Lost faith in my local guitar repair place

JohnW63

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I happened to be at a music store, ordering something for my kid, for HS Graduation and stopped in the repair place across the way to ask about replacing the slipped pick guard on my D-55. The guy is talkative and we had a little bit of a lengthy conversation about guitars, and Guild guitars and Martin and a few other things. His lack of understanding that Guilds did NOT stop being made in the US years back, ( I think he is thinking of when the GAD Series started ) and what their quality is like, ( He thought a 2008 Guild D-55 was no longer made here and might have inferior wood from Asia ) and that the NS guitars I have, being made in Asia would not hold up very long, and I would stop liking them in a year. When I veered into what Taylor, he spoke as if they didn't sell anywhere near as many guitars as Martin. ( Um... they sell MORE ) and when I mentioned the new V bracing they were trying, he said everyone was just trying to do what Martin has already done. Oh, and Guild has a problem with their neck blocks shrinking and Gibson and Martin had that figured out years ago. Oh, and no need to humidify a guitar, if it has quality wood. It would settle in and might need a taller saddle, but it will be fine. Like all those old Martins.

He told me to bring in my D-55 for him to take a look at. I said, " Sure. I will. " and left. I don't think I'll be back. Why would I let someone work on it, if they don't know the facts about the brand and seem to have a real obvious bias ?

Now, I have to find someone else. Or learn to fix my own stuff.
 

mavuser

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"no need to humidify a guitar if it has quality wood"

yeah, quality plywood covered in thick polyurethane...needs no humidity. i guess thats what he meant
 

GAD

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The more you learn about a product the more frustrating your retail experiences will be.
 

davismanLV

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That's one of my problems here in Vegas. I have a difficult time finding people who can do quality work and you KNOW there are tons of musicians in this town. I talked to the Cowtown Guitars guy that's on Pawn Stars occasionally. He was very unhelpful about even a tuner replacement!! He motioned to his rack of jobs pending and said, "Right, take a number!"

Excuse me? And so I learned to change my own tuners and learned about Grover's warranty on them and decided that although he's a "legit luthier" that I'm more invested in my guitar than he is and so began my journey into home repairs. Of course Don building two guitars during that time helped a lot but..... I still think my D65S needs a decent setup and I wish there was someone I trusted to do the job. There are people here that have an AMAZING reputation, but then you read the reviews where that particular person never touched the guitar and it got messed it up. This is the ONLY time EVER that I'm sad I don't live near Dave Jacobs in Florida. Honestly, I don't wanna ship cross country and ..... who you gonna call????
 

bobouz

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It's quite sad, but guitar repairmen seem to spread almost as much baloney about instruments as salespeople! I'm amazed by what they think they know, but don't know. Therefore, I haven't used one since the '70s, and only purchase an instrument needing repairs if I'm confident I can do it myself.

If the day does come where I feel the work is beyond me, the luthier's reputation will need to be stellar, and I'll need to see a portfolio of his or her work. I wouldn't want a second-rate doctor to work on my body, and I don't want a second-rate guitar guy to work on my instruments!
 

Stuball48

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It's quite sad, but guitar repairmen seem to spread almost as much baloney about instruments as salespeople! I'm amazed by what they think they know, but don't know. Therefore, I haven't used one since the '70s, and only purchase an instrument needing repairs if I'm confident I can do it myself.

If the day does come where I feel the work is beyond me, the luthier's reputation will need to be stellar, and I'll need to see a portfolio of his or her work. I wouldn't want a second-rate doctor to work on my body, and I don't want a second-rate guitar guy to work on my instruments!
Well said
 
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The local guys always have a ego, I do a lot a work myself and for big needs there there are great stella luthers who are true stars with no ego!
 

fronobulax

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I routinely come across people who do not know as much about a brand or technology as I do. When they are trying to sell me something it is a concern but if the conversation is just casual and not directly related to the task at hand, the ignorance does no harm. In the case of guitar repair the chances are pretty good than little to no brand specific knowledge is required for most repairs on a guitar, regardless of brand. So in my case this guy's obvious pro-Martin bias and Guild ignorance would not stop me from giving him the job.

BUT....

As a repair tech for any wooden instrument I expect him to understand the proper care and his comment about humidity is flat out wrong. If he can't get that right I don't want to find out what else he believes about the care of guitars that is also wrong. I'm going somewhere else.

I note the analogy to automobile repair. You have brand specific dealers who repair the brand they sell, independent shops who specialize in a collection of brands, shops that will try and fix anything and shade tree mechanics. All of them can do an oil change. But not all of them could, for example, replace a deployed air bag. And there are some people who will pay more for service from a dealer, who presumably knows more about the particular car than anyone else, whether or not that knowledge is actually needed for the task at hand.
 

dapmdave

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That's one of my problems here in Vegas. I have a difficult time finding people who can do quality work and you KNOW there are tons of musicians in this town. I talked to the Cowtown Guitars guy that's on Pawn Stars occasionally. He was very unhelpful about even a tuner replacement!! He motioned to his rack of jobs pending and said, "Right, take a number!"

