Took my new guitar in for a setup. What’s your experience with luthiers vs DIY been?

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Here in the Uk I’ve sent both my Strat and a 61 Broadway Acoustic and it’s not cheap but I know that any issues are NOT THE GUITAR!!! :joy: :rofl: :joy:

The strat is much faster now, but it did cost roughly £100 (with strings). Love the lowered action on it and much more comfortable to play.

The 61 Broadway was bought at online auction and when I went to collect it the Body stayed on the Table and I’m standing there with the Neck in my Hand, so off it went to Robby Gladwell (ex Fender Rep and Master Luthier) and £250 later I’ve got a guitar that sounds tremendous. Everyone who plays it is in instant lust! LOL. Still, its a right sod to keep in tune (the strat never needs tuning) so watching concert documentaries from the 70’s I now understand why they keep stopping to tune or take so long to do it!

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I can imagine the shock and disappointment at this moment.

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I’m happy with truss rod/action/intonation myself, but for fret levelling, I’ve used a tech. I also used a tech when I got a new neck for my strat (swapped maple for an Allparts rosewood one). He did a great job on the neck - beautiful rolled edges and a nice non-gloss finish on the back. I guess I’m now the proud owner of a partscaster.

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Been following this topic and it has forced me into action, and thought I would record my experience.
Got a new acoustic, Yamaha, about three months ago, came all boxed up just as left the factory on the other side of the world. Have been letting it settle down, at least that’s my excuse, I knew at some point I would need it setting up properly. There is no way I was going to do any DIY on it.
Following a recommendation I took it in this afternoon.
The luthier gave it a very thorough examination and pronounced it structurally sound which was a relief. But he said he was disappointed at some aspects of the finish on the end of some of the frets and the fret board finish, all of which is fixable. Also had a discussion on what strings to put on taking account that I am only a beginner, just started grade 2. It has 12’s at present and he felt it would be easier to play for me with 10’s or 11’s, we ended up in going for 11’s. He didn’t rush even though there was other wanting to speak to him, he did say he quite liked to work on nearly new guitars.

Will get it back early next week so will report further then, fortunately not without a guitar as my classical will get some action.
Michael :guitar:

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I brought in my guitar somewhere around spring time and it only costed me about 30 € for a small setup of the neck, pickup height and a bit of nut work. I do stringe changes myself and when there off, i just clean the neck to.

This week i brought the guitar back in since the neck had a slight backbow due the season changes. 15 minutes later and the guitar works even better than before. This time my luthier did it for free.

Full setup is about 60 €, excluding strings or other new materials used. I can only recommend letting a professional do the hard work :slight_smile:

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Okay. I got my guitar back today. And can I say: Wow. It is amazing. It plays like butter and also sounds better too. There is no way I could have done even close to this myself - I mean, I’d already had a crack at a basic setup.

I originally asked for Elixir 10s to go on it, he convinced me that a hybrid set of D’addarios XS would be even better. Equivalent of 9’s in the higher 3 strings for easier bends and 10’s in the lower three strings.

The luthier did a bit more than I expected. Lowered nut slots, truss rod, saddle action, intonation. But he also releveled a few frets he found that weren’t quite perfect - I hadn’t noticed but he did - and he balanced the pickups. He lowered the neck pickup as it was dominating when the switch was in the middle position so neck/bridge were better balanced. He also adjusted the levels of the individual pickup poles so it sounds sweeter when in single coil mode. A bit of a tweak to the tuning pegs as well.

Overall guitar plays amazingly now. His comment was that it would be pretty hard to have any guitar play better than this one does now. Which is how it feels.

Oh, and a funny little nice touch. On the hand written service report he wrote the model as “Teles/Paul”. Which is kinda what my guitar is, a tele les paul. (Here’s the guitar if you haven’t seen it NGD! Fender Telecaster HH)

I know most people are on the other side of the world but here’s his website, the guitar pit stop. He builds instruments as well. https://www.theguitarpitstop.com.au/

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Always good to get that first one done by a pro. Hybrid strings sound interesting but I can see the logic. I whacked some D’addario EXL120 9.5s on my Washburns as a kind of half way house and have been pretty pleased with them.

Is a recording due :wink:

:sunglasses:

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Soon I think…

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I knew my guitar could use a setup; the action was high, the bridge was sticking quite a bit forward (Strat), and it had been sitting around a long time. I did a few weeks of lessons before deciding to go to a local shop for a setup.

Apparently, I was in luck! The luthier only comes in on Mondays and Fridays, and it was a Friday. He asked the shop owner if it was okay to do mine right now (I think he was mostly doing setups on the shop’s guitars that day, and only had time to do one more.)

Anyway, it was $65 (+$7 for strings), and he did an awesome job, as far as I can tell. The guitar feels so much better to play now. He adjusted the bridge, the truss rod, the intonation, cleaned the fretboard, properly grooved the nut, openned it up and cleaned out a bunch of dust and adjusted the height of the pickups. He asked what strings I wanted, and I told him I was a beginner, so he recommended Super Slinkies.

