I've got a new old guitar, or, support your local music store

[marnold]

I went into a local non-mega music store today (Dick's Music in Green Bay, WI, FWIW) to talk with one of their repairmen about my Charvel Tele. He was also going to let me try his Tele that has a Donahue mod on it. He was late getting there so I futzed with his guitar for a bit. I was about to leave when he showed up. I showed him my guitar and that hatchet job of wiring that had been done on it. As I stood there, he corrected the wiring mistakes, solved a short, and soldered and shrink-tubed things together correctly. Now my pickups are properly in phase in the middle position. It's like I got a new guitar! I asked him what I owed him and he said nothing. Hard to beat that. That's why I go out of my way to shop there. I may pay a bit more (although my AD30VT was the same price there as it was at MF), but it's worth it. I'll be buying the parts for my eventual upgrade there.

Having played his Tele, I've determined that I definitely want a single-coil sound for the bridge. He did say that my rails-style humbucker is either or an OBL or a, gasp, Barden. If it is a Barden, the previous owner of this guitar was a real idiot. That pickup would probably be worth more than I paid for the whole guitar. It would probably pay for a good chunk of the mods I'd like to do to this one. It definitely isn't hot. It registered in the mid 6K range for impedance, same as the stock neck Jackson. That's probably why I don't like it. It doesn't have the punch of a humbucker or the tone of a single coil.

[Spudman]

That's an awesome story. Congrats.

What I do in those situations is; later I go back in with a gift certificate to a nearby restaurant and give it to the tech. That way when he is too busy and feeling overwhelmed or just having a bad day he can just go chill out and be waited on. These things go a long way toward further relations with someone, especially a competent tech, that you plan on seeing again. It lets them know that you appreciate them, and who doesn't want to feel appreciated...besides Axl Rose?:D

[warren0728]

+1000 on supporting your local shops! I have a great shop near me and i will pay a little extra if necessary to buy from him.

ww

[SuperSwede]

I have to admit that I never support my local dealer other than when it comes to strings & picks. He never has anything interesting and everything is so insanely overpriced.

[marnold]

I have to admit that I never support my local dealer other than when it comes to strings & picks. He never has anything interesting and everything is so insanely overpriced.
There definitely is a point where supporting a local business becomes supporting someone's incompetence or lack of concern. This store's not like that. I may pay a bit more for some things, but their prices are quite fair. They've bent over backwards to get prices on things they don't carry in stock for me.

Conversely, there's another store in town that I don't think I'll buy anything from. Their prices are decent and the selection is much better, but too often the sales staff acts like they're doing me a favor by talking to me. If you want new Gibson, though, they're basically the only game in town.