Should I be upset? VIDEOS ADDED

[RandyVanMartini]

This is why Historic Makeovers exists I assume. Their work looks to be second to none, and probably would have cost you about the same or a little more money but would have been perfect. Not sure if they do frets though...

Yep, a big plus one for Historic Makovers! Kim and Co. do stellar work. I absolutely love the work they did on the R0 that I sent them a few years back. Highly recommended!

 

[Goat]

These are microscopic? Yes, it looks better than before. $1900, man. $1900. Don’t think that’s sunk in for you.

I took the finish off by sanding it off. No chemicals were ever used. He never even asked me how I took the finish off. I did that about 6 years ago. I didn’t play the guitar even that much because it needed too much work. Never sweated on it. How does the wood become compromised? I would understand if it had been in a flood or mold or something like that, but it was just bare wood. I mean, if it was just the bare wood then how did they even get the original finish on it to begin with? This argument doesn’t make sense to me. Not even saying it’s wrong, but I just don’t agree.

It looks fine. Enjoy it!

 

[GreatRedDragon]

In my opinion, that is unacceptable and I would be very disappointed.

 

[void pig]

Welp, I was only trying to help.

You're going to need backing documentation to reverse the charge. You can't do a partial refund iirc.

Step one talking to other luthiers. You may have to go to small claims court.

Half of his fee was the fret work and new hardware.

Based on how he worded the invoice for it to look aged, he will say it met the contract. You are paying someone for their artistry, subjective result may be difficult to argue is incorrect.

Seems like uphill battle. I'd try to enjoy it and put feelers out to other luthiers for refinish maybe in a couple years.

I wouldn't be happy for 1900 either, but idk what you can do here.

 

[void pig]

Btw, fresh wood that has been dried may respond very different to paint than old wood that has been handled and weathered. I'm not sure what correct procedure is to refinish a 45 yo piece of exposed wood.

Talk to another luthier!

 

[Wizard of Ozz]

Pore filler. Gibson uses it on their Historics and others.

 

[Mr. Willy]

Welp, I was only trying to help.

You're going to need backing documentation to reverse the charge. You can't do a partial refund iirc.

Step one talking to other luthiers. You may have to go to small claims court.

Half of his fee was the fret work and new hardware.

Based on how he worded the invoice for it to look aged, he will say it met the contract. You are paying someone for their artistry, subjective result may be difficult to argue is incorrect.

Seems like uphill battle. I'd try to enjoy it and put feelers out to other luthiers for refinish maybe in a couple years.

I wouldn't be happy for 1900 either, but idk what you can do here.

I never agreed to it looking aged. That final bill AFTER the work was done was the first time I ever even saw the word “aged” or heard it in the whole interaction.

I realize I will likely never get a dime back. I realize and am fully aware of everything you’re saying. I’m pissed. And will be for awhile about it. But I’ll get over it and get it fixed. It took me awhile to save up for this work, so now I’ve gotta save up all over again to fix the errors.

Oh yeah, after playing it more last night, got a massive buzz on the low E string around 8th-9th fret. Nice.

This job sucks. I’m going to complain about it here because it makes me feel a little better. Lol

 

[Monkey Man]

Perfectly-understandable "impulse", brother; I'd do the same for sure.

 

[EXPcustom]

When does a refret ever get the nibs?

Whenever I get a guitar refretted that originally had them.

 

[paulyc]

I am not the luthier! I don't know him, I'm not affiliated. I try to do as much of my own work as possible.

I just thought the guitar is much better than those microscopic pics show. The reason it may not have turned out so well as op took the original finish off.

I registered because I did the same exact thing years ago..took off a factory finish which compromised the refinish. It was just too coincidental. I wanted him to know someone else had done this too.

Should the luthier fill the wood with epoxy before painting? I don't even know how to address something like that. He needs to talk to another luthier.

Mods, check this guy’s IP address, if it’s the same as murkrat we have a winner (loser)

 

[Mr. Willy]

Had bad buzzing on the low E string. Checked the fret leveling. Obvious high frets on 3rd and 9th frets.

 

[Goat]

Had bad buzzing on the low E string. Checked the fret leveling. Obvious high frets on 3rd and 9th frets.

Get your money back.

 

[Mr. Willy]

Working on it today, guys. Got my guitar back late Tuesday afternoon. Worked all day Wednesday then church. Tried to give him an opportunity to make it right. Gave him at least two days to decide to give me a partial refund. Worked all day Thursday and Friday. Today is the first real day I’ve had to totally catch my breath and focus on this. I’m working it.

 

[Mr. Willy]

Video evidence of the back of the guitar. I thought these grain patterns would be filled in or at least sanded down more to be less deep. Even so, I could live with that part of the back. The dings that go clear to the wood? Can’t and WILL NOT live with that.

 

[Mr. Willy]

Better picture of the worst tooling marks. They get worse the further up the fretboard you go. I’m NOT referring to the pit on one of those. That was already there. (He still could have fixed that though. But I’m not a professional, what do I know?) The vertical tooling marks (file/razor/whatever) go against the grain and clearly happened during the fret work.

 

[Monkey Man]

 

[void pig]

Video evidence of the back of the guitar. I thought these grain patterns would be filled in or at least sanded down more to be less deep. Even so, I could live with that part of the back. The dings that go clear to the wood? Can’t and WILL NOT live with that.

OK, yeah that is pretty horrible.

What are the line marks on the fretboard binding? That would bother me too. And the high frets. Thats alot of rocking. And what about the black smudges around the fret ends on the binding? Is that glue? Or carbon? Or dirt? Wouldnt expect that on a clean refret, unless he was intentionally trying to age it or just negligent.

What was his service like during the refinish? Did he complete the work on time, or did it sit in his shop and you had to call him to see when it would be done? This looks like a "fuck that guy" type of job.

 

[Mr. Willy]

The lines on the fretboard binding are all due to age/shrinkage. That cannot be fixed without totally replacing the binding.

The smudges. I think, are from buffing. Don’t know for sure, but my hypothesis is that the tape on the fretboard over the frets wasn’t secured down properly and those black smudges got in those little crevices during buffing. This can be cleaned off. He simply did a quick/lazy job and did not clean my fretboard properly after he did all the work (and damage) to it.

Maybe I should start a luthier repair business. I know two things for sure: I’d never let this work out of my shop, and 2) I’d ask the client questions about exactly what they wanted, maybe even to the point of bugging them. ?

 

[skullfxr]

I am not the luthier! I don't know him, I'm not affiliated. I try to do as much of my own work as possible.

I just thought the guitar is much better than those microscopic pics show. The reason it may not have turned out so well as op took the original finish off.

I registered because I did the same exact thing years ago..took off a factory finish which compromised the refinish. It was just too coincidental. I wanted him to know someone else had done this too.

Should the luthier fill the wood with epoxy before painting? I don't even know how to address something like that. He needs to talk to another luthier.

Mods, check this guy’s IP address, if it’s the same as murkrat we have a winner (loser)

Crucify!

 

[Mr. Willy]

Also, there was no real problems until AFTER all the work was done. First was when I saw the final bill based on the guesstimate he quoted me. I talked to him and he assured me the work was worth it. Believed him, let it go. Then I got my guitar back (after I had paid the bill in full, of course) and saw the work for myself. That was the final straw.