Reminds me of the joke about the musician who gets a call asking for pricing on a six piece band for a wedding, and tells the customer, "Off the top of my head, about $2,000". The caller expresses astonishment. The musician tells him, "Tell you what, you call the plumbers' union hall and tell them you want six journeymen plumbers to work from 6p to midnight on a Saturday. Whatever they quote you, we'll charge half." Expertise is a commodity, and people should expect to pay for it.
@@UncleKennysPlace I had a small leak by my water meter. I called three plumbers. The first guy came out and quoted $8000. It was going to take a crew of 6, it would take all day, and they had to dig up all the pipe from the street to the meter, replace the meter, and replace the pipe from the meter to the point of the leak. The second quoted $2000. He was only going to need a crew of 4 to dig up all the pipe from the meter to 10 feet away where the leak was. It was going to take 6 hours. The third quoted $425. It took him 45 minutes because he had to go to the supply house to get 4 1.5" PVC ells that he didn't carry in the truck. He only had to dig up the foot and a half around the leak to replace the single bad fitting that the previous plumbers (working for the water company) had broken when they installed the new meter. No, I'm not making up those quotes, those were the actual quotes I got. I think I go with the idea that a lot of plumbers are experts in overcharging.
@@nickdryad , Historically, the very first plumbers were engineers from and for the Roman Empire, and Empires exist primarily for the purpose of plundering the helpless. I actually worked for a plumber for a while right out of high school and he was literally a thief, he would steal stuff from customer's homes on occasion. On the other hand, in my youth I have had several neighbours who were plumbers (and other tradesmen), mostly Italian immigrants, and very nice people. I played with their kids and ate dinner in their kitchens. Luckily for me, I can do most of my own electrical and plumbing work and only occasionally have to call a pro for the bigger or more involved/ specialized jobs like HVAC repair, or replacing broken garage door springs....
@@lwilton, my experience as a homeowner has been that the only way to find reasonably priced contractors who know their stuff and do a workmanlike job at an affordable price is by word of mouth. Typically, if I phone 10 local contractors and leave a message, 2 of them don't bother to call me back, 2 will tell me they don't do that type of work, and 2 will say that they're booked solid for the next four months. Four of them will make an appointment to come look at the job but only 3 of them actually show up, and one of those three won't even bother to call or write me back with an estimate or a quote, therefore I end up with just two contractors who are interested enough in doing the job to give me an estimate! The best way to find a contractor is to go to the local *independently owned* lumberyard or plumbing/electrical/HVAC supply store (independently owned, NOT a big-box chain store) and ask the counterpeople who they do a lot of business with or who they'd hire to work on their own homes. This tactic has worked well for me. (Also, I prefer to buy and supply all materials myself even if someone else is doing the labor ---- it's cheaper, and simpler). BTW, my big home-improvement project for last year was to have a rotted wood-timber retaining wall replaced with stone or block and add two brick-paver walkways, with additional of new steps and a small entryway porch. . 4 contractors came and looked at the job, and none gave me a quote! I finally found contractors by word of mouth and was happy with the results. The final labor bill was about $9K US. Incredibly, those other 4 contractors walked away from 9 grand; it must be nice to be able to afford to do that....🤔. (One of the guys who came to look at the job ---- but didn't give me a quote ---- showed up driving a Range Rover, which is never a good sign if you're looking for an affordable contractor ---- sure, you want a contractor who is "successful", but maybe not quite THAT successful! No Mercedes, BMW, or Porsche drivers either, please. Look for the contractor who shows up in a truck that might be a little dirty and have a few dings or scrapes but appears to be well stocked and well organised.)
@@nickdryad Plumbers have prevented more deaths from disease than ANY Doctors or research scientists in recorded history. Without plumbers, we'd have wastewater and issues with pestilence we haven't seen the likes of since the Dark Ages. =[ They are worth every dime we pay them. When you have a water line burst at 2 am in January, you tell me they are extortionists when they come and fix it in an hour's notice.
@@ishgumi44 There is truth the Gibson QC. I've owned 4 of them so far, but I've also owned a dozen Epiphone. I would trade a room full of epi for one Gibson regardless.
@@theRandy712 Agreed. However, over the past decade I have had to justify my living wage to several clients. It gets to the point where those who value your work get the work, and those who don’t will go elsewhere, sometimes trying to do it on their own and discovering the value of your knowledge and skills by comparison to their own. Good clients respect you.
$65 is a great price for a set up especially from someone on your level because you know it will be done right with no problems...for the amount of work you did on this guitar most would charge twice as much..you are a youtube superstar lol...
$100. May be nothing to you but to a senior on fixed income or teenager with limited funds it's not. Working musicians have a problem with expenses and suffer with poor setup instruments, or learn to do it themselves. Not saying it's an unfair charge. Yes it's worth it, but I fall into the senior, do it myself seldom working musician class.
at my job (electrician) we charge a 2 hour minimum. there's always logistics, communication time etc. that goes into every job, so we need to factor that time in no matter what.
Its interesting to see how different repair guys use different methods to get the same result. Not wrong ,not right ,just different . All from the experience of working for years with different instruments. You keep us all going . Take care , stay safe
Mid 80s, as soon as I could get an answering machine, I stopped answering the phone for my machining business. To much room for error when the flow gets interrupted. Returned calls midday and at end of day. Worked for me.
Re: the cost of a one hour* setup... What some people fail to realize is that they're not only paying for the setup, they're paying for the skill and experience that can do the work in an hour, and do it well.
The guitar as an instrument is a whole bunch of compromises and subjectivity. Its many things to many people. That's why we love it. Great video as always.
I'm from ukraine. I charge about 6-8 dollars for a simple 1 hour setup. It involves a quick fret polishing, nut and saddle height adjustment, truss rod (if needed), I tighten the nuts on the tuners, cause they're almost never tight and buzz, on electrics I adjust the pickup height, and a quick fretboard oiling. You might say this is a ton of work for 6 bucks, but then I'd tell you that these are side jobs for me, and my daily salary is about 8 bucks total, so for a 1 hour job that I can do in my lunch break I'm more than happy to receive that much. I take 60 bucks for a broken headstock repair
Theres no1 within 50 miles any direction where im at so iv started doin setups for myself last 2 yrs . So i kno u prob dont charge enough . Not done a refret and not wanting to . Will do for few good friends , not many . Im retired and could mayb get some things goin but no thanks lol . U guys earn every penny and im glad for ya .
That replacement bridge! Ugh! Chrome over nickle HW on a guitar worth several thousand dollars! As an owner, I would've gone at least nickle and good aftermarket ABR-1 bridge. Only my opinion of course! You managed to get the action lower than factory specs! Nice!
Factory setups are usually just middle of the road because they usually hang in a shop and are done to make sure to hide any buzzes and sell the guitar, so don't be surprised if you can get lower than factory
I had Levi do a full fret level for me. He did good work, frets came back perfect and very well polished. I do my own set ups so don't have too much repair person experience.
Hi Mr.Woodford I watch this channel and appreciate the skills and insight offered. I'm an old guy now and have spent my whole life as a luthier , building and repairing. I'm going to offer a couple of techniques that take some drudgery away. 1 It is not necessary to tape the entire fretboard when recrowning ( with all the tedious tape sizing required for the upper frets ) Simply tape the board in spaced out groups with regular size tape , recrown and polish the selected frets , then shift the tapes along to the next group. 2. When polishing the frets a shop made wooden stick with a hollow on the edge to match the fret profile works well. Wrap the sandpaper over the stick , fit over the fret and follow the fretboard crown until the small flat in the fret centre left after the recrowning just disappears. I use 600 and 1000 grit carborundum paper. 3 Clean the board and apply some conditioner. I like kerosene then floor wax. Thanks for the excellent and entertaining content.
