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Do techs have insurance etc to cover expensive screw ups. How do you stand legally on stuff like this happening ?
Touch wood I've never had a problem with any work done for me, and long may it stay that way. But I remember a great interview with Ritchie Blackmore. You know how he loves his scalloped fretboards (by his own hands in the old days). He gave his no 1 strat to a tech for a refret and the guy did it but when he brought it back said the frets were so worn and grooved he had planed the board flat for him too at no extra charge, So had removed the scalloping and left the fretboard so low it was unplayable. Would like to have been a fly on the all at that encounter. Wonder if he got a Marshall Major thrown at him LOL
So it can happen to anyone !!
He farmed the job to one of two apprentices, but I didn't worry because the other had fitted a rails pickup to another Strat, so it did exactly what I wanted. All good. When I went to collect the guitar with the Hot Little knob, I was told it would cost an extra fiver because some routing needed to be done, to stop the knob sticking out more than the other two. This predicament could have been nasty if I wanted to keep the guitar (a 1977 lawsuit Strat copy) in original condition, especially as I had provided him with fitting instructions. But my first thought was (and still is) good thinking for tucking it away, as I wanted the HLK to be unnoticed... a "secret weapon". I've got no plans to sell it and IMHO, the guitar's a tool to do a job... practicality first.
As some of you have mentioned, it's important to say exactly what you want, and also what you DON'T want.
That has the tell tale signs of being from the same thing! It annoys me as I always feel it but I didn't think much could be done about it to be honest so have been putting up with it.
"Take these three items, some WD-40, a vise grip, and a roll of duct tape. Any man worth his salt can fix almost any problem with this stuff alone." - Walt Kowalski
"Only two things are infinite - the universe, and human stupidity. And I'm not sure about the universe." - Albert Einstein
The only guy I’ve used that I actually trust to do what they say they’ll do in the time frame they set is a considerable drive away, but anything I can’t handle I’ll just take there.
"Take these three items, some WD-40, a vise grip, and a roll of duct tape. Any man worth his salt can fix almost any problem with this stuff alone." - Walt Kowalski
"Only two things are infinite - the universe, and human stupidity. And I'm not sure about the universe." - Albert Einstein
Some proper horror stories on here. TBH my guitars don't get played enough to need much work and if they did I'd be comfortable doing most things myself, short of fretwork (time permitting). But it does give pause for thought reading some of these anecdotes, especially since I'm the sort of person who'd notice every new scratch.
Something I really hate which too many people do - adjusting the mounting studs on a stop tailpiece or PRS stoptail with the strings under tension, so the plating around the slot of the stud gets chipped or chewed up and leaves sharp edges. Argh!
Man this would drive me nuts!
Does anyone know a reliable, trustworthy and decent guitar and bass tech in Manchester?
Reminds me of my colleagues newish car that came back from having a proper valet with scratches all over every single window....she only went to keep her car looking fresh and came back with it much worse.
I have two sad stories my self, one from a few years ago on a 2014 r9, took it to the "tech" for rewiring and the dude left few spots on the back of it on the nitro finish and acted like they were there from the start. And what a freaking mess he left around pots on the finish too...
Later he admitted the hot melted soldering wire somehow got on the finish and made a small holes through the nitro finish.
The other one got me really pissed, the guy is super talented and the best tech I ever met otherwise but..
I owned a super nice Momose Stratocaster (they are easily Fender CS guitars and beyond), I loooved that guitar to death and because on many occasions I'm short with time and I hate dealing with trems, I took it to this guy for a bloody restring and usual setup. Got it back without an original nut which was cut to perfection, made of bone but he changed it for some plasticky thing.
I never asked him to do that and the guitar never felt and played the same again... and the worst thing, he threw that nut away! Momose do their stuff like Huber and/or Hartung and such if not better, the fretwork is pure perfection too, so sadly I had to sell it as there was no real love after that. It wasn't done bad but it just wasn't that good.
This one is still hunting me...
Check how Momose do it. I have a telecaster from them and it's out of this world lovely.
The pic is not mine but the guitar is just like mine, same model and all...
Me while dropping it off: "It's a left handed guitar, but it's non-cutaway so it looks symmetrical - make sure you put the strap pin on the correct side of the neck!"
Him: "Of course, no worries".
Me two days later, phoning him to check whether it's done: "Is it done yet?"
Him: "No, but it's next on my list! It'll be ready by the end of the day."
Me: "Don't forget, it's left handed, so please make sure you put the strap pin on the correct side of the neck!"
Him, slightly annoyed that I'd reminded him again: "Of course, I'm not an idiot".
10 minutes later my phone rings, it's the tech: "I'm so sorry, but I've drilled the hole on the wrong side of the neck".
Me:
He filled in the hole and didn't charge me for the job, but every time I play that guitar and see that little filled hole it annoys me.