About Richard Beck
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Richard Beck's experience with having owned/collected dozens of the worlds rarest guitars gives him that extra edge in repairing, assessing and appraising your guitar. Known as Arizona's only professional Luthier/Repairman/Inventor, his 25 plus years of experience insures your instrument repairs and adjustments are of the highest quality and will suite your playing style.
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I have been working in the fretted instrument field since the early 1970's as a repairman, luthier, author, teacher and restoration expert. Our shop - BECK'S GUITAR SPECIALTY SERVICES - is the only professional music/repair shop in Arizona which builds quality handcrafted acoustic guitars at my shop in Tempe. When you use Richard Beck , you'll see what true precision guitar repair is really about!
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Daren Hess is not just our expert electronics tech, he’s a guitarist-musician so he understands tone. Daren’s meticulous nature and exceptional trouble-shooting skills allow him to repair everything from tube amps to synths … Quite simply, we at beck's believe he's the best electronics repair-man around!
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(See the article from Stew-Mac Trade Secrets for more about Beck)
I am experienced with all aspects of guitars, their care, maintenance and proper adjustments. One of my specialties is refretting. I believe an excellent playing guitar requires an exceptional fretjob, and I have made refretting a life-long study. After all, no matter how nice your guitar is, if it don't play great, it's not gona get played! In all I have refretted over 5000 guitars.
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Click Here to see Richard Beck's All Time, Desert Island, Top 10 Favorite Guitars
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Since I began to work as an independent repairman, I attracted a following of professional guitarists who demanded high quality repairs and maintenance on their guitars. I have performed repairs and adjustments for:
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Glen Campbell
-"Beck-E (Rich) has exclusively worked
on my Ovations, Fenders, and Martins for over 14 years. He's refretted
all my guitars. He's the best."
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Robert Scovill
- (Award winning Live Sound Engineer and Producer for
Rush, Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers, Prince, Matchbox Twenty).
"Rich has performed countless guitar set-ups and repairs for me and everyone
of them has turned out fantastic. If a methodical approach and attention
to detail is what your into, this is your guy. Thanks ya big lug!"
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Ken and Russel Skaggs -(Glen Campbell Band)
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Johnny Western
-(Johnny Cash Band)
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Ray Herndon -
Guitarist
with Lyle Lovette's Band (I have refretted
Rays favorite stage Strat 3 times in the past 10 years)
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George Lynch and Jeff Pilson of the heavy death metal band
Dokken
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Jason Newstead
of Metallica -(Jason
purchased a custom Beck "Metal Electric Mutha Bass" from me to audition
for Metalica, of course, he got the gig!)
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Michael Schanker
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The Gin Blossoms
- (I have repaired and refretted countless Fenders and Gibsons for
Jesse Valenzuela, Scotty Johnson, Robin Wilson, as well as building a
matching pair of Koa Wood Acoustics for Jesse, and Scotty)
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The Meatpuppets
- (I have exclusively repaired, refretted, and maintained
Cris and Curt Kirkwoods' guitars for over
10 years)
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Jesse Johnson
-Guitarist with Prince,
producer and guitarist with Janet Jackson
(I have refretted Jesse's custom-shop Gibson "V", as well as performed
repairs and maintenance on a half-dozen late 50's/early 60's vintage Strats)
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Jerry Cantrell of Alice in Chains -(I installed the
Floyde Rose locking nut and recessed his tremelo on his Main G&L guitar)
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Clarke Rigsby/Tempest Studio -(Clarke is an Emmy & B.M.I
Award winning player-producer who has worked with Paul
McCartney, Four Tops, David Grisman, as well as projects for CBS,
PBS, ABC)
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Matt Cartsonis
- (Matt is multi-talented guitarist who has played with The
Austin Lounge Lizard's, Carla Bonoff's
group "Bryndle", Mary
Cutrofello, Beck, and Bob Dylan)
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Cheep Trick (sound engineer/advance man, George Blake, brought
in some badly airline-bashed-6 and 12 string takamine's, sold Rick
Nielson some hard to find parts for his Floyde Rose tremelos), I
WANT YOU TO WANT ME!!!!!
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Gardner Cole (song writer and musician with Madonna (Open Your
Heart To Me), a very nice and talented guy!!! THANKS COLE!!
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Al Ortiz
(bass player with Stevie Nicks) The
famous local bass player with those salsa chops.
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Bob Welsh
(vintage early guitarist with Fleetwood Mac,
pre-Buckingham)
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Orgy (that famous metal-funk-loud-post-punk-groove band)
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Phunk Junkies
with guitarist
Jeff O'Rorke
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Roger Klein and
the Peacemakers
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Dave Watson
bass player for The Oakridge Boys,
("I sure wish you were in Nashville, Rich.")
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Herb Ellis (jazz guitarist great, I repaired the fretts on his aria jazz box and installed
a sound post)
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Walter Richardson - Arizona's multi talented guitarist, radio DJ, and the most vocal spokesman
for peace on the planet.
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Matt McKenzie
- live and recording bass player for Lyle
Lovette, Martina McBride, and Reba.
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Dan Wexler
- pop song writer-guitarist with Icon, Alice
Cooper.
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Johnny Western
(his real name) Long-time guitarist with The
Johnny Cash Band, for those of you old enough
to remember, the writer of the Paladin Theme song!
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Sepultura
- way too loud heavy metal, 3 string guitarist
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Z.Z. Top
- ton of custom work on an old Gibson for Billy
Gibbons … Thanks Pearly!!
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Charles Bond
- The fabulous Black Bond Brother, recorded that famous hit song, "Darlin’,
You Jew Me".
As well as hundreds of local and touring guitarists.
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I have additionally been trained at the old Gibson factory in Kalamazoo Michigan, and our shop is an
AUTHORIZED GIBSON WARRANTEE REPAIR STATION
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Becks Guitars is Arizona's
ONLY AUTHORIZED FULL LINE MARTIN WARRANTEE REPAIR CENTER THAT HAND BUILDS ACOUSTIC GUITARS (NO PRE-FAB KITS)
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I have received numerous album/C.D. credits for my services as a tech (including Dokken, Meatpuppets, Gin Blossoms, Alice Cooper) and I work to develop a personal relationships with all my customers.
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I am a published author and member in the venerable
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