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Double Bass Luthier Rant

#21
Matthew Tucker said:
Um. What are adjusters for? What's the big deal? Why so angry? It's not as if he re-cut your bridge or changed anything permanent. You take a bridge off and put it on the bench and back a few times and the adjusters spin a bit. So you string the bass up and set the string height to where you think it should sit. So it's too low, wind 'em up a bit.:rollno:
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Agreed.
 
#22
Matthew Tucker said:
Um. What are adjusters for? What's the big deal? Why so angry? It's not as if he re-cut your bridge or changed anything permanent. You take a bridge off and put it on the bench and back a few times and the adjusters spin a bit. So you string the bass up and set the string height to where you think it should sit. So it's too low, wind 'em up a bit.:rollno:
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It's a matter of principle. I didn't ask for it, so don't **** with it. You may be forgetting that instruments are highly personal.

My problem is that I don't remember where I set it before and it's my contention that I wouldn't need to remember such things if said person didn't **** with it. Granted he is a nice guy and the work he did was good, but I still am a little peeved about it.
 
#24
hdiddy said:
It's a matter of principle. I didn't ask for it, so don't **** with it. You may be forgetting that instruments are highly personal.

My problem is that I don't remember where I set it before and it's my contention that I wouldn't need to remember such things if said person didn't **** with it. Granted he is a nice guy and the work he did was good, but I still am a little peeved about it.
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I'm sorry, man, but out here, my bass' string height fluctuates by the week without anyone touching it. I'm constantly adjusting and tweaking to my liking. String height is something that is constantly changing with the seasons and I'm constantly having to adapt to the hand that the environment deals me. I wouldn't be surprised if he moved the soundpost and the string height changed ever so slightly.

It's honestly not such a big deal to be posting about and ruining the image of a certain luthier in the Bay Area. Take about 15 minutes tops to get it back to your liking. though i've heard some very whacky stories about Bay Area luthiers. Is he Russian?
 
#31
hdiddy said:
The problem is that there is noone else to go to in the SF Bay Area without some sort of compromises. A series of lesser evils if you will.

Seems like I'd have to drive about 2 hours just to find a reasonable expert. I've resorted mostly to doing my own work - even fingerboard dressing to a small extent and as scary as that sounds. Anything major, I'm going to the best luthier i can find - which would mean driving far.
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I feel your pain Hdiddy.

This type of situation is what led me to start to learn instrument repair.
 
#37
Matthew Tucker said:
Um. What are adjusters for? What's the big deal? Why so angry? It's not as if he re-cut your bridge or changed anything permanent. You take a bridge off and put it on the bench and back a few times and the adjusters spin a bit. So you string the bass up and set the string height to where you think it should sit. So it's too low, wind 'em up a bit.:rollno:
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Matthew has a good point. It's actually not common for me to see a customer who wasn't pleased with any changes I made without asking. In most cases, I get their basses sounding better by small tweaks and don't charge extra for those things I assume the customer trusts me to do.

I'd be happy to leave the setup exactly as I found it if the customer communicates that to me. Otherwise, as I'm trying to retain their business, I will do free minor tweaks that I believe will elevate me from my competition. You can't fault a luthier for that.

I just sent off a customer 10 minutes ago who I believed needed a soundpost adjustment. He asked me to leave it exactly where it was and that was the end of it.

"I didn't want my top cleaned off, I like the look of caked on rosin!" :rollno: Communicate communicate!
 

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