Update on Customers Vintage VGA900 Setup (Post Setup)
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- Опубліковано 7 вер 2024
- To watch the video PRE setup which ironically discusses the difficulties of providing our level of service in a market with low margins and especially when dealing with lower (ish) value guitars click here.... • Get a LOT More Guitar ...
To watch highlights of this guitar being setup click here... • What Happens To Every ...
These videos demonstrate the work that goes into every guitar but also the emotional energy and potential cause for frustration for the buyer if and when problems occur.
When a customer buys a guitar from me I feel I have an obligation to serve them best I can. However being one person with one great tech means patience is the name of the game in order to provide this service without compromise.
I am available by live chat if you want to talk to me further about our service at www.rguitars.co.uk
It is great to see someone who is a principled man.
I spoke with you a few weeks ago Richard and your enthusiasim for your products shines through. Not only that but you spent the time asking me loads of questions to try and help me decide what to buy. I have never played a guitar before so I was very pleased to have picked Richards Guitars. When I am ready to purchase my first guitar it will be from yourself. Keep the videos coming.
Regards John
THANK YOU! Don't worry - I WILL be doing videos on the down sides of my service too - I want a 100% honest balanced perspective because frankly it kills me letting people down (or when I am "accused" of letting them down IE their perspective). However, the more people I can attract that understand fully the pros and cons of working with a one man specialist, the fewer misunderstandings I will have with people who were expecting a guitar in a box the next day - and who are grateful for rejected guitars - not cancel their orders due to inconvenience caused! Thanks so much. Positive feedback fuels my energy to do more which I am looking forward to doing.
This level of service is pretty much unheard of nowadays. Exactly the reason I'm more than happy to wait for the G&L I have on order rather than order with the faceless many and receive next day!
This is service you don't see anywhere else.
Solution to a low saddle. Yes. File slot steeper coming out of the hole but the bridge can be planed down. Doesn't take much. Did it on my old Yamaha to solve low saddle n belly budge. Cheap fix but worked.
I have recently subscribed to your channel Richard for several reasons...Im a guitar geek etc.....but most of all I find your videos interesting and honest...which is rare these days.....our local shop has recently closed after over 50 years of service to our community and knowing the owner and previous owner well.....they had the same concerns as you...its tough these days... .they couldn't carry Martin's, Gibson's etc because they couldn't purchase 50 at a time.....it would have taken 50 years in our little town to sell that many! But I do appreciate your honesty and I realize that my dream of owning a music store have evaporated along with other brick and mortars these days.....I feel fortunate to still have my hands to play since other health issues have taken away my ability to do other things.....I really enjoy your channel and keep up the good work.....If My wife and I are ever able to visit the,U.K. I'm getting that you are in Stratford Upon Avon? Home of Bill Shakespeare and one Nick Drake?
Your set up service on all guitars you sell is EXACTLY the reason I bought a guitar from you last year, why I had you set up an electric and an acoustic I already owned, and why I have another guitar on order with you. I'm sure a lot of guitar buyers are aware of the shortfalls of buying either on-line or from a chain guitar shop where the guitar action is likely to be less than perfect - and then struggling to find a local tech to put it right. Hopefully these potential customers see your videos, look at the premium you charge and come to the conclusion that the end result is excellent value for money. These videos are really enlightening - keep it up!
Fascinating. I learned several things I didn't know about guitar saddles, tops, etc. You obviously care and give great service.
Your honesty is immense, and I will be buying my next guitar from here
Brilliant, honest and very interesting video. you're very passionate about your work and nice to see.
Thanks for this video Richard!
I'll be contacting you shortly - been in the market for a new guitar and I think you're service looks pretty unbeatable.
Cheers
I have just watched this whole video and am very impressed with the time that you spend on people's enquiries and you attention to detail. I sent the previous email enquiring about an all solid wood acoustic archtop guitar. I would just like to add that I would have no objection to one fitted pick up at the end of the fingerboard.
