Members Knottyhed Posted March 29, 2010 Members Share Posted March 29, 2010 title basically describes the situation. gave my beloved strat to a tech (for the first time) because he was recommended to me by a couple of my friends after complaining to them about the sub-par-ness of all my previous setups. he just does setups and repairs, doesn't really have anything to sell. i can understand if i'm not the first guy in his queue, but a month? doesn't a setup take at most like an hour or something? i'm not a tech, so i dunno.just wondering if i'm being, you know...irrational or something. i called the guy after a week, 2 weeks, 3 weeks, and then about every two days after that up until now when he just said he'd call me when he's done (every previous time he said in 1 or 2 days). i'm half thinking of just going and picking it up and taking it to someone else. Seems like no way to run a business to me. If he's too busy to do your strat in a reasonable amount of time he should've just said so and not taken your guitar until he was ready to do work on it. If If he tells you a guitar will be ready in 1 or 2 days, it should be ready in 1 or 2 days. He's a flake - if it was me, I'd pick my guitar up, take it elsewhere and make a point of telling as many people as possible about my experience with this guy... I'd also hope that it isn't taking so long because he has given it back to the wrong customer who has decided they like it more than their guitar or something. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members smorgdonkey Posted March 29, 2010 Members Share Posted March 29, 2010 go and get your guitar Yes. Go get it. Don't call them and say that you are coming to get it because if you do then likely he will take it out and 'just be finishing up' when you come in the door. Intonation is the easiest thing to do as far as a set-up goes. Anyone who is going to have a 2 week waiting period (or a month or whatever) will get you to bring the guitar in to them closer to the date that it will be serviced not just keep it for a month. Get it back. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members nenadnenad Posted March 29, 2010 Members Share Posted March 29, 2010 I had similar trouble when trying to sell a guitar.i asked a guitar teacher if one of his students would be interested in buying a beginner guitar and since i knew him through other people i let him have the guitar for a few days, to test everything out , make sure everything was to his the students liking according to the price i was asking for it.He told me the same day or the next day one of his students was going to buy the guitar and that he would give me the money on Monday when he comes in for his lesson.That turned into Wednesday , then Friday, then Monday, then Wednesday, the Friday all the while the excuses ranged from 'wait a little longer' to more elaborate ones [ that could have been true , everyone has setbacks and what not ] as i pushed him at the end to the point of calling him a liar and a thief when he started piling the bull{censored} sky-high.Then he proceeded with the utmost hypocrisy to criticize me for my impatience and doubt ..turns out he was totally irresponsible and disrespectful - told me one thing and told the seller another while adding 20-30% of the price for his cut.I'm guessing he said to the kid that i had no problem with waiting 2-3-4 weeks on my money. Don`t be nice, be a bastard, get your guitar back, there are other techs, don`t let people {censored} with you...in any situation in life... Be sure to check your guitar thoroughly when you go there.Just because you`re paranoid doesn't mean they're not out to get you Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members knotty Posted March 29, 2010 Members Share Posted March 29, 2010 I agree with some of the earlier posts.....he's waiting for the glue to dry! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Bro Blue Posted March 29, 2010 Members Share Posted March 29, 2010 I also do setups and small repairs. A months is too long. Go get your guitar. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members smorgdonkey Posted March 29, 2010 Members Share Posted March 29, 2010 You think a whole week is needed? Whenever I've done truss rod adjustments it's usually settled within a day. I agree with that. A day for the truss rod adjustment and you don't have to wait typically either. Most often the 'settling' is predictable and in my experience I don't have to readjust more than 10% of them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members GilmourD Posted March 29, 2010 Members Share Posted March 29, 2010 I Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Florbastang Posted March 30, 2010 Members Share Posted March 30, 2010 Well the fact that he has people that recommend him, he's written some articles for Guitar World (so he told me), he has a website, and he seemed legit to me. There was another old spanish guy milling around that does all of their acoustic work. all that to me made it seem like there wasn't anything weird going on. EDIT: and yeah, i need to just learn it myself. i did a rewiring job on it for christ sake (sorry, i'm kinda pissed ). just a simple setup to fine tune intonation, sustain, that sort of thing. it also had a fret dot missing (little brother, don't ask), he said he'd replace that. there's not a guitar tech for dummies book by any chance, is there? There is. It's called "How To Make Your Electric Guitar Play Great" or something along those lines by Dan something or another. It's a great book.Otherwise, there are plenty of great websites too, if you google guitar repair/setup. Fender has pretty good guides on their website too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members V-Type Posted March 30, 2010 Members Share Posted March 30, 2010 Unless you are having major repairs done or waiting for warranty parts Id suggest a Pro setup should be no more than a week tops. Unless the guy has a corner on the guitar tech market in your area Id be worried. My tech's usually charge $35- $45 for a complete Pro setup while you wait in most cases. