Mike_L Posted June 28, 2015 Share Posted June 28, 2015 Except for major repairs. Last year I took my brand new Les Paul Traditional to a local luthier for some serious string buzzing. Turns out the nut was cut too low. He replaces the nut... with the exact same dimensions as the original nut. Buzz remains. It gets better. I go to pick the guitar up and he is just finishing the set up. A couple of local wannabes are in the store too. One volunteers to mention what a sweet guitar I have as the luthier let him 'try it out'. WTF??? I get the guitar home and notice a few new minor dings in the finish as icing on the cake. I wonder if it was him or the wannabe that added the icing to the cake. I ended up teaching myself how to replace a nut (thanks StewMac.com). Now she sounds and plays perfect. Two months ago, I found a luthier in Osaka, a custom guitar builder, to fix the neck crack in my ES-355. He did a beautiful job on the neck repair. But somehow the guitar looks like it aged five years. Spots in the finish, sawdust from his shop everywhere. Even a few light scratches in the new lacquer on the neck probably from a ring. A few new dings in the finish of an otherwise brand new guitar. I'm pissed. I've now decided other than major structural repair, I'm doing my own setups and component swaps. If a luthier can't treat guitars as their own, they aren't getting my business. Rant off. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
glp2012 Posted June 28, 2015 Share Posted June 28, 2015 Well, if you want something done right, do it yourself. However, you do bring up the question of what is the Luthiers job. Is it to clean your guitar after he's finished setting it up? Is it to diagnose and recommend or make repairs as specified by the customer? I'm sure there's a guy out there who would be upset that the luthier cleaned his guitar because it removed all his mojo. I'm not sure about replacing string buzz for string buzz though... Oh, I do agree that it is not his job to let other people play another customers guitar. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike_L Posted June 28, 2015 Author Share Posted June 28, 2015 Well, if you want something done right, do it yourself. However, you do bring up the question of what is the Luthiers job. Is it to clean your guitar after he's finished setting it up? Is it to diagnose and recommend or make repairs as specified by the customer? I'm sure there's a guy out there who would be upset that the luthier cleaned his guitar because it removed all his mojo. I'm not sure about replacing string buzz for string buzz though... Oh, I do agree that it is not his job to let other people play another customers guitar. I would think it's the luthier's job to return the guitar in the same condition received, minus the discrepancies, not looking like it just went on a five year tour. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Searcy Posted June 28, 2015 Share Posted June 28, 2015 A luthiers job is to build instruments. They don't do setup or repair for the public. That's done by a setup and repair guy or a tech. Two totally different art forms. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brc Posted June 28, 2015 Share Posted June 28, 2015 Except for major repairs. Last year I took my brand new Les Paul Traditional to a local luthier for some serious string buzzing. Turns out the nut was cut too low. He replaces the nut... with the exact same dimensions as the original nut. Buzz remains. It gets better. I go to pick the guitar up and he is just finishing the set up. A couple of local wannabes are in the store too. One volunteers to mention what a sweet guitar I have as the luthier let him 'try it out'. WTF??? I get the guitar home and notice a few new minor dings in the finish as icing on the cake. I wonder if it was him or the wannabe that added the icing to the cake. I ended up teaching myself how to replace a nut (thanks StewMac.com). Now she sounds and plays perfect. Two months ago, I found a luthier in Osaka, a custom guitar builder, to fix the neck crack in my ES-355. He did a beautiful job on the neck repair. But somehow the guitar looks like it aged five years. Spots in the finish, sawdust from his shop everywhere. Even a few light scratches in the new lacquer on the neck probably from a ring. A few new dings in the finish of an otherwise brand new guitar. I'm pissed. I've now decided other than major structural repair, I'm doing my own setups and component swaps. If a luthier can't treat guitars as their own, they aren't getting my business. Rant off. Were you there picking up your guitar as he was finishing up the job? Sounds like you were there just as he completed the job and the "wannabes" we're there at the same time. If so why did you not say no as he handed the guitar over to them. It's your guitar and if you don't want a stranger playing it, you should have stopped it before he passed the guitar to them. I think I would have said "hell no" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Farnsbarns Posted June 28, 2015 Share Posted June 28, 2015 Well, if you want something done right, do it yourself. However, you do bring up the question of what is the Luthiers job. Is it to clean your guitar after he's finished setting it up? Is it to diagnose and recommend or make repairs as specified by the customer? I'm sure there's a guy out there who would be upset that the luthier cleaned his guitar because it removed all his