Damage caused by guitar techs

prlgmnr

guitarfishbay said:

prlgmnr said:

This isn't doing much to help cure me of my current method of dealing with a guitar needing a setup, namely just buying a new guitar.

That's my approach to restringing.

I recall Carol Kaye saying in an interview that she was so busy with studio work in the 70s that she had to buy a new bass every time she needed fresh strings.

impmann

prlgmnr said:

guitarfishbay said:

prlgmnr said:

This isn't doing much to help cure me of my current method of dealing with a guitar needing a setup, namely just buying a new guitar.

That's my approach to restringing.

I recall Carol Kaye saying in an interview that she was so busy with studio work in the 70s that she had to buy a new bass every time she needed fresh strings.

No disrepect to Ms Kaye... but based on her dull, thuddy sound that probably means she bought one new bass in 10 years...

GSPBASSES

impmann said:

No disrepect to Ms Kaye... but based on her dull, thuddy sound that probably means she bought one new bass in 10 years...

That's a bit harsh, after all, a session musician who's been on at least 10,000 recordings somebody must like her sound and the way she plays. 

Freebird

This thread is scaring me to death, as I have two guitars that need some work!  

Brize

Freebird said:

This thread is scaring me to death! I have two guitars that need some work 

Are they relics? If not, they probably will be.

paulphoenix

A local tech took it upon himself to 0000 wire wool the neck on my Charvel So-Cal without asking me, as he thought it would play better without the finish on the back of the neck.....he fucked up the set up too (which is why I took it there in the first place). 

I haven't been back.

 Another local tech called me anal when I took back a guitar for adjustments to a new nut he installed that I was not happy with - and he did an ugly job on my stainless steel refret too. 

I haven't been back.

I do my own set ups now.... 

StuartMac290

guitarfishbay said:

prlgmnr said:

This isn't doing much to help cure me of my current method of dealing with a guitar needing a setup, namely just buying a new guitar.

That's my approach to restringing.

Actually, that's pretty much my approach to buying cars - I've never changed the wiper blades on a car.

Bridgehouse

What annoys me the most is when I do work on one of mine, slip up and ding it, and then don't tell myself for weeks - only to then open up the case and find it dinged some weeks later.. I get so furious with myself.

impmann

GSPBASSES said:

impmann said:

No disrepect to Ms Kaye... but based on her dull, thuddy sound that probably means she bought one new bass in 10 years...

That's a bit harsh, after all, a session musician who's been on at least 10,000 recordings somebody must like her sound and the way she plays. 

I'm not saying I didn't like what she did or the sound she made - but based on that uber-damped clicky, thuddy sound that she pioneered (and still uses - complete with lump of foam rammed under the strings), would you say that fresh strings would make much difference to that sound?

Hence the attempt at humour...  

Jimbro66

Lots of grim stories here.

My own contribution is the time I took a guitar with slightly sharp fret ends to a recommended tech and asked him to smooth them. He certainly smoothed them but he filed them at a very shallow angle so that the chamfer was about 4-5mm long at each fret end. The inevitable consequence was that the high and low E strings could easily slip off the fret ends, not to mention the buzzes when bending strings. The only solution was to get an expensive refret done elsewhere as my confidence in him was by then zero.

John_A

Teyeplayer said:

Currently have a guitar in with Nigel Roberts for some major work, he's been great to deal with but havent seen the results yet

If possible would really appreciate if you could let me know how that goes.

Good news, guitar is back from Nige and playing like a dream, quick, cheap and very good!  He's my man from now on

Boromedic

Cool, glad to hear it mate. I knew it would all be grand for you, but I'm pleased you have found yer man!

Halikus

Reading this it seems like the wild west out there,  on a serious note surely if a tech damages an instrument or just plain bad work you'd be well within reason to get the guitar sorted elsewhere then invoice the original tech for the cost of repairs?

Teyeplayer

John_A said:

Teyeplayer said:

Currently have a guitar in with Nigel Roberts for some major work, he's been great to deal with but havent seen the results yet

If possible would really appreciate if you could let me know how that goes.

Good news, guitar is back from Nige and playing like a dream, quick, cheap and very good!  He's my man from now on

Thanks for that, he’s going straight to the top of the list for the next big job.

Brize

Halikus said:

Reading this it seems like the wild west out there

I think it's a combination of genuine accidents (of which there will be some with tools in the proximity of guitars) and arrogant or thoughtless techs who think that it's fine to modify other people's guitars without their permission.

The solution isn't rocket science: (i) own up to accidental damage and put it right, and (ii) don't do anything to a guitar unless it's been expressly agreed with the owner.

mbe

Bridgehouse said:

What annoys me the most is when I do work on one of mine, slip up and ding it, and then don't tell myself for weeks - only to then open up the case and find it dinged some weeks later.. I get so furious with myself.

Stop setting up your guitars in a trance man.

Bridgehouse

mbe said:

Bridgehouse said:

What annoys me the most is when I do work on one of mine, slip up and ding it, and then don't tell myself for weeks - only to then open up the case and find it dinged some weeks later.. I get so furious with myself.

Stop setting up your guitars in a trance man.

You can’t beat spannering your guitars with a bit of Armin van Buuren in the background..

mburekenge

Thanks for this thread. Picking up two that are getting worked on today. Now I'm nervous

mburekenge

mburekenge said:

Thanks for this thread. Picking up two that are getting worked on today. Now I'm nervous

Great success!

Ccgx and Gray Guitars both dud good work