Luthiers

[jackhammer]

Hi all,

How much should I be looking to pay for a set up and new pick ups fitted?

Also anyone know any decent ones in the Watford area?

Jack

[Mr. Foxen]

http://basschat.co.uk/topic/26654-recommended-luthiers/

Price kinda epends how involved the setup is. Sorting fretwork is a whole bunch more involve than a bridge and truss fiddling.

[jackhammer]

It's a brand new bass, so fretworks fine, it's just literally truss rod and bridge, new strings and new pickups! Seems to be a guy in harrow on that list! Which is a stones throw from me

[Mr. Foxen]

Wrong fretwork can be wrong from new, can't assume its good just because it is new. Makes a big difference to how much you can do with the bridge and truss.

[jackhammer]

Oh ok! Ill give the guy a call and see what he says :s hopefully all will be well! Thanks for your help

[KingBollock]

How would a simple man like me (let's assume I'm an idiot and you won't be far wrong) know whether fretwork needs sorting, without taking it to a professional first? I'm not asking to be able to fix it myself, just get an idea if it might need fiddling with.

[jackhammer]

[quote name='KingBollock' timestamp='1336776360' post='1651064']
How would a simple man like me (let's assume I'm an idiot and you won't be far wrong) know whether fretwork needs sorting, without taking it to a professional first? I'm not asking to be able to fix it myself, just get an idea if it might need fiddling with.
[/quote]
This!

[leftybassman392]

May also depend on what you install as replacement pickups. If you're replacing them then presumably you want something better than what's there already. As a guide to what you could pay, I have a MIJ Jazz with Custom Shop '60's pickups in place of the originals - in stock at Amazon for £186 last time I looked! I have seen them advertised cheaper, but when I checked they were invariably 'out of stock'. I still have the original set from my Jazz if you want them. No idea what to ask for them but PM me if you're interested.

[Kiwi]

Who ever you find, get him to show you how to do it. For the price of a fretfile, abrasive block and a steel edge you could be set for life.

[TheGreek]

Hi Jack

I've found Terry Chapman to be very good - he's based in Stevenage - also used by Lozz196. PM me for more details. Alternatively Barry from Fretz in Hemel Hempstead uses luthier in Berko..sorry I know no more than this..

[Lozz196]

[quote name='TheGreek' timestamp='1336813966' post='1651347']
Hi Jack

I've found Terry Chapman to be very good - he's based in Stevenage - also used by Lozz196. PM me for more details. Alternatively Barry from Fretz in Hemel Hempstead uses luthier in Berko..sorry I know no more than this..
[/quote]

+1 on both guys. Terry Chapman is very good indeed. As is the guy Barry uses - forget his name, but he knows his stuff.

[Ancient Mariner]

[quote name='KingBollock' timestamp='1336776360' post='1651064']
How would a simple man like me (let's assume I'm an idiot and you won't be far wrong) know whether fretwork needs sorting, without taking it to a professional first? I'm not asking to be able to fix it myself, just get an idea if it might need fiddling with.
[/quote]

You need some basic knowledge first, like how to adjust relief, action and intonation. Fretwork is an issue if you can't set the instrument up with a reasonable action and get rattle & buzz free playing on every string everywhere on the neck. Of course the idea of what a reasonable action is will vary from player to player..... G&L have a good setup guide available in .pdf format, giving exact measurements.

[3below]

Kramer setup (with custom ball end extenders lolx and routing under bridge, and few other minor things) full fret sort out £80. G&L full fret sort out £45. Kramer was more work from the get to go. Budget for new strings for setup. Both were beyond me and usual setups, I like do do my basses myself. YMMV

Edited May 12, 2012 by 3below

[Mr. Foxen]

[quote name='KingBollock' timestamp='1336776360' post='1651064']
How would a simple man like me (let's assume I'm an idiot and you won't be far wrong) know whether fretwork needs sorting, without taking it to a professional first? I'm not asking to be able to fix it myself, just get an idea if it might need fiddling with.
[/quote]

Kind of need to have the truss rod set right first, and if you had that nailed, probably wouldn't need to be starting the thread. But if its roughly straight, a really bad fret will stand out if you get a short straight edge and rock it over the frets, bridging three, it will make one high one apparent. It might only be high in certain places though. Slightly bad frets seem sort of expected. Often they are apparent from the shop claiming to have set something up and the action still being really high as they've adjusted round the issue.

[KingBollock]

The problem I have is with my Cort T35. I've got the neck bang on but the action is still too high. It looks like it should come down but it just rattles like a drummer trapped in my Saw cupboard when I try. I'm not going to be able to sort it anytime soon, though, as I intend to replace the strings with flatwounds (at £50 I can't really afford to do it right now) so it'll need setting up again anyway.