Don't take your guitar to a tech

  • Thread starter Thread starter Lopp
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In the SF Bay Area, you can't get much better than Torres Guitars. Dan Torres runs the shop, and they do amazing work. They actually have a really useful website, www.torresengineering.com, and they will let you mail your guitar to them for work, and they'll mail it back. I don't know if I would ever do that, but it's definitely worth the hour+ drive for me, whenever it's one of my more expensive guitars...
 
Don't know if anyone here is in the Sacramento, CA area, but I use a guy named Dave Lynch. He does great work. I used to work with him at a local music store when I was younger until I had to get a real job =(. He is a little pricey, but if you ever need a re-fret or split your guitar into pieces, he is the man. Cheers!

Fangar
 
Stan Williams said:
I've been repairing guitars for over 30 years and building guitars since 1984, and we are not all idiots. One thing to remember is when you go to a music store that claims to have a guitar tech in the back, that is not always the case. Some of those guys don't know any more than you do. Most pros will have a full time business at their house or seperate location. You will not last long in stringed instrument repair doing shoddy work, word travels fast. Ask to see some of their work, that should do it.
Stan Williams
luthier
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Exactly!

There are people/salesmen/guitarists that claim to be "techs." However, they really don't know any better than most guitarists on this forum. There are also qualified techs/luthiers out there. If you learn how to do your own teching, you will be able to determine the difference in quality between what is acceptable and what is unacceptable.
 
Also, please note that even I probably am not as anal as GT claims to be.

:D :D :D
 
Don't take your guitar to a tech
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ummmm well dont take it to just anyone ask lots of questions before you do so

the opening comment is rather strong i feel but again you must have had some reason to state it maybe a bad meeting with one of those out of the box parts fitters:-) who seem to work out of many of those s a l e s stores.


Thers a lot more to guitar setup and building then just a jazzy instructional video with some person grinning alot and trying to look nice for the camera.

Sure theres some good text, audio, and video out there, but please please just use this stuff as a guide to assist you and your knowledge in learning how things work then take the guitar to someone with a good reputation and a lack of ego someone who aint got his/her head stuck where the sun dont shine.

If you are trully intrested he/she may teach you a few tricks over time and with practice the correct tools for the job and some inner guidance and intuition you too will be able to repair your guitar but before then please dont judge all by what the fools do as this casts a dim shadow upon good people who are true pros not everyone is out to rip you off.

Many people are too cheap when they shouldnt be and too over the top at other times pennywise and pound foolish.


They also like to chew the fat for too long as well many skilled techs dont need to be impressed by what you own or what your political views on the world are you may get the chance to talk about all and share this with them if you get to know them in time but before then K I S S keep it simple stupid take the knowledge you learn from those videos and web sites in with you it may assist you to identify the machine heads from the bridge saddles THEN KEEP IT BRIEF tell them what you would like listen to what they have to say agree or disagree then and settle a time for the job to be picked up and what the estimated price will be if you are reasonable allow a little extra time for blow out in the job coming back or the cost being a bit more remember there are many more also out there who wastes these luthiers time with irevelance so times this by many people and then you know why the guy will say the job aint finished on time.

i could talk on this all day but thats it from me for now hope it was of some help to anyone who was willing to listen ??
 
Guitar action should be set while you are playing. It's the only way to get it right.

If you are strumming a bar chord hard and it buzzes, RAISE THE ACTION! This isn't rocket science.

Intonation should also be adjusted while playing lots of chords up and down the neck.

This is rocket science, as compromises will have to be made. This has to be done BY EAR! This is like piano tunning, BY EAR is the only correct way.

This is the part where you really have to get into your guitar, and could cause maddness.

GT
 
We've got a decent place up here in my city.. They're called the Guitar Clinic

All they sell is guitars.... No Drums or Keys or Trumpets.... The tech there is decent.... Done all my guitars for me.... $60 a pop...($40 USD)

My opinion is... (for a regular person) Just pay the $40 and have it done right.... I mean.. They also say washing machine motors are easy to replace... I followed them instructions to a T.... Yet.. The thing still doesn't work right..

Leave it for the Pros..

LOPP > Sorry 'bout your luck, yeah I agree that there are bad ones out there... just like in any profession, but there are also good ones...
 
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