Printable Guitar Inspection Checklist

Printed from The BadMonkey Workshop, badmonkeymusic.com/workshop/

This checklist is meant to be printed or used as a quick walk-through before a repair appointment, used-guitar purchase, string change or seasonal checkup.

Basic information

• Brand and model.
• Serial number if needed.
• Current tuning.
• String gauge and brand if known.
• Main complaint or symptom.

Neck and frets

• Check for sharp fret ends.
• Look for visible fret wear or grooves.
• Play every fret on every string.
• Listen for dead notes or choking bends.
• Check whether the neck relief looks extreme.

Nut and tuning

• Listen for pinging while tuning.
• Check whether first-position chords play sharp.
• Look for cracked or broken nut material.
• Check tuning stability after bends.

Bridge and hardware

• Check saddle screws and bridge hardware.
• Look for lifting acoustic bridges.
• Check tremolo movement and return to pitch.
• Check strap buttons and tuner hardware.

Electronics

• Test every pickup position.
• Rotate volume and tone controls.
• Move the cable gently at the output jack.
• Listen for hum, crackle or dropouts.

Photos to send the bench

Send full front and back photos, closeups of the bridge, nut, frets, damage, electronics issue, serial/model area and anything that moved or cracked.