Overly cautious/trust issues???

[kdogg]

Talkbass, providing Rube Goldberg solutions to the simplest of life’s problems.

 

[Lawdawg01]

Hey brother-- I haven't been there but have heard from my stepdad, who stopped thru there once (he plays blues guitar like his grandmother's making a pecan pie if he whips it up right, has for 40+ years, and used to be an ATL scene regular and WRFG radio show host, and he likes checking out small area shops btwn ATL and Ellijay). He liked it, and I've played & talked with him enough to know if he likes a place, it's the real deal.

It may be less of a wood-whisperer type luthier shop than an electric instruments shop, mind you, but on this side of TB, that's totally fine, and maybe better since we don't want a guy looking for a tone post or whatever when he should be soldering a treble bleed.


Also, I'm not into the POINTIEST of pointy instruments, but that one's got just enough points on it to be in the groove. That's a babe of a bass right there.

That’s good to hear. Thanks.

 

[Lawdawg01]

It's easier to set up a fake bass pic and talkbass thread than it is setting up a business listing so I think he better check on YOUR bonifides as a citizen bass owner and lawyer who may sue him. I think he's taking a big risk doing business with someone as...nervous as you seem to be...
(Fraud always announces it self in some way. You may make money defrauding Medicare with 100 assisted living residents, but on a few guitar repair jobs, there isn't enough revenue to take a risk. He may be less than the best, he may even be the best, but he won't be dangerous.)
I'm curious, how do you handle leaving your car for major repairs (or you just have new cars?) because it's about 60/40 odds an auto repair is being done correctly...auto repair fraud Does make economic sense because stuff does happen to obscure the truth and costs are high.

Also, you need a spare bass. It can be a cool bass too, just one you can risk taking out into the wild, like when Mr Mayhem is your drummer.

I prefer to think of it as just just being cautious, rather than nervous, and seeking input from people that may have had similar experiences. I’m glad I did - the responses have been great and very helpful!

 

[glocke1]

I recently decided to start playing after a few years hiatus. For motivation, I bought a new bass. I’m very happy with it, but after a few weeks I started noticing an electrical issue or two. Not sure if it’s grounding or shielding, but probably one or the other or both.

Anyway, my issue is that I no longer know anyone locally that does repairs. The bass is an old BC Rich with all the knobs and switches and about a half mile of wiring. Not something I’m comfortable leaving with the kids at the well known national chain stores. After searching online. I found a guy with a shop real close to my house. Kind of strange because I’ve lived there for over a decade and never saw or heard of the shop. Nonetheless, it’s a got an informative website and has outstanding reviews and testimonials. I’ve googled the owner and no mugshots came up.

I’ve emailed with the owner about my issue and he’s been real helpful and appears to be completely legitimate. They aren’t generally open on Saturdays, but he agreed to meet me tomorrow and look at my bass.

My concern is, if we agree to have it repaired, I’m going to have to leave it with him. It’s really new to me and wasn’t inexpensive, and I’ve never worked with the owner or his shop before. He seems to be very timely and responsive, but I’m still nervous about leaving it with, essentially, a complete stranger. In the past, I’ve always had a pre-established working relationship for awhile with anyone that did any work on my basses.

Anyone have experience with this type of situation? If so, how did you handle it? Of course, I wouldn’t leave it without getting a receipt with the serial number on it.

Any advice/suggestions appreciated. Thanks.

You are in (or near) Atlanta ?..Surely there is

I recently decided to start playing after a few years hiatus. For motivation, I bought a new bass. I’m very happy with it, but after a few weeks I started noticing an electrical issue or two. Not sure if it’s grounding or shielding, but probably one or the other or both.

Anyway, my issue is that I no longer know anyone locally that does repairs. The bass is an old BC Rich with all the knobs and switches and about a half mile of wiring. Not something I’m comfortable leaving with the kids at the well known national chain stores. After searching online. I found a guy with a shop real close to my house. Kind of strange because I’ve lived there for over a decade and never saw or heard of the shop. Nonetheless, it’s a got an informative website and has outstanding reviews and testimonials. I’ve googled the owner and no mugshots came up.

I’ve emailed with the owner about my issue and he’s been real helpful and appears to be completely legitimate. They aren’t generally open on Saturdays, but he agreed to meet me tomorrow and look at my bass.

My concern is, if we agree to have it repaired, I’m going to have to leave it with him. It’s really new to me and wasn’t inexpensive, and I’ve never worked with the owner or his shop before. He seems to be very timely and responsive, but I’m still nervous about leaving it with, essentially, a complete stranger. In the past, I’ve always had a pre-established working relationship for awhile with anyone that did any work on my basses.

Anyone have experience with this type of situation? If so, how did you handle it? Of course, I wouldn’t leave it without getting a receipt with the serial number on it.

Any advice/suggestions appreciated. Thanks.

I've got a Fender CS JB here with a smallish ding in the neck that i just dont trust anyone to repair without screwing up the overall feel of the neck so Im just leaving it and hoping i get used to it.

In your case, being in or near Atlanta I'd think that there has got to be a trustworthy electronics guy somewhere within an hour of you.

Do you have a Sam Ash near you? Usually their luthiers/repair guys are pretty good.

 

[electracoyote]

Any good working relationship starts with the initial leap of faith. You've done as much research or more than I would have, and you haven't found any glaring red flags. I'd say the odds are significantly in your favor that he will, at the very least, not ruin your axe.

Also, just a friendly observation: Anyone this concerned about their very cool new bass should find a nicer hanging stand for it.

Good luck.