Always anxiously looking Saturday afternoon for your vids👍 As a player I believe its my responsibility to know how to set my guitars (electric) myself. I have read and used most the setup steps from Dan Erlewines Guitar Player Repair Guide and have a set of decent StewMac tools for nut and saddles, and fret sprout (incl the ones you used here which were a good investment) I watch these mainly because you do a lot of surgery type work. That's stuff (and fret jobs) i can't do but love to watch and I would seek out a pro for it.
$65-$100USD for a "typical" setup by a reputable shop around Chicago. That being said, I haven't found a shop around here that is all that consistent in their work.
By the way: I'm glad you mention setting the intonation by the open string vs the note fretted at the 12th fret. I see a lot of guys say "set the intonation by the harmonic at th e12th vs the fretted note at the 12th" and that just seems wrong. At least, it's never been accurate enough for me.
I really enjoy your channel. I do not comment very much but I have made a few comments. As I mentioned before I am retired engineer from IBM and am on my 2nd career. I work with my friend who is like yourself a professional luthier. He has a repair shop in Englewood Florida. Your videos help me learn and ask question with my friend who is the Luthier. Many times we will watch your videos together so I can ask questions of repairs you are working on. Especially the ones that require math, i.e. neck resets on acoustic guitars. I just thought you would like to know your presentations are very much appreciated and very helpful. When we do a setup on an electric guitar we first check all the electronic and clean and lub all pots and switches and tighten the input jack, check for and strings that buzz at any fret lever and address that if needed, then clean, dress, and polish to a mirror finish all frets, clean the entire guitar and polish the entire guitar, check and if needed tighten the tuners, tighten bold on neck screws, clean, scrub, and oil the finger board(no oil if it is a sealed finger board), clean and polish the bridge and saddle(s), install new strings, check the truss rod and adjust if necessary to .012 measured at the 15th fret pressing down at the 8th with a capo on the 1st fret, set the action at the 12th fret typically to .060 and check and set the intonation. Last we again check to make sure no strings buzz. Oops, forgot, check the nut for any aberrations and set the pick-up height. last check to make sure there is no string buzz on any string on any fret, play the guitar, and have another set of eyes give it a once over to make sure we have not missed anything before we release the guitar to the customer. On an acoustic guitar some steps are left out for obvious reasons. The Luthier (my friend who owns the shop) handles the large jobs, like broken heads stocks, etc. I’m at the point where on acoustic guitars I will remove broken bridges and replace or repair them, install bridge doctors, setups, etc. This frees up his time to handle the large jobs that I am still not able to do at this point, like neck resets, broken head stocks, etc. For this we charge $50.00 and strings are included. It the customer wants higher end strings there is an up charge of $10.00. Thank you for your presentations it really makes a difference in my learning !!! Ricky from IBM, Ret in Englewood Florida Now from Uncle Wally’s Guitar Repair in Englewood Florida
One thing I've tended to do over time is to "stretch" the intonation of the octaves (1st and 6th, 5th strings), like it does on pianos. That is, the octave (12 fret) of the 6th string is a little more flat than "perfect electronic pitch", and the octave of the 1st string _sometimes also 2nd_ is a little sharp (10, 15 cents). In short, I have ended up doing the octave by ear, especially with guitarists who make chords very high on the fretboard, but with open strings (it was a particular request of someone made: he complained about a strange "vibration" (beats, due to overlapping harmonics, at that time he didn't know) with triads near the cutaway; after searching all over the guitar, muting everything that could vibrate, I thought about touching up the octaves. Happy musician after that. Obviously, it's more meaningful with people who play more chords than solos (jazz, folk) It is also more noticeable with long scales/high tension strings, but especially with high gauge (thicker) strings). With that kind of "stretching", the chords in high positions (especially with 3rds) generates less "weird beats". But as always, a matter of taste
I specialize in setups and string changes, minor fretwork and acoustic crack stabilizing. I charge $50 CAD for an electric guitar setup including a basic set of strings. As you said, it takes an hour or less. The chat time, and discussion, is part of what I enjoy about doing this, but the biggest thing impacting expected price hikes for me is insurance.
Japan has their own screws that are very similar to philips but are different. J.I.S. i think it stands for Japanese industrial standard. anyone in in North America who had done any wrenching on old Japanese motorcycles has most likely seen a bunch of stripped out bolts from people using philips screwdrivers.
Ja ka, JIS screw heads usually have a small round divot punched into the screw head. They are commonplace on most Japanese or Asian audio equipment, whether old or new. Some, not all, regular Phillips screwdrivers will "work" well enough on JIS screws but it's important that the screwdriver tip not be chewed up or rounded off, and it's a good idea to try several different screwdrivers to find one that fits the screwhead snugly. Some, not all, impact-rated screwdriver bits work better than others on JIS screws ---- the Milwaukee red-shaft Phillips bits work quite well in my experience (and even better if you flatten the tip of the screwdriver very slightly with with a file). *Some* (not all) DeWalt Philips bits seem to have a decidedly different tip angle, not just compared to the Milwaukee bits but to each other within the same brand! (IIRC, the shorter DeWalt bits may have a different tip angle than the longer ones; WTF is that about !!?). The traditional go-to JIS screwdrivers for mechanics are made by Vessel but you'll probably have to search online to buy them. Using hardware store drive-bits makes sense (once you find a brand that matches the screw heads well) because 1) Impact-rated bits tend to be very hard and last a long time and 2) you can simply throw them out when they get worn. Most people are loathe to throw out an entire screwdriver even when it's well past its prime....also, the skinny shank of some impact rated Philips drive bits are usefull for getting into tight spots.
@@davidboreham , Posidrive screwheads are very different from regular, or JIS, Philips screws, and if the Posi screws are installed very tightly, use of a regular Philips screwdriver to remove them will invariably chew the heck out of the screwheads. Amazingly, most people never seem to notice the additional four notches or tic-marks in Positive screwheads and will happily strip the heads out with an ordinary Philips screwdriver! Posidrive are commonly found in European furniture (IKEA, I am told) and also Euro speakers and audio gear. I used to literally yell at my boss, normally an anal-retentive, "there's only one way to do things" kind of guy, for using regular Philips screwdrivers on Bang and Olufson speakers! We had/have the correct tools; it only takes a fraction of a minute to get the right @%#! screwdriver out of the #&@! tool box! JIS screws usually have a divot punched in the screwhead. See my other reply ( doctoral dissertation?) above....
In all honesty your work and commentary are top notch I love your videos. The only thing I actually want more of, is you playing those sweet tunes you play so well.
WHOA--not quite true. In 2009, "Epiphone" did a 500 guitar limited edition "335 Dot." All are tobacco burst and have gold hardware. Strangely, no country of origin appears anywhere on or in the guitar. Same orange label as shown on this Gibson and included is the premium arched HD case. The serial number cannot be found on any website! It is described as a "Custom Shop" guitar. Which custom shop is a mystery. I have not pulled the HB's, but all of the pots are USA with orange caps. Classic top-level wire throughout. It is a "killer" guitar. I put the unique Dusenberg trem on it, but substituted a Bigsby arm on it. I have a gold real Bigsby for it, but I do not want to add screw holes to such a unique guitar. SO, there, my friend.
