“What am I getting for my money?”
Ok, nobody has actually said that. But, I imagine that some people might be a bit surprised by my price list. There’s a chance that I may charge a little more for my work than other guitar shops in the area. The big one in town is going to charge less than me for sure, but let me explain the difference between us.
When you give me a guitar to work on, you can be assured that I am going to do my very best to take care of you. I will be completely honest with you about my labor costs and I will keep you informed of anything that needs to come to your attention during the repair. I’m a pretty nice guy if I do say so myself, and I will be courteous and patient throughout our business together. You don’t have to worry about asking any dumb questions because there is no such thing, and I won’t embarrass you if you are new to the world of guitars.
I am extremely detail oriented and I do not let a single guitar go out my doors without them being in a condition that I would be proud of. In short, you are paying for experience and confidence.
I’d like to explain a little more of the kind of care I put into my work, but I’m afraid it would get a little redundant. Hopefully you can find out for yourself!
SUPPORT LOCAL BUSINESS!
Did a little work on my friend Danny Greuter’s hot-pink Kramer. Did a set up which includes adjusting the action (bridge & nut slot height+neck relief), polishing frets, adjusting the pick up height, checking electronics, and a good cleaning.
I also installed a new floyd rose bridge. The old posts were actually re-drilled a hair too close to the front of the routed pocket as seen in the third picture. I considered plugging the old holes and re-drilling them to the correct spot, but the old holes were already drilled into dowels from even older holes! So instead of plugging up the new-old holes and drilling in between the two dowels (which would have been a weak area to hold posts), I simply sanded the front edge of the routed pocket to let the bridge clear without problem. Luckily, the bridge was just a hair to far forward and the string alignment was still correct so moving the saddles back a little father to intonate worked just fine. The installation was a success and the guitar plays great and holds its tune.
Got my new bench built! Don’t worry, no body’s going to play darts around your guitar.
Austin Vintage Guitars
I learned most of what I know about guitar repair while working here at one of the best shops in Texas.
Galloup Guitars
I went to school here and was essentially introduced to luthiery. I was given all the tools necessary to continue my training and I built a couple of very nice guitars in the process.
Collings Guitars
I worked here and learned everything there is to know about finish sanding and buffing. I made those guitars look goood.
Gluing up a neck that had snapped off. The next time I get a repair like this in, I’ll make sure to take pictures throughout the whole process.
A bass that I shielded. This is the process of lining all of the cavities along with the pick guard with a copper foil. Everything must fit exactly and all of the seams must be soldered. The job has to be very clean and tidy and all areas must be sealed in order for this job to function properly.
This guitar was thrown across the stage by someone who was apparently rocking a little too hard. But it was no problem because I was able to patch up and finish the area to look like new!
