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Best Auckland set up?

Posted: Wed Apr 26, 2017 3:43 pm
by MattAnt
Probably a done to death question sorry.

Normally take my guitars to Glynn, and while I have no complaints, last few haven't really wowed me (this could very well be the guitar who knows, but kinda come out how it went in).

Wondering who the alternatives are?

Share your set up experiences!!!

Re: Best Auckland set up

Posted: Wed Apr 26, 2017 4:02 pm
by JHorner
Audio Zephyr

He's opinionated, biased towards fenders and low action, gets grumpy when I ask him to raise the action, but... he does good fretwork

Re: Best Auckland set up

Posted: Wed Apr 26, 2017 4:06 pm
by Molly
JHorner wrote:Audio Zephyr

He's opinionated, biased towards fenders and low action, gets grumpy when I ask him to raise the action, but... he does good fretwork
LOL. Well, sorry, can't let this go....

The guy that bought my R9 put it in there for a set up. $300 later and a shitload of bullshit about 'unseated frets' he got it back. I've since bought a couple of guitars from the same seller in Taranaki that arrived with Zephyr's card in the case. In both instances the fret dressing was as rough as fuck with really sharp edges I had to deal with myself.

So, totally opposite experience to y'good self. As I said to Matt, I wouldn't let the guy loose on my daughter's ukulele.

Re: Best Auckland set up

Posted: Wed Apr 26, 2017 4:08 pm
by JHorner
I brought him in a guitar for a setup, he found gaps under the frets so he ripped them all out, phoned me up to say what size frets do I want because the other ones weren't worth working on.

It wasn't a con job to get money out of me, because he said he didn't care if I didn't pay him for a year.

That has only occurred once.

He's never put a card in any case for any guitar I've given him, so I'd suspect those people may have taken their guitar to him, been told the frets are rough and walked away without getting any work done.

Re: Best Auckland set up

Posted: Wed Apr 26, 2017 4:10 pm
by Molly
JHorner wrote:I brought him in a guitar for a setup, he found gaps under the frets so he ripped them all out, phoned me up to say what size frets do I want because the other ones weren't worth working on.

It wasn't a con job to get money out of me, because he said he didn't care if I didn't pay him for a year.

That has only occurred once.

He's never put a card in any case for any guitar I've given him, so I'd suspect those people may have taken their guitar to him, been told the frets are rough and walked away without getting any work done.
No. I queried it. Guy got shitty with me because he thought he'd paid for a good job to be done and I was asking why it wasn't finished.

Just different experiences. I wouldn't use or recommend him.

Edit: Did you think he was maybe cultivating the job when he decided to remove your frets?

Re: Best Auckland set up

Posted: Wed Apr 26, 2017 4:19 pm
by JHorner
Not really, I don't think he needs to cultivate any work, he's got plenty of it, he often charges me less than quoted and does small pieces of work for nothing.

Re: Best Auckland set up

Posted: Wed Apr 26, 2017 4:24 pm
by MattAnt
I took my falcon to Zephyr and he seriously screwed the bigsby, turned it into a Strat style where it drops as soon as you let go completely loose. For the life of me I could never get it back to how it was before I took it in.

Why even touch the bigsby!?!?

Won't be going back, any other options?

Re: Best Auckland set up

Posted: Wed Apr 26, 2017 4:25 pm
by Molly
JHorner wrote:Not really, I don't think he needs to cultivate any work, he's got plenty of it, he often charges me less than quoted and does small pieces of work for nothing.
OK. Well if other folk are happy that's great. Just not been my experience. The work he said the R9 needed was utter bullshit. And if he'd taken out my frets without consultation I'd be bloody pissed off.

Watched a PRS factory tour a while back. They flood-filled the gap under the frets with super glue so I guess, sometimes at least, the gap is deliberate.

Re: Best Auckland set up

Posted: Wed Apr 26, 2017 4:27 pm
by olegmcnoleg
AZ definitely has a thing about poorly seated frets, which if you look hard you can find on many (most?) guitars. I found his work to be very good though, including a PRS refret he did for me which is spot on. He also did an excellent setup on a very tricky guitar I have, that required real chops.
I guess this shows, once again, that even luthiers are human, and so 'individual experience may vary' :-)

Re: Best Auckland set up

Posted: Wed Apr 26, 2017 4:28 pm
by sirvill
Is $120 quite expensive for a setup?

Re: Best Auckland set up

Posted: Wed Apr 26, 2017 4:29 pm
by Molly
olegmcnoleg wrote: I guess this shows, once again, that even luthiers are human, and so 'individual experience may vary' :-)
Indeed.

For the record, the nut on my R6 was done locally and that's a crap job too.

Re: Best Auckland set up

Posted: Wed Apr 26, 2017 4:45 pm
by MattAnt
sirvill wrote:Is $120 quite expensive for a setup?
Seems about the going rate up here. Which if all they end up doing is changing the strings and giving the truss a quick tweak then that's pretty pricey...

I'm ok paying $120 if it comes back playing like buttah

Re: Best Auckland set up

Posted: Wed Apr 26, 2017 4:48 pm
by JHorner
Yep, I'm sure he doesn't have a 100% record.

I'd try Glynn but he never answers when I call.

I'd prefer to be recommending Jim Moss but he's long dead.

Matt I'd say this question isn't done to death, still has value.

Re: Best Auckland set up

Posted: Wed Apr 26, 2017 4:52 pm
by codedog
Molly wrote:
olegmcnoleg wrote: I guess this shows, once again, that even luthiers are human, and so 'individual experience may vary' :-)
Indeed.

For the record, the nut on my R6 was done locally and that's a crap job too.
At the risk of summoning JB I have to ask... where did you get your nut done Molly?

Re: Best Auckland set up

Posted: Wed Apr 26, 2017 4:54 pm
by The Scarecrow
In central Auckland, try my buddy Scott Bidwell - he can be contacted via the book of face.

https://www.facebook.com/s.p.bidwell

He is a good mate and has some years of experience doing setups on gats/basses through the RS. Lots of good feedback about him too and VERY easy to deal with unlike some of the previously mentioned guys who are a bit eccentric. Tell him Reuben sent you, he may either curse, or laugh. :P