Disappointed (Now happy :p)

[AndyR]

Glad it's sorted...

This made me laugh though - kinda misinterpreted it on first read:

Sounds good but couldn't play it extensively as it's a left handed guitar and my range of upside down chords is limited

So another example of a "professional" tech who doesn't really know what they're doing.  :(

Sorry chaps! :lol:

[Copperhead]

Ummm............. Chezdon???? You got somethin'  to say?? :lol:

[HairyChris]

Ummm............. Chezdon???? You got somethin'  to say?? :lol:

Haha, it seems that the OP hasn't picked it up going by what Jonathan wrote... :)

[Philly Q]

Glad it's sorted...

This made me laugh though - kinda misinterpreted it on first read:

Sounds good but couldn't play it extensively as it's a left handed guitar and my range of upside down chords is limited

So another example of a "professional" tech who doesn't really know what they're doing.  :(

Sorry chaps! :lol:

 :lol:  That's why I used the yellow highlight on the relevant bits!

[FernandoDuarte]

So another example of a "professional" tech who doesn't really know what they're doing.  :(

Sometimes I think I could do a better job than these guys.... and they're getting paid for it.

Seems like you should start working with it, even if only for friends and not really for make money...

[dave_mc]

So another example of a "professional" tech who doesn't really know what they're doing.  :(

Sometimes I think I could do a better job than these guys.... and they're getting paid for it.

agreed, and i can't even solder. But at least I have the wit not to charge for stuff i can't do, not to talk about stuff I don't know about, and to know that there is easily accessible, readily available information which can be looked up when you don't know. :lol:

[MDV]

And in the mean time I tech on the side only charging for things I can do in my sleep and learning to do new things till I have them to the same standard before I charge anyone for them...I wonder why I bother; these chumps making n00b mistakes (the reason I got the sound of passives run on 25k pots wrong: I've never made that mistake!) and doing shitee work are an embarrasment and almost certainly doing better off it than me!

[dave_mc]

yeah, exactly. I mean, I've switched pickups once (and never switched the electronics), and I know you use different value pots for single coils and humbuckers, and for passives and actives, etc. etc.

there seems to be a big thing at the moment about confidence, like it's more important than actual competence. I disagree completely, and if you ask me misplaced confidence is one of the most dangerous things you can have! :)

[Ratrod]

So another example of a "professional" tech who doesn't really know what they're doing.  :(

Sometimes I think I could do a better job than these guys.... and they're getting paid for it.

This is the reason why I started my little tech business. I've read so many stories about so-called techs that don't have a clue.

If they get payed for shoddy work, I might as well get payed for proper work.

I wonder what those techs' own guitars are like.

[MDV]

yeah, exactly. I mean, I've switched pickups once (and never switched the electronics), and I know you use different value pots for single coils and humbuckers, and for passives and actives, etc. etc.

there seems to be a big thing at the moment about confidence, like it's more important than actual competence. I disagree completely, and if you ask me misplaced confidence is one of the most dangerous things you can have! :)

Amen to that!!

Rampant unjustified self-belief = stupidity and narcissism fail
Knowing what youre doing = win

[ericsabbath]

3 years ago, I sent my guitar to a tech to swap EMGs for duncans
the guitar sounded like total shiteee, had no sustain, was distorting the clean tone, sounded fizzy as hell
I opened it, and he had left the 25k pots
so I took it back to his shop and said he forgot (well, I though he forgot) to swap the pots back to 500k and he also installed the neck pickup with the ring and screws backwards

the asshole got really pissed off (he's usually a very calm guy) and said he was a luthier for over 15 years, and he went to electronic tech school for 5 years
he stated that pot values can't influence the tone, and that neck pickups are supposed to be placed just like the bridge pickup (with the screw coil ponting to the bridge)
he said that I didn't like the pickups, so I was trying to blame him, and disrespecting him as a professional

I already had paid $50 for the shiteeety setup and he charged me extra $40 for new pots claiming he couldn't install the old stock pots, made a very messy soldering job in 5 minutes, gave me the guitar completely detuned and then left the shop

and then, when I got home, I noticed the tone got way better, but it still had a lot of fizz, so I opened the guitar again
the son of #$%@ didn't put a grounding wire! wtf?! he was the same guy who installed those EMGs, so he was the one who took the wire off and he didn't know that a passive guitar needs to be grounded  :x

he also bashes all other local luthiers
a complete douchebag  :enforcer:

[FELINEGUITARS]

Rampant unjustified self-belief = stupidity and narcissism fail
Knowing what youre doing = win

My own approach is having a high level of competence, and natural but understated confidence that matches the competence.
I still have the passion for what I do, and 20+ years of experience, but I can't see any use for arrogance in my life

Having a good stock of parts and a great selection of tools to do the job is vitally important if you are a professional
I take every job I do totally seriously
I try to never put down another luthier/tech/whatever, although I may comment on how a job has been done.
Knocking others does not make you seem any better - it gives customers a funny vibe and reflects just as badly on yourself.

[Chezdon]

Sorry for the lack of replies! I thought this thread had died a death.

Just got back from Jon's shop in Croydon and I have been so happy with the whole experience.

You all know what's been done as Jon's said and it sounds SO much better. It has a growl to it now and the bends scream, which is what I wanted. The neck pickup sings aswell.

I also brought in my Ibanez. I had been having trouble with the volume pot which seemed to have gone. Jon replaced it there and then (with a superior 500K pot) and it also sounds better than it was before.

So thanks to you all and of course Jon and Ben at Feline.

Also, my apologies to BKP for assuming the worst when I should have checked it out first.

I know where I'll be going for all my guitar-related issues from now on  :D

In fact I have just bought a DK2L that I'm pretty sure I'll be doing a pickup change on some time in the future...

[MDV]

Rampant unjustified self-belief = stupidity and narcissism fail
Knowing what youre doing = win

My own approach is having a high level of competence, and natural but understated confidence that matches the competence.
I still have the passion for what I do, and 20+ years of experience, but I can't see any use for arrogance in my life

Having a good stock of parts and a great selection of tools to do the job is vitally important if you are a professional
I take every job I do totally seriously
I try to never put down another luthier/tech/whatever, although I may comment on how a job has been done.
Knocking others does not make you seem any better - it gives customers a funny vibe and reflects just as badly on yourself.

A good attitude.

I just dislike the incompetent, half-baked cowboys that go blundering around ripping people off. I'm not a ninja with a guitar in playing or teching and repair, but I do know what I can and cant (yet!) do, and am honest about it, especially with customers. I, as you, have confidence in what I know I can do - its the people that have confidence in what they dont know they can do that irk me. Thats a great attitude to go about learning with, but not for selling a consistent and high quality service, as you know as well as anyone!

Is it so bad to hate on people that cant do a job they claim to be able to :lol:

Seriously, though, I think that people that do bad work need to be called on it, publically if needs be. Not out of arrogance, just to encourage competence. Otherwise muppets will go round Devries-ing guitars with impunity and customers wont feel empowered to take them to charge for it.

[Afghan Dave]

Another happy ending.

Great success!