He said it would be about an hour, so, first I oggled every guitar, bass, mandolin, ukelele, and amp in the shop, then I walked down the street to a smoothie shop. Came back and, bam, beautifully setup guitar.

So, I’d say I had a good experience. I was afraid it would be more expensive, hence why I waited, but $65 seemed very reasonable. The luthier also has his own workshop apparently, so I may seek him out directly in the future.

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I’ve taken both of mine to a pro as I don’t have the experience or the will at the moment to learn about setting up a guitar.

My acoustic it was amazing when I got it back from him. The action was so high and I’d been struggling for ages before someone said, on here, about had I got it set up. It wasn’t even something I knew about.

It sounds like he has done a great job on yours JK and that you are loving it even more. Looking forward to the next video.

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Ernie ball do Hybrids…I switched to them when having some lessons as its way easier to bend those high strings with them on. Probably wouldn’t pick any others now.

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Superb you’ve found it worthwhile JK and pleased you started the topic, it has my mind wandering!!

@MAT1953 - Out of curiosity Michael who have you used?

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Mark @Notter
It was a chap called Shaun, don’t know his second name at the local guitar shop in Sunderland, bit far from where you live. He was recommended by the members of the local acoustic guitar club which I am member, who use him. He also sets guitars up for the local semi professional bands, I understand. He was saying when I was in on Friday afternoon that he would not get around to mine until Monday as he had quite a few to work on before the weekend.
Michael :grinning:

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Thanks Michael, hope it turns out well, sounds like a very good contact. Look forward to hearing what you think when she’s back in your hands!

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Mark @Notter

As you suggested here is an update on how I got on.

Received a text to say the guitar was ready to collect late yesterday afternoon so I duly called in. When it was my turn in the queue we went into a practice room and he suggested I play some chords, to be honest I was not really ready for that but had a go. He then played a bit himself, he said he was a lefty but could do a bit right handed. We then had a discussion on what he had done, lowered the action, if that is the correct term, in his words it was difficult play especially as a beginner, he had also put on 11’s as agreed. I mentioned last time that he was disappointed at the finish that it had left the factory. So he had smoothed the ends of some of the frets and stained the fret board as he said a nearly new guitar should look brighter than that. He final view was that the guitar was now ideal to play especially for a beginner like me.

How much did it cost you want to know, all that for 35 GBP, I also made a contribution to a local animal rescue charity that the shop supports, it also one my wife supports as well.

Didn’t get a chance to have much of a go last night, but have today, WOW, what a difference much easier to play.

I must say I was bit nervous before starting the whole process, but the whole experience was enjoyable, a lot down to the luthier, not thinking oh dear here is another novice.

Final thoughts well worth the money and if you are a beginner you really don’t know if the guitar is set up right or not, get it checked out as soon as can don’t wait a few months like i did.

Michael :guitar:

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Spot on Michael ! I have been saying that for years after I had my old acoustic set up for the first time after 6 months struggling with the the “F Chord” marathon. When asked to play a few chords in the shop I went for broke and it was as easy as it had been on the electrics. Sounds like good price as well. Given it was over 5 years ago the shop I used charged 24 euro for acoustic (plus parts ie strings minimum) and 42 euros for electrics.
My luthier who I found a few minutes up the road charges, was charging a little more but I was not having to travel 100 minutes to Rennes and back and pay for parking. So a no brainer !

Enjoy !

:sunglasses:

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This is for all beginners. Don’t be afraid of your music store or Luthier. It is their job to sell, fix and set-up your guitar. If they make you feel comfortable and make a good connection you will be back to use their services. Most are musicians themselves and they all were you at on point in their lives.
They are not there to mock you or make feel stupid. They want you to be a repeat customer and happy with you guitar.

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Exactly this.

There’s lots of rumours and memes about music shop staff, and I have always found them to be utterly untrue.

Music shops are a business and most of their customers are beginners. They cannot afford to alienate them.

Unfortunately, being a beginner looking to buy a new instrument is a naturally stressful thing, so when you visit a music shop, it’s easy to imagine everyone is judging you.

They aren’t.

Cheers,

Keith

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Thanks Michael for the follow on update, sounds like you’ve more than got your moneys worth and have found a luthier / shop for life!
Enjoy the added playability :slight_smile:

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Toby @TheMadman_tobyjenner
Perhaps it is one of things that Justin could empathise a bit more in very beginners lessons.
Beginners face enough challenges, unfortunately a badly set up guitar could easily put them off for life.

Rick @stitch Majik @Majik
You are right shops need to be aware, which I am sure they are, that nervous beginner may over the years become one of there best customers.

Mark @Notter
Let’s hope the shop will see a lot more of me over the years.
As regards playing still getting used to not having to press so hard.

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