Gerard's Review of the Wilkat Repair / Upgrade Service:

"I'd always wanted a Gibson ES-335 and of course always found them expensive. You hear about other guitar makers making very good guitars that utilize the semi-hollow approach of an ES-335, such as Ibanez John Scofield, or a Yamaha SA2200. So I settled on a Washburn HB-35. Very nice looking guitar, good solid construction, affordable. But something was missing. I just wasn't blowing anybody away, least of all me. Until I gave it to Bill Wilkat. He changed the pickups and machine heads for me, which most self respecting guitar techs could have done. What they would not have done, however is treat my guitar as if it were their own. Beautifully polished, frets re-dressed, nut re-glued, toggle switch replaced, volume and tone knobs replaced and on and on.

I can't say enough about how pleased I am with the work that Bill did for me. I am actually shopping for another guitar just to see what other magic he can do for me."

Please post this on my behalf as I mean every word. And I sure hope I have brought you some luck, because you have brought me some joy.

Thanks again Bill, and I hope to see you soon with a new project.

Gerard   e-mail Gerard at:  gbabda@sympatico.ca

Bill's Comments:

It always pleases me thoroughly when I can do some repair or upgrade work that will make owners rediscover and enjoy their instruments more than before. I do treat every instrument as if it were my own, and I was pleased that Gerard recognized this in the way I look after things. The best part is that I get to test out these babies afterwards, and that's rewarding in itself!
    I also enjoy establishing a relationship with my clients, and understand the need for owners to feel totally at ease when they leave me their instruments to work on. Also, if there is anything I don't feel will be an improvement, or a task that I'm not comfortable doing, I will advise people before proceeding. If you take your instrument to a music shop or an independent luthier, ask lots of questions, and try to get to know the luthier if possible. If you don't feel comfortable with the responses to your questions, or if anything else feels wrong, perhaps you have not found the right shop, and you might want to keep looking.

NOTE: Gibson, Ibanez, Yamaha, and Washburn, are registered trade names of the respective manufacturer's and are in no way affiliated with Wilkat Guitars.