Some TLC for my Guitars

[Mike_S]

I found myself a luthier within about an hour drive of where I live. Strangely - in Ireland anyway - it seems there are not that many luthiers to be found. A few in Dublin (trying to avoid driving to Dublin just for this), and a few more scattered around but pretty far away from me. Eventually found a guy still about an hour drive away in a small village, but decided to go for it as a couple of my guitars have been bugging me for a while now.

The main problem was my Harley Benton LP bought about a year ago. The frets were finished very badly and made it difficult to play comfortably, the tuners were awful - more like what you would expect on a child's guitar from a toy shop and to top it all I broke the very flimsy jack plate. But i knew there was a decent guitar in there somewhere. So frets were sorted, "levelled" I think and recrowned, a few had to be reseated. New tuners were put on and it was given a decent set up.

I had him give one of my mexican strats a proper set up too and clean the electrics as they were crackling like f**k.

In short, from having two guitars - one of which was unplayable and the other was borderline - I now have two cracking guitars that sound and play great.

And to top it all he reckoned my Mexican Strat was quite rare (at least I always thought it was a mexican strat). Seems like its actually a 96 Fender MIM Squire Series (NOT a Squier by Fender). seems someone sanded off the small Squier Series logo. BUT... he reckons the neck and body are both USA. So a bit of a strange hybrid guitar that now sounds superb.

I am sure a lot of members on here have lots of experience with getting guitars repaired or set up properly but this was the first time I have brought an instrument to anyone to look at. From what I have read you need to be careful with who you hand over your instrument to, but if you can find a good reputable luthier to service your guitar I would highly recommend it.

[Mach]

Great find Mike. I have 2 local guys I can take my guitars to and they both are very honest when it comes to what really need to be done. This one guy had been building guitars since the 50's that once had a Surf Rock group. He now has to wear a hearing aid and sometimes will bring his finished guitars to me for a play and listen. He may be older, but has a sharp eye and good hands on set-up, repairs or builds. He once built a Fender Jazzmaster and let me keep and play it for a couple of weeks. I didn't quite like the action on it, but it worked perfect for slide. I used it to play the slide on this tune...https://songcrafters.org/forum/index.php?topic=10698...wish I would of bought it now, but it's gone. He has sold and traded a lot of guitars with me.

He also built my Tele which plays like a dream. It never seems to go out of tune. When he brought it to me something didn't sound right about it, so he took it back pulled off the Fender bridge and installed a Wilkinson brass barrel and when I got it back that was the trick. Sounds amazing.

I'm glad you got them sorted, it makes all the difference in the world playing a properly set up instrument.

Mach

[alfstone]

it makes all the difference in the world playing a properly set up instrument.

Mach

Absolutely true. I've always brought my guitars to a luthier, both brand new and after some years. It doesn't matter if they sound good "out of the box", they will surely sound better after the proper setup by a professional luthier. I insist on the *professional*, though: I had only one bad experience, with an amateur *friend* luthier, who after a series of "don't worry about the price..." at the end asked me more than the price of the guitar itself 

Alfredo

[TPB]

I can do a lot of work on Guitars as I have built a few but every new guitar I get goes down the road for a proper setup, The problem with not having it setup right in the beginning is you get use to the Kinks and do not know what you are missing kinda like the old car you have to turn the key three times before it starts it becomes normal after while

[Groundy]

I have a Mex Strat that I bought new in 1992 it still feels great and sounds ok, I bet if I went to a luthier I would be shocked...

[kenny mac]

I have an old black squire strat that weighs a ton but sounded better than my old Japanese fender so I kept the squire.
Don't know what it's made from ,,,,,,,,concrete I think lol

[Groundy]

I have an old black squire strat that weighs a ton but sounded better than my old Japanese fender so I kept the squire.
Don't know what it's made from ,,,,,,,, concrete I think lol

The heaviest guitar I ever owned was a Burns Marvin, a beautiful guitar but weighed a ton, at the end of a night playing my shoulder would be aching like mad.

Alex

[Farrell Jackson]

I do most of the minor set ups on my guitars myself. Things like intonation, string and pickup heights, and neck bow /straightening. I shy away from fret and nut replacements and let the pros do that. So far I've only taken two guitars to a trusted luthier for new frets and nuts but that was 30 years ago. They still play and sound good today. He's probably past away by now. I have a couple more that need some fret work.....I should start looking for someone to do that.

Farrell

[Speed Demon]

Farrell, where do you live?
If you are close to me (Connecticut) I can install or dress frets. Done that on numerous
guitars over the years.

[Farrell Jackson]

Thanks for the offer Gene but I live in California and 3,000 miles is a bit far to drive for fret work.  That's cool that you have the skill to do fret replacements and dressing them. If I was close I'd certainly take you up on that...thanks for the offer!

Farrell