bindog
Hey all
So I finally got my tak to Grant for a setup...
I think I have a different guitar... It is amazing...
Almost no cost in my opinion, fret work done, setup is amazing
I cannot recommend this man highly enough...!!!!
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Shibbibilybob
Grant Fouche?
bindog
That's the one...!!! Actually still cannot believe how much easier my acoustic is to play..
He did say it was horribly set up from standard , but still, this is mind blowing ...
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AlanRatcliffe
Most factory setups are, at best, indifferent - set up to measurements rather than feel. Also set up in a way to avoid any problems with improperly seated frets.
The good new is the Asians are usually pretty good at fretwork, so you can lower the action on most guitars with no problems and a little touch up on the few that are problematic. A full fret dress is even better as you can dress in some fall-away on the upper frets.
warrenpridgeon
Unfortunately he doesn't like PRS guitars so I'll have to continue to improve my setup skills myself.
Tokai-SA
Like Alan says, most factory setups will play it safe.
Many guitarists aren't aware that the setup has the potential to be vastly improved, they'll play the guitar like that for months, even years.
If the guitar is made well enough, a great guitar tech can turn that factory setup from 'safe' to magical...if the guitar is not very well made your guitar tech will not like you very much because something that should take him 5 minutes to do can now take 2 hours to fix. ?
Grant is a great guitar tech.
I've known him for about 15 years and sat with him for hundreds of hours watching him work...we've discussed a few divorces in our time together sitting at his workbench. ?
The thing I like most about Grant's setups is he knows the factory will leave the nut slots cut/filed slightly too high...too low is a disaster, slightly to high is safe.
Your guitar will play and feel just fine with the nut slots filed slightly too high, but that's where his setup makes your guitar feel so much easier to play...I'm not talking millimetres here, I'm talking maybe .20/30/40 of a millimetre...your strings sitting lower in the open position is the first thing you'll love about a good setup.
Besides, most tuning problems come from the nut slots, so it's even more important the slots are filed perfectly.
Grant will be moving to his new workshop soon (can't wait), and I guess he'll also periodically be at the new Toms Sandton (if it ever opens :?).
Tokai-SA
warrenpridgeon wrote:
Unfortunately he doesn't like PRS guitars so I'll have to continue to improve my setup skills myself.
Over the last 3 yearsI've watched him setup dozens of PRS guitars at Toms Sandton.
They're not his favourite guitars tone wise, but he still sets them up perfectly. ?
Personally I think PRS guitars are fantastic, big respect here for PRS.
AlanRatcliffe
Also worth noting that not everyone wants a butter-smooth low action. Some like a guitar that fights back a bit (or a lot). Look at SRV. I once got into serious trouble with Mary-Anne Ray for "fixing" her electric bass action - it turned out she prefers something that is more like an upright than an electric (2 cm at the end of the fingerboard!).
Acoustic steel players often like a stiffer electric action so they don't have to adjust as much when moving from one to the other (or bend the hell out of every note accidentally). The converse is also true - electric players will often be willing to trade off a little acoustic tone to get something that plays more like an electric.
Gearhead
Tokai SA wrote:
They're not his favourite guitars tone wise, but he still sets them up perfectly. ?
Those guitars are built to be as easy as possible to set up, truss turns like butter and every thread is tight and smooth.
Ironstine
Hi, does anybody know how to get hold of Grant? Phone is always off when i try and doesnt reply to texts...
Has his number changed in the last month or 2?
costafonix
I spoke to Grant just the other day, his number hasn't changed, he's probably just very busy
Ironstine
Oh ok thanks, Is there anybody else that comes HIGHLY recommended?
ryanguit
Grant is not always easy to get hold of, if you need something minor done, just go to your local music shop. Most of the techs can do little things well.
I do most things myself for my guitars, the stuff I can't do, Grant does. I have only used a few others but after getting seriously burned by a useless repair in the UK, I stopped hopping around.
Music Connection has a dep. and so does Marshall in Woodmead.
What do you need done?
Ironstine
Well ive set my guitars as best i can. (which is a minor setup) Im extremely fussy about intonation and guitar setup in general so was hoping to find a pro to do it for me.
I want a complete setup done from nut to bridge on two guitars so willing to pay that little extra for that pro touch.
I also need somebody i can trust as i am not looking to part with a high end guitar.
ruan01
Does anyone have grants number? or email?