@@jetobey5656 thank god I'm not that much of a nerd hahah! At least not with Gibson/Epiphone but I'm guilty of knowing a little bit too much about Charvel/Jackson and Kramer :(
@@luisownerbr Ha-Ha--tool I am ancient, 75 years old and first learned to build a good guitar in 1969-70 and many good factory guitars have passed through these old hands. If the guitar I described did not have an Epi headstock, you would bet it is a Gibson. (It does have a very nice atypical real mother of pearl headstock inlay.) The build and component quality are what one expects in an American Gibson. Also, this guitar is known to a few folks to have come through the Gibson "Custom Shop;" Epi does not have a real custom shop, and I have never seen an Epi with the premium USA "guts." It is setup very low, like the 335 that Ted setup. I have had some crazy purchase offers for "her."---No way; I'll die owning that guitar---likely, fairly soon. If you look below, you will note that I do most all of the jobs Ted Woodford does, but I am humble enough not to claim to be his equal.
I always learn stuff from you, especially the little tidbits that different manufacturers throw in that could really screw things up if you didn't know to watch for them. Thanks much and thumbs up to crush a troll.
My ears perked up when you mentioned Evan Gluck! How cool that you know him! I've been going to him for well over 10 years now. I don't know how he does it either, other than I can tell you, he's super well organized. Other than that, I couldn't say how he manages! AND I never have to wait a really long time. It's always within a week or two, often just for set ups. The pandemic has been more difficult, but he even figured out a way of dealing with those circumstances too! Cheers, from NYC!
As someone who has worked for himself, I hear ya. And I would happily pay that for you to set-up my guitars. Different country issues make that impossible, though. Love your vids
nice video, lot of useful bits of info. as a complement: Ron Thorn from the Fender Custom Shop said he goes by the acronym of T.R.A.I.N when it comes to the order of setting up a guitar. Which stands for Tune (first), then check the Relief, then Action, then Intonation, and finally some Noodling as in playing. You can then repeat these steps until you are happy with your setup. If you change the order, something eventually will be off and it will result in you adjusting things over and over. I assume this guitar was tuned when you were checking the action, just mentioning it for people in the comments.
$60 for an hour of your time is a bargain, no matter where you are. I bet a setup is at least 2x that cost here in Austin TX. Thanks so much for sharing your expertise!!
Robert at the amphole in burbank ca has been doing the maintance on my old marshalls for years when you call he says keep it short whats up and when i go to drop off or pick up an amp he is like im real busy what's youre amp need but he wont let you leave upon picking the amp up unless you play thru it in front of him some people think he is unfriendly but he is just super busy and has no time for bs he's a great guy and no one tuches my ols marshalls but him cheers
Nice video! Great explanation of exactly what a setup is. Can save a lot of time for an Luthier or Tech, now simply attach a link and say "watch this and it will give a better understanding of what a setup includes and doesn't include. Will also help explain pricing to you". Thanks for this!! Perhaps one day you could do a video to explain what a set-up is and what can be expected when a customer brings in a New Guitar in the mid to less expensive range. Amazed how many folks think a Brand New Guitar ordered "online" will be perfect right out of the box. Usually skipping any extra cost for a proper setup (then after, realizing it is too much money to ship back and forth to have done) etc. Since it's 'new and should be perfect' (LOL). From a few raised frets, poor cut nut, bad intonation, "It's buzzing", high action, sharp fret ends, very dry finger-board, pickup height, cheap strings etc. Sometimes a couple of simple issues to a number of issues. Would be terrific if an explanation in video format could explain a bit of cash spent to fix these issues will make the world of difference in how it plays and feels without breaking the bank. Followed telling how these are common issues due to making the instrument cost effective on the line and what separates a Guitar priced in this range from one in the thousands, where hours of labor has been spent on the small stuff. A great lesson for customers (usually newer players) who don't understand these things are quite normal. Just a thought. Great Video, Thanks
That more than seems fair to me for a professional setup. You're paying for the expertise and experience of the luthier. I work in a similar business style, you're paying me for the years of experience that gives me the ability to do it right and do it right the first time.
Thanks for this Ted! I had the same conversation with a customer today about intonation and Peterson tuners, but you said a few more things that I will include next time. I love your pragmatic approach to repairing guitars.
Absolute realistic assessment regarding the tuners (Peterson, Korg) and note correctness on the 12th fret. Korg does the job so well. If you want to go beyond Korg-granularity, the guitar simply wouldn't go there. Many players tend to administer too much force when playing at higher positions, sharpening the notes anyways. - - - Great Video, much appreciated, and great setup.
Wow, great tip with the bridge posts. I will occasionally use heat shrink, as we tend to have some of the right diameter in a drawer at the bench. And, in true COG parts fashion, the customer bought a chrome bridge to go with the nickel hardware.
I never argue with the man that works for me because I don’t know how to build Rome and he does that is why I want him to be my friend and when I paid for my builder to build me a barn I said I want the one made of heavy timber’s and sheet steel siding that’s all I know except it must have. Gambrel truss system to look like a barn right? Well the Polebarn turned out right because when the builder ask me questions about the build I explained you build the barn like it was your very own and he said you got it MR KELLEY!!!
That Gotoh bridge is a Nashville style, which has a 4mm post hole. That’s why it didn’t fit the 6/32 ABR-1 posts. Those short 4” radius blocks are great for the typical “heel ramping” common in short tenon Gibson and Fender style bolt on necks. Setting a radius with the Fillister screws in the humbuckers does make an audible difference. It adds more definition without the flub and warble or “Wolf tones” of setting the entire pickup too close. Thanks for sharing some insight in the repair business. I think you’re right about adding everything up to make it play right. As long as it’s nothing major, like a complete level and recrown. You’re getting paid for that hour!
Wait for it,... wait,... "Only one customer will be happy with you!" LOL!!! Learned a lot,... thanks! I like your "Upgrade program,... where do I send my Epiphone Les Paul?"
Hey ted,assume its ted?.. being an old and underpaid guitarist for many years, ive affected alot of my own crazy repairs due to lack of funds...watching your videos means i guessed the repairs right! Gotta say ,your tution based talkovers are fantastic, you should get paid for them alone,many thanks for your videos fella. London lee😎
I've got the Epi version and love it. Never played a Gibson ES335 but I would assume it's nicer. Not in my budget though lol. Thanks for another good video!
Couple of intonation questions. 1) Hold the guitar in a playing position, or flat on the bench, or dont' care? My assumption is "playing position" (especially with a trem). 2) I've tried 12th fret vs open (which I don't think is very accurate), 12th fret fretted vs 12 fret harmonic (which seemed to give me better results and I have used this for years) or 7th fret fretted vs 7th fret harmonic (which I have been using more recently and I think gives better results). Thoughts, preferences, pros and cons?
@@___disso--bey___ For example, the 7th fret harmonics on your E strings is the note B. The fretted note on the 7th fret of your E strings is also a B (all be it an octave lower than the harmonic). If you don't understand what a 7th fret harmonic is, just search on YT. There is lots of info
Loved the video. It was interesting. I want to encourage you to increase your prices, not only for your future but you are worth it. I would not double it but 20% at least, 25% would be perfect.
