How many of you do your mods/repair/maintenance?

[mightysasquatch]

I have learned most of the ropes when it comes to soldering, wiring diagrams, truss rod adjustment, intonation, etc. I'm just an average guy, but I learned how to do it fairly easily. I admit I suck at making/filing nuts though.

 

I know someone who just paid a tech $48 to get a new switch installed and a pickup swapped out in a Strat. That is insane.........

 

How many of you do your own work?

 

 

 

I am not making fun of people who don't, just curious why they pay crazy prices for simple work.

[stevenjuel]

i can do set ups and stuff by myself. its kinda hit and miss with switching out pickups and stuff. i havnt tired cutting my own nut before. and i sure as hell wont be trying anything involving frets anytime soon

[mightysasquatch]

I've practiced on frets, and can polish and level them sorta okay, but I've never done (or needed done) any major fretwork.

[atrox]

I do

[dcindc]

I know someone who just paid a tech $48 to get a new switch installed and a pickup swapped out in a Strat. That is insane......... I am not making fun of people who don't, just curious why they pay crazy prices for simple work.

 

 

That was a good deal. It would be twice that around these parts...

 

I fix/modify everything I own.

[atrox]

That was a good deal. It would be twice that around these parts... I fix/modify everything I own.

 

 

I wasn't going to say anything, but that is a very good deal. Many places won't put your guitar on a bench for less than $50 then add labor/parts on top of that.

 

That said... I am dirt cheap as far as techs go and a new switch and pickup swap would be only be a bit less than $48.

[mightysasquatch]

Holy crap dcindc, where do you live, Antartica?

I think I could (or would attempt) any repair except a headstock break or a complete fretjob.

[mightysasquatch]

Keep in mind, a new switch means the pickup would need rewired anyway, which makes soldering the ground wire as the only extra step in installing the pickup. It takes 10-15 minutes to wire in a new switch and pup, that's roughly $3.20 a minute. I should be a tech, lol.

[john_p_t]

I can do all my own electrical stuff and a decent amount of basic set-up. I'm clueless about fret dressing and re-fretting, and I made a complete hash of trying to adjust a tremolo. I do have a really good local tech who I get to do some stuff, but I'm learning more all the time.

 

It's worth learning just for the money you save, and I find I quite enjoy it too.

[vintage clubber]

I do and I also do some minor repairs for extra dough...

[DaleH]

Pretty much everything but nut work. My last strat build I had him roll the board edges.

[atrox]

Keep in mind, a new switch means the pickup would need rewired anyway, which makes soldering the ground wire as the only extra step in installing the pickup. It takes 10-15 minutes to wire in a new switch and pup, that's roughly $3.20 a minute. I should be a tech, lol.

With all due respect of course, a tech needs to make a living and having a specific price sheet and sticking to it is part of that. you are paying someone to perform a service that you are not comfortable doing. Also, there is to a certain degree, a bit of setup work to do after the fact (if teh tech is worth a {censored}), the removal and install of the new pickup and switch... the wiring... etc...

Like I said, many techs have a hidden bench price and they would charge you $60 - $80 to do what your buddy got done. I'd charge maybe $35 to do the work.

You... would rather learn how to do it yourself and that is always a good way to go with these small installs. But your "rape" is another mans "convenience".

[panther_king]

I can do everything short of fret work myself; though I don't have the tools nor the experience doing frets. Not that I couldn't, I just never have.

That said, I have no problem paying for something I don't want to/can't do properly. I've ponied up over $300 for a procedure recently, and I was happy to do it. Came out way better than I would have done.

[dcindc]

I can (and do) fix many things.
Friends, I fix it for free. They take care of me in other ways. Everybody else? My nominal rate for doing work for someone is $25 an hour, minimum of one hour. Most things I can fix in an hour.
Some people gripe about paying me. They don't get to pay me anymore! They usually grovel the next time something is broke and they have to pay 4
times as much to someone else.

Dealership car repair is 110-140 an hour round here. And they CAN'T fix it. I do for $90 an hour, at a private shop and people complain. We fire customers occasionally.

If you can fix it, more power to you. But don't gripe about the price. Somebody is paying it, or that wouldn't be the price.

I fix vintage stereos on the side. The minimum repair is $100. I am HIGHLY sought after. I turn work away all the time.

Usually someone griping about price has never done the work for someone else, or ever paid someone else to do it. There is so much that can go wrong, and you are responsible. In many repair disciplines there are onerous govt regs to comply with.

Example: Asbestos or lead paint abatement is easy. Just rip it and get rid of it. The reality is that you have lots of regs to comply with, specialized equipment, trained personnel, and haz mat disposal fees.

I gladly pay for that which I won't do.

PS I wouldn't wire a strat switch and install a pup for $48 for somebody else.

