L.A. guitar repair: A cautionary tale

Sasquatchian · #1 09-21-2022, 03:38 AM

Just a shout out to the excellent service and quality repair I got from Dave Neely in L.A. working on my '47 00-17 Martin.

The bridge split on that guitar about two and a half years ago and since I already had one vintage Martin in for repair of a split bridge at Boulevard Music in Culver City, I dropped it off there. Without ever telling me they couldn't get parts from Martin during the early days of the pandemic, and me not wanting to bug them about the progress of the repair, I found out almost a year later that I'd have to source the bridge myself. I found custom made BRW replicas from an east coast luthier and dropped them off. The 000-18 was finally ready for pickup the end of October 2021 and I jokingly said something to the effect of "let's not take so long on the 00-17". Everyone nodded in agreement...

Once again, not wanting to hound the repair guy I left him alone sorta hoping he'd put it at the top of the list. I finally went in the store to check in the middle of June 2022, 7-1/2 month later and found that the case had never been opened. I told him to just give me the guitar, which he'd had now for a full two years and I'd take it elsewhere. On the way out the door, one of their employees tried desperately to get me to not take it with me pleading and telling me that they did the best repairs in Los Angeles. My reply was "not if they never get it done". No response. And then he tried to scare me by warning me that not a single shop in L.A. was taking in repairs and that I'd have to probably ship in out of state. I told him that L.A. is a big city and I was pretty sure I'd find someone.

Went home and within 15 minutes had an appointment the next week with Patt Guitar Repairs, literally within walking distance from my house in Culver City. I took it in there for an evaluation and the person there told me he wouldn't work on a guitar that had a previous neck reset and than there was a huge hump in the neck along with loose braces. Well, I've got the Stew-Mac straight edges and notched straight edges and can tell you (and I told him but he apparently didn't understand even after using his own notched straightedge) that there was no hump at all. That neck was perfectly straight. But there was a bit off fall off or fall away, whatever you want to call it from the previous neck reset. So disappointing that they didn't get this but in the end was a big red flag and that's what led me to Neely.

Brought it to David the next week and he immediately knew there was no hump in the neck and no loose braces but more importantly, that custom $250 BRW bridge was actually too small even after sending precise measurements and Dave insisted on getting a new one from Martin but did not know how long that would take. Well, it took about two months. He called me and told me it was in and had a quick question for me about the saddles and could not give an estimate for finishing it. I think he was just messing with me because he called me a week later telling me to come pick up my guitar.

So now I finally have my 73 year old Martin back that I've owned for the last 40 years and it's playing and sounding better than ever in the time that I've owned it. If there's a moral here, I'd have to say to not accept B.S. excuses for not getting work done in a timely matter and don't do business with people who don't communicate with you regarding the progress, or lack of, of your instrument repair. And really don't do business with people who try to scare you into not going elsewhere.

Merak · #2 09-22-2022, 07:07 AM

I dropped off my Walden 12 string the end of June, was told it would take one and a half weeks to do a neck reset. Called after the first month and was told another week and a half. Three months in and not a word. Sucks because I try to support the independent shop. Been thinking of doing the same thing and just going in and take it home. Maybe they read this forum and will give me a call….

phavriluk · #3 09-22-2022, 07:40 AM

Merak,

My suspicion is that Godot is going to call you before that repair business calls. For reasons known only to them your guitar will sleep on the shelf for an indefinite time. My opinion is to go fetch it and find a Plan B. Unless, of course, the shop just started work when you walk in.

Boozehound · #4 09-22-2022, 09:26 AM

There are some folks with very poor customer service doing guitar repairs. Some of them do great repairs, but struggle with communication and service. Especially shops that specialize in vintage repair for whatever reason.

I'm getting ready to send my 1949 J45 to Judge Wolfe in Kentucky. I have to ship the guitar, but he comes highly recommended and his communication and follow up thus far have been great.

One of the best regarded vintage repair shops in the country is 2 hours from my door, but I have been on the waiting list for almost a year and they get annoyed if you call to ask how much longer the wait will be. They are also notorious for taking close to a year to return your guitar once they have it. For those reasons I have decided to look elsewhere.

Rudy4 · #5 09-22-2022, 09:53 AM

Why in the world would a shop want to take the chance of something happening to a customer's guitar as it "waits" for its place in the repair queue for months?

There's absolutely nothing wrong with a shop providing an estimate of when they will start work and then giving the customer a call a week or two ahead of time when their actual work will be started. The customer can THEN bring in the instrument for repair or service.

