Are guitar set-ups scams?

[aen]

I'm pretty sure I got a new nut and a setup for $55 a few years back. It was actually amazing and well done.
But I haven't taken an instrument in for a setup since then. I really only take things in for really scary (nut related) repairs.

[DRodriguez]

I really only take things in for really scary (nut related) repairs.

This applies to both human, and guitar issues.

Gonna take in my bass shortly since it's never had a setup and I'm afraid it'll need more extensive work. I'll let y'all know how that goes...

[rfurtkamp]

Realistically it'd be fairly boring. Roland GK synth pickup built in, toss in a Fernandez sustainer too because #yolo. Basic Jaguar-type body.

Probably go with a three pickup setup, VI style, 24" scale. Strangle switch a must. Dump the rhythm switch for a Blender or a Bee Baa, put controls for fuzz in there instead.

Blackened (realistically I'd go with a Tennifer-type finish since it resists abrasion) stainless frets. Blackened stainless hardware/tuners. Must be offered in purple or midnight blue, matching headstock only.

Enochian inlay on the 12th fret, block. Rest side dots only. Custom decal, "Jazzfuckingmaster", because.

Offer matching VI (30"), Scrambler instead of Blender. Fretless option.

That'd about cover it for me.

[ThurberMingus]

I enjoy treating my guitars to a nice setup, but I've been kinda disappointed with the local techs in town. They advertise a once-over of the electronics, but when I got my Tele back from them the neck lead was disconnected from the switch. This was due to my hack soldering job, but I was under the impression they would have noticed that, guess not. When I dropped my Jazzmaster off I told them I had a wonky fret, and that wasn't fixed either. I don't even think they took note. Good dudes otherwise, but they kind of skim the details and occasionally forget what they advertise.

Fortunately a luthier just set up shop right next to my job, and he's cool as fuck. I'll be taking my guitars to him from here on.

[ShaunNecro]

When my action was adjusted, all I asked them to do was make me a new bone nut. I told them not to mess with my action and to definitely not replace my strings. They kept my Bass for two weeks, and they never made me a new nut. He said nothing was wrong with the one I had, even though the G string is cut a little too low.

[waltdogg]

They didn't even fill in the slots?

[ShaunNecro]

They didn't even fill in the slots?

Nope. I just wanted to get my Bass back so I was like whatever.

[waltdogg]

Fair enough. That's fuckin' stupid on their part.

So much goes into a setup when a guitar or bass lands on my bench. This thread has made me really proud of my work.

[rfurtkamp]

It's one reason you should always ask what their setup includes, and what you need.

Some places it's the full Monty, others change the strings and might wipe off the fretboard.

[GuitarSlim101]

Set ups are a big part of my job at the store, and I take a lot of pride in what I do. I do a lot of work on lower end, entry level instruments, a bunch of midrange stuff, and a handful of nicer high end and/or vintage pieces. Generally, a standard six string guitar set up will run my customers $30 + strings and any other bits they may need ($40 for Floyds and such), and they can usually pick it up the next day if I'm not swamped. I end up doing a lot of minor fret work like spot leveling/end dressing/polishing/etc, cut nut slots to proper depths or sizes, deburr tuners and bridge saddles, polish nuts and saddles, clean and inspect all the electronics, tighten all the mounting nuts for tuners and electronics, occasionally fix minor structural issues, and the usual string height, truss rod, intonation, clean the finish, balance the trem, blah blah blah.

A lot of my set ups are for students who don't know that their guitar is buggered, and I hate to see beginners struggling because their guitar is fighting them. For the pros and experienced players that come in, they appreciate that I'll fix things they might not have known about and listen to how they expect their guitar to play when they get it back.

It's one reason you should always ask what their setup includes, and what you need.

Some places it's the full Monty, others change the strings and might wipe off the fretboard.

Also this. Before I put my foot down, my boss expected me to charge $25 just to change strings and polish the guitar, which is ridiculous. If you have a shitty tech, a set up can definitely be a rip off, but if you find someone that listens to what you need and won't stop working until you're happy, it can be worth it.

[DRodriguez]

Just got my guitar back from a setup. Night and day. Everything feels so right! Expensive because it's in NYC. But Matt from 30th street guitars also fixed things like routing out a larger and deeper control cavity so my plate actually fits. He also offered to redo some wiring for me.

[repoman]

Something that kind of perplexes me is why do shops/stores never seem to set up the guitars they have for sale? Guitar Center or mom and pop it seems like the norm is to pick up a guitar and it's set up really poorly. You'd think stores would setup guitars so they would sell easier? Or maybe they just set up the expensive ones to entice buyers to go for the pricier ones? (I don't think I've ever played an American Fender, Gibson, etc in a store)

[rfurtkamp]

The high end stuff usually isn't set up either.

It's an 'as it comes from the manufacturer' - the issue more than anything is the time it takes to do right (versus individual preferences of any player).

Better stores will include a basic tweak but that's about it. An extra $5-10 will kill a sale most of the time is the problem.

Of the guitars I've bought new (and shipped in sealed containers), the cheapest ones are the best set up out of the box is the joke. So it's attendant on the setup at the factory, how it shifts over time.

The Gibson 339 needed over a half hour of my tweaking including a bridge saddle that needed tweaking. It does have an absolutely phenominal fret setup otherwise, but...wasn't playable as received.

Squier Jaguar was in tune when received and ready to play out of the crate. Casino needed no setup. Mexi P Bass that had lived in a shipping container for 4-5 years, setup fine as well.

I did minor tweaks to all of them later, but they didn't need anything to have been sold on the shelf.

Those are the recent "new ones" I've got in the last year or two.

Can't comment on the Ibanez with Kaoss Pad thing since it was a Sweetwater demo and might have been setup for whatever they did.


It's

[BoatRich]

Most stores definitely don't, I work at a Sam Ash and were supposed to do "gig-ready's" which are really just set ups at least twice a shift though, and I make an effort to fix anything a customer is playing that I know needs it.

[DRodriguez]

Been going through and setting up all my guitars and my bass, feels like I have a brand new set of instruments. They all sound lovely and I couldn't be happier.