Was this guitar repair too expensive?

[blacknblues]

I friend of mine just got his guitar back from service at a local luthier. The repairs included a fret dress, new saddle, re-glued bridge and set up. Total cost was $550. I got a neck rest a few years ago that was a hundred less than that. Does this seem expensive? Have guitar repair costs gone up lately?

[Bax Burgess]

Was your neck reset for a bolt-on or dovetail?

[scotchnspeed]

If my local luthier:

Full fret dress - 200-250
New bone saddle (compensated/radius) - 100
Reglue bridge - 75
Full set up with new strings - 100-125

Yeah, so maybe a touch high, but nowhere outside the normal range.

[blacknblues]

Originally Posted by Bax Burgess

Was your neck reset for a bolt-on or dovetail?

It was an old Martin.

[JERZEY]

Originally Posted by blacknblues

I friend of mine just got his guitar back from service at a local luthier. The repairs included a fret dress, new saddle, re-glued bridge and set up. Total cost was $550. I got a neck rest a few years ago that was a hundred less than that. Does this seem expensive? Have guitar repair costs gone up lately?

You made out just fine. Depending on the area you live in you probably paid a bit less then someone on the NE coast of the USA.

[cliff_the_stiff]

I recently had a neck reset done that cost similar to your friends.
I learned that often when steaming off the neck, it may also require some post reset fretwork. in my case it was in need of a Plek- So the overall cost for playability can be more than the reset-
The new saddle, plek and setup were also fairly close to your 500 bucks.
If your shop is good (I have great luthier options available to me in the SF bay area.) it’s worth the money.
My Martin went from disappointment back to a favourite after the work.

[mawmow]

Seems right to me up here (in $CAD though)
particularly if the luthier is well-reknowned.

[Silly Moustache]

Bridge lift can be complex and time consuming.
Ya gotta safely remove it cleanly, clean top and underside of bridge, re-match them, glue 'em, and hold them and ensure good join. Maybe replace saddle and do a set up.

Get a quote first. Understand what you are getting for your money.
Compare that with rate per hour that you'd work for!

[pagedr]

That seems expensive to me, most of the shops here in LA would probably charge around $400-$450 for that sort of work.

[jaymarsch]

Seems reasonable to me - especially it being an older guitar that may have required extra care and time to do correctly. I would rather pay a bit more and have it done right the first time. If your friend is happy with the result then totally worth it in my opinion.

Best,
Jayne

[blindboyjimi]

Originally Posted by blacknblues

I friend of mine just got his guitar back from service at a local luthier. The repairs included a fret dress, new saddle, re-glued bridge and set up. Total cost was $550. I got a neck rest a few years ago that was a hundred less than that. Does this seem expensive? Have guitar repair costs gone up lately?

I'm in SoCal and that seems really expensive. My tech charges $160 for a fret dress, $90 for a new saddle, the bridge reglue could be anywhere from $100-200 but the set-up would be included. You can't dress the frets, put on a new saddle without setting up the guitar. So he put on a saddle without adjusting the height...that's extra? Or he did the saddle but wouldn't look at the relief after a fret dress?

[yairimann]

I think it is much more advantageous to ask for a quote before the work is
done than to try and determine if the cost was too high after the job was
completed.
I recently took a guitar in to have the nut slots lowered and the saddle compensated and was surprised at the cost. So perhaps costs have gone up due to covid impacts.
I'll always ask for an estimate from now on.

[Johnny5]

Here in the NE with my luthier, seems about right. But he is very well known, well trusted, and not inexpensive.

I'm for sure you could get that work done cheaper... but in my mind as long as it's not overly egregious it's worth it to pay more for trusted work.

[Lost Sheep]

Originally Posted by blacknblues

I friend of mine just got his guitar back from service at a local luthier. The repairs included a fret dress, new saddle, re-glued bridge and set up. Total cost was $550. I got a neck rest a few years ago that was a hundred less than that. Does this seem expensive? Have guitar repair costs gone up lately?

Seems astronomical to me.

But then, what do I know.

Just about the only thing I know is:

I bought an unplayable guitar at a flea market. It was a cheap Silvertone for $10 whose neck was so bowed backwards that the strings were in firm contact with the frets. But the neck was flat (untwisted) and the bow was not so bad that I could not see where I might be able to fix it.

So, I got a flat file, round (rat-tail) file, needle file, sandpapers and wood block and went to work on the nut, bridge and frets. Ruined the finish on the fretboard, but wound up with a mediocre-sounding guitar that played as fine as any I have ever owned and just as well as some borrowed Martins, Collings, Taylors, etc.

It took LOTS of time, couple weeks of afternoons, a little at a time. But was worth it for the education. A skilled Luthier's time is worth big bucks, especially since he is at risk for any mistakes.

Now, let me tell you about the time I re-spoked a bicycle wheel that was so badly warped it was shaped like a butterfly's wings....

Now, removing and resetting a neck is a job I would never tackle, even on a $10 guitar. I know my limits.

[redir]

Believe it or not a fret dress, new saddle, reglue bridge and a set up takes a lot more time then resetting a Martin neck. In my shop though that would be under $300 bucks so it seems pretty high to me. Was it a fret dress or a total refret?