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Joined:
October 2003
Posts: 8
Location: Tennessee | In Oct. 2003 I bought a 1977 Custom Balladeer 1112-4 (& case) on eBay from a guy who runs a pawn shop in West Virginia for $400 (+ $25 shipping). It was in excellent cosmetic condition, especially for its age, but there was some buzzing on the high E string on the 6th fret, and also some up on the 12th, 13th, etc., frets on the E and other strings.
I live in the middle Tennessee area and I've just had it worked on by Joe Glaser of Nashville. I don't know if any of you are familiar with Joe, but he appears to have a national reputation as an extremely skilled luthier (Google "Glaser Instruments") and owns a state-of-the-art computerized machine for dressing frets that's allegedly only one of two in the entire US (the other one is in Los Angeles, I believe).
Here is how the bill breaks down:
$129.00 Fret dressing
20.00 Recut nut
-- Raise action on treble side
45.00 New saddle, higher bore
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$194.00
As you can see it cost a pretty penny to have this work done (heck, I could have bought a cheap Epiphone or something for $194.00!), but the buzzing is gone and the guitar sure does play and sound a LOT better. In a way I feel like I'm lucky to happen to live close enough to him to have him work on it (of course, I guess he does accept shipments, but that's an additional big expense). Just thought I'd pass this experience along in case anyone finds it interesting. |
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Joined:
April 2004
Posts: 13303
Location: Latitude 39.56819, Longitude -105.080066 | Price seems a little high but not too far out of line. The main issue is did he fix it properly and make you happy.
Sounds like he did and that you like how it now plays and sounds....so it was worth the money |
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Joined:
May 2002
Posts: 3005
Location: Las Cruces, NM | super70's
If it didn't break the bank, that might be a darn good investment, turning a mediocre guitar into a very great instrument.
I don't know the person you described, but if you are correct, he would have told you if your guitar was not worth his effort, so you have a double endorsement. I have taken second rate instruments to well known repair people, once to John Dopyro of the Dobro Brothers, a Gibson fake that he refused to touch. And the founder of Taylor guitars when he had a shop in San Diego in the 70's, and I needed a prewar Washburn mandolin repaired and he did the job even though he was busy making what later became collector guitars.
A master repair person won't even look at an instrument that isn't worthy of their effort.
Bailey |
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June 2002
Posts: 6202
Location: Phoenix AZ | I think you got a great deal. I've gotten a lot less work done for a lot more money. Dave |
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January 2004
Posts: 1225
Location: Lake Hiawatha, New Jersey | It sounds to me like you ended up with a really nice guitar for $600.00 when you add the repair cost to the purchase price. That sounds like a pretty good deal to me. The price for the work that you had done sounds pretty reasonable to me, especially if he did a good job. Personally, I don't mind spending a few extra dollars for a job done right.
Speaking of Tennesee. I've been there a few times and love the Nashville area. I almost moved there about ten years ago. My father was living in Franklin for a while and I was thinking of moving down there after my first marriage hit the skids. The only problem is that I would probably gain about 50 pounds if I lived there. There's too many good places to eat! There's a place called "Uncle Buck's Chicken, Catfish and such" that has the best fried chicken I've ever had! Tough to stay on the ol' diet down there! |
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December 2003
Posts: 13997
Location: Upper Left USA | You have a finely tuned instrument and the pleasure it brings. I am as cheap as they get but any more I realize that what income "comes-in" is only here to refuel and then become "out-come". The satisfaction of quality far exceeds the glow of pinching pennies.
What value is the enjoyment our instruments bring? |
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Joined:
October 2003
Posts: 8
Location: Tennessee | Thanks for all the responses, guys. It reinforces my feelings that it was money well spent.
P.S. Jeb: I have eaten at Uncle Buck's a time or two, but only tried their catfish. We do love our Southern fried foods down here. Then when you hit your early 40's, it's a double-whammy! :eek: |
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Joined:
January 2002
Posts: 14127
Location: 6 String Ranch | Glaser is one of the better ones out there. Expensive but top shelf always is. I've had them do work a time or two and been very satistied. |
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Joined:
May 2004
Posts: 2850
Location: Midland, MI | I think the fret machine you refer to is the PLEK, out of Germany. I think Glaser, FretTek (the LA company you mention) and one other has one of these, but I can't remember the third. I did read a couple weeks ago that Gibs*n was going to install one to dress the frets on new builds (probably not a bad thing, but you know how internet rumors are).
As a comparison, I paid $135 for a fret dress and 'setup' by the local luthier. He did a fine job, and the buzz is completely eliminated. My issue is that the guitar came back with some type of grease all over the body. On top of that, for a week or so, every time I played, my finger tips would turn black. Talk about driving home the reminder that he'll never get another dime from me. I admit the work was good, but the presentation blew goats.
I think you did well. |
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March 2002
Posts: 14842
Location: NJ | ". . blew goats . ."
- gotta remember THAT one . . . |
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March 2002
Posts: 15682
Location: SoCal | not llamas? |
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November 2003
Posts: 11039
Location: Earth·SolarSystem·LocalInterstellarCloud·Local Bub | do it once an' you'll never forget. |
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March 2002
Posts: 14842
Location: NJ | . . . I'll take your word for it. |
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March 2002
Posts: 15682
Location: SoCal | I'd prefer to never have an experience like that to forget..... |
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April 2005
Posts: 14
| The Plek system was featured in GP a while back and they estimated costs for the computer fret dress at $250. It appears you got a tremendous deal. Joe is a master builder/ repairmen who made the pull string Telecaster Ricky Scaggs featured on his Live In London record years ago. I have a guitar student who had the same Plek treatment on his old Gibson ES-345 and it plays wonderfully! |
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Joined:
October 2003
Posts: 8
Location: Tennessee | Wow, $250 just for the fret dress huh. I guess he had pity on me because I wasn't exactly a "Nashville cat" (I live in a smaller city about 70 miles away) with bucks to burn. I met him when I dropped it off on March 25, but when I picked it up yesterday they said he was over in Germany this week consulting with the gentleman who invented the PLEK. |
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Joined:
February 2005
Posts: 112
Location: WV | Originally posted by cruster:
I admit the work was good, but the presentation blew goats. Now I thought of something to put in the "Swallow" thread :D |
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Joined:
May 2004
Posts: 2850
Location: Midland, MI | /me hangs his head in shame |
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Does this sound reasonable?