Yesterday I called the insurance guy and made sure my new Polebarn is fully insured off premise as a detached garage but it must have $65k on it for coverage and I got $64.7k I said close enough. But it will increase as inflation takes hold so Woodford it maybe a good idea to stock up on the items you need that are non perishable because they could increase again last year the cost was high next year higher for sure.
thanks for bringing this up ,I charge $50 US ,A Customer asked me why that dosnt cover strings ,theres a difference in my setup to the guitar chain guys which are allowed only 30 minutes a guitar ,,If I added strings to it at that price everyone would want Elixers ,which I have various strings and charge them at my cost
In the interview, your face was showed. We have seen you before, but this interview gave a real good look at ya. You are a gentle giant! Your hands, what we see most of the time, look big, like mine. I to, am a big guy, you are so manly! With the beard and barrel chest you remind me of a Viking! You do impeccable work, you are well spoken and I enjoy ever video you post! You are young and strong, and I am looking forward to many more enlightening videos! By the way, how did you learn and acquire so much knowledge and experience in such a few short years? Love from NW Colorado. Thanxz
It takes a second to check a box, but you need the expertise to know which is the correct box to check. That’s where the cost of expertise comes into play. Bravo, sir.
I'm a self employed "tech" in the UK and charge £45 for a setup, which is, I gather, on the lower side of average for the UK. I encourage the customer to provide their own strings, but if they don't, I'll provide a set at £6 or £7, depending on the original cost to me (I use Legacy. It's not really cost effective for me to have Ball, D'Addario etc in stock, unfortunately). I totally concur with everything you say about the time factor etc. Sometimes it's less than an hour, sometimes up to 3 hours, depending upon the guitar (Strat styles usually take longer, especially if the bridge needs tension adjustment), how much adjustment is required, customer requirements, settling in time if the truss rod needs significant adjustment etc I always tell the customer that I will require the guitar for a minimum of 2 days, just in case.....There's also the recheck(s) to take into account. They might only take 5 or 10 minutes, but it all adds up. I had a bass in a couple of years ago with a seriously back bowed neck. The strings were almost laying on frets 1-4. It required a massive truss rod adjustment which took 4 days to settle, and involved at least 3 readjustments! I too prefer contact via message rather than phone call for exactly the same reasons, and sometimes the drop off and collection can amount to an hour, depending upon the customer and how chatty they are. Due to Covid, I usually deal with customers outside the front of my house, and always take my battery powered mini Marshall amp and a lead with me so they can test the guitar if they wish. Thankfully, I live in a terraced house that is right next to the covered passageway access to the rear of the terrace which can be used if the weather isn't nice. My workshop is a very crowded and modified 8ftx6ft garden shed situated in the back garden, and there is barely room for me in it! Social distancing in it is impossible! I tend to concentrate on electric guitars, but will occasionally take on acoustics for setups, fretwork and very minor repairs. I don't possess the expertise, experience and equipment to take on the stuff that you do, but am gradually learning through watching your excellent videos. I'm fascinated and enthralled by your expertise and methods. Please keep the videos coming.
I made my initial comment without watching the entire video. Ironically, I'll include nut work in the setup price (unless it requires a new nut, in which case it's up to the customer to decide whether they want a pre-manufactured resin, bone or whatever, or for me to make one from a bone blank) , but usually apply a small charge for localised fretwork. Once it gets above 5 uneven frets, I'll recommend a full fret job, which obviously includes a setup afterwards (£75). Re pickup height, I use the same measurements, but also do an ear test to balance them. It's amazing how much difference a 16th of a turn on the screws can make!
FYI, I've seen that many luthiers will dress just the upper frets for the issue that you have as well as to lessen fretting-out on upper-register bends. They'll tape off all but the last 5 inches or so of a leveling beam and just take short, light strokes.
I had a similar experience with a Wilkinson TOM bridge on the SG I recently finished crafting. Didn't have to adjust the intonation at all. I guess I drilled the bridge posts right as well as they ship those bridges very well prepped.
A true story......A plumber friend of mine in Wellington NZ (near where I live) was called out from home on a Sunday morning to fix a leaking hot water cylinder. The customer turnout out to be an arrogant and condescending chap which didn't work well for him. The repair was a simple on of tightening two nuts but due to the attitude of the customer, the cost was $175! The customer freaked out and my friend explained that it was SUNDAY...and he was called out from home on what was really supposed to be the emergency line. Also, there was travel involved, which comprises of mileage both to and from the job. But the customer still argued the point that "you only had to tighten two nuts. How can it possible cost $175 to tighten two nuts?" My friend replied, "indeed it doesn't cost $175 just to tighten two nuts.....it costs $175 for knowing *which* two nuts to tighten.......I accept cash...thank you"
Our go to guy for set up in town is a drop off today and pick up tomorrow (unless any problems) $30, $25 if he knows you or a regular and if you bring your own strings.
Oh hey, I already follow Ian on Instagram, never checked out his UA-cam 😁 My level of detail on fretboards when doing a setup depends on who it's for.... A lot of my setups are for people I already know, often paid for via barter. Me personally, if it was for a paying customer I would tend to charge for the levelling on the frets. I actually really like Gotoh hardware, they are typically my preferred manufacturer on tuners, bridges, etc. Great quality and quite reasonable pricing
"otherwise only one customer will be happy with you" just about killed me
That got a little LOL out of me too :-)
peak comedy
yep cracked me up.
Haha, that one got me too
😂 🤣
Reminds me of the joke about the musician who gets a call asking for pricing on a six piece band for a wedding, and tells the customer, "Off the top of my head, about $2,000". The caller expresses astonishment. The musician tells him, "Tell you what, you call the plumbers' union hall and tell them you want six journeymen plumbers to work from 6p to midnight on a Saturday. Whatever they quote you, we'll charge half."
Expertise is a commodity, and people should expect to pay for it.
@@nickdryad Not at all. The fact that they get that much indicates they are charging market rates.
@@UncleKennysPlace I had a small leak by my water meter. I called three plumbers. The first guy came out and quoted $8000. It was going to take a crew of 6, it would take all day, and they had to dig up all the pipe from the street to the meter, replace the meter, and replace the pipe from the meter to the point of the leak.
The second quoted $2000. He was only going to need a crew of 4 to dig up all the pipe from the meter to 10 feet away where the leak was. It was going to take 6 hours.
The third quoted $425. It took him 45 minutes because he had to go to the supply house to get 4 1.5" PVC ells that he didn't carry in the truck. He only had to dig up the foot and a half around the leak to replace the single bad fitting that the previous plumbers (working for the water company) had broken when they installed the new meter.
No, I'm not making up those quotes, those were the actual quotes I got.
I think I go with the idea that a lot of plumbers are experts in overcharging.
@@nickdryad , Historically, the very first plumbers were engineers from and for the Roman Empire, and Empires exist primarily for the purpose of plundering the helpless. I actually worked for a plumber for a while right out of high school and he was literally a thief, he would steal stuff from customer's homes on occasion. On the other hand, in my youth I have had several neighbours who were plumbers (and other tradesmen), mostly Italian immigrants, and very nice people. I played with their kids and ate dinner in their kitchens.
Luckily for me, I can do most of my own electrical and plumbing work and only occasionally have to call a pro for the bigger or more involved/ specialized jobs like HVAC repair, or replacing broken garage door springs....
@@lwilton, my experience as a homeowner has been that the only way to find reasonably priced contractors who know their stuff and do a workmanlike job at an affordable price is by word of mouth. Typically, if I phone 10 local contractors and leave a message, 2 of them don't bother to call me back, 2 will tell me they don't do that type of work, and 2 will say that they're booked solid for the next four months. Four of them will make an appointment to come look at the job but only 3 of them actually show up, and one of those three won't even bother to call or write me back with an estimate or a quote, therefore I end up with just two contractors who are interested enough in doing the job to give me an estimate!
