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  #31  
Old 04-15-2011, 02:16 PM
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patticake patticake is offline
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i can't speak for everyone, but i was jarred because his thread title asked about a fair price, which is what i clicked the thread to discuss. but it seemed by his original post that he didn't want a fair price - he wanted the lowest price - which doesn't seem fair to the person doing the setup. when i saw that, i didn't feel good about the discussion. i wouldn't have clicked a thread about the cheapest you can pay an experienced, knowledgeable person.

Quote:
Originally Posted by jlwoodall View Post
Everyone needs to stop giving this guy such a hard time. Where is the crime in asking about getting something cheap? And yes, for some people, price means everything! I'm a house painter who is always looking for the best deal so I understand and relate to his question.

"You get what you pay for"... really? This is not a new concept and I'm sure the OP has heard it before.

All I'm saying is give this guy a break.

Cheapest I have paid was $40.
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  #32  
Old 04-15-2011, 05:48 PM
steveyam steveyam is offline
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Originally Posted by newbie888 View Post
ROFL, perhaps you need to calm down haha. He made a very valid point lol
Ha ha. Very funny. er... not. Sonny, believe me, if I got any calmer, I'd be stood still. His point was not valid at all, the guy's question needs to be answered properly, and that means telling the whole story so that he can then evaluate whether he wants to seek out the cheapest and be or take cognizance of the good advice that many have given him re seeking 'the cheapest'. What about you? are you a cheapest is best guy too?!

Last edited by rlouie; 04-15-2011 at 06:34 PM.
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  #33  
Old 04-15-2011, 06:30 PM
jseth jseth is offline
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hey there newbie... lots of good stuff in these replies, some of it hard to take. I still remember when I didn't have the $ for a new set of strings, so I tried boilin' 'em! LOL! NOT very successful at that one...

In my 5 decades of playing acoustic guitar, I have realized how EXTREMELY VALUABLE it is to have a solid relationship with a great guitar tech... whenever I move to a new area, that's one of the first things I check out. I've had techs who knew me well enough that they'd "float" me work from time to time, or give me their absolute lowest price 'cause they knew that I didn't have much to spend.

There's ALWAYS a way to get what you want! This is something I firmly believe, and have for some time now...

All that said, my main guy is back down south where I used to live... Rick McKee, a STELLAR tech/repair man. we've known each other since the mid-80's when I first moved to the SF Bay Area. At this point, we are BOTH a bit long in the tooth; he's somewhat of a local icon and I'm doing okay for $$$ - and a full set-up would run me around $125-150, if he has to dress the frets. And I'm sure he'd do it for nothing if I told him I needed that...

Good luck with that guitar! I ASSUME there is an actual guitar that needs work involved in this thread, isn't there?

REMINDER: A great tech is worth his weight in GOLD!

play on............................................>

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  #34  
Old 04-15-2011, 06:36 PM
rlouie rlouie is offline
 
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Howard Klepper View Post
If the frets need work, that is a different job and I cannot believe your tech does it for $35.
yes, you are correct Howard, I didn't get any fret work done for that price.........just the saddle sanded and the nut filed and the truss rod adjusted.........
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  #35  
Old 04-15-2011, 06:50 PM
Jeff M Jeff M is offline
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I know a guy who will do it for $15.
You won't like the results though.
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  #36  
Old 04-15-2011, 07:12 PM
JLS JLS is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Jeff M View Post
I know a guy who will do it for $15.
You won't like the results though.
I wonder if it's the same clown who advertises, "no-frills fretmills" on the SF Bay area craigslist--he doesn't recrown them, leaves them flat, claims recrowning is,
"cosmetic".
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  #37  
Old 04-16-2011, 12:01 AM
skyver skyver is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by newbie888 View Post
ROFL, perhaps you need to calm down haha. He made a very valid point lol
Maybe you should ask your parents for an advance on your allowance so you can get your guitar set up properly.
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  #38  
Old 04-16-2011, 06:25 AM
bluesfreek bluesfreek is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Goldenbird View Post
Yes. And what you need to pay for is:

1. lowering the saddle
2. lowering each groove for each string in the nut and then ramping each groove so that each string crosses pretty much just the front of each groove in the nut and doesn't buzz like a sitar
3. lowering and reprofiling the top of the nut so the strings are not buried in the nut
4. adjusting the truss rod for the proper relief
5. leveling, recrowning and polishing whatever frets need it.
That's a lot of work...much more than $35 worth, IMO.

Of course setting up an electric guitar with an adjustable bridge should be a little less.
For a complete setup like this, the tech I go to charges $80 and well worth it since the guitar will be setup perfectly and always ready for pick up the very next day. This guy has done work for people like Bruce Cockburn and other pro guitarists so he realizes that people need their guitars back quickly. Not within weeks. Usually 24/48hrs turn around time is the norm at his shop. Of course he doesn't work alone but has 2-3 assistants who also work with him.
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  #39  
Old 04-16-2011, 09:28 AM
sniggings sniggings is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by patticake View Post
i can't speak for everyone, but i was jarred because his thread title asked about a fair price, which is what i clicked the thread to discuss. but it seemed by his original post that he didn't want a fair price - he wanted the lowest price - which doesn't seem fair to the person doing the setup. when i saw that, i didn't feel good about the discussion. i wouldn't have clicked a thread about the cheapest you can pay an experienced, knowledgeable person.

I agree, I thought the same thing.just because someone somewhere got a setup once for only a few $$$ doesn't mean its the going rate or it was a good setup.
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  #40  
Old 04-16-2011, 09:43 AM
Glennwillow Glennwillow is offline
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I think of $100 as the worst-case cost for a setup in case the nut and saddle have to be changed. Most of the time I pay about half that cost. I do a lot myself, however, and that of course is free.

- Glenn
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