[fretmonster]

Too many incompetent techs around these parts (and don't get me going on auto mechanics). Bought an Erlewine book and never looked back. No work bench or elaborate tool box, but changed out every plastic nut and zinc trem block in my collection for tonal reasons. Do great set-ups and intonation. Have also changed out pickups and shimmed necks where necessary. Things I will not attempt are bridge installations, fret work or any kind of electrical work on amps. Fortunately, through the process of elimination, I've found professionals I can trust for these things.

[vintage clubber]

I can (and do) fix many things. Friends, I fix it for free. They take care of me in other ways. Everybody else? My nominal rate for doing work for someone is $25 an hour, minimum of one hour. Most things I can fix in an hour. Some people gripe about paying me. They don't get to pay me anymore! They usually grovel the next time something is broke and they have to pay 4 times as much to someone else. Dealership car repair is 110-140 an hour round here. And they CAN'T fix it. I do for $90 an hour, at a private shop and people complain. We fire customers occasionally. If you can fix it, more power to you. But don't gripe about the price. Somebody is paying it, or that wouldn't be the price. I fix vintage stereos on the side. The minimum repair is $100. I am HIGHLY sought after. I turn work away all the time. Usually someone griping about price has never done the work for someone else, or ever paid someone else to do it. There is so much that can go wrong, and you are responsible. In many repair disciplines there are onerous govt regs to comply with. Example: Asbestos or lead paint abatement is easy. Just rip it and get rid of it. The reality is that you have lots of regs to comply with, specialized equipment, trained personnel, and haz mat disposal fees. I gladly pay for that which I won't do. PS I wouldn't wire a strat switch and install a pup for $48 for somebody else.

 

 

pretty much sums it up. It will always cost you more to pay someone else to do a job. Case in point the plumber I hired last week to install the new kitchen sink/faucet for me. It was well worth it vs my struggling with that mess!

[GASSER]

I can do everything short of fret work myself; though I don't have the tools nor the experience doing frets. Not that I couldn't, I just never have. That said, I have no problem paying for something I don't want to/can't do properly. I've ponied up over $300 for a procedure recently, and I was happy to do it. Came out way better than I would have done.

 

 

Same here.... I don't have the tools for fret or nut work but I do everything else myself.

[elvisart]

I do everything short of frets these days, though I used to do those way back. I'd rather just pay and get them done.

[SnoMan97]

I do most work myself. I have never made a nut worth a damn from a blank though. I don't have the proper tools yet. I have deepened the slots on a few nuts with good success. I do all my own setups, wiring etc. I have built a few pedals from BYOC kits. I also heavily modded a Blues Jr with all of the BillM mods. I am probably better at modding guitars than I am at playing . I am a constant tinkerer.

[EADGBE]

I do it all. As I won't let anyone touch my guitars.

[Stoneball Jack]

i do everything except nut work and fret work.

[TerjeW]

I do everything but finish.
I have done some painting and even tried applying cellulose lacquer to the back of my Gibson LP standard, but I must admit the result was less than I hoped for.
I also consider adjusting the slots in the nut a delicate job, but I have done it a few times.

[nuke_diver]

Electrical work I do myself and same with basic setups

I don't have the space, time or skills to do fretwork and let the experts do that. I think you could do it but you could also screw up a nice guitar because I believe its one of those things that the more you do the better you will be and I'd only do it once every 5-10 years.

Sometimes it's ok to pay someone to do a job and I don't have a problem paying someone who does the job right the first time. I do get annoyed if they don't. Time is a big concern for me and it is pretty precious so sometimes it's better to pay someone to do the job to have more time to play (like doing taxes and any attic work...that place is nasty and I won't go up there again )

[guitarman]

I do my own.

A few years ago, I had the pickups replaced on my Washburn HB 35 hollowbody and the tech said it would take a couiple of days for the part to come in so I let it stay in the store. The next day I walked in the store, some wannabe shredder was using my guitar to audition amps. I told the manager I didn't appreciate what had happened and he let me pay just for the part. The labor, strings and setup was on the house and that's when I started to do everything on my own.

Here's the workshop in my new house.

[WRGKMC]

I do it all. Fretwork, headstocks, Complete builds, high tech electronics, you name it. The main thing if you want to advance into say something like fretwork is get the right tools, and get some junkers to practice on. Its not "that" hard but practicing on a $50 junker is the way you want to learn. If you pull a chunk of fretboard out removing the frets improperly, no big deal. You learn all the small tricks in both preventing damage, but repairing damage next time.

 

The only other advive I can give is pay attention to details, maybe even document them. Next, time you should be able to see every step of the proceedure in sections.

 

For example,

 

1. fret removal

2. fretboard cleanup and leveling

3. Radiusing frets and rough cutting

4. fret installation

5. trimming and filing ends

6. fret leveling

7. crowning and polishing

 

 

When you plan it out in blocks the smaller blocks make it less daunting and you can focus on performing theos blocks to the best of your ability.

 

After doing a few, its as easy as riding a bike, but you need to spend for the basic tools.