Time vs. money for a refret

[VonBonfire]

 

[Geo]

I wear cellophane pants so you can see I'm nuts.

 

[harddriver]

He doesn't really do appointments. You just take it in. Last time I was there, he couldn't even walk around his shop because the floor was wall to wall guitar cases. I can ask him a time frame, and he might say 30 days, but I know all too well it will be at least 6 months.

My guy is the exact same way, he can be up to 3 months if I didn't call and nicely push at times. By me there really aren't that many luthiers still active. Since you already know how he is if you don't want to be without the guitar for 6 months then it's probably wise to go with the more expensive guy as long as the quality of work is the same or better.

 

[scottosan]

The problem with these one man shops is that they take on small jobs like setups. This is work that can be done by a junior person. This not work that a luthier should be doing. These are the most difficult customers too because they have the most questions and need the most education.

 

[Rick Lee]

My guy is a one man shop and he's booked pretty far out. But he just gives you a ticket # and then tells you when to call in to set the appt. You keep the guitar until then. Once your number is up, you bring in the guitar and it's done within a few days. If you play out and have a gig on the books, you go to the front of the line. I've had him do plenty of refrets. They're always done in a day or two once my ticket number comes up and I bring the guitar in.

 

[LP Freak]

6 months? Fuck that.

 

[Music&Chaos]

I did it once, bought the stewmac starter kit, it went pretty good.

I didn't even consider stainless, I don't like how they brighten up the sound.

People are gonna hate me for saying this but I have essentially proven it to be true through various experimentation - SS frets almost scoop the sound as opposed to nickel. Nickel promotes midrange and stainless adds more bass and treble. I know...another thing I will be told people cannot hear.

 

[Geo]

People are gonna hate me for saying this but I have essentially proven it to be true through various experimentation - SS frets almost scoop the sound as opposed to nickel. Nickel promotes midrange and stainless adds more bass and treble. I know...another thing I will be told people cannot hear.

I don't have the best ears, but it seemed pretty obvious to me.

 

[Scot]

The problem with these one man shops is that they take on small jobs like setups. This is work that can be done by a junior person. This not work that a luthier should be doing. These are the most difficult customers too because they have the most questions and need the most education.

On premise I agree with you completely. I would only ask that you frame the issue as one, that a one man (or 6+ man) outfit faces. The struggle is real. When you say, "the problem with these. . ", that's an automatic dismissal of the one man shops and also casts an unfair aspersion just a little too quickly, IMO. Other than that - yep.

 

[Geo]

One man shops are the only way to go. Because no one does as good a job as the owner of the business.

 

[Rackman]

I don't have the best ears, but it seemed pretty obvious to me.

That's just an added benefit of stainless. It's not necessarily audible once the amp is EQed but the extra brightness is a positive on most guitars.

 

[Floyd Eye]

6 months for a refret? Sheesh, I'll go fretless.

You remember Skip Goez? Dude was awesome but fuck. Old hippies. Carlos Bedoya is a fucking master at Ampeg amps. Service and tube change takes about 2 months though. And I know the dude pretty well.

The kid I took my SVT II to serviced it, put the Winged Cs in it, biased it, did the reliability mod and even added a retainer dealie for the preamp tubes and had the fucking thing back to me in 4 days.

 

[japetus]

You remember Skip Goez? Dude was awesome but fuck. Old hippies. Carlos Bedoya is a fucking master at Ampeg amps. Service and tube change takes about 2 months though. And I know the dude pretty well.

The kid I took my SVT II to serviced it, put the Winged Cs in it, biased it, did the reliability mod and even added a retainer dealie for the preamp tubes and had the fucking thing back to me in 4 days.

Timely mention, I was just looking for a place to take my abused old ash Tele for a real pro setup. Found out Skip was semi-retired now and his apprentice took over his shop. I think I am going to take it there.

 

[Floyd Eye]

Timely mention, I was just looking for a place to take my abused old ash Tele for a real pro setup. Found out Skip was semi-retired now and his apprentice took over his shop. I think I am going to take it there.

Jon Ferber. He's excellent.

 

[japetus]

Jon Ferber. He's excellent.

I have always set up my own guitars. But sometimes, I feel it a "luxury" move to really pay for someone to set it up well. It's a 97 US Ash tele thats been played hard...it needs a lot of love and tenderness. I'm gonna pay it.

 

[Floyd Eye]

I have always set up my own guitars. But sometimes, I feel it a "luxury" move to really pay for someone to set it up well. It's a 97 US Ash tele thats been played hard...it needs a lot of love and tenderness. I'm gonna pay it.

Skip having my 4001 for about 2 months in the early 90s while he set it up and put the wiring back to stock is what motivated me to learn to set them up myself. That was the last time I paid someone else to do it. Refrets are something I’ll pay someone else to do.

Jon worked for Skip even back then.

 

[Findthetone1]

So I ended up using the other guy and got the guitar back in a week as he has a crew. They do good work. I did drop my 96 LP Classic off to the other luthier Saturday for a stainless refret so I'm expecting a long turnaround time, but it will be stellar work. That guitar is my never get rid of and he has history with it so for me the wait will be worth it.

 

[Devin]

I had my Hamer USA Cali refretted with SS (27 of em!) by the New Orleans Guitar Company back in the day; even though they were only like a 2 man shop they had it done within like one week and I wanna say they only charged me like $200? Might not have even been that much.

Sadly they've now went out of business and I've never been able to find reliable local tech service since lmao

 

[Geo]

I had my Hamer USA Cali refretted with SS (27 of em!) by the New Orleans Guitar Company back in the day; even though they were only like a 2 man shop they had it done within like one week and I wanna say they only charged me like $200? Might not have even been that much.

Sadly they've now went out of business and I've never been able to find reliable local tech service since lmao

They should have charged more and stayed in business.

 

[Devin]

They should have charged more and stayed in business.

I think it was more the $4k+ custom guitars they were building that weren't selling (they were actually amazing by the way)


Though I just googled it and they still have a functional website.....wonder if they're actually back at it now