It's great to see a guy with commitment to producing the best product he can. I think we all understand you get what you pay for in life. I am certain that with commitment like this the money spent and the long term commitment to the customer is well worth the extra cost. (FYI - an American here so not able to just drop in but will look around at the web site and figure out if there's a way I can get a new guitar one of these days from you.)
Great video's Richard, parts one and two. I'm a 61 year old gigging player and have been playing a long time, having owned some really nice guitars, all of which have needed pro set ups. Let me tell anyone watching your video's, that your pro set up price is extremely good value for money. I recently paid £100 for a so called deluxe set up on my Tokai (MIJ) Telecaster and for a mod on the barrel style jack socket. The guitar still chokes on the higher frets, it's going back. You are my kind of guitar dealer. Every guitar needs a pro set up when it comes out of the box.
It's nice to see an honest reputable dealer these days.....setup is so important....I won't mention names but I've bought a few high end guitars and asked for specific setup instruction and basically they adjusted the truss rod......I always have to take the saddle down myself.....shouldnt happen on a $2000 guitar....
Great video, but when tops rise, you skim the bridge. A mate had to have that done twice over ten years on his Gibson J200. Also just went to see my local luither to check up on a guitar of mine he was looking at. He had a Martin Eric Clapton, cracked sides to repair. And he also added some of these seriously expensive guitars do tend to break more than some of the cheaper ones. To back up what you said
I admire and appreciate your commitment to providing such great (and rare) service to your customers. I truly enjoy your videos with your detail,clarification and honesty. I only wish I could trade at your store. Alas I'm stuck in the states, but I look forward to more of your knowledge. Best regards.
You good sir are a "Golden Oasis" inside a an Industry that is no longer Musician orientated.Very impressed by you. Phil. Wallasey, Wirral. We have Dawson's up here whose staff look down their noses at you.
Phil O'Rourke to be fair to Dawson's when you go into any large store it's down to who you speak to on the day. no doubt they will have some great staff but as I have found from years of employing staff previously it is next to impossible to find people who have all the qualities you need to maintain standards.
This is a great education on what a great setup should be like. Wish you had shops all over the world, but I do have a local Sam Ash store that the folks really seem to have a great passion for doing things right on the back end. This will help me understand what I should look for however. Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!
I'm guessing by your accent you're not in Florida. Yours is the kind of "shop" or service every player wishes to find. Keep up the good works.
My experience buying from RG has being very good,I recently purchased a Vintage VSA500 sent to Dublin,the set up on the guitar was excellent ,and I hadn't all the hassle of sending it to a guitar tech to have it set up,I think paying the extra few quid is worth it,I have just ordered my second Vintage guitar from RG the 33rd guitar in my collection.
I love your videos... I love guitars and spend two days of my week down in the Cotswolds and I'l drop in at some point. I understand what you're saying that you want every guitar to go out of your store at its best, but you have a calculation to make to determine the price-point at which you can include setups. You either eliminate guitars below this price-point or you choose to compete with box-shifters by STRONGLY RECOMMENDING setups on lower-priced guitars.
Just watched this video. Just thought it was worth letting you know my take on things.
As much as I want to support my local store (there’s only one selling new kit, and one reselling), your honesty makes me want to give you my custom ( should the Mrs allow!).
The other one that I wrangle with is the fact that feel of a guitar is such a huge factor.
You need to hold a guitar before buying one, which puts me off buying online.
I’m in Aberdeenshire, so dropping into your shop isn’t an option.
Thanks for your dedication. The videos make for interesting viewing.
Have just ordered a Faith FKM Naked Mercury from Richard, after getting some late night advice on live chat. I was so impressed by his whole ethos, that I knew immediately that he was the guy I wanted to buy from. I hope every customer who feels the need to complain watches these videos first, then maybe they'd think twice. Wouldn't it be great if every retailer provided such a level of service and commitment.
Hey Brett! Haven't even seen that yet! So kind - thank you. I am on it!
