New Experience - Taking a Guitar to a Luthier

smitty_p

smitty_p

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So, my Taylor acoustic guitar has been in dire need of a refret for some time. I decided I didn't feel like trying it myself, so I found a real acoustic luthier in the area.

I just dropped it off.

But, the experience was really neat. This guy is a real luthier and has been in the business for a number of years. He actually builds guitars; he doesn't just work on them. He was in the process of building a classical guitar using reclaimed mahogany from a 200 year old door when I dropped it off.

Pretty cool stuff.

I came away from there feeling as if my guitar is in better hands than my own!

Looking forward to the final results.
 
Since 1976 I used Mike Lull whenever I buy a new or used guitar he was great sad he is no longer with us
I have most of the tools now to re fret and set up now I've only done two guitars so far 1965 SG Standard total re fret and a 1960 Fender
Strat fret level crown dress and polish and make a new nut from ivory they turned out well.

About Us — Mike Lull Custom Guitars

www.mikelull.com www.mikelull.com
 
eclecticsynergy said:
Knowing it's in skilled hands eases the worry a lot.
Click to expand...

Yeah, this guy is fascinating. He really seems to understand guitars. I know that sounds weird, but he understood exactly what to look for and set about taking some measurements and doing a visual inspection of the guitar right in front of me.

Overall, his impression of my guitar is that it is in good shape, and doesn't need any real corrective action other than what would normally be done in process of doing a refret. The only thing he noticed is that my bass side action is a little high and he's going to correct that.

He showed me a small, nylon-strung parlor guitar that he made. It was surprisingly loud for a such small guitar.
 
So, as a bit of techno babble, I've decided to get my guitar done with stainless steel frets.

Oddly, Taylor has somewhat of a bad reputation for having soft frets. I have found that to be true in my case, as well. So, I've opted to go in the opposite direction and have the most durable frets installed that I can get.

I did consider Jescar EVO Gold, but even Jescar states that stainless is harder than the EVO Gold fret wire:

JESCAR Music - From Fret to Finish

Jescar Music
www.jescarguitar.com www.jescarguitar.com

Incidentally, I did discuss this with the luthier and he is very comfortable with installing SS frets.
 
eclecticsynergy said:
I hate leaving a beloved instrument for repairs, so I do everything I'm capable of on my own.
To me a refret still seems like a major job, but for a seasoned luthier it's routine.
Knowing it's in skilled hands eases the worry a lot.
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At some point, you just gotta leave the 'fraidness behind, gather the gumption and dive right in!! Of course, having access to a good supply of reject twisted $5-dollar-a-piece fretted necks helps gather that gumption... and the ensuing knowledge.
 
SIx String Chef said:
At some point, you just gotta leave the 'fraidness behind, gather the gumption and dive right in!! Of course, having access to a good supply of reject twisted $5-dollar-a-piece fretted necks helps gather that gumption... and the ensuing knowledge.
Click to expand...

I totally get that. In fact, I actually have refretted a guitar before. I refretted my 1974 Gibson SG many years ago.

But, this time around, I really felt like I would rather use someone who actually "does this".

In other words....I just didn't feel like it!
 
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SIx String Chef said:
At some point, you just gotta leave the 'fraidness behind, gather the gumption and dive right in!! Of course, having access to a good supply of reject twisted $5-dollar-a-piece fretted necks helps gather that gumption... and the ensuing knowledge.
Click to expand...
Yep, IMO it wouldn't be wise to try learning to do refrets on a valuable guitar.
That's what cheapos are ideal for.
 
Good move IMHO... as long as you pick the right luthier.

Lucky me, I lived for a long time in the area of a GREAT luthier
such that I was happy to pay him for whatever I asked him to do
on my guitars.

I can do the basic stuff, but I would often take it to Dave Collins
at Ann Arbor Guitars
and have him check my work, and correct any problems I didn't address.
I also would have him check over any new instrument I bought
and often I would have hime check over any used instrument I bought.

In my experience, I or Dave Collins could usually figure out why somebody
sold the guitar I bought, and fix that. Well worth his fees. Also, when you
get a decent luthier to work on your guitar, it usually stays fixed.
 
Col Mustard said:
Good move IMHO... as long as you pick the right luthier.

Lucky me, I lived for a long time in the area of a GREAT luthier
such that I was happy to pay him for whatever I asked him to do
on my guitars.

I can do the basic stuff, but I would often take it to Dave Collins
at Ann Arbor Guitars
and have him check my work, and correct any problems I didn't address.
I also would have him check over any new instrument I bought
and often I would have hime check over any used instrument I bought.

In my experience, I or Dave Collins could usually figure out why somebody
sold the guitar I bought, and fix that. Well worth his fees. Also, when you
get a decent luthier to work on your guitar, it usually stays fixed.
Click to expand...

Yup, I gotta give you a lot of credit for this decision, Colonel. I was seriously contemplating doing this myself. I have refretted a guitar before, so I’m not a total noob!

But, your frequent comments about using a luthier kept coming back into my head, so I decided to seek one out. I had very good vibes when I met this guy and the work of his that I saw was quite nice. Sometimes, I think it’s just smart to avail oneself of someone else’s training and experience. In the end, I had to admit to myself that, in spite of the fact that I’m a pretty handy sort of guy, I am very unlikely to do better than, or even as good as, someone with many years of experience.

In the end, it’s gonna cost me a few bills to have this done, but I’m very confident in the decision.
 
I have my guitar back1

Yay!!!

Man, this is SOOOO much nicer. This guy really did a great job. I am totally loving these stainless steel frets. Of course, he sanded and levelled the fretboard while the frets were off.

I'll need to get my Stratocaster refretted within this year. I'm taking it right back to him for a full stainless steel fret job.

Here's a quick pic. I realize it does not look like much, but the frets were deeply worn and channeled in this area. Also, you all don't know the before and after. In person, it looks like a brand new fretboard.


Taylor_Refret.jpg
 
smitty_p said:
I have my guitar back1

Yay!!!

Man, this is SOOOO much nicer. This guy really did a great job. I am totally loving these stainless steel frets. Of course, he sanded and levelled the fretboard while the frets were off.

I'll need to get my Stratocaster refretted within this year. I'm taking it right back to him for a full stainless steel fret job.

Here's a quick pic. I realize it does not look like much, but the frets were deeply worn and channeled in this area. Also, you all don't know the before and after. In person, it looks like a brand new fretboard.


View attachment 87125
Click to expand...
Congratulations! That looks really slick!
 
So, I've been playing this guitar quite a bit since I got it back.

All I can say is that I'm really impressed. This luthier really did a nice job. As I said, he did more than just the fret job.

Everything just rings so much more cleanly now and it has never played this nicely.

This was money very well spent.

I'm very much a do-it-yourself type of person, but sometimes it really pays to seek out those who have the experience.

I also love the feel of the stainless frets - very smooth.

My Stratocaster is the next one coming due for a fret job. I'm taking it to him and getting SS frets on that guitar, too.
 
I have a guy who does guitar setups, builds amps, He sets all 5 of my guitars each year, Every January. He keeps my guitars just humming beautifully all year long, for me it's worth paying a guy who knows what he is doing . And it makes playing all the more enjoyable..
 
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