Unofficial Taylor Guitar Forum - UTGF
Lessons, Recordings, How Tos, Repair, Accessories => Lessons, Recordings, How Tos, Repair, Accessories => Topic started by: DO18 on December 10, 2018, 06:49:11 AM
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What is the best way to choose a luthier to do a setup or any other work on your prized Taylor Guitar? I made the mistake of believing a guitar shop with 45 years in the business and is a Taylor dealer would be a safe choice. I could not have been more wrong!
Do we rely on word of mouth, certification as a Authorized Taylor Repair Shop or WHAT?. It is an important decision which can either go great or have serious consequences. Price is not always a good indicator, but can be one additional piece of information to help make a decision.
What method do you use to choose a Luthier?
My experience was gut wrenching. I want to post an update to my original post about a nightmare setup and am waiting to have Admin approve that post. It names names and places and is a cautionary tale we all want to avoid.
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I am fortunate to have a nearby shop where I buy and have my Taylors serviced as needed. Trust has been built over many years. I too am facing your situation, because I plan to move next year to an area that I'm not familiar with. I'll be starting over with no real plan.
A lot will have to do with relationship building before I trust any work to a potential new partner.
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After further consideration and chatting with Edward I think I will not post any further details on the unprofessional and unethical setup that was sold to me by a shop in Orange County California that has been around for 45 years. With that said, if anyone would like to know the name of the shop, the unqualified "luthier" and what their response was when I addressed the problems they left me with is welcome to PM me.
The shop owner did not offer an apology, a refund or recommend a path to correcting their extremely poor work. If I had not tired of the guitar having no tone, projection or sustain I would not have discovered the shimmed saddle that had been sanded quite a bit thus causing potential problems with the ES2 System. Very quickly discovered that the G string hangs in the nut and catches when tuned down and pops into place with a loud pop or tuned up and it again hangs in the nut and loudly pops into place. It makes it almost possible to easily tune that string. Obviously the nut is going to need to be replaced. Everything that will have to be done to correct the bad work will be out of pocket. It isn't Taylor Guitars fault in the least.
Finding a reliable luthier or technician should not be a huge gamble. Discovering that work performed was done poorly should not be the first indication of a problem after the fact. We don't want to be placed in that situation!
Hopefully, we can find a way to identify a reliable and honest luthier / technician that delivers quality work.
Our sanity and our prized Taylor guitars that we have invested heavily in depend on it.
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I would call Ted at LA Guitar Sales and see who he recommends. He's been around SoCal for a long time and has probably heard all the stories, good and bad.
Been down that road too, so I took it upon myself to do basic set-up work on my guitars and invested in some basic tools. I don't trust my babies to just any person or shop who hangs out a shingle. Admittedly I have ruined a nut or two and one saddle in my learning curve, but that is why I now start with a new blank every time - preserve the original factory nut and saddle untouched. That way you can go back to the original condition easily. I know that won't help your situation.
And be sure to let Taylor know who this shop is, because they certainly don't want that levels of poor service representing them.
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Man, I feel for ya as I think we've all "been there" at one time or another: whether it is a bad mechanic, contractor, plumber, or guit tech, poor workmanhip is --sadly-- not always evident right away, and often when it is too late that we have to live with the junk they've peddled! The primary reason I've learned to be a jack of many trades as best I can.
For a good tech (or luthier if you want to get into serious guitar work), I have weighed, in no exact order:
- word of mouth …vastly easier now in the internet age than decades past
- evaluated his finished work of other clients
- price: too good to be true often is the case (the guy who re-piped my house drives a nice Jag and Vettes ...he's worth every penny given the pricier and more frustrating alternative!)
- turnaround time (talk to me about a bozo who had enjoyed an excellent reputation in Santa Monica CA, and then jerked me around for weeks ...he's no longer in business, thankfully!!)
- personality: one who listens to you, is patient and willing to make things crystal clear, does not rush or talk above you (especially with "his vast experience" yada yada), one who is willing to state flat-out that he will stand behind his work or will make it right for you. As is often said with buying an old Porsche, you are "buying" the owner when you are weighing his car. This tech potentially will have my valued guitar in his hands; I want it right ...he should not be defensive, but empathetic to your love for the guitar.
Off the top of my head, anyhow. Also admittedly much more difficult the farther one lives from the beaten path. Not a perfect list, by any means, but it's a start. The one thing in one's favor these days is the web where you can not only judge reviews, but also potentially speak to past clients. Best to you!! And post back with what I hope to be a stellar result.
Edward
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Taylor grades service centers/authorized luthiers via a 4 tiered system, from Silver to Premier. Try seeking out a higher-graded luthier if you can
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Taylor grades service centers/authorized luthiers via a 4 tiered system, from Silver to Premier. Try seeking out a higher-graded luthier if you can
Well, I am now back home in the Philippines. 7,000 plus miles to a easy solution. If I was in the States I would send it to Taylor and pay all associated costs. Not sure if the Taylor Authorized Distributor even has the nut. I will know for sure tomorrow.
This is so disappointing! I cannot even begin to relate the stress this has caused. From Guitar.com, who selected the Taylor Builders Edition K14ce as the guitar of the year. This is what I have lost:
Projection, clarity, tremendous and haunting sustain, vibrant and complex harmonics… all of these characteristics are the hallmarks of the world’s finest acoustic instruments, but V-Class also brings a level of tuning and intonation accuracy that unlocks a world of possibilities for recording.
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I am so sorry to hear about your setup! I am fortunate to live within a long walk of a Taylor Premier luthier who is also an all around good guy. Plus, Taylor did a fantastic job on my K14ce out of the box, and it meets all those accolades from your quoted article.
Hopefully you can find a good luthier there at home. Getting a nut or saddle in Tusq should be easy but may take a bit of time in shipping.
Good luck, it will be a great guitar when you are done.
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I have a great luthier. Only problem is he found out he wasn't charging me enough. When will I learn to keep my big fat mouth shut? :-X