Excuse me? And so I learned to change my own tuners and learned about Grover's warranty on them and decided that although he's a "legit luthier" that I'm more invested in my guitar than he is and so began my journey into home repairs. Of course Don building two guitars during that time helped a lot but..... I still think my D65S needs a decent setup and I wish there was someone I trusted to do the job. There are people here that have an AMAZING reputation, but then you read the reviews where that particular person never touched the guitar and it got messed it up. This is the ONLY time EVER that I'm sad I don't live near Dave Jacobs in Florida. Honestly, I don't wanna ship cross country and ..... who you gonna call????

Tom, thanks for the compliment. I have to tell you, however, that you probably should credit Tom Jacobs rather than me. I work at his shop but he's the craftsman.
 

dreadnut

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Fortunately I live close enough to Elderly Instruments that I utilize their repair shop when I need work done.
 

Stuball48

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Dave:
Your statement reveals humility--and although I have never met you or dealt guitar repair with you---you are probably more skilled and meticulous than you admit. And I bet Jacob would agree. If I were within a 4 hour drive of you, my repairs would be with your shop.
 

walrus

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I have a local guitar shop that still does great repair work, and in fact knows a lot about Guilds, and other guitars. I'm lucky.

I had a small finish issue with my PRS, and went to a different local place that actually sells PRS guitars. The repair guy there was not helpful at all, and in fact gave me incorrect information! I knew more than him from simply searching the Internet. Ended up fixing it myself by communicating with someone on a PRS forum (much to my amazement - I'm not that handy!).

walrus
 

mavuser

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i have a fantastic local luthier, but I needed a Guild refinished to factory NCL spec and he told me without hesitation, "I am not your man for that"

I waited until the next time I needed to drive to Florida, and with making the arrangements with Dave, off to Jacobs Customs I went. 25 hours later, the guitar was in the shop. I even brought a second Guild, just to show them what to copy! (which they NAILED btw). anyway, it was done in a month or 2. they waited for mild weather (for January) and fed exed it back. this was a grand-slam home run, they are highly recommended.
 

adorshki

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He told me to bring in my D-55 for him to take a look at. I said, " Sure. I will. " and left. I don't think I'll be back. Why would I let someone work on it, if they don't know the facts about the brand and seem to have a real obvious bias ?
You shouldn't and your thinking is valid. Would you trust your Mustang to somebody who was prejudiced against Fords?

Now, I have to find someone else. Or learn to fix my own stuff.
My sympathies are with you.
THE more I hear about Fixit the more I consider taking the shipping plunge.
F65ce needs a bridge lift repair.
Which might entail some finish touch-up.
That alone is problematic here in CA.
 
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mavuser

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THE more I hear about Fixit the more I consider taking the shipping plunge.
F65ce needs a bridge lift repair.
Which might entail some finish touch-up.
That alone is problematic here in CA.

Al, there must be someone in San Fransisco that can take care of that for you, and get it right the first time...no?
 

adorshki

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Al, there must be someone in San Fransisco that can take care of that for you, and get it right the first time...no?
It's the NCL part that's a big hurdle here.
It's why CB Perkins, 50-year authorized Guild dealer and repair center, advised "Watch and Wait" about 10 years ago.
They couldn't spray.
Now they don't even do authorized repair anymore.
I have faith in a local guy who did the refret on my D25 a few years back, to do the actual re-glue, but again, he doesn't spray, should it become necessary. (Keith Holland's Guitar Hospital, also favorably reviewed by member JCWU)
I'd have faith in Gryphon (Frank Ford's shop) but there's like at least a 2 year wait, IF they'll take it..given how much more profitable/high profile industry business comes knocking on their door every day.

Anyway I'm fully an hour south of the city and I don't intend to spend that much time driving back and forth just to eyeball a guy's shop before I actually commit.
And I still believe it should qualify as a warranty job but that means shipping o Cordoba.
Whom I don't actually trust to get it right.
Fixit's authorized, but shipping cost may nullify the cost advantage of getting warranty repair from him OR Cordoba.
So might as well keep it local non-warranty if I can find somebody who can spray.
Let's just say I've heard of "trade-only" shops that will still do it , "off the radar"..
 
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davismanLV

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Tom, thanks for the compliment. I have to tell you, however, that you probably should credit Tom Jacobs rather than me. I work at his shop but he's the craftsman.
Sorry, Dave!! I was thinking of Tom Jacobs and also of you and I kinda mixed the names up!! I'd trust my guitars to either of you, though. Sorry about the mess up. Sometimes my fingers type what's going through my head at the moment!!
 

JohnW63

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I asked the guy who runs "LA Guitar Sales" in Hollywood about who he trusts and uses, and he suggested a guy a few blocks from him. Says he's used him for years. His web site seems more like a builder than a small fix guy. Battling the LA traffic at least twice and hoping my little job doesn't take a long back seat to bigger jobs is always part of the concern. I may call him up and see.
 

GuildFS4612CE

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If that's David Neely, he's quite good...he does repairs...has experience with Guilds...just avoid rush hour and you'll be fine...nice gentleman, interesting shop...even if he's not what you're looking for, you'll enjoy the visit.
 
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