If there's anything I hate...

[Grey]

Correct, this was a message on Facebook, which does show when something is "read", or at least opened. But there are read receipts in text messaging, although you have to enable it. I have it on when I use my iPhone, so that my wife can see when I've read what she's written to me even if I don't respond to her.

Totally unrelated but that applies to this forum as well. If you send a PM to someone it stays in your "Outbox" until it's been opened by the recipient, then it moves to your "Sent Messages" folder.

[dylanafghjkl]

He was unavailable a few months ago when I needed my VM Jag setup asap. The first guy I took it to was old school I guess. He wondered why I would bother paying for a: A Squier guitar, b: an offset, c: a setup for such an abomination, and by the way this (Mastery) bridge looks like weird foreign unusable crap that he could "try" if I "paid him to" but otherwise I should maybe save up for a real guitar.

Very relatable. Would do the same thing if I ever saw an offset.

Honestly the only time this stuff has ever happened to me is when I tried to get someone to take a look at an old yamaha fx500 that I'd bought on ebay that didn't work. The seller refunded me immediately and never asked for it back so I figured I'd try find someone to look at it. Took it to a shop I was recommended and the guy kinda scratched his head for a few seconds and said "Yeah I think I can fix this. We'll have it ready in about two weeks." (Of course)

About 8 months later after a few calls and "We're really busy blah blah" I get a call from one of the other guys in the shop saying "Hey dude, [the guy] is in hospital and probably won't be coming back out so we're getting everyone's gear back to them, sorry about this etc etc." and I go pick it up and sell it on ebay as broken, get about $20 for it and get in my feedback that it was just the wrong power supply and it worked great

But anyway, DIY or die unless it's scary electronics in which case it's probably just die.

[shoule79]

I'll play. My old Les Paul took a tumble. Luckily the only damage was a the back of one of the tuners was coming apart. Simple fix right?

Being new in town I took it to Long & McQuade (Canada's Guitar Center). Guess how long it took to get it back? 8 months.

Angry phone calls didn't do anything, but after an angry trip to the shop it was back in a couple days.

One of the guys who works in the store (not the tech) had a thing for the guitar and wanted to buy it off me. I think that may have had something to do with the delay.

[Embenny]

I'll play. My old Les Paul took a tumble. Luckily the only damage was a the back of one of the tuners was coming apart. Simple fix right?

Being new in town I took it to Long & McQuade (Canada's Guitar Center). Guess how long it took to get it back? 8 months.

Angry phone calls didn't do anything, but after an angry trip to the shop it was back in a couple days.

One of the guys who works in the store (not the tech) had a thing for the guitar and wanted to buy it off me. I think that may have had something to do with the delay.

Oh man, that's brutal! Not br00tal, just brutal. I'd never take anything back there. The thought of that jerk playing your guitar when you were waiting to get it back is just so wrong.

[eternal learner]

As a lot of diy guitar people i started on that path three years ago after being $eriously overcharged for a few minutes work. With the advent of the 'net especially youtube and some forums, set ups, refret level and profile, bone nuts , wiring mods etc are all enjoyable and rewarding tasks. Have built up basic tool set, with experience i have learned which tools were a waste of money (any diamond coated files) and which were invaluable even if cheap. About to launch into the mascis JM for a makeover.

[Squirrel]

Oh man, and I thought I was the only one who has to deal with this shit. I currently live in Bumfucknowheresville, Somerset and the only game in town is over an hour's drive away, we'll call them Magenta Guitars (only the shade of red has been changed). Whenever I give them any of my stuff they won't do shit with it until I email them to ask what the fuck is taking so long. I once gave them an SG for a headstock repair that took six months, another time I gave them a Les Paul which needed its top refinishing, and IIRC they had it for a literal fucking year before I got so pissed off that I asked for it back, even though it still wasn't done. I've not been there in over a year but I currently have a few guitars that need work and I'm seriously considering just selling them and buying different guitars.

