Jim Kozel – Luthier, Musician – ACOUSTIC & ELECTRIC SETUPS, REPAIRS & RESTORATIONS

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About Jim Kozel …

I’m Jim Kozel, a Cleveland-based luthier. I am also a guitarist, songwriter and teacher. Music is the heart and soul of my life. I have been performing my musical stories for well over half a century; setting up, repairing and building instruments for nearly that long. Your instrument needs to fit you like a comfortable old pair of jeans. I approach every repair, setup or commission with that in mind. This website was created as a BLOG space so you can leave comments and ask questions.

Musically yours ~ Jim Kozel

Telecaster Setup and Output Jack Upgrade

A lot of telecasters that come into my Cleveland guitar shop for setup often have output jack issues, the dreaded snap, crackle and pop. Here’s how we addressed those issues while setting up this telecaster.

Michelle’s Martin Repair

Cleveland singer songwriter Michelle Gaw’s cat knocked over her prized Martin causing significant damage to the guitar. Here’s how we repaired the damage. Oh…Michelle says she still loves her cat.

Kathy & Jim at Old Prague Restaurant

Kathy and I always enjoy performing at the Old Prague Restaurant in Vermilion, Ohio. Here’s a two song clip of our good time at Old Prague on February 7, 2020.

1964 Gibson LG-1 Restoration

Cleveland-based Rachel Brown and The Beatnik Playboys https://rachelbps.com delight audiences wherever they perform. So, when Rachel brought her 1964 Gibson LG-1 to the shop for a stage-ready restoration, I was happy to help. Here’s days of restoration/repair condensed into a ten minute story.

Alvarez Lifting Bridge Repair

A very nice Alvarez guitar came into the shop with a lifting bridge. Here’s the story of how the bridge was repaired and the probable cause of why the bridge lifted in the first place.

“Short Cut” by Jim Kozel

Some years back, I wrote a song about a miner in Telluride, Colorado. Here’s an arrangement of “Short Cut” performed at Brent Kirby’s 10×3 at Brother’s Lounge on September 18, 2019. I’m playing my latest Tele creation, the Jimmy-Caster.

Fender Jazzmaster Classic Player Makeover & Setup

As a Cleveland area luthier and performer, I’ve a soft spot for the Fender Jazzmaster. Here’s a video on how this Fender Jazzmaster Classic Player gets its vintage mojo back with a Jazzmaster bridge retrofit, Lindy Fralin pickups, and a personalized setup.

Strat Stripped Neck Bolt Holes Repair

This Strat came into the shop with four stripped neck bolt holes. Here is how it was repaired with rock maple plugs taken from the 90 year old stage floor I salvaged from the Cleveland Institute of Music’s Pavilion stage.

Jim’s performs at the June 19, 2019 Brother’s Wine Bar Writer’s Night…the 10×3.

It was a treat to perform at Brent Kirby’s 10×3 on June 19th. As a Cleveland area luthier, it’s rare I get to perform with instruments that I restore or repair. But that’s just what happened last night. When the output jack on my archtop failed, Ray Flanagan loaned me his 1923 Gibson L-01. I had done some major crack repair restoration to bring it back to life. Here’s me and the Gibson performing two of mine, “Jessica” and “Neptune Bar & Grill” then an old favorite with everyone singing along.

Damien & Dantez are Reunited

As Pablo Casals said, “Perhaps it is music that will save the world.” Music is our universal language. All of us appreciate, perform, play it. This is not much of a repair video, but please allow me to introduce you to a present and future voice for our “universal language”. Meeting artists like Damien tempers my cynicism and feeds my hope.