Repair Schedule
Top of the list = first to be finished as of 5/13/2013
Repair Information
Yes, I certainly do repair work for customers... but I mostly do local (in-state, "drop-off, pick-up") work. In the past I have been ambivalent about taking on out-of-state work, but now I have a bit more space to work with so I can indeed take a limited amount of non-local work on as well. Out-of-staters, keep in mind that if you have a pretty typical instrument (read: modern acoustic or electric guitar, bass, violin/fiddle, etc.) that there are more than likely many local options for your luthiery needs.
Top of the list = first to be finished as of 5/13/2013
- 1910s koa uke squadron (x8!)
- 2000s Robson bouzouki
- 1970s Guild jumbo guitar
- 1970s pink Fender Strat
- 1930s Harmony Deluxe tenor banjo
- 1930s Regal LeDomino Big Boy guitar
- 1960s yellow-painted Kay archtop guitar
- 1970s Japanese baritone uke
- 1910s Gibson mandola
- banjo squadron (longneck, 2x tenor, etc.)
- 1960s Candelas dreadnought guitar
- 1950s Martin style 2 uke
- 1980s Daion doubleneck guitar
- 1910s Weymann mandola
- 1905s Kay electric guitar
- 1920s Adams Brothers parlor guitar
- 1930s Harmony archtop guitar
- 1910s Favilla bowlback mandolin
- 1940s Gibson ES-300
- Proffitt-style fretless banjo
- Reed soprano uke
- 70s Yamaha dread guitar (whose is this!?)
- 1930s Regal mando-shaped uke
Repair Information
Yes, I certainly do repair work for customers... but I mostly do local (in-state, "drop-off, pick-up") work. In the past I have been ambivalent about taking on out-of-state work, but now I have a bit more space to work with so I can indeed take a limited amount of non-local work on as well. Out-of-staters, keep in mind that if you have a pretty typical instrument (read: modern acoustic or electric guitar, bass, violin/fiddle, etc.) that there are more than likely many local options for your luthiery needs.
I can of course do work on those instruments, but my strong suit is that I work and have worked on lots of rare, bizarre, and frankly obscure old instruments that require historical knowledge and different repair and setup approaches. If you have an old tiple, Portuguese guitar, curious old Chicago-built ukulele, odd mandolin-family instrument, or funky old "parlor" guitar, tenor, plectrum, or strange old 5-string banjo, yes... I may well be "your man" for the job.
So? Will you take my repair on? For local customers, please drop by the shop during store hours (Wed-Fri 10-5, Sun 12-5) for me to take a look at your instrument and give you a ballpark estimate on the cost of repair.
For non-local customers... feel free to email me with digital photos of the instrument in question. Please note that turnaround time for out-of-state customers can be really quick or it can also stretch to be several months or more before it gets back to you. This is dictated by where the instrument is received "in line" with the rest of the instruments awaiting repair. Also, please figure in that you will have a shipping cost both ways.
So? How much does this stuff cost? Basic repair rates are as follows and rates vary depending on instrument types. I will not do "partial" repair jobs if the end result is an instrument that plays poorly. I wouldn't drive in a car that only had half its brake pads intact and two flat tires... and the same applies to instruments.
SETUP: $20-50 for basic adjustments (truss if applicable, nut and saddle work, tuner lube, etc.) and cleaning, no fret work, new strings not included.
FRET LEVEL & DRESS: $50-85 includes setup. If your frets are worn or not seated properly, proper playability is more or less impossible. I do a level and dress on every old instrument I work on for resale because it is so necessary to an instrument's playability.
NEW NUT / SADDLE: $15-45 each, bone replacement standard, varies depending on job difficulty and time spent shaping saddles, especially.
BRIDGE REGLUE: Ukuleles $20-35, guitars $40-75 depending on what else needs doing in the bridge area at the same time. If I have to reshape the bridge for proper action or saddle fit, expect the cost to be a little higher.
NEW BRIDGE: For pin-bridge or tie-block instruments it's the cost of a bridge reglue plus a part cost that varies depending on what the customer wants. For odd-sized bridges that must be made to fit, the cost is scaled to the job and the level of decorative touches or styling of the new bridge.