mojo. I'm not sure about replacing string buzz for string buzz though... Oh, I do agree that it is not his job to let other people play another customers guitar. Me. I had a fret dress on my R8 and specifically asked the man not to buff my guitar. He's a very good luthier called Joe White... www.jwhite-guitarworkshops.co.uk ... who also offers setup and repair services. I know he would generally clean up and buff a guitar after working on it. Clean is one thing but I like my scratches and scrapes, I made them and I had a lot of fun doing it. I also like the slightly dull look of lacquer covered in very fine swirls, inevitable with a few years use. I'm perfectly capable of cleaning off finger prints and sweat myself and, of course, did so before I dropped the guitar off. He was very gracious about my balmy request and, of course, obliged without question. That was my third visit to Joe (6th actually, in pairs of drop and collect) and he invited me into the workshop which was apparently a rare prvillage. Business is usually done in the comfort of Joe's home. Always with a blinding cup of tea! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
surfpup Posted June 28, 2015 Share Posted June 28, 2015 I've now decided other than major structural repair, I'm doing my own setups and component swaps. If a luthier can't treat guitars as their own, they aren't getting my business. I've never had anyone set up an instrument - always done it myself (and done quite a few for others too). You won't regret learning to do it yourself. A luthiers job is to build instruments. They don't do setup or repair for the public. That's done by a setup and repair guy or a tech. Two totally different art forms. Yep. And while a luthier can likely do a great setup - a tech isn't that likely to have real luthiery skills. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Searcy Posted June 28, 2015 Share Posted June 28, 2015 I've never had anyone set up an instrument - always done it myself (and done quite a few for others too). You won't regret learning to do it yourself. Yep. And while a luthier can likely do a great setup - a tech isn't that likely to have real luthiery skills. It depends on the guitar. A luthier is likely going to be good at setting up guitars like the one he makes. But if you have a luthier that makes Tele copies all day long you wouldn't take your price 1940's Martin to him for a neck reset. You would go to a good repair specialist. Whole different set of skills. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
4Hayden Posted June 28, 2015 Share Posted June 28, 2015 It depends on the guitar. A luthier is likely going to be good at setting up guitars like the one he makes. But if you have a luthier that makes Tele copies all day long you wouldn't take your price 1940's Martin to him for a neck reset. You would go to a good repair specialist. Whole different set of skills. Alot of difference in making a guitar and setting one up 4H Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Izzy Posted June 28, 2015 Share Posted June 28, 2015 A luthiers job is to build instruments. They don't do setup or repair for the public. That's done by a setup and repair guy or a tech. Two totally different art forms. Down here in Houston we have Niel Sargent who builds really great guitars. That is his passion. But he also enjoys re-fretting classics...he also needs to pay for his shop so he does things like basic set-ups. He sets my guitars up and replaces things or sands down things or just improves stuff for $20. He will tell you straight up if the cost of the repair would outprice a new item...I love this guy. My stuff is always way more comfortable to play after he finishes with them. Frankly, I just like helping him stay in business. Also, I wouldn't know if a truss rod needs adjusting and frankly, I would rather spend the time and energy playing the thing than fixing or learning to fix a guitar, if only because I know my limitations. I get impatient very quickly. That is NOT a good thing when fixing a delicate thing. I'll let Niel take my money because in the end, if he goes out of business because we all do our own set-ups....who will fix a broken guitar neck? Not the idiots at GC, tell you what! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike_L Posted June 28, 2015 Author Share Posted June 28, 2015 Were you there picking up your guitar as he was finishing up the job? Sounds like you were there just as he completed the job and the "wannabes" we're there at the same time. If so why did you not say no as he handed the guitar over to them. It's your guitar and if you don't want a stranger playing it, you should have stopped it before he passed the guitar to them. I think I would have said "hell no" They had already had their fun before I got there. No, I would not have allowed them anywhere near my guitar. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brc Posted June 28, 2015 Share Posted June 28, 2015 That would have just pissed me off. There are some guitars you just don't want others to play or even touch. If you are as picky as I am about some if mine, every time you see the scratches it's going to remind you of that day. Of course I have some that I would not mind "too much" if he let a stranger look at or play , but still that' should be your choice of who does or does not play it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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