The best way to find a contractor is to go to the local *independently owned* lumberyard or plumbing/electrical/HVAC supply store (independently owned, NOT a big-box chain store) and ask the counterpeople who they do a lot of business with or who they'd hire to work on their own homes. This tactic has worked well for me. (Also, I prefer to buy and supply all materials myself even if someone else is doing the labor ---- it's cheaper, and simpler).
BTW, my big home-improvement project for last year was to have a rotted wood-timber retaining wall replaced with stone or block and add two brick-paver walkways, with additional of new steps and a small entryway porch. . 4 contractors came and looked at the job, and none gave me a quote! I finally found contractors by word of mouth and was happy with the results. The final labor bill was about $9K US. Incredibly, those other 4 contractors walked away from 9 grand; it must be nice to be able to afford to do that....🤔. (One of the guys who came to look at the job ---- but didn't give me a quote ---- showed up driving a Range Rover, which is never a good sign if you're looking for an affordable contractor ---- sure, you want a contractor who is "successful", but maybe not quite THAT successful! No Mercedes, BMW, or Porsche drivers either, please. Look for the contractor who shows up in a truck that might be a little dirty and have a few dings or scrapes but appears to be well stocked and well organised.)
@@nickdryad Plumbers have prevented more deaths from disease than ANY Doctors or research scientists in recorded history. Without plumbers, we'd have wastewater and issues with pestilence we haven't seen the likes of since the Dark Ages. =[ They are worth every dime we pay them. When you have a water line burst at 2 am in January, you tell me they are extortionists when they come and fix it in an hour's notice.
"Man my luthier is so good he turned my Epiphone into a Gibson."
It's the other way around, unfortunately. Gibson QC leaves a lot to be desired.
I turned my Epi LP custom into a Gibson as well, lots’ve work but it’s worth it, kept the Epiphone serial number though
@@ishgumi44 There is truth the Gibson QC. I've owned 4 of them so far, but I've also owned a dozen Epiphone. I would trade a room full of epi for one Gibson regardless.
Fantastic thank you
@@ishgumi44 Yup. Buy an Epiphone, upgrade the electronics/pickups/tuners, still come out hundreds of dollars ahead of buying the Gibson.
Paying for a lifetime of experience is generally worth it.
Yeah he doesn't need to go overboard justifying charging for expertise
@@theRandy712 Agreed. However, over the past decade I have had to justify my living wage to several clients. It gets to the point where those who value your work get the work, and those who don’t will go elsewhere, sometimes trying to do it on their own and discovering the value of your knowledge and skills by comparison to their own. Good clients respect you.
$65 is a great price for a set up especially from someone on your level because you know it will be done right with no problems...for the amount of work you did on this guitar most would charge twice as much..you are a youtube superstar lol...
I’d gladly pay that or more for this guy.
"A guitar is an imperfect instrument played by imperfect people." And some of us are more imperfect than others! Thank you for all your videos.
I'm definitely imperfect. But it doesn't stop me loving it....
The correct response to " why do you charge that much ?" is " why don't you do it ?"
I say not everyone thinks that's a lot, in fact those instruments ahead of yours can't wait to pay up and get back to making music.
Always good to see a twoodfrd video pop up. 🙂
That last quip: "only 1 customer will be happy"
Gold.
You have to love when buddy shows up with a yard sale guitar." Make it play like new" okay that will be$80. But I only paid $15 for it!
$100 is nothing for this rare skillful work.
$100. May be nothing to you but to a senior on fixed income or teenager with limited funds it's not. Working musicians have a problem with expenses and suffer with poor setup instruments, or learn to do it themselves. Not saying it's an unfair charge. Yes it's worth it, but I fall into the senior, do it myself seldom working musician class.
@@larrydering1598 some services are not for everyone. But with the help of his videos you can try to fix it yourself.
at my job (electrician) we charge a 2 hour minimum. there's always logistics, communication time etc. that goes into every job, so we need to factor that time in no matter what.
You’re undercharging!!!
Hmm. Area = pi*r^2 , circumference = 2*pi*r
Yep. C=pi d
Its interesting to see how different repair guys use different methods to get the same result. Not wrong ,not right ,just different . All from the experience of working for years with different instruments. You keep us all going . Take care , stay safe
Mid 80s, as soon as I could get an answering machine, I stopped answering the phone for my machining business. To much room for error when the flow gets interrupted. Returned calls midday and at end of day. Worked for me.
Re: the cost of a one hour* setup...
What some people fail to realize is that they're not only paying for the setup, they're paying for the skill and experience that can do the work in an hour, and do it well.
The guitar as an instrument is a whole bunch of compromises and subjectivity. Its many things to many people. That's why we love it. Great video as always.
I'm from ukraine. I charge about 6-8 dollars for a simple 1 hour setup. It involves a quick fret polishing, nut and saddle height adjustment, truss rod (if needed), I tighten the nuts on the tuners, cause they're almost never tight and buzz, on electrics I adjust the pickup height, and a quick fretboard oiling. You might say this is a ton of work for 6 bucks, but then I'd tell you that these are side jobs for me, and my daily salary is about 8 bucks total, so for a 1 hour job that I can do in my lunch break I'm more than happy to receive that much. I take 60 bucks for a broken headstock repair
Customer: "...but you only turned one screw"
Mechanic: "Yes, but I knew which screw and how far to turn it."
Theres no1 within 50 miles any direction where im at so iv started doin setups for myself last 2 yrs . So i kno u prob dont charge enough . Not done a refret and not wanting to . Will do for few good friends , not many . Im retired and could mayb get some things goin but no thanks lol . U guys earn every penny and im glad for ya .
It must be 335 season. I just filmed almost the exact same video for my channel on a Dot and said nearly all the same things you did! Great video.
That replacement bridge! Ugh! Chrome over nickle HW on a guitar worth several thousand dollars! As an owner, I would've gone at least nickle and good aftermarket ABR-1 bridge. Only my opinion of course!
You managed to get the action lower than factory specs! Nice!
Factory setups are usually just middle of the road because they usually hang in a shop and are done to make sure to hide any buzzes and sell the guitar, so don't be surprised if you can get lower than factory
Labyrinth guitars, Goliath guitars, and Gilmore guitars are all great, fairly priced local luthiers in Central Alberta.
I had Levi do a full fret level for me. He did good work, frets came back perfect and very well polished. I do my own set ups so don't have too much repair person experience.
@@thephotoyak yes levi brought some life to my prs
I watched one of Billy Sheehan’s setup jobs where he lowered the upper frets for a long action. Cool.
Hi Mr.Woodford
I watch this channel and appreciate the skills and insight offered. I'm an old guy now and have spent my whole life as a luthier , building and repairing.
I'm going to offer a couple of techniques that take some drudgery away.
1 It is not necessary to tape the entire fretboard when recrowning ( with all the tedious tape sizing required for the upper frets ) Simply tape the board in spaced out groups with regular size tape , recrown and polish the selected frets , then shift the tapes along to the next group.
2. When polishing the frets a shop made wooden stick with a hollow on the edge to match the fret profile works well. Wrap the sandpaper over the stick , fit over the fret and follow the fretboard crown until the small flat in the fret centre left after the recrowning just disappears. I use 600 and 1000 grit carborundum paper.
3 Clean the board and apply some conditioner. I like kerosene then floor wax.
Thanks for the excellent and entertaining content.
Loving seeing these weekly videos!
Awesome video very educational thanks.
