Email or text me for an appointment - I’m in Sutton, SW London.
Let me know when would suit you best, I’m open from 1 pm to 7 pm.
Bring your guitar for an free assessment. If I don’t think I can make a real difference, I’ll say so and not waste your time or mine.
I’ll give you a maximum price and proposed completion date. If any new parts look like they’re required, we’ll agree a price on those.
Normal turnaround is 2 to 3 days; sometimes I can do next day.
When the guitar’s ready for collection I’ll send you an invoice and we’ll agree a collection time.
You can pay me by cash, PayPal or direct bank transfer.
These prices are indicative - I can give you a more accurate price once I’ve seen the guitar. A set up on a brand new guitar (absolutely recommended BTW) is going to cost less. So bring it in for a free, no obligation assessment.
I recommend D’Addario strings but I’ll fit whatever you want
➣ Basic Set Up - Overall clean and adjust the neck relief, bridge height and intonation - £50
➣ Deluxe Set Up - As Basic plus fret level, crown and polish, the ultimate in playability - £100
➣ Tremolo Set Up when fitted - £20 extra
➣ Re-string - £15 plus strings at cost; basic set-up not required but recommended
➣ Wiring repairs or customisation - from £25 plus parts
➣ Replacement parts - from £35 plus parts (nut, tuners, pickups, bridge…) contact for quote
➣ Partscaster builds - £250 minimum plus parts. Come and discuss.
I’m Ron; I’ve been tinkering with guitars since I was a teenager. In my 20’s I ran my own custom guitar business, then worked for the UK’s biggest guitar manufacturer - Watkins - before settling down to a life writing computer software. At home though, I never stopped messing with guitars, buying, selling, customising and re-working them and building several Partscasters. Now retired, I’ve trimmed back the collection and gone back to my roots. With a life-time of collecting tools and watching the industry, I can bring my experience as a guitar tech to help you get the most out of the guitars you already have.
I’m on a mission to improve the nation’s guitars - one 🎸 at a time!
The best guitar is the one you just can’t put down, the one that you don’t ever want to stop playing.So how do we find this ultimate guitar? Well, it might be more attainable than you think.
There are three things which make up a great playing guitar: a comfortable neck with perfectly level frets, a decent set of strings and a good set-up.
🎸 What Does “A Good Set Up” Mean?
Electric guitars (and most acoustic guitars) are built with a standard set of adjustable features which allow the playability to be dialled in (or set up) to suit the player and their style of playing. These adjustments also allow the technician to compensate for environmentally induced changes due to temperature and humidity variations affecting the wood of the guitar.
These adjustments are:
- Neck Relief: Setting the truss rod to correct the curvature of the neck.
- Action Height: Adjusting the bridge and the nut slots to set the string height above the fretboard.
- Intonation: Setting the bridge saddle position to make sure the guitar plays in tune.
- Pickup Height: Optimising the distance between the pickups and strings for balanced output.
- Tremolo (or Vibrato if fitted): Setting the spring tension to ensure the tremolo operates as desired.
🎸 Why is a Setup Necessary?
A proper setup is essential for several reasons:
Brand-new guitars leave the factory with a “safe” set up that ensures the guitar will not have any perceived problems such as fret buzz when it gets to the hands of the customer. This means the action is usually set too high with too much neck relief and the nuts slots are not deep enough.
Older guitars may have been originally set up for someone with a different playing style; the player may want to fit strings of a different gauge necessitating truss rod and bridge adjustments; the guitar may have gone out of adjustment due to age or environmental factors.
🎸 When Are New Strings Required?
Most new guitars are fitted at the factory with cheap strings. There can be exceptions but unless the spec sheet specifically mentions strings from someone like D’Addario or Ernie Ball, you should change them.
Strings wear out, they lose tone and are more likely to break while you’re playing. Strings should be changed at least every year and usually more frequently depending on how often you play. Some professionals change strings for every performance!
🎸 Why Hasn’t My Neck Got Level Frets?
In an ideal world, all guitars would leave the factory with perfectly level frets. The reality is that because of inevitable variability in fretwire and the installation process, the only way to achieve that is to do a fret level, re-crown and polish once the frets have been installed, either by hand or with a machine like a Plek. This costs time and money and there are very few guitars that have had that done during the build - mainly custom shops guitars.
Of course there will be a level of quality control, but you are relying on a certain amount of luck of the draw when buying a new guitar (one reason for trying multiple guitars if possible) or a previous owner having had the work done. This is one reason vintage guitars generally play well - they’ve invariably had a skilled technician do a professional fret level at some point in their lives.
So there’s a compromise - a basic set up will get you most of the way there but the ultimate in playability requires a fret level, re-crown and polish - the deluxe set up.
🎸 Can I Do a Setup Myself?
Yes, many guitarists choose to perform their own setups! With the right tools, some aptitude and a bit of practice, you can learn to make these adjustments yourself. However, if you’re unsure or uncomfortable with the process, it can be better to consult a professional guitar technician. They have the specialised tools, experience, and expertise to properly diagnose and address any issues and ensure your guitar is set up perfectly.
🎸 Summary
Modern manufacturing processes have revolutionised the quality of budget guitars. These days one of the main differentiators between guitars across all price levels is the quality of the set up. A great set up can elevate almost any guitar way beyond its cost. Discover the killer axe hiding inside your everyday guitar!
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