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Citizen_Insane Posted March 30, 2010 Members Share Posted March 30, 2010 When I built my Tele I had a pro shop do a nut cut and setup. I dropped off the guitar, went to a local guitar shop and played some stuff for an hour and came back and picked up my guitar. He was going quick because I told him I had a show that night, but still, a month for a setup is ridiculous. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators Ratae Corieltauvorum Posted March 30, 2010 Moderators Share Posted March 30, 2010 Any developments on this OP? Have you called this tech? Got your guitar back? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Angry Tele Posted March 30, 2010 Members Share Posted March 30, 2010 ive stripped and refinished a poly guitar in nitro in less time Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators Ratae Corieltauvorum Posted March 30, 2010 Moderators Share Posted March 30, 2010 ive stripped and refinished a poly guitar in nitro in less time Boaster:eek: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members meandi Posted March 30, 2010 Members Share Posted March 30, 2010 Happens frequently here. I'll tell them, I've got sutff lined up in front of yours & to call me back in 2/3 weeks. Most of the time they say can I just drop it off & you call me when it's ready? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Angry Tele Posted March 30, 2010 Members Share Posted March 30, 2010 Happens frequently here.I'll tell them, I've got sutff lined up in front of yours & to call me back in 2/3 weeks.Most of the time they say can I just drop it off & you call me when it's ready? wow, it always amazes me when people can go 2-3 weeks without thier guitar. Maybe because I only have 2 but I dunno, its not that hard to do a set-up, even on a Jagauar or Jazzmaster once you learn how to do it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members meandi Posted March 30, 2010 Members Share Posted March 30, 2010 wow, it always amazes me when people can go 2-3 weeks without thier guitar. Maybe because I only have 2 but I dunno, its not that hard to do a set-up, even on a Jagauar or Jazzmaster once you learn how to do it. I've offered to show several of them how to do it themselves, & their usual response is "I'd rather just have you do it". Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Angry Tele Posted March 30, 2010 Members Share Posted March 30, 2010 I've offered to show several of them how to do it themselves, & their usual response is "I'd rather just have you do it".Almost makes me want to do set-ups.... The problem is I could only work on Jaguars and Teles, so Id have a limited client base. And I would set them up to my tastes w/ really high action lol screw you consumer you wanna shred? Nope you will chicken pick or GTFO of my store and you say it sounds like crap through your 100watt marshall? too bad buy a twin reverb Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Jayers Posted March 30, 2010 Members Share Posted March 30, 2010 If this guy really was featured in that Hot Rod issue of Premiere Guitar, he might have been unprepared for a deluge of new work, builds, mods, and set ups, and, rightly so perhaps, didn't hire more help and he's swamped. I remember that issue and if he was featured in it, he could be getting work from all over the country. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members ballhawk Posted March 30, 2010 Members Share Posted March 30, 2010 If this guy really was featured in that Hot Rod issue of Premiere Guitar, he might have been unprepared for a deluge of new work, builds, mods, and set ups, and, rightly so perhaps, didn't hire more help and he's swamped. I remember that issue and if he was featured in it, he could be getting work from all over the country. This makes a lot of sense. But if it were me, I'd call just to get an update. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members BrokenFighter Posted March 30, 2010 Members Share Posted March 30, 2010 I had a similar problem with a local dude in my town (the only person with a music shop in town). Took him a month and a half to do some basic repairs on an old acoustic of mine, and then a few days after getting the guitar back everything was broken anyways! I didn't even bother going back to the guy to get my money back. I could live my whole life and never see that guy again, and be very happy. Anyways, I suggest you go to the store, unannounced, and ask what is up with your guitar, and say that you need it back if he hasn't started work on it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members bluesguyjon Posted April 5, 2010 Author Members Share Posted April 5, 2010 so i figured i'd resurrect this thread and tell you what happened. i got the guitar back. before i go any farther i want to say that it plays and sounds fantastic. ok, the other stuff. first off, i forget if i mentioned that there was a fret dot missing. anyway, to repair this, he apparently had to take out a slab of the fretboard (from the 2nd to the 7th fret), and replace it with a new piece of maple. then to get it to match, he had to reduce the radius of the whole neck. you wouldn't be able to tell that the neck was worked on, he did a great job. the flattened fretboard freaked me out at first (because i wasn't sure whether i would like it or not), but it plays a little better anyway (luckily). he also replaced all the frets. the second thing he did way redo some of my wiring. i had originally done a total rewiring job as per the guitar nuts shielding procedure that i first heard about in the sticky thread in this forum. it made the guitar sound a lot quieter. anyway, apparently he thought that i had wired the pickups in reverse, so he fixed that for me (on the invoice he put it down as "rewired star ground", so he might've done a bit more than change the pickup wiring). from what i can remember, the guitar's noise is now back up to what it was stock, and also i think a part of a pot or of the selector switch is touching the copper tape lining the