[Larry Mal]

Yeah, it would be one thing if I lived in the middle of nowhere, but I'm in a metropolitan area of a few million people. I think it's just the sort of person who goes into this line of work in the first place, maybe.

[jorri]

Oh man, and I thought I was the only one who has to deal with this shit. I currently live in Bumfucknowheresville, Somerset and the only game in town is over an hour's drive away, we'll call them Magenta Guitars (only the shade of red has been changed). Whenever I give them any of my stuff they won't do shit with it until I email them to ask what the fuck is taking so long. I once gave them an SG for a headstock repair that took six months, another time I gave them a Les Paul which needed its top refinishing, and IIRC they had it for a literal fucking year before I got so pissed off that I asked for it back, even though it still wasn't done. I've not been there in over a year but I currently have a few guitars that need work and I'm seriously considering just selling them and buying different guitars.

Know an ok guy in trowbridge and bristol but im guessing you are out west?

[crankheart]

Had a few very similar experiences over the last couple of years -

- 3 months for a new nut and a fret dress, had to resort to calling the guy every single day of the week to get one of his team to do it. When I got it back the frets had been levelled, but it hadn't been intonated at all and the neck was bowed back.
- 6 months to get a headstock finished and a new nut cut, the headstock came back in the wrong colour and the nut was cut with the wrong material, despite having the worksheet the guy filled out attached to the headstock, that one also came back with a bunch of scratches on the body.
- A set-up that took just a couple of days, but literally all the guy had done was take out a stewmac shim "for more sustain", ramp up the string height and clean the fretboard.

All of these were at popular, well regarded and reputable techs within about 30 minutes drive from where I live, none of them were cheap and only the headstock guy forfeited payment for the paint work because I'd have to do it all again and they'd scratched the body.

The thing that really pisses me off about guitar techs, though, more than the shoddy work and lack of care, is that they ALWAYS play a wanky blues lick on your guitar before they hand it back to you to check over. It's inexcusable.

[Squirrel]

Know an ok guy in trowbridge and bristol but im guessing you are out west?

Hmm, Trowbridge isn't a million miles away from me (in fact it might even be closer than the place I've been going to), what's his name?

[jorri]

Know an ok guy in trowbridge and bristol but im guessing you are out west?

Hmm, Trowbridge isn't a million miles away from me (in fact it might even be closer than the place I've been going to), what's his name?

SMP artizan is the business name-spelt with the Z. Ive had amp work done but i know a few others that were happy with jazzmaster work.

[Squirrel]

SMP artizan is the business name-spelt with the Z. Ive had amp work done but i know a few others that were happy with jazzmaster work.

Cool thanks, I'll give them a go!

[stompbox]

I'll play. My old Les Paul took a tumble. Luckily the only damage was a the back of one of the tuners was coming apart. Simple fix right?

Being new in town I took it to Long & McQuade (Canada's Guitar Center). Guess how long it took to get it back? 8 months.

Angry phone calls didn't do anything, but after an angry trip to the shop it was back in a couple days.

One of the guys who works in the store (not the tech) had a thing for the guitar and wanted to buy it off me. I think that may have had something to do with the delay.

Based on my experience, I would NEVER take a piece of gear (guitar or amp) to L&M for repair. They are fine for rentals and buying strings. I cringe every time I hear someone up at the counter buying tubes and dealing with someone who is absolutely clueless. Support your local guitar shops when you can, and find yourself a luthier you can trust!

[Larry Mal]

May 3rd will be my six month date of contacting the guy about the work to be done on my Mustang. That's when I will contact him again, asking for an update. If no work has been started at that point, which is my prediction, I'll go get it back.

Any guesses as to what the answer is?

[Grey]

Any guesses as to what the answer is?

Been super busy, swamped, got some family stuff going on, really sorry, gonna start on your guitar right now should be done in 2 weeks.