You wouldn't be expected to bring your car in months ahead of time and leave it for an oil change...

A shop that operates on the "leave it and we'll get to it when we can..." principal shouldn't really be patronized.

nineball · #6 09-22-2022, 10:19 AM

Dave Neely has been a pleasure to work with.

upsidedown · #7 09-22-2022, 02:31 PM

Boy. You have a lot more patience than I do.

Glad it turned out right, if delayed.

rmp · #8 09-22-2022, 03:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rudy4

There's absolutely nothing wrong with a shop providing an estimate of when they will start work and then giving the customer a call a week or two ahead of time when their actual work will be started. The customer can THEN bring in the instrument for repair or service.

Exactly. One of the best repair guys I ever used did just that.

Drop the guitar off on the Monday the week when you are schedule, and you get a call sometime that week to pick it up

unless it was something unexpected, he never had anyone's guitar in his shop for more than 4 days. and he was a master at what he did

Sasquatchian · #9 09-22-2022, 05:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by upsidedown

Boy. You have a lot more patience than I do.

Glad it turned out right, if delayed.

I've got several guitars and I went and bought one - told myself it was an early birthday present - in the summer of 2020 - sort of in anticipation of what happened. My feeling is that I really want to let the professionals do their work and not hound them. I think they're probably do a better job that way but in return I expect to be kept apprised of the progress or lack thereof by a text or email along the way. With the repair person at Boulevard Music, someone who is a close neighbor and someone I've known for a few years now, I even sat him down at one point and told him he had to up his game in the communication department. A lotta good that did. What I won't do is treat fully grown adults like children. I'll pull my guitars, never go back and spread the word.

Rudy4 · #10 09-22-2022, 06:14 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sasquatchian

I've got several guitars and I went and bought one - told myself it was an early birthday present - in the summer of 2020 - sort of in anticipation of what happened. My feeling is that I really want to let the professionals do their work and not hound them. I think they're probably do a better job that way but in return I expect to be kept apprised of the progress or lack thereof by a text or email along the way. With the repair person at Boulevard Music, someone who is a close neighbor and someone I've known for a few years now, I even sat him down at one point and told him he had to up his game in the communication department. A lotta good that did. What I won't do is treat fully grown adults like children. I'll pull my guitars, never go back and spread the word.

It seems like they have no trouble treating their customers like children...

Sasquatchian · #11 09-22-2022, 08:18 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rudy4

It seems like they have no trouble treating their customers like children...

I have a lot of patience until I don't. I'm the nicest guy in the world until you treat me like crap and then I'm not so nice.

BRW · #12 02-06-2024, 12:47 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sasquatchian

I've got several guitars and I went and bought one - told myself it was an early birthday present - in the summer of 2020 - sort of in anticipation of what happened. My feeling is that I really want to let the professionals do their work and not hound them. I think they're probably do a better job that way but in return I expect to be kept apprised of the progress or lack thereof by a text or email along the way. With the repair person at Boulevard Music, someone who is a close neighbor and someone I've known for a few years now, I even sat him down at one point and told him he had to up his game in the communication department. A lotta good that did. What I won't do is treat fully grown adults like children. I'll pull my guitars, never go back and spread the word.

This also happened to me. On my recommendation, a friend send his guitar there, and it took a year and eight months. Never again.

hubcapsc · #13 02-06-2024, 01:33 PM

Dang, what a horror story.

The fellow I bring my guitars to can whip out a good new bridge for whatever
in no time, but there's always a lot of other folks in his queue that I have to
wait on

... here's the new rosewood bridge he made for my J-35...

He has my d-28 now, and whenever it gets to be my turn, it will have
a new bridge on it too...

Good on you for not bugging the tech, bad on him (them?) for not doing
anything while you waited...

-Mike

CharlieBman · #14 02-13-2024, 03:01 PM

I'm a very patient and understanding guy...as long as people do exactly what they say and communicate clearly if and why they can't. If I'm spoon fed BS...I turn into one annoying SOB. At 2 years with no repair work done, I would become someone that shop would never want to see or hear of again.

leew3 · #15 02-13-2024, 07:55 PM

I don't know whether this applies to the OP situation. I picked up my Martin 000-18 after two months for a single loose binding repair. Excellent work but minimal communication from the shop and only in response to inquiries about progress that I initiated. I have many other guitars and was not in a hurry. I've been to this shop several times and they really are working as fast as they can. Their work is top notch, but they have much more work than they can get done in a timely manner.