I recently bought a 1973 Guild S100 and I think it could benefit from a bit of investment in the fretboard/frets. There's some noticeable pitting in the fretboard and frets, particularly around frets 1-5 and has developed some pretty serious buzz around the second fret.
It has been set up recently but seems to have slipped back, hence why I'm thinking it might need a closer look. It was set up at GuitarGuitar and I've had work carried out there before with no issues but they do get swamped and I'm expecting that'll probably be the case when they re-open next week.
Does anyone have any recommendations for luthiers in the North East who would be worth me contacting? It's a vintage instrument and a bound fretboard, if that helps.
Cheers!
Comments
www.facebook.com/GGGuitars
Totally dishonest, ripoff merchant , thief and liar.
Sadly I speak from experience.
I have no relationship with or opinions on the bloke, just curious.
Just another name to throw into the 'maybe hat' - Shaun at Riff Raff Guitars in Sunderland is my regular set-up and problem-fettling guy. Don't know what he's like with refrets, but he's always got some weird and wonderful vintage instruments that he's working on in his shop so definitely knows the crack with older guitars.
Riff-Raff Guitars Sunderland | Facebook
Me and my friends gave him a lot of work and this is how my story goes,
You'll have heard the rumours about his box of PAF's??!
I took a les paul custom in for a headstock repair and a refret.
When I collected it and took it home it didn't sound very good. I rang Les to ask his advice and he got real defensive, then later said I need a new selector switch which he would sell me but I'd need to fit it myself.. I took his word for it and didn't question it.
Bought switch, it was the wrong type. Different colour gold, and was right angle like an SG. Must've needed rid of the switch. I went away again. Switch didn't fit, waste of money, and guitar still didn't sound right.
Brought an SG in for some work.
He stole the strap and straplocks from inside the case.
I noticed and had to go back for them.
Fast forward a couple of years. Les paul still sounds crap and buzzes everywhere, so I sent it to a reputable guitar repairer.
Almost every single fret had lifted, and the reason it sounded crap was because the pickup covers had been removed and hastily put back, breaking the earth connection. So not only did it sound crap but it was dangerous too.
I'm 1000000% sure tha Les HAD to have done this as I've owned the guitar since new and he was the only person who had ever worked on it. He had given a crap refret (which I don't even think it needed) , and tried to steal the pickups by removing the covers so he could take my set and put the covers on a different set, thinking I wouldn't have noticed. Obviously he knows he did this and at no point in the numerous subsequent visits and phone calls did he offer to put it right or even take a look. He could easily have put it right and I'd not have even known.
Not only did he totally rip me of , lie and try to steal from me, but he also ruined a beautiful guitar.
So basically I'd advise anyone that ever mentions his name to steer well clear. If ever see him I'll take his fucking head off.
I have a Tanglewood TW61 that was upgraded with genuine Rickenbacker hardware & sounds great. It was supposedly fettled by Les Tones, but that's the only thing that I have that he 'may' have touched.
I had heard various tales about him over the years, some good, but more bad, so I reckon I'll continue to steer clear of him.
Shame that there aren't more decent setup & repair guys in the NE, I could certainly use someone good since John Gill went off the rails.
you’re right , we need more decent repair guys. When we’re out of tier 3 I’ve got 2 guitars that need work , one of them needs a lot of work , but I don’t know where to go !!
I'll have to give him a try when things get back to being workable again. Save on an eye test I suppose...
https://wesleyguitars.co.uk/about/
Also, Chris at CH Guitars in South Shields is canny.
Highly recommend Paul Richardson just outside of Durham, builds amazing guitars too and his prices are very reasonable.
Neil who works out of GuitarGuitar in Newcastle has also been suggested for refret work - anyone have any experience? To be honest, he was my first thought but I'd imagine he'll be a lot of people's first thought and he'll be booked out for ages now that they've reopened.
Cheers,
Joe
I nearly always use Martyn at DS / DoubleStop Guitars, or Neil at guitarguitar Newcastle.
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