Seriously, if i had ordered this guitar and you then had to tell me that there was an issue with it, and that you felt like a replacement would be a better idea, but that there may be a delay, my response would be simple. THANKS! Thanks for taking the time and attention for trying to do the best job possible for me, especially at this sort of price. Many, many other suppliers wold have shipped the box out without even a cursory examination, and I would have ended up with an instrument that i would probably have beed very disappointed with.
As i will be wanting to buy an acoustic guitar of some description in the next few months, i know who i will be buying it from.
PS you DO ship to France, i hope?
Hi there. Thanks for your vote of confidence and yes indeed we do ship to France! Delivery is just £15 and I am on live help most hours if you ever need me.
Your videos are always informative and funny as well.You do a great service to your customers ,whether they know it or not .I wish someone would've setup my first guitar .! It would have made a great way to save the damage to my Phalange's, hahaha.Keep up the great work.Peace .
Also the radius of the nut n saddle to match the fretboard radius. I have a cheap guitar that i lowered the action on n now i have to check truss rod for the right relief every time i play it n it still feels like something is off playing it. Think it might be the radius of the nut n saddle.
I agree, music stores are few and far between with this level of care.
Enjoyable videos mate.. You have a pleasant disposition.
Hi. Thank you for such kind words. I have been manic over the past few months so unable to post but its a priority for 2018. Please do stay in touch and thanks again. Really kind.
Really enjoyed your honest appraisal, on the vintage , I've got a bread love atlas series since the 90s fishman pickup, I'm looking to get a Eastman dreadnaught solid back sides, that can have a lag hivibe pickup fitted is this possible I've got about 850 to spend
Love and admire what you do but, crikey mate, you're gonna give yourself an aneurysm in your endless quest for 100 percent customer satisfaction at any- and every- price point! Still, my hat goes off to you. I am in the process of purchasing a guitar from you (an Eastman Ed1) and, having been sorely disappointed in the past buying a mid-range Chinese made guitar with relatively plush materials and specs from a UK dealer (in my case, it was an Alvarez masterworks which arrived with appallingly bad action and all-around cack-handed finish and setup- or no set up- from factory or dealer) I, for one, would be more than happy to wait however long it takes to get a guitar that is gonna make me smile rather than make my heart sink- like the £600 I spent on a dud Alvarez from PMT instruments did! (Its gathering dust now as I get too disheartened/remorseful picking the thing up...) I really had no idea that the kind of service you offer was available to anyone spending only a few hundred quid! So, take as long as you need to with my order, and i'll be patient, safe in the knowledge that the expert hands of the conscientious folks at Richard's Guitars will ensure it plays like a dream, straight out the gigbag! Maximum respect to you and your team, mate.
First off, these two videos I just watched on this particluar guitar have been fantastic in that they perfectly illustrate the problem w/ buying guitars online, sight unseen. I have returned many more guitars than I have bought essentially because the quality control at the mfg. level is (for the most part) inadequate nowadays. This particluar guitar you worked on has a bad neck angle & obviously should have been rejected or sold as "B" stock or whatever you guys call it over there ie., when a guitar has "factory imperfections". It's too bad you had to do all that work & now won't be compensated, I'm sorry for that. Would a tool that measures the neck angle of an acoustic be worth investing in for you? Just a thought that might save you some time/money in the future. Keep up the good work, I am impressed by your dedication & level of caring.
I would like to acquire an all solid wood acoustic archtop. Can Richards guitars advise me? I would be grateful!
Very worthwhile. Thanks. What do you think of the Ltd guitars? I have one of their bases and the quality for the money is unbelievable. (Mind you, mine is second hand and the previous owner was a jazz performance student who set it up well, so maybe that accounts for part of my love for it.) They seem to be a bit pricier than Vintage. Do you find they are better set up in the factory? Thanks again.