cavity, because every now and again the guitar will stop putting out sound, and i have to bang on the pickguard to shift things around a bit, and then it's fine. i had this problem before and i fixed it by just putting a piece of electrical tape on the side of the selector switch closest to the side of the cavity to keep them from touching. also, to my ears (although i can't be sure), the guitar sounds less, i dunno, ballzy than before, but again i can't remember for certain. not necessarily BAD, but i think it's different. the thing that IS screwed up is the tone controls are reversed. the knob closest to the volume knob controls the bridge, not the neck, and vice versa. i'm gonna open it up again and see for sure. anyway, the thing that kinda pisses me off the most is i just asked for a simple tune up, i didn't even care about the fret dot thing (which i still think was a lot simpler than replacing a piece of the fretboard). he never notified me that he was doing all these things, and in the end i'm out $160. again, the thing sounds great (a little different i think, but great), and plays a little better. but i think i would've liked to pay $40 for a guitar that sounded the same as before. i haven't made up my mind yet. this kind of thing also happened to me a couple other times, it's like a young blond walking into a mechanic shop to get some work done on a car. she's going to get taken advantage of because the mechanics are gonna do some totally unnecessary things just to get more money. i sometimes end up having techs do more than what i asked for (although i never consent to them >. i'm doing my own setups from now on. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members D-log Posted April 5, 2010 Members Share Posted April 5, 2010 Did you tell him that you wanted the work done? Some tech's like to screw people by performing extra work than charging them for it. Hate to say it, but you might have got screwed... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members bluesguyjon Posted April 5, 2010 Author Members Share Posted April 5, 2010 Did you tell him that you wanted the work done? Some tech's like to screw people by performing extra work than charging them for it. Hate to say it, but you might have got screwed... no, i know i got screwed. 20/20 hindsight sort of thing. i never asked for the work, and i did negotiate the price down (he originally wanted $200). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members the_gunslinger Posted April 5, 2010 Members Share Posted April 5, 2010 so i figured i'd resurrect this thread and tell you what happened.i got the guitar back. before i go any farther i want to say that it plays and sounds fantastic.ok, the other stuff. first off, i forget if i mentioned that there was a fret dot missing. anyway, to repair this, he apparently had to take out a slab of the fretboard (from the 2nd to the 7th fret), and replace it with a new piece of maple. then to get it to match, he had to reduce the radius of the whole neck. you wouldn't be able to tell that the neck was worked on, he did a great job. the flattened fretboard freaked me out at first (because i wasn't sure whether i would like it or not), but it plays a little better anyway (luckily). he also replaced all the frets.the second thing he did way redo some of my wiring. i had originally done a total rewiring job as per the guitar nuts shielding procedure that i first heard about in the sticky thread in this forum. it made the guitar sound a lot quieter. anyway, apparently he thought that i had wired the pickups in reverse, so he fixed that for me (on the invoice he put it down as "rewired star ground", so he might've done a bit more than change the pickup wiring). from what i can remember, the guitar's noise is now back up to what it was stock, and also i think a part of a pot or of the selector switch is touching the copper tape lining the cavity, because every now and again the guitar will stop putting out sound, and i have to bang on the pickguard to shift things around a bit, and then it's fine. i had this problem before and i fixed it by just putting a piece of electrical tape on the side of the selector switch closest to the side of the cavity to keep them from touching. also, to my ears (although i can't be sure), the guitar sounds less, i dunno, ballzy than before, but again i can't remember for certain. not necessarily BAD, but i think it's different. the thing that IS screwed up is the tone controls are reversed. the knob closest to the volume knob controls the bridge, not the neck, and vice versa. i'm gonna open it up again and see for sure.anyway, the thing that kinda pisses me off the most is i just asked for a simple tune up, i didn't even care about the fret dot thing (which i still think was a lot simpler than replacing a piece of the fretboard). he never notified me that he was doing all these things, and in the end i'm out $160. again, the thing sounds great (a little different i think, but great), and plays a little better. but i think i would've liked to pay $40 for a guitar that sounded the same as before. i haven't made up my mind yet. this kind of thing also happened to me a couple other times, it's like a young blond walking into a mechanic shop to get some work done on a car. she's going to get taken advantage of because the mechanics are gonna do some totally unnecessary things just to get more money. i sometimes end up having techs do more than what i asked for (although i never consent to them >. i'm doing my own setups from now on. I would have just given him the 40 bucks and said "I didn't tell you to do any of this extra stuff, I'm not paying any more than what we agreed upon." If it were me setting up the gutar, I would have definitly called the customer beforehand and gotten permission before repairing anything else. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members frankie pajamas Posted April 5, 2010 Members Share Posted April 5, 2010 go get your money back. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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