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setup issues, help needed!


jaysen

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hello all, my name is jay. i just found this site due to an issue that occurred to me today. i have a 1996 gibson les paul, limited edition in mint condition. i sent it to a shop near me to be set-up and it came back with scratches on the headstock. im hoping the people here can tell me what caused them. it is so frustrating that i gave them a guitar i kept so well in mint condition and they deny any wrongdoings. they even took it out as soon as i gave it to them to check for damages and said nothing. they had a list to write what was wrong and of course it stayed blank, i even joked with the guy that he wont find anything and he laughed and agreed. my brother was with me and gave in his american fender strat. we both wanted our guitar strings lowered as much as possible. when getting them back the strings were raised and my headstock was scratched. my brothers strat had wood chipped away from where the allen key goes in to adjust the trust rod. the strings now also buzzed. the guy claimed that the fender is warped and my gibson needs to have the frets shaved down at a factory. the problem is that the strings didnt buzz when we gave in the guitars.

here are pictures of my gibson. im hoping people can tell me if they are scratches or cracks and what can be done to fix it. also what does this do to the value of my guitar? thank you in advance for all your help.

gibson008.jpg

gibson007.jpg

gibson010.jpg

gibson001.jpg

gibson002.jpg

gibson003.jpg

gibson004.jpg

gibson005.jpg

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Hi Jay, first off...that's terrible. If this tech did that much damage just replacing strings, I'd hate to see him do any real work. Value wise, don't worry about it because honestly, it's not that much. $100 - $200 max, if you want to put a figure on it.

 

The first thing that came to mind was the strings were bent towards the headstock as they were tightening them...but I don't think that's it. Do yourself a favor and buy a book on guitar maintenance. This won't happen if the guitar doesn't leave your possession. I do set ups myself for this very reason. I recommend Guitar Player Repair Guide by Dan Erlewine.

 

I'm not doubting that your guitar was flawless before you gave it to them, but the scratches in this picture don't look new. It looks like they've been there a while...that or the guy used a rusty tool.

gibson003.jpg
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thanks for the help r9, sorry it was streaked and a big dirty but here are some pictures of it a little cleaned up. the scratches are the thick lines you see here. do these look old as well? the pics make it look worse than it is. the flash just brightens everything. here are some pics with and without flash.

gibson001-1.jpg

gibson002-1.jpg

gibson004-1.jpg

gibson007-1.jpg

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Hey Jaysen, welcome aboard sorry we had to meet under these circumstances. Those scratches really stand out to me, certainly they would have been noticed by the tech. Personally I know each and every flaw on all my guitars, and if you say they weren't there when you dropped it off, then I believe you. Unfortunately, you made one huge mistake...

 

NEVER EVER EVER EVER LET YOUR GUITAR OUT OF YOUR SIGHT

 

Second, don't just let anybody work on your guitar, particularly if you don't know anything about his credentials.

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thanks for the advice... i guess i learned the hard way. my brother works for a studio and knows his stuff well. he told me its a new store but the guys are experienced. now we both got burned. is there any way to repair the scratches? i know my guitar was perfect when i gave it in... the jerk claims he spent hours on it and it needs to be sent to the factory to get the strings from buzzing... yet there was no buzzing when i gave it in... now 2 perfect american guitars are buzzing, go figure. i would love to learn how to do it myself but i dont know where to start and i was told it is crazy difficult. i was sorta hoping someone on this site would be from ny and be able to show me one time. maybe there are simple guide books i can get.

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The thing about setting up is patience. R9's book recommendation is spot on, another alternative is You Tube, just type in guitar set up, and you should get several hits. With the fret buzzing, it probably means your neck is not perfectly straight. A way to check it is lay your guitar on a flat surface and while looking from the side hold down the first and last frets and touch the 12th fret on each string. Look along the entire length of the fret board to see if there is any bowing (bowed up, loosen truss rod, bowed down, tighten the truss rod). Additionally, since you mentioned the strings are farther away from the fret board than when you gave it to the tech, the rotating wheels below the bridge are very easy to move when the tension from the strings has been removed, like when strings are changed. Both of these things can cause string buzz. Shaving frets on a Les Paul should be the last resort and should only be done by someone who is an absolute expert, like Gibson (not the lamo's who got you in this situation). Good luck, this should get you started.

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That hurts and I am truly sorry for your situation. The fear of that is exactly why I learned to do it myself when I started playing a few years ago. I picked up Dan Erlewine's book and found that I actually enjoy the work. Those scratches around the tuners actually look like cracks in the finish. Almost as if the tuners were tightened too much. If they're just scratches than you can do wonders with the right polishes. Use stuff made for guitar finishes and you might be able to get them to where no one except you would ever notice them again. If the finish is cracked though I would think the only thing that would work would be to have the headstock refinished.

 

Don

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I agree with truetone911, the cracks around the nuts look like stress cracks from being over tightened. If you really feel that the scratches were caused by the tech, take it back there, point out the problem and ask if they can buff them out for you.

 

 

Could wind up making things worse tho .... O:)

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Agreed on the stress fractures from what I see in the pictures.

If that is indeed the case only an experianced individual would I trust to make the repairs.

 

I hate to use the term "luthier" because it seems to get tossed around like a fidollaho.

 

Any wood worker worth their salt should be able to repair the cracks .

 

*note* Always take before pictures when leaving something of this nature in someone elses hands .

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i wont be going back there anymore. the guy even called and left a nasty message about not having to do with any damages. im going to get a book or instructional dvd for it. im also looking into a nice polish. please give me some reccomendations. im looking into the book and want to thank everybody for the help.

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Virtuoso Cleaner and Polish is the "only" way to go...

 

Others will tell you different, but the majority will recomend it far and away above the rest.

 

Feel free to PM or email me any time with questions, I will help if at all possible.

 

I feel horrible about your guitar...

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