Bob-Dubery
X-rated Bob wrote:
Tokai SA wrote:
IMO
The guitar should come setup from the manufacturer....no need for the stores guitar tech (if they have one) to do anything to the guitar except hang it on the wall.
If the guitar doesn't come setup from the factory, then how does the manufacturer know if the guitar can ever be setup correctly?
Sure. But they get banged around in transit, go through temperature and humidity changes. They can be properly set up in the factory and still be out of whack when they get to the other end.
Just to clarify, I am talking generally here, not having a go at Lance and the particular guitars that he distributes (which are very well made)
Tokai-SA
X-rated Bob wrote:
Ray wrote:
But does a setup include adjusting the action for the individual? If so how the hell would they know who is gonna buy it? Arent there some other player specific aspects?
There are personal preferences, but these are not that big a deal. The difference between a "low" and a "high" action is not that great in terms of millimeters. If a guitar is decently set up to start off with you'd be able to play it and know that it's OK (or not) but you'd like the action a little higher or a little lower.
100% correct.
aubs1
Brentcgp wrote:
Andy Mcgibbons
+1. Andy is fantastic.
singemonkey
It's true that certain manufacturers (to which TokaiSA is alluding) have a reputation for perfect setup out of the box. But there are still some good companies that don't get this right. I think it's a service that would really benefit a store. When I was even more ignorant than I am now, I would actually think guitars were bad if they didn't play well in the store. I didn't realise that they just needed a setup. I think they'd sell more guitars if they play great when you take them down from the wall.
AlanRatcliffe
No doubt. But most stores just see it as an additional expense and don't want to pay a specialist, so you end up with the salespeople who may not have the same skill as a specialist and understandably don't really want to take the time unless they have already sold the instrument.
bobbyblues
Well gentlemen; I almost fell off my chair I was laughing so hard. The average music shop in South Africa is barely able to tune a guitar using a tuner let alone set it up. Of course this means a guitar with the production line set up which is a long way from where it should be is hanging on the wall. But fret not folks; in most big centres you will find competent guitar techs who can work miracles.
This is not something peculiar to South Africa. Try a guitar hanging up in any of the Guitar Centre shops in the USA and guess what you'll find; Yes you're right; a lousy setup.
Support your local guitar tech
Banditman
Tell me about it - one local store has a USA Deluxe Strat on the wall with a neck pickup that doesn't work at all (but still has the full price tag) & along with several other Fenders of the same bracket is fitted with strings corroded & cruddy enough to feel like hacksaw blades.
Chris-Mason
Andy mcGibbons check all the guitars before selling them.
Based in Bordeaux Randburg no 4 main street.
NorioDS
Thanks SaN ? I've updated the first post with address info.
ZarK
If you're an Ibanez player and you want a true pro setup, the person to buy your guitar from is Rich from IbanezRules in the USA. He hand selects each instrument, totally disassembles and reassembles it, does a few pro mods along the way and finishes the neck and the rest to your spec level (up to j-custom level). Pro setup by the way does not mean a professional setup, but rather the setup done for a pro guitarist… Obviously you pay for it, but you’ll own an instrument that is in another league…
BMU
bobbyblues wrote:
This is not something peculiar to South Africa. Try a guitar hanging up in any of the Guitar Centre shops in the USA and guess what you'll find; Yes you're right; a lousy setup.
Totally true that.
This is a pet peeve of mine, I ranted about it in a thread a few months ago. I've seen plenty $3000 guitars with rusted strings, unplayably high action etc etc, and not just in SA.
ZarK
BMU wrote:
bobbyblues wrote:
This is not something peculiar to South Africa. Try a guitar hanging up in any of the Guitar Centre shops in the USA and guess what you'll find; Yes you're right; a lousy setup.
Totally true that.
This is a pet peeve of mine, I ranted about it in a thread a few months ago. I've seen plenty $3000 guitars with rusted strings, unplayably high action etc etc, and not just in SA.
I’ve never understood this myself... Do you book a test drive for a new Benz and arrive to find a dirty car that pulls to the left and hesitates when you want to accelerate? Won't sell many cars that way! Why must the approach to high level instruments be any different? To most they are luxury items after all... ??? Or are the music shops selling enough of these items? I seriously doubt that!
zohn
Banditman wrote:
Tell me about it - one local store has a USA Deluxe Strat on the wall with a neck pickup that doesn't work at all (but still has the full price tag) & along with several other Fenders of the same bracket is fitted with strings corroded & cruddy enough to feel like hacksaw blades.
