that stock our own genuine Watson Bailey parts because they are generally not used on any other instruments by any other manufacturers.

Can Watson Bailey repair fretted instruments made by other manufacturers?
Whilst we are happy to advise wherever we can, generally we do not have access to replacement parts from other manufacturers, and likewise our production methods differ from most to the extent that we are, in fact, not as proficient in repairing other brands as a local instrument repairer.

What other manufacturers do Watson Bailey respect and recommend?
Maton acoustic guitars, for excellent value in Australia, Taylor acoustic guitars for "butter like" playing and easy neck resets, and Rickenbacker for electric guitars that sound as full as an acoustic.

What are the most useful books for fretted instrument making?
Hiscock, Melvyn, "Make Your Own Electric Guitar". Trafalgar Square, 1998.
This is by far the best book about any sort of guitar building, as it gives you the information to create your own instrument, making design choices from various illustrated examples. Most other books we have found, only show how to make an exact replica of the discussed example, with no personal input

Benedetto, Robert, "Making An Archtop Guitar". Centerstream, 1996.
For any archtop instrument, this is the book that will be required in addition to the above title. Steam Bending, arch carving, bracing, bridge construction and binding are all detailed with clear photos & diagrams and straight forward text. Personal creativity is limited, but justified as being the realm of master guitar builders only.