BRIDGE SEATING/FLOATING BRIDGE WORK: For mandolins and other floating-bridge instruments (archtop guitars), properly-fitted bridges are a must. Depending on what's necessary -- fitting or reshaping of an existing bridge, crafting an entirely new bridge from scratch, or fitting a new bridge that's a standard replacement part -- the cost will go up or down. This work is generally pretty straightforward, though
REFRET JOB: This is totally scaled to what the instrument needs, but generally I won't do a refret job under $100. Old ukuleles (12-fret) would be an exception. On older instruments, replacing frets can be very time-consuming if the board itself is dried-out or prone to chipping, since much cosmetic touchup work may be necessary, so if a customer can live with original frets that function but are slightly lower, I generally suggest fret leveling and dressing over an entire refret.
ELECTRICAL/PICKUP WORK: This work is time-based rather than job-based because figuring out what's going wrong "under the hood" or customizing for a certain customer preference can be quick or very lengthy depending on how an instrument is built or wired and also how much "modding" has been done to an instrument in the past.
ACOUSTIC PICKUP INSTALL: For K&K-style pickups, cost of the pickup + $15-25. For undersaddle or more complicated pickups, time plus equipment cost is charged.
NECK RESETS: This varies entirely from instrument to instrument, so you'll have to ask for a quote. I have alternative methods to traditional steaming, reshaping the heel, etc. that I use for cheaper and more low-end instruments which are not worth the money to do the job but are worth the "cool" factor.
CRACK REPAIRS & SEAM REGLUES: Ask for quote. This can be quite inexpensive or (if badly damaged) quite a task.
WHEW! I think that's it, for the most part.
For non-local customers... feel free to email me with digital photos of the instrument in question. Please note that turnaround time for out-of-state customers can be really quick or it can also stretch to be several months or more before it gets back to you. This is dictated by where the instrument is received "in line" with the rest of the instruments awaiting repair. Also, please figure in that you will have a shipping cost both ways.
So? How much does this stuff cost? Basic repair rates are as follows and rates vary depending on instrument types. I will not do "partial" repair jobs if the end result is an instrument that plays poorly. I wouldn't drive in a car that only had half its brake pads intact and two flat tires... and the same applies to instruments.
FRET LEVEL & DRESS: $50-85 includes setup. If your frets are worn or not seated properly, proper playability is more or less impossible. I do a level and dress on every old instrument I work on for resale because it is so necessary to an instrument's playability.
NEW NUT / SADDLE: $15-45 each, bone replacement standard, varies depending on job difficulty and time spent shaping saddles, especially.
BRIDGE REGLUE: Ukuleles $20-35, guitars $40-75 depending on what else needs doing in the bridge area at the same time. If I have to reshape the bridge for proper action or saddle fit, expect the cost to be a little higher.
NEW BRIDGE: For pin-bridge or tie-block instruments it's the cost of a bridge reglue plus a part cost that varies depending on what the customer wants. For odd-sized bridges that must be made to fit, the cost is scaled to the job and the level of decorative touches or styling of the new bridge.
BRIDGE SEATING/FLOATING BRIDGE WORK: For mandolins and other floating-bridge instruments (archtop guitars), properly-fitted bridges are a must. Depending on what's necessary -- fitting or reshaping of an existing bridge, crafting an entirely new bridge from scratch, or fitting a new bridge that's a standard replacement part -- the cost will go up or down. This work is generally pretty straightforward, though
REFRET JOB: This is totally scaled to what the instrument needs, but generally I won't do a refret job under $100. Old ukuleles (12-fret) would be an exception. On older instruments, replacing frets can be very time-consuming if the board itself is dried-out or prone to chipping, since much cosmetic touchup work may be necessary, so if a customer can live with original frets that function but are slightly lower, I generally suggest fret leveling and dressing over an entire refret.
ELECTRICAL/PICKUP WORK: This work is time-based rather than job-based because figuring out what's going wrong "under the hood" or customizing for a certain customer preference can be quick or very lengthy depending on how an instrument is built or wired and also how much "modding" has been done to an instrument in the past.
ACOUSTIC PICKUP INSTALL: For K&K-style pickups, cost of the pickup + $15-25. For undersaddle or more complicated pickups, time plus equipment cost is charged.
NECK RESETS: This varies entirely from instrument to instrument, so you'll have to ask for a quote. I have alternative methods to traditional steaming, reshaping the heel, etc. that I use for cheaper and more low-end instruments which are not worth the money to do the job but are worth the "cool" factor.
CRACK REPAIRS & SEAM REGLUES: Ask for quote. This can be quite inexpensive or (if badly damaged) quite a task.
WHEW! I think that's it, for the most part.
