Charley's Guitar Shop in Dallas, for Setup?

[MrBJones]

Anyone have experience with Charley's in Dallas for setup? If so, how recent and what did you think? Thanks

[GangstaPat]

Originally Posted by MrBJones

Anyone have experience with Charley's in Dallas for setup? If so, how recent and what did you think? Thanks

Yes sir!

And they are awesome at it. I have a Bedell MBA-17-G that I was about to sell because while it was one of the prettiest guitars I have ever seen, it sounded dull, dry, and boxy to me.

I bought the guitar sight unseen during the Bedell blowout and was generally disappointed. Still being a relative novice, I have had people tell me to find a good luthier to do my set-ups. I typically buy guitars that I see and play and just change the strings after I buy. I have had a couple of Bedells set-up before at a local shop (not Guitar Denter).

On a whim, I decided to seek out the best luthier in the area before I decided to sell this Bedell just to see if there was anything to it. All sources led me to Bryant Russell at Charley's.

Boy! Did he ever tame that Bedell. Now I will keep it and rank it 4th in sound and 1rst in playability among my Bedells despite it's narrow neck. I cannot wait to see what this guy can do with my MBCE-24F-G with a 1 3/4" neck!

The moral to this story for all the new comers:

Listen to the guys that are telling you that having a good set up will make a world of difference.

He transformed a guitar from a pretty paper weight into one that I would be proud to call my only guitar.

EDIT: I just got my guitar back last week.

[MrBJones]

Awesome! Martin is paying for a setup (because of a bad saddle), Charley's is their local shop. After your glowing endorsement, I'm really looking forward to it

[SongwriterFan]

Originally Posted by GangstaPat

it sounded dull, dry, and boxy to me. . . . Now I will keep it and rank it 4th in sound . . He transformed a guitar from a pretty paper weight into one that I would be proud to call my only guitar.

So, how did it rank in sound BEFORE the setup?

I don't normally associated setups with improving the SOUND of a guitar.

[GangstaPat]

Originally Posted by SongwriterFan

So, how did it rank in sound BEFORE the setup?

I don't normally associated setups with improving the SOUND of a guitar.

10 different Bedell guitars have passed through my hands recently and this one was dead last...

As I understand things now, one thing that can contribute to poor sound, being difficult to tune, etc. is a saddle that is not completely level on the bottom. Not a luthier myself and I did not ask them at Charley's because Bryant was not there when I picked the guitar up and I was in a hurry. That is what a couple of my guitar buddies have told me. I am assuming that in lowering the action they took care of that because while I still don't think it is the best sounding guitar I have ever heard I like the way it sounds now. The most noticeable difference is how much easier it is to play despite the narrow neck. I thought the guitar was fine from that perspective. I took this same guitar to my old luthier and he recommended doing nothing to it.

[SongwriterFan]

Originally Posted by GangstaPat

is a saddle that is not completely level on the bottom.

OK, now THAT is something I can see would affect the actual sound/tone of the guitar.

I would think of that as something more of a DEFECT, though, than something just needing a personalized setup.

I experienced something similar when I bought a Micro-bass last year. The first one I got just didn't sound right . . . the output from the heavier strings just weren't as pronounced as they should've been. Turns out there was something wrong with the UST (which was built into the saddle). An exchange solved the problem.

[GangstaPat]

Originally Posted by SongwriterFan

OK, now THAT is something I can see would affect the actual sound/tone of the guitar.

I would think of that as something more of a DEFECT, though, than something just needing a personalized setup.

I experienced something similar when I bought a Micro-bass last year. The first one I got just didn't sound right . . . the output from the heavier strings just weren't as pronounced as they should've been. Turns out there was something wrong with the UST (which was built into the saddle). An exchange solved the problem.

There was to be no exchanging this guitar. Most of the Bedells I bit on were sold out before mine ever reached me. I got real lucky to get a scratch and dent MBCE-24F-G after the first one I ordered got fragged by FedEx. The MBA-17-G was one of only several Bedells that I received that was completely free of "visible" fit and finish defects so I took it to the luthier that I was using at the time. When he told me to just change the strings and play I thought I would give it a 10 day trial and then pass it on as a gift. My relatives choose other Bedells, I got busy, and my 45 days expired. I decided this would be a good guitar to test that luthier thing everyone was talking about on before I tried to sell it.

Glad I did. I now have a new luthier.

[SongwriterFan]

Did they have many guitars (for sale) when you were there?

The last time I was there (a few months ago), they hardly had anything.

You should check out Guitar Sanctuary up in McKinney (near me). Their guitar tech is a guy named Shane Frame, and he has a great reputation, too. He's been a real help to me recently. Probably further away from you than Charlie's, though.

One day I need to visit that store in Rockwall (forget the name at the moment).

[GangstaPat]

Originally Posted by SongwriterFan

Did they have many guitars (for sale) when you were there?

The last time I was there (a few months ago), they hardly had anything.

You should check out Guitar Sanctuary up in McKinney (near me). Their guitar tech is a guy named Shane Frame, and he has a great reputation, too. He's been a real help to me recently. Probably further away from you than Charlie's, though.

One day I need to visit that store in Rockwall (forget the name at the moment).

Peghead Guitars

I make it to Guitar Sanctuary about once every two months. Great shop. Charley's is hit or miss with their inventory and lately most of it seems like consignment. I actually live closer to the Sanctuary and work closer to Charley's (win/win).

Finally found a nice maple Gibson for sale at Charley's when I took my guitar in for a setup. Played it when I dropped my guitar off. Called back after work that night and it was sold.

The fact that the Guitar Sanctuary is now a 5 Star Gibson dealer excites me. I have no doubt I'll soon find a good one (or 2 or 3 or 4) there that I can buy. Always wanted that classic Gibson tone but the ones at Guitar Denter all sound/play like #>&@%!

[SongwriterFan]

Originally Posted by GangstaPat

The fact that the Guitar Sanctuary is now a 5 Star Gibson dealer excites me.

Have you been there since they became one?

They have (had?) one of the Bob Dylan J-200's there . . the player version, not the signed one.

[GangstaPat]

Originally Posted by SongwriterFan

Have you been there since they became one?

They have (had?) one of the Bob Dylan J-200's there . . the player version, not the signed one.

I have not.

Now I'm really excited...

[SongwriterFan]

Originally Posted by GangstaPat

Now I'm really excited...

They're open tomorrow.

Send me an email if you decide to go. I might just show up.

[Reasley2]

Originally Posted by SongwriterFan

Did they have many guitars (for sale) when you were there?

The last time I was there (a few months ago), they hardly had anything.

You should check out Guitar Sanctuary up in McKinney (near me). Their guitar tech is a guy named Shane Frame, and he has a great reputation, too. He's been a real help to me recently. Probably further away from you than Charlie's, though.

One day I need to visit that store in Rockwall (forget the name at the moment).

I was there around that time, too. According to the guy that helped me, they were in negotiations with Martin and that's why they had very little. Evidently, this is a regular "process" whenever Martin has a new regional manager (or whatever they're called) in the area and their inventory shrinks for a while . . .

[GangstaPat]

Originally Posted by SongwriterFan

They're open tomorrow.

Send me an email if you decide to go. I might just show up.

I'll definitely be looking to head up that way soon. Unfortunately I already promised tomorrow morning away.

But if I get a cancellation.