Marcus Ross Guitar Service

Marcus Ross Guitar Service Guitar Setups, Servicing and Modifications. Based on the Sunshine Coast, Queensland.

.This was a fun one to do…Glow in the dark side fret markers! Customer wanted to be able to see where he was on the fret...
19/11/2025

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This was a fun one to do…
Glow in the dark side fret markers!
Customer wanted to be able to see where he was on the fretboard on a dark stage. I suggested glow in the dark paint - hey, it’s a heck of a lot easier than LEDs and batteries!

Paint wasn’t thick enough to just paint on top of the black markers, if the layer was too thin then the paint wouldn’t hold much charge after being under light. So I drilled out the black dot side markers and filled in the holes with the glow paint, leaving it thick enough to be bright.

The paint “charges” up when exposed to light. Then glows all by itself. Looks fantastic. As a trial, my own Tele now has one glow in the dark side marker!

Reminder, it’s summer. Temperature is changing. Humidity is changing. Your guitars are made of wood and are changing too. Take care of your guitars. Get them serviced.



Goldtops are just cool. Especially this Custom Shop 1956 Les Paul Murphy Lab.I did a much needed setup on this one for M...
09/08/2025

Goldtops are just cool.
Especially this Custom Shop 1956 Les Paul Murphy Lab.

I did a much needed setup on this one for Michael Guy Chislett. Fantastic guitar. Maybe it makes me miss my old Bigsby Goldtop.
Love the mix of the P90 and a firebird mini-humbucker. So darn awesome!

I visited Gibson in Nashville and Montana this year and saw some incredible Les Pauls. This is a great example of what great guitars they make. I also had the chance to meet Tom Murphy and hear some of his stories. What an experience.

What’s your favourite colour on a Les Paul?
Solid colours or bursts?










I put a little fire in the belly of this Tele copy. New set of Seymour Duncan “La Brea” Brad Paisley pickups in, a new 4...
07/08/2025

I put a little fire in the belly of this Tele copy.

New set of Seymour Duncan “La Brea” Brad Paisley pickups in, a new 4-Position pickup selector switch and a set of Gotoh locking Tuner machine heads.

Ready for some serious picking!

Who has a 4-Position switch in their Tele?
Total game changer.




Absolutely beautiful Martin Custom Shop OM Koa Left-Hand — owned by Ziggy Alberts.Had this one on my bench a little whil...
29/07/2025

Absolutely beautiful Martin Custom Shop OM Koa Left-Hand — owned by Ziggy Alberts.

Had this one on my bench a little while back to have the LR Baggs Anthem pickup reinstalled. Great guitar, if only I could play a left-handed guitar well!

Any fans out there of Ziggy Alberts’ music ?
Has anyone seen him live with this guitar in his hands?

Any owners of acoustics with Koa?



Another guitar on the bench recently. Fender MIJ 70s Stratocaster in black. Owned by Elliott Burnett. In for a setup and...
29/07/2025

Another guitar on the bench recently.
Fender MIJ 70s Stratocaster in black. Owned by Elliott Burnett.

In for a setup and service and a new set of Fender bent-steel bridge saddles. Rock solid unit now!

Any owners of Japan made Fenders on here?

Black Strat. Large headstock. My mind goes to Richie Blackmore. One of my favourite Strat sounds is in the solo of his in Deep Purple’s “Soldier Of Fortune”



burnett

On the bench last week was this killer Gibson ES335 owned by Elliott Burnett. In for a setup and it was a total pleasure...
23/07/2025

On the bench last week was this killer Gibson ES335 owned by Elliott Burnett.
In for a setup and it was a total pleasure to do it. I mean, just look at this thing. Incredible.

Fret polish; fingerboard conditioner; restring with Elixir 10-46; truss-rod adjustment; action adjusted; nut slots recut; intonation; pickup heights adjusted.

burnett

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This is a little bit of a rare one now -The Gretsch Panther G6137T CB Center Block in a beautifully striking red. I beli...
05/10/2024

This is a little bit of a rare one now -
The Gretsch Panther G6137T CB Center Block in a beautifully striking red. I believe the colour was actually called Flagstaff Sunset.

This one is part of Michael Guy Chislett’s collection that I did a setup on in Sydney a few months ago.
I took some photos of the pinned bridge as this is something I have always offered and I like to show what it is, as I get asked a lot about it. Don’t be nervous about it, if you have a floating base to your bridge like this, the benefits are worth it.

