[DystonicBlues]

Hi guys first post here so hello. Just want to get your opinions on what's happened to me and what you suggest.

I have a Martin 00016 that i got in the early 1990's. Great guitar everything spot on and never had a problem with it. i could go into altered tunings at the drop of a hat and back to standard quickly and with no worries.

So it needed a refret. i wanted stainless frets cos i play a lot and wear them out quickly. I went to a local luthier who is really good and explained i wanted this done plus i wanted the action raised a bit so i could play some slide on this as well as standard.

Got the job done. Refret was beautifully done. So on getting the guitar home it didn't seem to be intonating right and the tuning just felt off. I would get it in tune for the open chords at the nut but then it would be out further up the neck.

Put up with it for a while but then the higher action was slowing me down on my normal picking too much so i decided to take it back and get the action put back where it was. This was a shop i trusted but the luthier who ran it left and the shop was now being run by a guy who was his 'Finisher'. I explained i wanted the action put back.

Ok so now we come to the crux of things. I got it back and no matter the amount of time i spend i cannot get this guitar perfectly in tune! Chords sound sour and i know this guy had been working on the nut. My theory is he is not well qualified to be doing this kind of work and he botched it. After working on the nut the guitar was pinging all over the place when i adjusted the tuning pegs again not a good sign.

I had a bit of an argument with the guy in the shop because i'm so upset at the mess he's made to the playability of this guitar and i called into question whether he should be doing this kind of work when this is what he produces. Earlier i had spoken to him about refretting a guitar, just making conversation, and he said he couldn't do it and wouldn't feel confident!! I mean i'm just speechless.

Anyway i am now scared to take it to anyone for fear they will not be good enough to fix it or will make it worse. I know of some guys who have good reputations in shops fairly local but this has ruined my confidence as far as putting it in for work.

Sorry for this long tale but i just have to get it off my chest as when someone botches a favorite instrument it is so upsetting.

Have you guys ever had anything like this where a repair butcher has done a number on one of your prized instruments?