 

[Winslow]

Do you have a Sam Ash near you? Usually their luthiers/repair guys are pretty good.

Not the Sam Ash in Atlanta. That shop is a joke, and should be avoided at all costs if you place any value on honesty, integrity, or legitimate expertise. Here's my Sam Ash Atlanta experience:

I bought an ABG at Sam Ash that turned out to have a neck set into the body wrong at the factory. String buzz all the way up and down the neck. It wasn't my first ABG (or bass in general) by a long shot. I knew no amount of bridge shimming or truss rod adjustment by me or anyone else would fix it. I took it back to Sam Ash. The manager said he'd take it to their "guy in the back" for him to look at. 15 minutes later, the manager came back to the front of the store, bass in hand, and said with a shrug, "The neck is straight." Yes, the neck was straight, I said, but the angle it was set into the body was completely wrong. They didn't care one bit. They wouldn't even enter into a discussion about a warranty claim or replacement; They had my money, and by God, they were keeping it, while I was welcome to please go and scr3w myself with the zero-QC bass they'd sold me.

I left, and took the bass down to Maple Street Guitars in Buckhead, knowing they had a luthier department. I figured I'd see if the bass could be fixed somehow, and just be ready to eat the repair cost. Maple Street's luthiers looked at it, checked it over end to end, and said, "This thing should have never left the factory like this." Then they decided what was done with that bass - and to me by Sam Ash - was so wrong, they took it upon themselves to intercede with the manufacturer on my behalf. In less than an hour, I got a call that my replacement bass was on the way, and I could pick it up at Maple Street in two days. That was that.

Maple Street didn't have to make my problem theirs; Any other shop might have agreed that Sam Ash screwed me, but Maple Street decided the situation needed to be fixed, regardless of who did what, or where. They earned not only my respect and trust, but my repeat business. Sam Ash only earned a spot on my permanent GTH list.

I hear people like Sam Ash in other cities, but seeing what I have from the Atlanta shop, I'll never figure out why. I'll also never go there again.

OP, if you're feeling nervous about the place you've found, I can confidently recommend calling Maple Street, and talking to their luthiers. They've done right by me not only on this, but plenty else over the years. Your bass will be in good hands there.

Good luck.

 

[Lawdawg01]

Not the Sam Ash in Atlanta. That shop is a joke, and should be avoided at all costs if you place any value on honesty, integrity, or legitimate expertise. Here's my Sam Ash Atlanta experience:

I bought an ABG at Sam Ash that turned out to have a neck set into the body wrong at the factory. String buzz all the way up and down the neck. It wasn't my first ABG (or bass in general) by a long shot. I knew no amount of bridge shimming or truss rod adjustment by me or anyone else would fix it. I took it back to Sam Ash. The manager said he'd take it to their "guy in the back" for him to look at. 15 minutes later, the manager came back to the front of the store, bass in hand, and said with a shrug, "The neck is straight." Yes, the neck was straight, I said, but the angle it was set into the body was completely wrong. They didn't care one bit. They wouldn't even enter into a discussion about a warranty claim or replacement; They had my money, and by God, they were keeping it, while I was welcome to please go and scr3w myself with the zero-QC bass they'd sold me.

I left, and took the bass down to Maple Street Guitars in Buckhead, knowing they had a luthier department. I figured I'd see if the bass could be fixed somehow, and just be ready to eat the repair cost. Maple Street's luthiers looked at it, checked it over end to end, and said, "This thing should have never left the factory like this." Then they decided what was done with that bass - and to me by Sam Ash - was so wrong, they took it upon themselves to intercede with the manufacturer on my behalf. In less than an hour, I got a call that my replacement bass was on the way, and I could pick it up at Maple Street in two days. That was that.

Maple Street didn't have to make my problem theirs; Any other shop might have agreed that Sam Ash screwed me, but Maple Street decided the situation needed to be fixed, regardless of who did what, or where. They earned not only my respect and trust, but my repeat business. Sam Ash only earned a spot on my permanent GTH list.

I hear people like Sam Ash in other cities, but seeing what I have from the Atlanta shop, I'll never figure out why. I'll also never go there again.

OP, if you're feeling nervous about the place you've found, I can confidently recommend calling Maple Street, and talking to their luthiers. They've done right by me not only on this, but plenty else over the years. Your bass will be in good hands there.

Good luck.

Sorry to hear about that, but good for Maple Street. That’s awesome customer service and you weren’t even a customer.

This guys legit. We had a good meeting, talked bass/guitar, showed me some of the stuff he was working on, etc. He was under the hood texting me pictures and his initial observations before I even got back home. I’m psyched. It’ll be good to have a go to when problems pop up.

 

[Winslow]

Sorry to hear about that, but good for Maple Street. That’s awesome customer service and you weren’t even a customer.

This guys legit. We had a good meeting, talked bass/guitar, showed me some of the stuff he was working on, etc. He was under the hood texting me pictures and his initial observations before I even got back home. I’m psyched. It’ll be good to have a go to when problems pop up.

Yeah, Maple Street really went the extra mile. Good folks down there, all around.

Glad you had a good meeting! Sounds like you're on your way.

Also, I forgot to say earlier: Nice bass!

 

[James Willie]

First off.
Not that hard.
Watch some Youtube.
You could fix it yourself.
There is good advice right here.
Get you some tools off the Amazon.
Teach yourself to solder in one evening.
Ask around. Get yourself a wiring diagram.
Easier than hooking up some entertainment systems.
Beautiful bass. But not rocket science.
Very nice Ampeg amp.
I got the same one..