The Panther Center Block only had a 5 year production run and was discontinued in 2018. Some say this was due to the East Indian Rosewood fretboard. I don’t see how that would be case, as Gretsch use Ebony a lot and could easily done this change or used another timber. Also, now that East Indian Rosewood has the green light again for guitar manufacturers to use, thanks to Mr Bob Taylor going in to bat for the industry and proving how ethical the majority of the industry is, Gretsch could bring this model back. We can only hope, wait and see.

The Panther has a slimmer body with a solid center block under the pickups, like a classic Gibson ES-335 but, with a pair of TV Jones Classic Filter’tron pickups and a little Gretsch magic and special ingredients for that stunning Gretsch sparkle and bite.

First time I saw Michael play this one was on TV. I remember he messaged to tell me about it, pretty happy with it, and to let me know he would be playing it on one of the US morning breakfast news shows. Don’t recall which one. I loved it as soon as I saw it. The Red is just killer!





.On the bench for a set-up recently was this modified Fender Hot Rod ‘52 Telecaster owned by . Just in time for Previou...
20/08/2024

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On the bench for a set-up recently was this modified Fender Hot Rod ‘52 Telecaster owned by . Just in time for

Previously set for 11 gauge, I did a new set-up for 10-46 and adjusted the TV Jones pickups to help balance the output.

Killer guitar!



.Another guitar I did a service and set-up on while in Sydney last month. Duesenberg Starplayer TV Blue Tile owned by .N...
19/08/2024

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Another guitar I did a service and set-up on while in Sydney last month. Duesenberg Starplayer TV Blue Tile owned by .

Nigel has owned this one for many years and it’s such a great guitar - Like all Duesenberg are.
So water had got into the studio where I worked on this and many others of Nigel’s and Michael’s guitars, causing a lot of humidity, which of course creates issues with wood — with guitars.
Happy to say that after a service, full set-up, new set of D’Addario NYXL 10-46, this one came back to life.
Pretty awesome colour!

Any Duesenberg players out there?




.Epiphone Flying V in for a service and set-up for some low tuned mayhem in Drop C. I will admit, I put on the film clip...
15/08/2024

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Epiphone Flying V in for a service and set-up for some low tuned mayhem in Drop C.

I will admit, I put on the film clip for Are You Gonna Go My Way by Lenny Kravitz when I first pulled this out. Many great guitarists have used these classic guitars but, my first thought is always of that film clip.
I then decided to listen to the album as I worked on this one.
Could have gone some Ride The Lightning Metallica I guess. But Kravitz was in my head.

Great guitar. Came up well. 🤟🏿🤟🏻🤟🏽

Last month a did a stint in Sydney, doing set-ups on some guitars for Michael Guy Chislett and Nigel Hendroff. Spent a w...
15/08/2024

Last month a did a stint in Sydney, doing set-ups on some guitars for Michael Guy Chislett and Nigel Hendroff.
Spent a week in the studio working on their guitars.

This is Michael’s Gretsch ‘89 Vintage Select Sparkle Jet in Gold.
There’s a little video in the Reels of this one.

Cool little fact about this guitar is Michael’s hand in nudging the production along to make these happen.
I remember having conversations with Michael over the years about the Gretsch guitars that were used by some of the alternative rock bands and grunge bands in the early and mid 90s. Bands like Soundgarden and Mudhoney. One of the reasons I play a Silver Sparkle Jet is because of these bands. They were these Gretsch guitars that were little bits of classic 50s and 60s Gretsch but kind of mixed up a little in the specs and a little different. They weren’t re-issues of older guitars.
Michael thought it’d be cool if they did re-issues of this era of Gretsch too, not just the late 50s and early 60s models.
I loved the idea. Obviously Gretsch did too. So a little while ago they remakes the ‘89 Vintage Select series of Jets. Super cool!

Anyway, I did a nice little set-up on this one with Ernie Ball Power Slinky 11-48 strings. Love it!

Michael Guy Chislett Gretsch Guitars

.Made a new wiring harness for this killer Epiphone Dot wonder by Rohan Page. New CTS pots, Orange Drop caps, Switchcraf...
14/09/2023

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Made a new wiring harness for this killer Epiphone Dot wonder by Rohan Page.

New CTS pots, Orange Drop caps, Switchcraft Toggle switch & input-jack with all new wiring. All hooked up to a new pair of Tone Rider PAFs.

Rohan did a superb job taking off the original finish and putting this beautiful ‘70s style walnut stain on, then refinishing it. Looks stunning.

I took these photos before adding the black silver top k***s to the controls and we are still waiting on the new black pickguard to complete the 70s look. I love it already though.

Did a setup so now she’s playing great as well as looking great.


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Sunshine Coast, QLD

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0402084730

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