Members Belva Posted June 14, 2010 Members Share Posted June 14, 2010 I do all of my own work and have built a few. I'm also side lining as a guitar tech. WRG is very correct when it comes to learning fret work. Get some cheap necks that you wouldn't mind throwing in the fireplace if you fup. And get the right tools. Look at it this way. The best luthiers and techs weren't born with the ability to work on stringed instruments. I also don't charge nearly as much as the music stores. And it's a sideline. Yes, the xtra $$ is nice, but I never plan on it being my sole source of income. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members diceman1000 Posted June 14, 2010 Members Share Posted June 14, 2010 i'm in the process of learning... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members normh Posted June 14, 2010 Members Share Posted June 14, 2010 Do it all. Have the benefit that a couple of luthiers took me under wing. While many tools can be made that are as good or better than what you can buy, some specialty tools just cannot be gotten around easily, though they can be gotten around. The tools I felt I had to buy were nut files and crowning files. I am learning to crown the old way with a ground triangular and a cantsaw file. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members CoqBelliqueux Posted June 14, 2010 Members Share Posted June 14, 2010 I've done everything since day one. Now I need to learn fretwork for one of my guitars. Why can't fret metal last forever like Manowar metal? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members alphamarquis Posted June 14, 2010 Members Share Posted June 14, 2010 Do everything. Build amps, repair amps, build pedals, build guitars, study guitars, set up guitars, restore guitars... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members jelloman Posted June 14, 2010 Members Share Posted June 14, 2010 I do all of my own work... ...and I'm starting to think about scratch building... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members diceman1000 Posted June 14, 2010 Members Share Posted June 14, 2010 so... any of you guys know how to do pedal mods:D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members alphamarquis Posted June 14, 2010 Members Share Posted June 14, 2010 so... any of you guys know how to do pedal mods:D what do you want to do? everybody loves germanium diodes. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Mush Posted June 14, 2010 Members Share Posted June 14, 2010 Stewart Mcdonald is the cat's ass for me. I spend big amount of money there to get the right tool. Just to make a new nut for my strat im about at 300$ Can. Expensive yes, but in my place nobody can do that work. But the nut I did for it is just about perfect. I equipped myself to do complet refret some years ago. I can do pro-work. Way better job than factory. I get great satisfaction from it. Mush Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members imbuedblue Posted June 14, 2010 Members Share Posted June 14, 2010 I do it all, and charge $60/hr plus 10% over cost for parts. I don't get much guitar setup business though, it's mostly synth repair, amp repair, and pedal mods/builds. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Mermph Posted June 14, 2010 Members Share Posted June 14, 2010 I'm looking into auditing an intro to electronics course at the community college so I can learn to fix all my broken down {censored} that I can't afford to pay to be fixed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members StillRock Posted June 14, 2010 Members Share Posted June 14, 2010 The last time I tried to to any techie work was to my tele. I ripped out the pickups, f'ed up the switch when I scorched the board on it, bought a new switch, realized I didn't know enough to install push / pull pots for coil tapping, bought the wrong tone caps. My cat jumped on the table every time I brought out the soldiering iron and I would scream at it. It only took me a few days to realize I was yelling at myself, not the cat. I'm almost over it enough to get into replacing my Les Paul pickups. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members PlinytheWelder Posted June 14, 2010 Members Share Posted June 14, 2010 I try to do it all myself. On guitars, I do my own setups and really need to try making nuts. Amps I pretty much got down and just finished bulding one from scratch as seen in this thread. http://acapella.harmony-central.com/showthread.php?t=2616322 I even recone speakers. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members bluesnapper Posted June 15, 2010 Members Share Posted June 15, 2010 I'm useless. I can just about set up a guitar, but anything major - strat trems, fret-filing, nut-cutting I get a tech to do. I know my local tech through local jam sessions - if you take your guitar to the store they charge three times as much but it's the same guy who does it anyway! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members xStonr Posted June 15, 2010 Members Share Posted June 15, 2010 I'll do what I can when I can. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Auslander Posted June 15, 2010 Members Share Posted June 15, 2010 I am still learning, and apply the knowledge I have acquired from books and Youtube, as well as here. I have done intonation and bridge adjustment on my MIM Strat, but I want to have it done right one time from a pro, just so I can see and hear it setup properly. DC, what would you charge for a standard setup on a Strat? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Angry Tele Posted June 15, 2010 Members Share Posted June 15, 2010 evreything but teh nuts Even installing a pre cut nut was beyond my scope lol Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members diceman1000 Posted June 15, 2010 Members Share Posted June 15, 2010 what do you want to do? everybody loves germanium diodes. got a ds 1 and a daddy o i'm thinking about modding, and possibly a bad monkey and screamin' blues Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Metalrulez Posted June 15, 2010 Members Share Posted June 15, 2010 One of the problems with people is they think everything should just be handed to them. Guitar repair takes at the least skill and depending what you want done it is an art. It seems people have forgotten the old saying and I am paraphrasing here. The thrill of a low price is soon replaced by the disappointment of piss poor performance. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Guitarist970 Posted June 15, 2010 Members Share Posted June 15, 2010 I'm looking into auditing an intro to electronics course at the community college so I can learn to fix all my broken down {censored} that I can't afford to pay to be fixed. This book is absolutely fantastic for learning to do electronics work. I used it in one of my physics classes and it still has a dedicated spot on my book shelf. Of all the books I used in college its the one that gets the most use still. http://www.amazon.com/Art-Electronics-Paul-Horowitz/dp/0521370957 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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