If there's anything I hate...

For help with setups and other technical issues.
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Larry Mal
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Re: If there's anything I hate...

Post by Larry Mal » Thu Apr 27, 2017 11:47 am

That's a good guess! However, I happen to see a Facebook page which details all kinds of work being done. It can't all have been backlogged before my November 3 date of contact, can it?

So that'll just piss me off.
Back in those days, everyone knew that if you were talking about Destiny's Child, you were talking about Beyonce, LaTavia, LeToya, and Larry.

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Re: If there's anything I hate...

Post by Grey » Thu Apr 27, 2017 11:57 am

Those are the kind of responses I got, I think my favorite of which was seeing a photo posted of a body being built for another customer, where the guy had my original neck in the photo being used as a size template. ::)

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Re: If there's anything I hate...

Post by Supa-Stang » Thu Apr 27, 2017 12:02 pm

Totally agree with the comment earlier that this is common with 'nerd' hobbies. I occasionally cycle and make the odd model kit to pass the time. Where there is an element of "arcaneness" to the stuff that needs doing then you get poor service because there simply isn't any competition.

Having a similar experience with a guitar parts firm. Sent a relatively detailed enquiry a while back, waited and got a terse response half answering the last sentence of about two paragraphs of technical enquiries. Still waiting on the rest. Like I'm ready to give the guy ££££ is that the best he can do?

I'm more than happy to cough up good money for a good job but damn I wish sometimes I could leave the shop with a smile on my face because I got a great product and a great service.

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Larry Mal
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Re: If there's anything I hate...

Post by Larry Mal » Thu Apr 27, 2017 12:41 pm

Right. And you'd think that someone who works on guitars would know how important they are to people. Why would you go into this kind of work just to make something that really means a lot to people a fucking hassle? I just want to play my new Mustang, and can't, and don't know why, and don't know when. And I'm going to have to fucking argue about it and if I would have known it would be a source of frustration I wouldn't have bought it in the first place.
Back in those days, everyone knew that if you were talking about Destiny's Child, you were talking about Beyonce, LaTavia, LeToya, and Larry.

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Re: If there's anything I hate...

Post by somanytoys » Thu Apr 27, 2017 12:51 pm

I don't know, but I have to admit, every city that I've lived in, those are usually the types that end up in those kinds of jobs at those kinds of places. It's one thing to be a slacker as a counter jockey, ringing up strings and cables, but not as the service backbone of the place.

It seems like if you are good at setting up and repairing, and had any kind of a decent work ethic (I guess I should stop right there...), you could be making a decent amount of money moving guitars through a place, especially if it was your own place. Every city and most bigger towns have musicians that need these services, that don't know how or have the time or whatever to set them up or repair them, so it seems like there would be a lot of money to be made, unless business is just too sporadic - but if you're good, that doesn't seem like it would be so much of a problem.

Good luck when you do talk to him.
-David

It's a boost booster, to boost your boost - it makes your tone much muchier.

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Re: If there's anything I hate...

Post by Con-Tiki! » Mon May 01, 2017 4:34 am

Larry Mal wrote:Right. And you'd think that someone who works on guitars would know how important they are to people. Why would you go into this kind of work just to make something that really means a lot to people a fucking hassle? I just want to play my new Mustang, and can't, and don't know why, and don't know when. And I'm going to have to fucking argue about it and if I would have known it would be a source of frustration I wouldn't have bought it in the first place.
holy smokes, man.
I just found this thread (by way of your tele bridge f/s thing). I'm sorry you've been this pissed for so long. It's not good for you.
Drive around town, pickup all your missing gear.
Guitar techs all seem to start out as musicians. It should be no surprise that most turn out to be flakes.
I've been a working artist for 30 years, have met a ton of creative types, 95% flake-rate.

the guy i use, (which isn't often because I took the same 'do it myself' road you did) always asks "when do you need this back?"
when i give him a date, he either says "Okay." or "Cant do it."
He's been around forever, and understands that instruments are tools. Can't work without your tools.

i have to believe there's someone in St L who has their shit together.
I really hope you find them.
(Christopher, also)
I've been to one World's Fair, a picnic, and a rodeo, and that's the stupidest thing i ever heard come out a pair of headphones.

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Larry Mal
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Re: If there's anything I hate...

Post by Larry Mal » Mon May 01, 2017 6:29 am

Con-Tiki! wrote: It's not good for you... drive around town, pickup all your missing gear.
No it isn't, and frankly this is supposed to be the thing I do for enjoyment, so if I'm not actually enjoying it then it's got to go. If this Mustang hasn't been started in two days, then I'll collect it, and put it in the closet for who knows how long, then at some point hopefully I'll never care about it and admit I took a bath on this guitar and trade it on. I really don't need frustration in my life like this, I mean things are great, but time is tight to say the least and about to get tighter and I don't have time to deal with lackluster guitar techs who can't be bothered to send an email over the course of six months.

This will be the last piece of gear that isn't with me. If I'm wise, I'll enter a holding pattern where I play the guitars I have that actually play well- well over a dozen- and not give a shit about the ones that need work for a while.

If there's a good and fast guitar tech in St. Louis, I don't know who that is, and I don't know where to look. It might be time to add to my skills regarding fret and nut work, and eliminate more visits to technicians in the future. I don't usually care about the finishes on guitars, in this case though, I do and don't see me being able to do decently by this Mustang, so in the closet she goes.
Back in those days, everyone knew that if you were talking about Destiny's Child, you were talking about Beyonce, LaTavia, LeToya, and Larry.

