Official Luthiers Forum!

Had the sincere pleasure of trying out StewMac's lifetime warranty on the products that they sell and it's been a very positive experience.

We've worn out a number of our files from nut files to diamond fret crowning files. In all cases the tools had hundreds if not thousands of uses we just simply wore them out over time. As you know we are a professional lutherie shop that services around 1,100 guitars annually and several hundred basses, mandos and banjos too. We are Martin certified for warranty work as well.

We have a minimum so unlike a music store we won't twist a truss rod as an offered service. Our minimum is a comprehensive set-up for about $100.

I personally average just over 600 full set-ups annually which include a lot of things that we do in our set-ups. A key part of our value proposition is what we do to nut slots, we take them very low often eliminating any complaints about intonation resulting from high slots.

As such I've cut though so much bone with these files I feel like I'm from Saudi Arabia.....

So Hesh here goes though a lot of nut files.

Most of what you see in the pic are .013" and .016" and some various other sizes too.

I contacted StewMac about getting replacement files, these are too dull to cut bone well anymore. The process was very easy starting with this very pic. StewMac went out of their way to support us and all of these files are being replaced free of charge and that includes shipping.

It was painless, fast and efficient and no one had to do any unnatural acts to get this done.

Many thanks to StewMac and specifically my support guy there Devin.

Also a word on the complaints that some of us including me have had about StewMac's support no longer being accessible with a phone call.

With my amp building and pedal building and now some warranty returns I have had a lot of contact with StewMac's support in the last two years. Sure it's no longer a phone call away but they do respond to my emails VERY fast.

Yesterday while cutting out a PC board from it's trimmings the nippers were incorrectly positioned (by me...) and I cut a trace on the board. Took a pic, wrote and sent any email to StewMac at 5:00 AM and by 10:00AM they had responded and told me they had an extra PC board and would send it to me at n/c immediately. Received an email yesterday afternoon that my board had shipped and soon I will be back in the saddle again.

One email from me with a pic and my problem was solved at light speed and by the end of the very same day my replacement parts (again n/c) were shipped to me.

It does not get much better than that.

So with this said I've learned to work the new StewMac system and it seems to be a good one because my needs are being addressed very well.

Many thanks to StewMac and specifically Devin for helping ole Hesh here out.

I’m still rocking a hand me down set of the old files with the different colored handles, lol. I didn’t know they were warrantied…

This is why Stew Mac Sucks. they play favorites, every time I contact them I don't hear back for 2-4 days. And end up needing to complain all over social media via instagram and FB before I get a response.

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https://www.instagram.com/fostinoguitars/
https://www.facebook.com/PuraVidaUkuleles/

Recently they replaced my 20+ year old fret slotting miter box with their new and updated one, which is a huge upgrade, for free. Sometimes it takes a day or so for them to get back to me as well but I don't mind. I probably care more about the quick shipping and they're quite fast on that.

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Instagram: @jfrenchluthier
Web: https://www.jfrenchguitars.com/

They’ve replaced tools for me and a few sets of Waverleys that started binding. I’ve always had responses to my emails within a day.


Steve

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Steve Smith
"Music is what feelings sound like"

They have replaced tools for me that I broke through my own clumsiness eg knocked off the bench. And they sent the replacement express - international express. Hard to fault the service.

Kudos to StewMac !

Most tool sellers expressly deny warranty claims if the tool fails through normal wear or it is a "consumer" grade tool used in a professional setting.

I have nothing but praise for StewMac's extraordinary service. They have replaced without any discussion at zero cost to me each and every item I've bought from them that had become worn or that had broken down. Heck, they even replaced stuff I had bought secondhand from folks here! I never had to wait more than a few hours to get a reply from them.

This, folks, is the very definition of great service. And it IS worth paying for.


Pierre
Guitares Torvisse

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Pierre Castonguay