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Guess how much GC's tech charges for a defret

#2
They charge ridiculous amounts for work. I asked them to replace a jack in my Gibson V guitar about 6 years ago and they quoted me $65 to do it. I ended up doing the work myself. It cost about $5 for a jack and took me less than an hour to do it.
 
#5
I'm not all that surprised. I wanted a Bart P-J installed in one of my basses and was feeling lazy, so I dropped it off at the GC. For $160, the tech didn't shield anything, one of the wires was grounding the bass out, and the pickups had no height screws installed. They were still in the case. I just did the job myself and lesson learned.
A $200 bass would be a good learning tool imo. Tons of videos covering how to do a defret job, and places like Stew-Mac has everything you'd need to get it done. Just my $.02.
 
#6
steelbed45 said:
I'm not all that surprised. I wanted a Bart P-J installed in one of my basses and was feeling lazy, so I dropped it off at the GC. For $160, the tech didn't shield anything, one of the wires was grounding the bass out, and the pickups had no height screws installed. They were still in the case. I just did the job myself and lesson learned.
A $200 bass would be an good learning tool imo. Tons of videos covering how to do a defret job, and places like Stew-Mac has everything you'd need to get it done. Just my $.02.
Click to expand...

I'm planning on doing it myself, I just was curious what number the guy would come up with. I thought he was kidding when he said $375, till he said "when do you wanna bring it in?"
 
#10
I don't know how the GCs in other states do it, but the GCs in Colorado send out 95% of their jobs. They will do simple jobs - rewire jacks, swap out pups & do basic setups - but everything else, including any & all amplifier work, is sent out to local luthiers & repair shops, and GC simply tacks on their comission fee.
:rollno:

Find yourself a good local repair shop for major work, and learn how to do your own setups & minor repairs.
 
#11
superdick2112 said:
I don't know how the GCs in other states do it, but the GCs in Colorado send out 95% of their jobs. They will do simple jobs - rewire jacks, swap out pups & do basic setups - but everything else, including any & all amplifier work, is sent out to local luthiers & repair shops, and GC simply tacks on their comission fee.
:rollno:

Find yourself a good local repair shop for major work, and learn how to do your own setups & minor repairs.
Click to expand...

A close family friend and great luthier runs a local music shop and he does all my work for me. I just wanted to see what the GC guy would say. He apparently isn't a GC employee, but a tech they have in the store at a work station near the accessories department for 4 days a week. He seems pretty busy whenever I see him.
 
#13
$375 doesn't sound so crazy...What, a good tech can't charge $50 bucks/hr? Anyone who works manually knows that's not crazy. Someone doing a defret job is going to spend conservatively, 5hrs? Maybe more. Parts/material? eh...it adds up. Now letting someone from GC do the work, that's on you to determine if he's worth the 50/hr....another discussion. If you can do the work cheaper and better...do it!
 

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