Always anxiously looking Saturday afternoon for your vids👍
As a player I believe its my responsibility to know how to set my guitars (electric) myself. I have read and used most the setup steps from Dan Erlewines Guitar Player Repair Guide and have a set of decent StewMac tools for nut and saddles, and fret sprout (incl the ones you used here which were a good investment)
I watch these mainly because you do a lot of surgery type work. That's stuff (and fret jobs) i can't do but love to watch and I would seek out a pro for it.
$65-$100USD for a "typical" setup by a reputable shop around Chicago. That being said, I haven't found a shop around here that is all that consistent in their work.
Great timing! I was waiting for some new content from you!
Same!
My old KORG GT-2 tuner is the best, most pleasing tuner I've had for setups, the way the the needle moves, when reading, is so smooth, love it ;-)
I really like the Tone Pros bridge too. Great setup!
By the way: I'm glad you mention setting the intonation by the open string vs the note fretted at the 12th fret. I see a lot of guys say "set the intonation by the harmonic at th e12th vs the fretted note at the 12th" and that just seems wrong. At least, it's never been accurate enough for me.
I really enjoy your channel. I do not comment very much but I have made a few comments. As I mentioned before I am retired engineer from IBM and am on my 2nd career. I work with my friend who is like yourself a professional luthier. He has a repair shop in Englewood Florida. Your videos help me learn and ask question with my friend who is the Luthier. Many times we will watch your videos together so I can ask questions of repairs you are working on. Especially the ones that require math, i.e. neck resets on acoustic guitars. I just thought you would like to know your presentations are very much appreciated and very helpful.
When we do a setup on an electric guitar we first check all the electronic and clean and lub all pots and switches and tighten the input jack, check for and strings that buzz at any fret lever and address that if needed, then clean, dress, and polish to a mirror finish all frets, clean the entire guitar and polish the entire guitar, check and if needed tighten the tuners, tighten bold on neck screws, clean, scrub, and oil the finger board(no oil if it is a sealed finger board), clean and polish the bridge and saddle(s), install new strings, check the truss rod and adjust if necessary to .012 measured at the 15th fret pressing down at the 8th with a capo on the 1st fret, set the action at the 12th fret typically to .060 and check and set the intonation. Last we again check to make sure no strings buzz. Oops, forgot, check the nut for any aberrations and set the pick-up height.
last check to make sure there is no string buzz on any string on any fret, play the guitar, and have another set of eyes give it a once over to make sure we have not missed anything before we release the guitar to the customer.
On an acoustic guitar some steps are left out for obvious reasons.
The Luthier (my friend who owns the shop) handles the large jobs, like broken heads stocks, etc.
I’m at the point where on acoustic guitars I will remove broken bridges and replace or repair them, install bridge doctors, setups, etc.
This frees up his time to handle the large jobs that I am still not able to do at this point, like neck resets, broken head stocks, etc.
For this we charge $50.00 and strings are included. It the customer wants higher end strings there is an up charge of $10.00.
Thank you for your presentations it really makes a difference in my learning !!!
Ricky from IBM, Ret in Englewood Florida Now from Uncle Wally’s Guitar Repair in Englewood Florida
One thing I've tended to do over time is to "stretch" the intonation of the octaves (1st and 6th, 5th strings), like it does on pianos. That is, the octave (12 fret) of the 6th string is a little more flat than "perfect electronic pitch", and the octave of the 1st string _sometimes also 2nd_ is a little sharp (10, 15 cents). In short, I have ended up doing the octave by ear, especially with guitarists who make chords very high on the fretboard, but with open strings (it was a particular request of someone made: he complained about a strange "vibration" (beats, due to overlapping harmonics, at that time he didn't know) with triads near the cutaway; after searching all over the guitar, muting everything that could vibrate, I thought about touching up the octaves. Happy musician after that. Obviously, it's more meaningful with people who play more chords than solos (jazz, folk) It is also more noticeable with long scales/high tension strings, but especially with high gauge (thicker) strings).
With that kind of "stretching", the chords in high positions (especially with 3rds) generates less "weird beats". But as always, a matter of taste
I specialize in setups and string changes, minor fretwork and acoustic crack stabilizing. I charge $50 CAD for an electric guitar setup including a basic set of strings. As you said, it takes an hour or less. The chat time, and discussion, is part of what I enjoy about doing this, but the biggest thing impacting expected price hikes for me is insurance.
Interesting information both technical and business wise.
Japan has their own screws that are very similar to philips but are different. J.I.S. i think it stands for Japanese industrial standard. anyone in in North America who had done any wrenching on old Japanese motorcycles has most likely seen a bunch of stripped out bolts from people using philips screwdrivers.
And Japanese electronics. Most bit kits for electronics come with JIS bits. I just learned about them recently watching someone fix an old Walkman
Posidrive?
Ja ka, JIS screw heads usually have a small round divot punched into the screw head. They are commonplace on most Japanese or Asian audio equipment, whether old or new. Some, not all, regular Phillips screwdrivers will "work" well enough on JIS screws but it's important that the screwdriver tip not be chewed up or rounded off, and it's a good idea to try several different screwdrivers to find one that fits the screwhead snugly. Some, not all, impact-rated screwdriver bits work better than others on JIS screws ---- the Milwaukee red-shaft Phillips bits work quite well in my experience (and even better if you flatten the tip of the screwdriver very slightly with with a file). *Some* (not all) DeWalt Philips bits seem to have a decidedly different tip angle, not just compared to the Milwaukee bits but to each other within the same brand! (IIRC, the shorter DeWalt bits may have a different tip angle than the longer ones; WTF is that about !!?).
The traditional go-to JIS screwdrivers for mechanics are made by Vessel but you'll probably have to search online to buy them.
Using hardware store drive-bits makes sense (once you find a brand that matches the screw heads well) because 1) Impact-rated bits tend to be very hard and last a long time and 2) you can simply throw them out when they get worn. Most people are loathe to throw out an entire screwdriver even when it's well past its prime....also, the skinny shank of some impact rated Philips drive bits are usefull for getting into tight spots.
@@davidboreham , Posidrive screwheads are very different from regular, or JIS, Philips screws, and if the Posi screws are installed very tightly, use of a regular Philips screwdriver to remove them will invariably chew the heck out of the screwheads. Amazingly, most people never seem to notice the additional four notches or tic-marks in Positive screwheads and will happily strip the heads out with an ordinary Philips screwdriver! Posidrive are commonly found in European furniture (IKEA, I am told) and also Euro speakers and audio gear. I used to literally yell at my boss, normally an anal-retentive, "there's only one way to do things" kind of guy, for using regular Philips screwdrivers on Bang and Olufson speakers! We had/have the correct tools; it only takes a fraction of a minute to get the right @%#! screwdriver out of the #&@! tool box!
JIS screws usually have a divot punched in the screwhead. See my other reply ( doctoral dissertation?) above....
A manicure for a guitar...looked like it was at a beauty shop..I thought I saw it smiling.. in the skilled hands of the master craftsman
a lot of great information here. i really love your content!
In all honesty your work and commentary are top notch I love your videos. The only thing I actually want more of, is you playing those sweet tunes you play so well.
Lol you gotta be one hell of a luthier to get an epiphone and send back a gibson to your customer haha
WHOA--not quite true. In 2009, "Epiphone" did a 500 guitar limited edition "335 Dot." All are tobacco burst and have gold hardware. Strangely, no country of origin appears anywhere on or in the guitar. Same orange label as shown on this Gibson and included is the premium arched HD case. The serial number cannot be found on any website! It is described as a "Custom Shop" guitar. Which custom shop is a mystery. I have not pulled the HB's, but all of the pots are USA with orange caps. Classic top-level wire throughout. It is a "killer" guitar. I put the unique Dusenberg trem on it, but substituted a Bigsby arm on it. I have a gold real Bigsby for it, but I do not want to add screw holes to such a unique guitar. SO, there, my friend.
