Price £135 including custom-made adjustable Tusq nut for 3-aside headstock guitars (i.e. Les Paul-style) or ‘fixed’ Tusq nut as per preference. Same price for Strat / Tele style guitars – also including either custom-made adjustable Tusq or fixed Tusq nut depending on preference. Return P&P is £25 which covers Parcelforce 24hr courier, large-bubble bubble wrap and solid cardboard custom-made box.
I don’t do a ‘basic’ or ‘lite’ setup because just about every guitar has uneven frets and needs leveling to bring the action down to the desired low level that most of my customers want. A set up without leveling is a bit like re-arranging the chairs on the Titanic 🙂
The action on most new and 2nd hand electric guitars is set at about the lowest it can go before buzzing and choking sets in. In this way, the underlying frets are dictating the possible playing action. With my electric set ups I set the required action (within limits) and make the frets comply with that via my ‘fully strung’ leveling method. This method is both accurate AND preserves fret metal and therefore fret life. It’s the only leveling method where I can stop as SOON as I’ve ‘freed up’ the frets at the desired action; taking no more metal than is necessary.
Typically the Reloved Guitars electric set-up includes:
• Initial check over and playing assessment (incl. measurement of relief and 1st and last fret actions)
• Fitting adjustable nut
• Shimming neck where required (occasionally needed)
• Setting relief and 1st & last fret actions
• Precision fret leveling, re-crowning and polishing out
• Test playing at new action
• Overall clean & fix any obvious small issues i.e. loose pots & jack sockets, crackly pots etc
• Oiling rosewood-type fingerboards
• Re-stringing with new strings
• Stretching out new strings & intonating
The set up takes around 3hrs (longer if, after test playing, a 2nd leveling is required). Pre-requisites for best results include enough fret life to make leveling viable and a working truss rod. I’m likely to ask you to take some pictures of the condition of the frets and to recommend testing the operation of the truss rod. I also need to know how you play: the strength of your fretting, picking and strumming are important variables in the set-up equation.
I do most of my set up work via courier and have 100% no loss, no damage record on over 1500 courier sends [at date of making this edit March 2023] using my packaging method and Parcelforce courier service. I will send you my detailed packaging notes and links to my ‘how to’ packing videos to ensure your guitar gets to me safely in the first place.