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I dropped off a guitar for a refret in March, and was told it'd be 2-4 weeks. Am I being unreasonable for thinking that, regardless of the set expectations, that over 3 months for a refret is ridiculous?
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06-28-2021 02:56 PM
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Probably a bit long, but maybe with Covid work piled up for luthiers in general.
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I have never been able to understand why repair people (not only guitar technicians) needs to have the item in question lying idle on their shelf for weeks or months. I do understand that there can be a waiting list, hard to get at parts etc., but why not just take a small deposit and then call the owner when it's his/her turn. In your case, a fret job was needed, but I suppose that the guitar would not have been unplayable for a few weeks or even months.
In other branches of repair business, say cars or cameras, one is usually offered a rent car or camera - often for free - until the repair is done. However, I can see why this is not ideal when dealing with musical instruments with personal or even idiosyncratic setups. But that should not lead technicians and luthiers towards an attitude of the temperamental artist. They should offer their customers flexible service to minimize the problems with being without a favorite instrument.
Years ago we had a small VW car whose engine stopped every time the foot left the speeder pedal. The authorized VW workshop in Copenhagen tried twice but their sophisticated fault diagnosing computer couldn't find out what it was (but they charged us for their time nevertheless). We then went on holidays and a small mechanic at the countryside in the region where we had our summer house said that since all bolts and nuts were tight it could be a crack or bend in the carbureting system and he used a big screwdriver to press the manifold to the engine top, and sure enough, that helped. However, he had to wait a day or two to get a new manifold, so I drove off again, only to have the engine stop a mile or two down the road and this time for good. I was before the days of cell phones, so it began to look tedious. But then out of the blue came the mechanics son in one of their own cars. He said that after I left, they had been talking about how far I would possibly get, considering the vigorous fiddling they had done to the manifold. He told me to take his car and use it, until I picked up ours. Then he rammed the big screwdriver down by the manifold again and humped back to the workshop in my car. Do I need to say that they became our go-to workshop after that - an experienced mechanic who could use the inside of his head and who offered good service.
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When I do a fret you probably will get it in 10 days possible 14. If it is going to take longer I don't want the guitar sitting around I will call and have you bring in when I can reasonably get it finished. Not acceptable and to me a liability sitting around in my shop.
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Have you talked to who ever is doing the work? These are very strange times that have pretty much eliminated anything that resembles reasonable expectations for the timeline on anything.
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3 months is just wrong, considering you were given a much shorter estimate.
I always call my repair guy and set an appointment to have my guitar worked on. If the time comes and he can’t get to it, at least I have the guitar while I’m waiting.
I started doing this after a similar experience to yours. (Not 3 months, though!)
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I first called after 6 weeks had passed, and have called every 3 weeks or so since. It’s always “two more weeks.” Before I posted today, I got a little exasperated, and said “come on…it’s been a quarter of a year.” He denied it had been that long, and then when he looked it up in his log, seemed shocked. He said my guitar would be his priority, and it would be 2 more weeks.
Originally Posted by Jim Soloway
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The luthier specifies the date on which he can finish my refret. I'll deliver the guitar no more than a week before that. I play the friggin' thing
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A fret job takes a few hrs and his "priority" is 2 more weeks? Originally Posted by customxke
I probably wouldve picked it up.
Let me know who it is so I can avoid him.
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Oh, so it wasn’t a priority for 2.5 months? I’d have said he’s failed to earn your business and picked up my guitar. Luthiers like this give all luthiers a bad name. I once knew a luthier in a very small shop that took 2 weeks to do a set up. Why? Because the setup didn’t bring much money so he put it on the back burner. I stopped using him. Originally Posted by customxke
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My last refret took less than a week. The same guy did a fret level and dress while I waited, a few months previously. He's not some jack-leg, he's the top guy in the Houston area. More than a week, perhaps two, is unacceptable for me. I can understand, like others, having a backlog, but one should be able to make an appointment to bring the guitar in close to the time it will be worked on. That can be difficult, no doubt, for a totally unorganized shop, but I don't want to deal with a shop like that.
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Too long is as long as he promised plus one day.
Obviously, he's laughing at you
If I were you, I'd pick my guitar up and find another qualified guy, before he ruins it ...
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My tech uses a two pronged policy, one can either leave their instrument for repair, or, one can book a time, leave the instrument and mostly collect it the next day.
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How long is too long?
Too long is too long :-)
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It depends upon the luthier's workload. You may recall, that due to serious allergies to nickel & chromium, I have to get all of my guitars refretted to keep my dermatitis from flaring up. The luthier who does the refret jobs on my guitars has taken anywhere from 3 weeks to in one or two cases (several years ago), almost 3 months. Still, I will admit that I was warned ahead of time that there would be an extended delay before the refret work was done.
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Just for an update…I picked up the guitar today. It was in the shop for over 4 months. It’s unplayable. There’s gobs of superglue everywhere. Frets are filed down to near nothing without being crowned. High frets everywhere. Fret tangs not being ground down completely over the binding, so now I have proud fret edges. This thing needs to have another refret, but there’s so much splintering in the ebony fretboard that I’m wary of having another done. Buyer beware.
Last edited by customxke; 08-04-2021 at 09:36 AM.
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Well, we can't beware if we don't know who screwed it up.
I use a phenomenal repairman in the area that I'd recommend but he's semi retired and only takes work from longtime clients.
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Once I settle up with the owner, I'll put them on blast. This guitar needs a refret.
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That's how you got it back???
The splintering on the board can be repaired w ebony dust and glue to be barely visible.
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Whoa. That’s the worst work I’ve ever seen. It actually came out of a bonafide shop? Looks like someone is moonlighting from their kitchen table as a “tech”. Hope you didn’t give him any money. In fact, he owes you money for the work he created down the line.
I’d be curious to see what the rest looks like.
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It's a bonafide shop. The owner did the work. He wasn't there when I picked the guitar up, and I told the employee I wasn't paying until I spoke to the owner. Here's some nice super glue work: Originally Posted by telephone
The whole neck is like this.
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Time for small claims court if the owner fails to cancel his bill and also pay you for the damage he caused.
You should publish the shop name ASAP to prevent others from having their instruments damaged.
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Holy moly. My first fret dressing and crowning job on my cheap guitar looked way better than that. One fret is pretty much flat, the other is pointed towards the neck side. Not good for intonation. You can even see that one fret is higher than the other.
It seems like he gave himself about 30 sec's to do the levelling and crowning.
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Unbelievable. I can’t wrap my head around what a pitiful job the guy did.
Have you done business with this shop before?
To be clear, I cast no aspersions in your direction, just the guy who wronged you. Really sorry this happened.
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Ive been buying strings and things for years from his shop. I should be speaking to him tomorrow to find out how he’s going to make this right. Originally Posted by telephone
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