@@jetobey5656 thank god I'm not that much of a nerd hahah! At least not with Gibson/Epiphone but I'm guilty of knowing a little bit too much about Charvel/Jackson and Kramer :(
@@luisownerbr Ha-Ha--tool I am ancient, 75 years old and first learned to build a good guitar in 1969-70 and many good factory guitars have passed through these old hands. If the guitar I described did not have an Epi headstock, you would bet it is a Gibson. (It does have a very nice atypical real mother of pearl headstock inlay.) The build and component quality are what one expects in an American Gibson. Also, this guitar is known to a few folks to have come through the Gibson "Custom Shop;" Epi does not have a real custom shop, and I have never seen an Epi with the premium USA "guts." It is setup very low, like the 335 that Ted setup. I have had some crazy purchase offers for "her."---No way; I'll die owning that guitar---likely, fairly soon. If you look below, you will note that I do most all of the jobs Ted Woodford does, but I am humble enough not to claim to be his equal.
Thank You so much for taking the time to do this, it is so helpful, as I continue to learn from you.
That is the prettiest guitar I have ever seen. Thanks for your lessons.
That was a beautiful ES335 I love those guitars. Thanks
I always learn stuff from you, especially the little tidbits that different manufacturers throw in that could really screw things up if you didn't know to watch for them. Thanks much and thumbs up to crush a troll.
My ears perked up when you mentioned Evan Gluck! How cool that you know him! I've been going to him for well over 10 years now. I don't know how he does it either, other than I can tell you, he's super well organized. Other than that, I couldn't say how he manages! AND I never have to wait a really long time. It's always within a week or two, often just for set ups. The pandemic has been more difficult, but he even figured out a way of dealing with those circumstances too! Cheers, from NYC!
I love my gibson fret nibs. I will cry on the day I need to replace frets on my '97 at the cost of my nibs!
It *is* possible to replace them without losing the nibs. It's a pain and you'll pay extra, but it can be done.
Another Stellar tutorial! Thank you so much, I learn a lot from your videos.
As someone who has worked for himself, I hear ya. And I would happily pay that for you to set-up my guitars. Different country issues make that impossible, though. Love your vids
$62 USA for that set up! You’re the man! Great value! I Love the videos. 👍
nice video, lot of useful bits of info.
as a complement: Ron Thorn from the Fender Custom Shop said he goes by the acronym of T.R.A.I.N when it comes to the order of setting up a guitar.
Which stands for Tune (first), then check the Relief, then Action, then Intonation, and finally some Noodling as in playing. You can then repeat these steps until you are happy with your setup.
If you change the order, something eventually will be off and it will result in you adjusting things over and over.
I assume this guitar was tuned when you were checking the action, just mentioning it for people in the comments.
8:55 The circumference is 2 x pi x r - what he quoted is the formula for the area.
I'm glad I'm not the only one that caught that. My guess is he misspoke.
I can't believe he said that. And nobody noticed? Teachers are doing a wonderful job.
$60 for an hour of your time is a bargain, no matter where you are. I bet a setup is at least 2x that cost here in Austin TX. Thanks so much for sharing your expertise!!
Robert at the amphole in burbank ca has been doing the maintance on my old marshalls for years when you call he says keep it short whats up and when i go to drop off or pick up an amp he is like im real busy what's youre amp need but he wont let you leave upon picking the amp up unless you play thru it in front of him some people think he is unfriendly but he is just super busy and has no time for bs he's a great guy and no one tuches my ols marshalls but him cheers
This answered sooo many questions for me. Thank you very much for letting us into the thought processes going into a set up.
This is 1 of the best vids I have seen always learn something from you ,and loved hearing about why setups cost the amount charged thanks
The circumference of a circle isn't πr². That's the _area._ The circumference is 2πr (or πd).
Or maybe that's the joke.
(8:58)
Hehe. You win the prize!
I appreciate that one man ✨🙏✨
There's nobody I want to hear talk to themselves more.
I notice Woodford your the kind a guy that knows how to build Rome and a guitar.
Nice video!
Great explanation of exactly what a setup is. Can save a lot of time for an Luthier or Tech, now simply attach a link and say "watch this and it will give a better understanding of what a setup includes and doesn't include. Will also help explain pricing to you". Thanks for this!!
Perhaps one day you could do a video to explain what a set-up is and what can be expected when a customer brings in a New Guitar in the mid to less expensive range. Amazed how many folks think a Brand New Guitar ordered "online" will be perfect right out of the box. Usually skipping any extra cost for a proper setup (then after, realizing it is too much money to ship back and forth to have done) etc. Since it's 'new and should be perfect' (LOL). From a few raised frets, poor cut nut, bad intonation, "It's buzzing", high action, sharp fret ends, very dry finger-board, pickup height, cheap strings etc. Sometimes a couple of simple issues to a number of issues. Would be terrific if an explanation in video format could explain a bit of cash spent to fix these issues will make the world of difference in how it plays and feels without breaking the bank. Followed telling how these are common issues due to making the instrument cost effective on the line and what separates a Guitar priced in this range from one in the thousands, where hours of labor has been spent on the small stuff. A great lesson for customers (usually newer players) who don't understand these things are quite normal. Just a thought.
Great Video, Thanks
I love Gibsons.
Great as always Ted, thank you.
That more than seems fair to me for a professional setup. You're paying for the expertise and experience of the luthier. I work in a similar business style, you're paying me for the years of experience that gives me the ability to do it right and do it right the first time.
Thanks for this Ted! I had the same conversation with a customer today about intonation and Peterson tuners, but you said a few more things that I will include next time. I love your pragmatic approach to repairing guitars.
ENJOYED!
Good quality craftsmanship is always worth paying for. I have seen many guitar store luthiers that only adjust the truss rod for every fret problem
Love watching your videos, really interesting and informative. 👍🎸🎶
Absolute realistic assessment regarding the tuners (Peterson, Korg) and note correctness on the 12th fret. Korg does the job so well. If you want to go beyond Korg-granularity, the guitar simply wouldn't go there. Many players tend to administer too much force when playing at higher positions, sharpening the notes anyways. - - - Great Video, much appreciated, and great setup.
Dude. I'd pay $62 USD ALL DAY for a setup from you, Ted. WOW!
Are you taking work. Time doesn’t matter but want certain things done. Pleasessse. You work is impeccable.
Good show thanks
Wow, great tip with the bridge posts. I will occasionally use heat shrink, as we tend to have some of the right diameter in a drawer at the bench.
And, in true COG parts fashion, the customer bought a chrome bridge to go with the nickel hardware.
I prefer an action height of 0.003 cubits, myself.
160000000000000000000000000000000 planck lengths does the job i find
I never argue with the man that works for me because I don’t know how to build Rome and he does that is why I want him to be my friend and when I paid for my builder to build me a barn I said I want the one made of heavy timber’s and sheet steel siding that’s all I know except it must have. Gambrel truss system to look like a barn right? Well the Polebarn turned out right because when the builder ask me questions about the build I explained you build the barn like it was your very own and he said you got it MR KELLEY!!!
That Gotoh bridge is a Nashville style, which has a 4mm post hole. That’s why it didn’t fit the 6/32 ABR-1 posts.
