I had my american FSR strat and my partners squier strat sent for a setup. I can do basic set ups my self but don't have free time at the moment with a 5 month old.
I have sent 2 guitars before to the guy and he did a decent job. Even though it did not sort out one particular issuse in the way I was hoping.
I gave a detailed list by email and had a 15 min call. Confident all understood but all fairly basic requests. Main thing was to change pickups on mine which has been done fine. List attached.
I also had to have them couriered each way as don't have time to go to his workshop in the week.
£205 which I think is fine. No breakdown as promised on an invoice but sounds reasonable. 40 quid for the courier that I arranged.
Wrong tuning on my strat as wanted it in d standard and it was but in e flat - strings definetly not stretched at all. Changes pitches of the other strings as I bend i was very clear about it. So trem slightly floating.
Had to send it back as when I returned it to d standard it caused buzzing and choking and i didn't want to start doing a set up. Got it back and plays well now and if not still a bit buzzy at 5 and 7 on the low E. Fine a mistake but something that has caused a lot of wasted time.
Wanted S locks fitted to partners guitar as I have them on mine. He misread my instructions and put them on my guitar which already had s locks on just black ones instead of silver. I sent the strings and S locks along with the guitars. Got him to do it as the strap button holes on my guitar were really poorly drilled and needed sorting last time.l so thought might be the case with the squier.
The big one. Scratches either side of each fret. Permanent scratches that I can't rub out. Some deeper gouges that you can fell with the nail. Did he not use tape on the board?? He said it was from fret polishing and he had to do some crowning.I'm not sure how this has happened. He phrased it like oh that's what happens really. I mean I could remove them...
There is also a sizeable 2 inch gash that I am 95 per cent confident wasn't there before. It's a beater of a guitar but it's gone all the way to the bare wood and feels gnarly to the touch.
He has said he would fix all these issues once I bought them up but bizarre that they weren't sorted or mentioned before. Also other things were missed and ignored or misnunderstood. He is a very nice guy and we have had some long chats and I want to support local small businesses but been a fairly poor expeierence. He is a proper Full Time Pro no amateur.
This would be the 3rd time couriering them from my work which is a pain getting them there and then 20 quid each way. So it would be £80 in extra couriers total if I sent them again.
Just want to gauge how annoyed I should be. I'm very knackered from having a young baby and sent the guitars away to be set up as a treat for us both. I want him to sort it but not sure I should keep paying for couriers. Worried he might just make it worse.
Would appreciate some opinions. I ranted to someone at work about this but they glazed over ha. This is the right place ha.
https://imgur.com/a/D8P2r4Fhttps://imgur.com/a/7WeHR8OCan upload pics properly when i get to a computer.
Thanks!!
Comments
This is what I expected but great to hear about it from a technical perspective. I'm pissed it happened and very annoying it's just through carelessness and good to know it's not me just being over the top. I also don't think the pictures really do it justice it is really is much worse in person.
Good ammo to go back to him and say it's not on. I'll pay for the pick-up installation and the jack fix but the rest I don't think so.
Ya you are right. The courier to send it back again to get it sorted was another 40 quid. All his fault as he didn't do what was asked. Even though I double checked on the phone after he did the work the first time.
I obviously paid him before I received it back the first time. So will have to ask for that back. I work in photo production so I am pretty use to difficult phone calls. Ha
Dimarzio give specific value instructions for the pots. I asked for him to make sure they were the same. If not please change them. He said he would add resistors or whatever was appropriate.
I kept asking if he had changed them and he just kept saying they were CTS pots and the pickups sound good. Hmmm
I’d say cut your losses and give it to someone that has nothing but positive feedback. Feline would be my first port of call as others have suggested.