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Just got home from working both Saturday and Sunday all night long we are so busy. Had eight waiting for me this weekend and it was a pretty good time in the wee hours.

They were a cornucopia of things gone wrong from truss rod issues to electronics issues to bad jacks and they all had bad set-ups. Had two neck angle problems as well so lots of different stuff.

One of them was a photo op in that the little things make the difference. I know that some people value neatness, I'm once of them but putting all your saddles in a straight line although you may like the look will results in a poor sounding guitar. But I know you guys know this but I had to take a pic for my Facebook posts.

I've had em come in with the saddles in all sorts of strange positions and with not even a remote relationship to good intonation. When I give it back to the owner I explain the adjustments I've done and why so they (maybe) will quit changing things for the wrong reasons. Some listen and some don't

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Steve Smith
"Music is what feelings sound like"

I remember in the 70's a walk-in customer who complained that the saddles were no longer lined up after I set the intonation on his Strat. My remark to him was, "Leo made them adjustable for a reason, and it wasn't to make it look nice". After he played for a minute or two he figured out the wisdom of my work.

It's sad to say, part of our jobs as repairmen is educating the public. Even the pros have gaps that need to be filled once in awhile.

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"Act your age, not your shoe size" - Prince

We can relate Steve that Luthier named Google seems to get many of these instruments before we see them.... Much of what we have to do is return things to where they were before someone started messing with it.

Are you seeing a bump? We certainly have. I spoke with Joe Glasers in your land a couple of weeks ago and they are thinking a down turn is headed our way. I'm not so sure we may have inflation that sucks but we still have two jobs for every person looking and I never saw any recession happen when that was the case. But it's been fun ramping up to catch the windfall.

Dave and I started the business in the throws of the Great Recession so this super busy time is new to us but very welcome.

I hate when that happens. Early on Dave got called down stairs where a client was picking up from the music store that used to be in our building. The guy thought that Hesh set the action too low on his brand new ES 335. Dave is a very patient sort unlike me... so he with the measured voice of a father asks the guy what the issue is. The guy takes the low e and pulls it out three inches off the guitar and lets it fly. So it hits the frets and it rattles.... The guy says "see, it's making fret like noise." By now I'm watching and cringing in the corner out of mind and sight... I'm thinking to myself great I get the clients who think they are Robin Hood....

Dave asks the guy for the 335 and then asks him "have you been playing long?" The guy says no this is his first guitar and he is going to take lessons.

So Dave sits down and plays Sultans of Swing and hands the guitar back saying it's set up great and you will appreciate it once you learn how to play.

So yeah education is often a hat we have to wear. I have a bit of trouble with the patience thing as mentioned so not the best teacher here....

I can be patient. Sometimes I'd rather not.

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"Act your age, not your shoe size" - Prince

Anyone who works with the general public should be allowed at least once a year to smack sense into a customer !

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"Act your age, not your shoe size" - Prince

It’s somehow busier now than it was six months ago, despite rampant inflation here, fuel prices through the roof and a generally poor economic outlook.

Had a self-described “professional musician” come in last week, with every string wound on the tuner posts backwards.

Festivus for the rest of us.

Oh oh. When that client’s ocd kicks in you may have a full melt down that not even the Sultans of Swing will fix.


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Josh I completely agree what we hear is happening to the economy has not been our experience with our business at all. We will break all of our previous records this year with all the business.