Cracked bridge

  • Thread starter Thread starter danny.guitar
  • Start date Start date
danny.guitar said:
I took it to the same shop that fixed it (fucked it up) before. They said the cost of repair exceeds the value of the instrument. :(
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I though this might be the case--if someone else does the repairs. If you like the guitar, tho, fix it yourSELF. Do some research, write up a repair document that "fits" this specific guitar, and do it yourSELF. Otherwise, you're pretty much "stuck". What kind of guitar did you say it is? If you're NOT inclined to fix it yourself, that's understanderable. Most people simply don't have the time to dick around with these things. Give me the details on make/model/year, and make me a reasonable offer, and maybe I can take it off your hands. Just a thought.
 
I don't know how it works in the States but over here we have access to the Small claims court, where you can get fast access to a lawyer and your day on the stand to get some comeback against these people, and all for very little outlay if any.

Its a disgrace. These people give the rest of us a bad name. Often just the threat of court action is enough to get them to concede

DO NOT buy that guitar off them. Think about what they have done already and what there after sales care is likely to be like.

Do yourself a favour and have a little adventure. Give yourself a long weekend. Jump on a bus to your nearest Big city, check into a youth hostel and visit every guitar shop there. You''l find something equal or better and have a fun time. Maybe check out some shows while your there.
 
Oh and just for the record. If that went through my hands I would put it right straight away no question. Hell I'll stick my neck out and say I could do it today for less than $80. If the guys reaction is so poor it makes me wonder if there is any other damage unseen.
 
won't accept it?

It's too late to "not accept" it for repair. They already worked on it. You just need them to fix their mess. Their "shortcut fix" is the problem.
You must be a really laid back guy. I believe I would at least let them know in my most calm yet firm voice that I know they are responsible for the crack in the bridge. Tell them you've consulted a luthier (Muttley) and he has verified that the saddle isn't seated properly.
If you just have to buy this other guitar from them, don't be afraid to suggest that they can compensate for their mistake by giving you a really good trade in price for the one they worked on.
Just a suggestion.
 
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muttley600 said:
I don't know how it works in the States but over here we have access to the Small claims court, where you can get fast access to a lawyer and your day on the stand to get some comeback against these people, and all for very little outlay if any.

Its a disgrace. These people give the rest of us a bad name. Often just the threat of court action is enough to get them to concede

DO NOT buy that guitar off them. Think about what they have done already and what there after sales care is likely to be like.

Do yourself a favour and have a little adventure. Give yourself a long weekend. Jump on a bus to your nearest Big city, check into a youth hostel and visit every guitar shop there. You''l find something equal or better and have a fun time. Maybe check out some shows while your there.
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Perfectly put! BTW...we have small claims as well, but the plaintiff usually will never see a dime of their money. More often than not, the respondent is ordered to pay a dollar amount, and they then ignore the judgement and end up not paying. The lawyer usually ends up more expensive than just biting the bullet and moving on. Damn shame if you ask me...
 
gbdweller said:
Perfectly put! BTW...we have small claims as well, but the plaintiff usually will never see a dime of their money. More often than not, the respondent is ordered to pay a dollar amount, and they then ignore the judgement and end up not paying. The lawyer usually ends up more expensive than just biting the bullet and moving on. Damn shame if you ask me...
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Round here if they don't pay you take them to the county court and get the bailiff to collect the money for you with a bit of repossession. By that time they usually cave in. I've done it a few times to chase bad debts. Call me old fashioned but I insist on getting paid for my work ;)
 
Although the sittuation sucks, you guys ar being a little harsh on the shop. If someone comes in and is offered a $5 shim job or a $45 saddle job, 9 out of 10 people choose the shim. I didnt inspect the photos too well, but shimming an inexpensive guitars saddle is totally appropriate. And while the cracked bridge very well may have something to do with the current problem, there are no lifetime guarantees on luthier work. If you have bracing work done to the top of a guitar or someting like that and the dude goes out and plays 13s, its kinda understood that other issues might arise.

If the guitar isnt too dear/valuable, do some research and learn how to install a new saddle yourself.
 
he just had it shimmed a couple of weeks ago. any shop that's worth a damn should make it right.
 
Danny just call out the manager, chat to him, be cool about it and ask him to suggest a resolution, whether it's a new repair or cash off the Washburn.
 
So what's the name of the shop? Googling, the only gtr store in Huntsville AL that appears to do repairs is the Fret Shop, a "Taylor and Martin authorized warranty center".
 
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Flamin Lip said:
Although the sittuation sucks, you guys ar being a little harsh on the shop. If someone comes in and is offered a $5 shim job or a $45 saddle job, 9 out of 10 people choose the shim.
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Wrong on all counts.

You should not offer to shim or raise a badly fitting saddle period. At least not if you know what you are doing.
I didnt inspect the photos too well, but shimming an inexpensive guitars saddle is totally appropriate.
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That depends on the setup and state of the bridge and existing saddle. An experienced or knowledgeable guitar tech will spot whether it is appropriate in less than a minute. It can be totally acceptable. If as is the case here the saddle is a bad loose fit in the slot it is never appropriate.
And while the cracked bridge very well may have something to do with the current problem, there are no lifetime guarantees on luthier work.
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There is on mine and it covers materials and workmanship. In the event that I have concerns about the suitability of a fix I would make them plain and quote an exclusion on the receipt. Anything else I would honour under warranty. Fair wear and tear is always excluded. That doesn't apply here. Also the cracked bridge has occurred as a result of poorly considered badly executed work
If you have bracing work done to the top of a guitar or something like that and the dude goes out and plays 13s, its kinda understood that other issues might arise.
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One of the first questions any self respecting and knowledgeable repair guy will ask is what setup is required and with what strings are commonly used.
 
