Z-HQ Workbench

For this month’s installment of the Z-HQ Workbench, dear Z-lings, we’re going to take a step back and feature a little feedback from one of our new customers. This next message comes from Ben Kilbane, of Chicago, Illinois. Ben is a blues musician who collects vintage musical instruments for a hobby. He’s the owner of some extraordinarily rare, vintage gear and he’s always looking for ways to better preserve his investments. Ben writes:

Dear Zerust,

I’m a blues musician here in Chicago, Illinois, a guitarist mainly. I own a number of rare, vintage guitars, and my favorite is a 1962 Fender Telecaster. [This is the one with the vintage saddle and bridge. It’s a beautiful, classic guitar just like the one Steve Cropper used during his time with Booker T. & The MG’s. Y’know the one, “Green Onions”? “Slim Jenkins Place” “Hip Hug-Her”?]  It’s my main axe, and it’s been around a long time – over fifty years rocking the world. Naturally I want to ensure that it last another fifty years or more – for my children, and, god willing, their children too.

To be sure, this old Telecaster [I call her Thea by the way] takes a beating. I gig out regularly, so old Thea submits to a lot of blood, sweat, and the occasional tear depending on how hot my band is playing that night. You name it. I towel her off after every show, but it’s not enough. The old vintage saddle can only be cleaned so much. What I’ve found is that no matter how much TLC I give it, there’s still a bit of rust build up around the hardware. Drives me crazy. I keep it cloaked with a clean, dry towel when it’s inside the case. But I’ve discovered over the years that’s not enough either.

I needed to find a newer, more stealth solution to keep it from rusting. So I went on the lookout. Fortunately a friend of mine who’s a mechanic and swears by your products [he keeps a Vapor Capsule  in every one of his toolboxes] tipped me off and suggested I put a Vapor capsule inside my guitar case alongside old “Thea the Tele”. I figure what the heck? It can’t hurt.

So I went to my local hardware store and bought a whole bundle, one for each of my guitars in fact. Now I’ve got one inside every guitar case alongside every guitar in my collection. I’ll keep you posted as to how things turn out.

Thank you, Ben, for getting in touch with us here at Zerust. And thank you for giving our Vapor Capsules a shot. Although, traditionally, we’ve been known more among people like your good friend, the mechanic, we’re happy to bring our rust protection technology and products to the world of music. We’re confident we can help with the preservation of your classic instruments.

Lastly, we look forward to hearing from you with updates on how our Vapor Capsules are helping to keep the blues alive in Chicago, and your vintage gear in tip top shape!

-Michael J. Miller for Zerust