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Larry Mal
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Re: If there's anything I hate...

Post by Larry Mal » Wed May 03, 2017 5:07 pm

Nothing had been done to the guitar.

It's still with him. He apologized, and all that. Asked for a couple of days. He'll get it. I wouldn't have picked it up until the weekend or so anyway.
Back in those days, everyone knew that if you were talking about Destiny's Child, you were talking about Beyonce, LaTavia, LeToya, and Larry.

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Re: If there's anything I hate...

Post by Grey » Wed May 03, 2017 5:20 pm

Larry Mal wrote:Nothing had been done to the guitar. He apologized, and all that. Asked for a couple of days.
Couple of days, couple of weeks. I was close.

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Larry Mal
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Re: If there's anything I hate...

Post by Larry Mal » Wed May 03, 2017 5:26 pm

Right. I think we've many of us heard the same routine.
Back in those days, everyone knew that if you were talking about Destiny's Child, you were talking about Beyonce, LaTavia, LeToya, and Larry.

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Re: If there's anything I hate...

Post by Grey » Wed May 03, 2017 7:03 pm

It's sad that it's so common. I did my research, my due dilligence, and I sent my guitar to the guy who was supposed to be "the best" according to what I learned. If you can't trust "the best" who can you trust? How are you supposed to find someone reliable if you can't rely on what other people are telling you?

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Re: If there's anything I hate...

Post by JVG » Wed Jul 05, 2017 3:12 pm

Excuse me while I have a rant....

About 3 months ago, I sent a pickguard to a well known (and respected) pickguard guy to be duplicated in a different material. It came back about a month later, and was somehow a bit out of whack with the orginal, and didn't quite fit the guitar.

After some email discussion, he asked me to send both back (the original and copy) to check out the problem. I obliged, even though the shipping (overseas) was half as much as the guard price. I waited about 3 weeks then sent a polite email checking he'd received the guard. I knew he had, because it was tracked shipping. No reply. Waited another 3 weeks and sent a polite but firmer email. No reply. Three weeks later and I've just sent a very firm (but fair) email.

I know the guy sees emails, because when I've previously had questions about new projects I've got a fast response. But since this job is only fixing an old project, it seems he's not interested. Either that, or he's lost my guard, which he did on a previous occassion, much to my dismay.

So, as it stands, I've paid $60 for a new guard I don't have, I no longer have the original guard, and I've paid 2 lots of $30 postage.

If he sorts it out, all will be forgiven (well, almost all), but as it stands I'm not pleased.

Thanks for enduring my whining!
J.

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Re: If there's anything I hate...

Post by eternal learner » Sun Jul 30, 2017 6:04 am

Earlier this year i bought 2 jazz master pick guards fro one of the chinese eBay sellers, both 4 layer, one a pearl red the other red tort, they were $9 aud each inc post. Were they as good as the one you are aiming at? don't know, but for the outlay they are bloody brilliant! :)

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Re: If there's anything I hate...

Post by ludobag1 » Fri Oct 20, 2017 1:21 pm

One thing i Can tell you ,more than one week to do a set up ,go to an another place
More than 3 weeks for a refret ,same
Learn to do your set up yourself it Will bé les long ,if you try it without forcing thé thing you won t break anything
For refret or leveling you need to buy an cheap neck and try on it ,the tool needed are not special you surely have in your tool box
For years i diy all cause i have same expérience too, real long for a simple set up that i have to retouch cause it is not what i want
Gold Tech are rare but still exist, i doesn t trust the store Tech often cause he is only good to change string ,,some place are better but a real luthier is thé way to go if you want something good with a real Delay

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August
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Re: If there's anything I hate...

Post by August » Mon Oct 23, 2017 7:37 pm

It's been something like 15 years since I've taken anything in for repair. Back then— and I was much younger than the "pros" at the shops—I can't honestly say I'd have hired those dudes to cut my lawn if I'd owned one. There was a reason I stopped going to them.

Fast forward to today, and I just picked up a guitar from having had work done on it at a highly recommended repair business. I do all of my own repairs, and generally know enough to not buy a stinker, but this time I'd managed to take home an acoustic with a factory misplaced saddle. I'd taken it in because I don't have the router/bit/templates/practice at such repairs, and their site states the price of an intonated saddle is $45; a relocated bridge $100. So I figured ≈ $150 to just widen the slot and make an intonated saddle would save me time, risk, and money.

Well, 2 1/2 weeks later it was ready. When I went to pick it up though, they told me it didn't need the saddle widened/re-slotted. They'd made a compensated saddle for it, slapped an extra-heavy set of strings on, and jacked the action up to where it was unplayable. I'd told them when I took it in that it was set up precisely how I wanted it, my chosen strings were provided in the case, and that I wanted the saddle relocated & intonated—that's it—whatever that cost, I would be fine with it.

Well, it's worse than when I brought it in (flat 7-9 cents 4 of 6 strings/no room to sharpen them), 1st position chords will not play in tune. The fee? $150... basically for a new set of strings, the $45 saddle, and "setup" that undid all of my work (I measure in 64ths and thousandths when I do this work). I'll be resetting the action, spending multiple hundreds on a router/bit/template/saddle blanks/maybe need to a new nut slotted for the strings I'll be using etc. It's all I can do to not smash this (new to me) guitar I was hyped to have found after a pretty sh*tty few years. Lesson learned. Never f*cking again.

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