Hmm, good point - corroded strings: Why are there so many Gibson acoustics still hanging on the walls? Rusted strings. Taylor, Larrivee, Walden (sadly no longer available locally), Cort, Tanglewood and I think Takamine are sold standard with coated strings. The reason is to make the guitar sound as good as possible for as long as possible.
a Basic but very logical strategy.
arjunmenon
ZarK wrote:
If you're an Ibanez player and you want a true pro setup, the person to buy your guitar from is Rich from IbanezRules in the USA. He hand selects each instrument, totally disassembles and reassembles it, does a few pro mods along the way and finishes the neck and the rest to your spec level (up to j-custom level). Pro setup by the way does not mean a professional setup, but rather the setup done for a pro guitarist… Obviously you pay for it, but you’ll own an instrument that is in another league…
+1 Zark. Rich Harris was a pleasure to deal with when i bought a trem from him. And i would assume that the same level of service applies to the guitars he sells as well. I like the fact that he's very cut n dry. What you get is what you pay for.
string_slinger
Bit of a waste of time to set-up EVERY guitar before it goes on the wall IMHO. Fixing the basics, yes, but a full set-up? No. Before you shoot me, hear why...
All Fenders & Gretcshs come out the factory with .009's on em, so they feel easy and nice in a store. But I play .010's, so could care less. So when I bought my Tele, I just asked the guys to set it up for me with 010's. Which they did - a very decent set-up too. If I want it better, well, off to Foster it goes (Support your local tech - they're specialists, it's what they're there for!). Most of the stores are willing if you ASK, and yes, sometimes you just need to ask. I mean, you just bought the guitar so you can't blame a sales guy for thinking you're happy with it. And as for those stores who aren't willing, you shouldn't be shopping there, unless of course you're dogging around for the absolute lowest price, in which case you get what you pay for.
Everyone's taste's are different, so even if they set up every guitar on the wall, I'd still need it tweaked for me - therefore, I'm happy that they set the guitar up for me after the fact.
Support the guys like Andy's, Music Connection, Musiek Wereld & Marshall Cape Town who give you THE WHOLE SERVICE PACKAGE. If you don't, all you'll have left in the future is bad service. The reason we have the bad service guys is because we've made scoring an extra R100 off more important than how we're looked after. Get a good deal, but stop screwing the good stores for prices - quality staff normally cost more money, and I want quality shops to shop in. I hate talking to monkeys for advice, but while we're expecting to spend peanuts for gear on the south tip of Africa, that's what we're gonna get. Along with apelike service and set-ups on our guitars...
I'll get off my soapbox now...?
LouisNeilson
Well if you're in Cape Town's northern suburbs, there's a little shop called Guitar Centre near Bayside in Table View.
It's low traffic, so the owner and his nephew/son/not100%whatHeis spend a lot of time keeping everything in a nice condition. They do also stock quite a lot of 2nd hand stock, but most of their stock is still entry level. Though he can source what you need, and will usually set it up for you if you ask - he can seem a bit of a car salesman, but he's still a decent oke
slyd
bobbyblues wrote:
Support your local guitar tech
Yeah, the only way to go.
If on the South Coast, give Dave @
The Axe Workshop a line at
slyd@vodamail.co.za
Loving care and quality workmanship to your specifications! ?
Booga
Totally agree. I think expecting stores to setup the guitars is one thing but I have had experiences of stores that don't even have their guitar vagually in tune. Having to tune every guitar you want to pick up is really painfull and well lets just say I usually give up and go somewhere else.
Surely it makes business sense! Make the customers guitar buying experience enjoyable and you sell more guitars. It's not rocket science.
Averatu
Mark at Andy Mcgibbons really knows his stuff, he's gos a really cool workshop, so I guess they're your best bet.
Aphelion7620
I was actually put off more than one guitar store here in CT due to the poor quality setups. I was looking at buying a tele or a PRS and played quite a few ones and, although I realised that the setups could be better done to improve playability, they actually made me not enjoy playing the guitars I was trying out. As a result, I went elsewhere and got amazing service. Marshall Music, both Cape Town Stores, seem to have really well setup instruments.