Danny don't take any shit from these people - they owe you fair redress for the mess they have made of an otherwise playable instrument.
 
Thanks for all the responses.

Timothy - It is the Fret Shop. There are other ones around here, AB Stephens, Railroad Bazaar, Robins Music, T. Shepards, etc. But I was told by my friend (and also from experience with other music shops) that this was the best place to take it. The guy who was giving me a hard time wasn't the guy that fixed it, I'm not even sure exactly who worked on it. But the other guy there that I talked to said that he agreed it was NOT the proper way to raise the action and it is what caused the crack in the bridge.

The few other people I've talked to about this said that I should go to a small claims court. But I doubt that would work out. I'm not sure who owns the shop but I plan on talking to him/her before I do anything like go to court.

The reason I'm not that worried about this, even though it does suck a lot, is that I've spent the last 6 months or so looking for a new acoustic. And out of the hundred or so that I tried I didn't like any of them. But now I finally found one that would make me a hell of a lot happier than the one I have now.

But I do care about this guitar a lot and still plan on getting it fixed. When I get the time I'm going to go discuss this with whoever owns that shop and not some douchebag salesman. If that doesn't work I don't know if I'll take it any further. It still pisses me off that they could get away with this.
 
danny.guitar said:
...I'm not sure who owns the shop but I plan on talking to him/her...
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Smart approach. If it were me I'd write all the details down... dates, names, etc., and edit it into a very short (30 seconds when read aloud) objective, unemotional blurb that makes your case. That's worked for me in the past.
 
Well at the end of the day it's your choice but my experience of the guitar you have chosen as your next axe is that you will find a relatively small amount of difference between models compared to some others. You should be able to track down another supplier and go with them.

I'd still advise you to take a step back and think hard about spending money with them. The temptation is to be led by your desire to own that guitar now. That isn't wrong, Just don't let that cloud the issue and colour your better judgment. They owe you a wad of time, cash and courtesy already. You handed them a functional guitar and they have returned a guitar with a serious long term problem. Its your guitar and their problem. Don't forget that.

Good luck which ever way you decide to proceed.
 
And whats more, the fix is not beyond the capabilities of a decent repair shop and at a relatively low cost if it is done now. I'll leave it at that the choice ultimately is yours.
 
Well hell, to be honest I wasn't any good at handling "consumer rights" issues until I was around 30, so if you get any kind of good outcome from this you're ahead of me. I just hate to see an honest person victimized. So I hope you're able to resolve it.
 
If they shimmed that just 2 weeks ago, I stand corrected..... talk to the owner!
 
muttley600 said:
Take it to them explain to them what I have told you, and if they contest it PM for my contact details and I'll let them know what a Martin, Taylor and Lowden certified shop has to say on the matter. I cannot give any further advice without having the guitar in front of me. Only then could I asses wether the bridge has been damaged further.

The fix needs to be a new saddle that fits the slot with more 60% sunk in the slot. If they need to deepen the slot so be it as long as they don't go through the bridge.

If this cannot be achieved they need to find out why the action is like it is. 13 gauge strings would raise the action rather than lower it causing buzzing so if anything they would assist not hinder as long as the belly and neck can handle them. In most cases they can..
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muttley600 said:
In most cases they can.
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--Except for inexpensive guitars.


13s would definitely raise the action on any guitar that has a value of less than a $200 repair. In fact, 13s will ruin a cheap guitar in short order--because the design/construction, materials, and workmanship simply can't handle a set of .013 strings. The first thing that probably happens is the neck becomes dislodged from the body. If and when it finally "settles" OUT of place, the player may notice a slightly lowered action (and some buzzing) and assume that a slight truss-rod adjustment is needed. A very slight loosening of the truss-rod at this point will allow still more movement of the already failed neck to body joint, as the failed neck joint and truss-rod battle against each other--until someone gets the not-so-bright idea to install shims as a last resort. The fix may work OK for a while, but the continued use of 13s will continue to de-construct-- breaking down the weakest construction and materials first. Just a few thoughts.
 
toyL said:
--Except for inexpensive guitars.


13s would definitely raise the action on any guitar that has a value of less than a $200 repair. In fact, 13s will ruin a cheap guitar in short order--because the design/construction, materials, and workmanship simply can't handle a set of .013 strings. The first thing that probably happens is the neck becomes dislodged from the body. If and when it finally "settles" OUT of place, the player may notice a slightly lowered action (and some buzzing) and assume that a slight truss-rod adjustment is needed. A very slight loosening of the truss-rod at this point will allow still more movement of the already failed neck to body joint, as the failed neck joint and truss-rod battle against each other--until someone gets the not-so-bright idea to install shims as a last resort. The fix may work OK for a while, but the continued use of 13s will continue to de-construct-- breaking down the weakest construction and materials first. Just a few thoughts.
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Hogwash.

I need to type something else because this message is too short so I'll say it again Hogwash.
 
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