Richard... I didn't see an actual tech vid on this guitar, but don't you think that addressing any neck/saddle variables should be looked at first before addressing fret ends and ancillary issues? That guitar should have been sent back to the company if it's out of spec.
Richard, it may be a case here of preaching to the converted. Those of us that understand the value you bring to the transaction are already willing to pay for it. Unfortunately, the bulk of the sweaty masses don't get it.
Now that explains why all my customers smell so nice!
He says with a nose clip in place. We've got a couple high end shops here in Atlanta that do the same kind of service on their entry level that you do. I buy from then whenever I can. A problem here in the US is most on- line sales are exempt from sales tax that is levied at the state level (we have no national VAT). So, the local shop is going in with a 6-9% hill to climb at the outset.
I feel tired now after watching that off to bed now goodnight
Hello Richard. I live in Leicester and the shop where I bought my Lowden O32C from has now closed down, are you authorized to work on Lowdens? It doesn't need anything at the moment but if it ever does you seem the sort of person that would be able to do it justice.
I think it's perfect ... the internet has ruined this kind of client customer service and there's so many of us out there that are sick of being faced with literally no one to talk with. Or worse a complete disinterest with what's been sold.
Thanks Matt. Appreciate your feedback. I have been doing this for 22 years now and have always raised awareness of what I do online but have been slow to get involved with UA-cam as I am so self conscious and was afraid of all the hate - but I have to say, so far the haters that I have witnessed online have been few and far between so far (famous last words!).
On the other hand, the internet has made room for this level of customer service! When everyone else is shipping boxes to faceless customers, Richard is seeing a gap in the market and providing unheard of service that makes his brand stand out. Brilliant!
You may have missed something Richard, is it just me, or is that bridge lifting?
lol - well it was a year ago when I did the video but I believe the guitar was rejected so possibly. Not sure how you come to the conclusion something was missed when the guitar was rejected?
I think you said you still sold the guitar on albeit at a discount. I would have thought that if the bridge was lifting, the guitar would have been worthless.
No worries though, it was just an observation. I'm actually building up to buy a guitar from you. Just Vintage brand Tele I'm afraid. I'm thinking the relic one. Cheers Rich
mate, I think you worry too much.
2 likes!
I don't get this. Why is it okay to reject this guitar for the original customer but then sell it to another one? Just because you have now discounted it doesn't change the concerns you obviously have about its construction. You really should have sent it back to the manufacturer, but because you had invested time and money in the set up, you didn't want to be out of pocket. This is not good business practice in my opinion.
Richard stated that the original customer was offered the same deal, but due to the distance involved, they decided to go with the replacement guitar as they didn't want the hassle of returning the guitar if there was a problem in future.
The local customer has been informed of the issue with the guitar, and Richard has made an undertaking to put right any issues that arise with the bridge causing high string action. And 50 Quid discount for their faith in the guitar and indeed, Richard.
Smart business I call it, everyone happy!!
+SITH GIRL-- I would suggest that you listen again to the video, + try to pay attention to what Richard actuallllly says! He says he is going to stand behind his product (the guitar with the issue) regardless of the fact that it could be brought back later, and is doing a nice thing by selling it cheaper to a family that could not afford it at the higher price point. SO RICHARD EATS IT EITHER WAY... The uinit has already has been set up and Richard is not getting paid for that (he is out 75 quid) AND IN THE FUTURE IT MAY /MAY NOT COME BACK AND HE MAY HAVE TO FIX IT THEN..... HE COULD HAVE SENT IT BACK TO THE MAKER AND STILL LOST PAYMENT FOR THE SET UP------ AND NOT RISKED A POSSIBLE FUTURE LOSS=== HOWEVER HE CHOSE TO HELP OUT THE NEW BUYERS INSTEAD BY CHARGING THEM LESS , SO THEY DON'T HAVE TO BUY A CRAPPY GUITAR THEY CAN AFFORD..... DO YOU COMPRENDO MUCHO NOW??? Y que lastima- lo siento. Pendeja.