Those short 4” radius blocks are great for the typical “heel ramping” common in short tenon Gibson and Fender style bolt on necks.
Setting a radius with the Fillister screws in the humbuckers does make an audible difference. It adds more definition without the flub and warble or “Wolf tones” of setting the entire pickup too close.
Thanks for sharing some insight in the repair business. I think you’re right about adding everything up to make it play right. As long as it’s nothing major, like a complete level and recrown. You’re getting paid for that hour!
Wait for it,... wait,... "Only one customer will be happy with you!" LOL!!! Learned a lot,... thanks! I like your "Upgrade program,... where do I send my Epiphone Les Paul?"
Great vid as always 👌
Your small flat file usage is an eye opener for me.
Your knowledge is worth whatever you decide to charge for it!!
Hey ted,assume its ted?.. being an old and underpaid guitarist for many years, ive affected alot of my own crazy repairs due to lack of funds...watching your videos means i guessed the repairs right! Gotta say ,your tution based talkovers are fantastic, you should get paid for them alone,many thanks for your videos fella. London lee😎
I've got the Epi version and love it. Never played a Gibson ES335 but I would assume it's nicer. Not in my budget though lol. Thanks for another good video!
These days the Epiphones are often better playing guitars from the factory.
80$ is more than reasonable. Here in Montreal, anything under 120$ CA is a deal. Excellent information. Thank 👍
Couple of intonation questions. 1) Hold the guitar in a playing position, or flat on the bench, or dont' care? My assumption is "playing position" (especially with a trem). 2) I've tried 12th fret vs open (which I don't think is very accurate), 12th fret fretted vs 12 fret harmonic (which seemed to give me better results and I have used this for years) or 7th fret fretted vs 7th fret harmonic (which I have been using more recently and I think gives better results). Thoughts, preferences, pros and cons?
@@___disso--bey___ For example, the 7th fret harmonics on your E strings is the note B. The fretted note on the 7th fret of your E strings is also a B (all be it an octave lower than the harmonic). If you don't understand what a 7th fret harmonic is, just search on YT. There is lots of info
Loved the video. It was interesting. I want to encourage you to increase your prices, not only for your future but you are worth it. I would not double it but 20% at least, 25% would be perfect.
Nice set-up.....
Yesterday I called the insurance guy and made sure my new Polebarn is fully insured off premise as a detached garage but it must have $65k on it for coverage and I got $64.7k I said close enough. But it will increase as inflation takes hold so Woodford it maybe a good idea to stock up on the items you need that are non perishable because they could increase again last year the cost was high next year higher for sure.
thanks for bringing this up ,I charge $50 US ,A Customer asked me why that dosnt cover strings ,theres a difference in my setup to the guitar chain guys which are allowed only 30 minutes a guitar ,,If I added strings to it at that price everyone would want Elixers ,which I have various strings and charge them at my cost
In the interview, your face was showed. We have seen you before, but this interview gave a real good look at ya. You are a gentle giant! Your hands, what we see most of the time, look big, like mine. I to, am a big guy, you are so manly! With the beard and barrel chest you remind me of a Viking! You do impeccable work, you are well spoken and I enjoy ever video you post! You are young and strong, and I am looking forward to many more enlightening videos! By the way, how did you learn and acquire so much knowledge and experience in such a few short years? Love from NW Colorado. Thanxz
It takes a second to check a box, but you need the expertise to know which is the correct box to check. That’s where the cost of expertise comes into play. Bravo, sir.
62 dollars seems super reasonable.
I'm a self employed "tech" in the UK and charge £45 for a setup, which is, I gather, on the lower side of average for the UK. I encourage the customer to provide their own strings, but if they don't, I'll provide a set at £6 or £7, depending on the original cost to me (I use Legacy. It's not really cost effective for me to have Ball, D'Addario etc in stock, unfortunately). I totally concur with everything you say about the time factor etc. Sometimes it's less than an hour, sometimes up to 3 hours, depending upon the guitar (Strat styles usually take longer, especially if the bridge needs tension adjustment), how much adjustment is required, customer requirements, settling in time if the truss rod needs significant adjustment etc I always tell the customer that I will require the guitar for a minimum of 2 days, just in case.....There's also the recheck(s) to take into account. They might only take 5 or 10 minutes, but it all adds up. I had a bass in a couple of years ago with a seriously back bowed neck. The strings were almost laying on frets 1-4. It required a massive truss rod adjustment which took 4 days to settle, and involved at least 3 readjustments!
I too prefer contact via message rather than phone call for exactly the same reasons, and sometimes the drop off and collection can amount to an hour, depending upon the customer and how chatty they are. Due to Covid, I usually deal with customers outside the front of my house, and always take my battery powered mini Marshall amp and a lead with me so they can test the guitar if they wish. Thankfully, I live in a terraced house that is right next to the covered passageway access to the rear of the terrace which can be used if the weather isn't nice. My workshop is a very crowded and modified 8ftx6ft garden shed situated in the back garden, and there is barely room for me in it! Social distancing in it is impossible!
I tend to concentrate on electric guitars, but will occasionally take on acoustics for setups, fretwork and very minor repairs. I don't possess the expertise, experience and equipment to take on the stuff that you do, but am gradually learning through watching your excellent videos. I'm fascinated and enthralled by your expertise and methods. Please keep the videos coming.
I made my initial comment without watching the entire video. Ironically, I'll include nut work in the setup price (unless it requires a new nut, in which case it's up to the customer to decide whether they want a pre-manufactured resin, bone or whatever, or for me to make one from a bone blank) , but usually apply a small charge for localised fretwork. Once it gets above 5 uneven frets, I'll recommend a full fret job, which obviously includes a setup afterwards (£75). Re pickup height, I use the same measurements, but also do an ear test to balance them. It's amazing how much difference a 16th of a turn on the screws can make!
FYI, I've seen that many luthiers will dress just the upper frets for the issue that you have as well as to lessen fretting-out on upper-register bends. They'll tape off all but the last 5 inches or so of a leveling beam and just take short, light strokes.
I had a similar experience with a Wilkinson TOM bridge on the SG I recently finished crafting. Didn't have to adjust the intonation at all. I guess I drilled the bridge posts right as well as they ship those bridges very well prepped.
A true story......A plumber friend of mine in Wellington NZ (near where I live) was called out from home on a Sunday morning to fix a leaking hot water cylinder. The customer turnout out to be an arrogant and condescending chap which didn't work well for him. The repair was a simple on of tightening two nuts but due to the attitude of the customer, the cost was $175! The customer freaked out and my friend explained that it was SUNDAY...and he was called out from home on what was really supposed to be the emergency line. Also, there was travel involved, which comprises of mileage both to and from the job. But the customer still argued the point that "you only had to tighten two nuts. How can it possible cost $175 to tighten two nuts?" My friend replied, "indeed it doesn't cost $175 just to tighten two nuts.....it costs $175 for knowing *which* two nuts to tighten.......I accept cash...thank you"
Our go to guy for set up in town is a drop off today and pick up tomorrow (unless any problems) $30, $25 if he knows you or a regular and if you bring your own strings.
Awesome like always 👍👍😁
Great tutorial but excellent ending.
Oh hey, I already follow Ian on Instagram, never checked out his UA-cam 😁 My level of detail on fretboards when doing a setup depends on who it's for.... A lot of my setups are for people I already know, often paid for via barter. Me personally, if it was for a paying customer I would tend to charge for the levelling on the frets.
I actually really like Gotoh hardware, they are typically my preferred manufacturer on tuners, bridges, etc. Great quality and quite reasonable pricing