weird guitar shop experience

[FELINEGUITARS]

In fact, a lot of shops blithely say they'll set up any guitar (after sale) with your choice of strings, preferred action etc.  In practice no shop has ever offered to do that when I've bought something...

that's because you've not bought a guitar from me ( :lol:)

[FELINEGUITARS]

Ask the shops I've worked in would do a set up on any guitar purchased but would only make a point of actually offering one on expensive guitars otherwise their techs would never get anything else done.

Good point
For years before I moved to my current location I rented a workshop space that was attached to a retail music shop
And as part of my rent agreement I said I would set up stock that came in (because at the time they maybe only got a few new guitars each month)
Over time the shop got busier - partly because they gained a good rep for selling guitars that were easy to play and partly because  having a tech (and a music school) brought in more and more customers

I kind of fell out with the shop over them saying I wasn't upholding my end of the deal - but by then they were getting guitars in by the pallet/carton, and it was eating up more time than they imagined as each set-up still takes half an hour to an hour to do , even if just making it "shop friendly rather than an exacting setup to a customers requirements

[Philly Q]

In fact, a lot of shops blithely say they'll set up any guitar (after sale) with your choice of strings, preferred action etc.  In practice no shop has ever offered to do that when I've bought something...

that's because you've not bought a guitar from me ( :lol:)

I'd certainly expect that guitar to be properly set up!

[Keven]

Ask the shops I've worked in would do a set up on any guitar purchased but would only make a point of actually offering one on expensive guitars otherwise their techs would never get anything else done.

Good point
For years before I moved to my current location I rented a workshop space that was attached to a retail music shop
And as part of my rent agreement I said I would set up stock that came in (because at the time they maybe only got a few new guitars each month)
Over time the shop got busier - partly because they gained a good rep for selling guitars that were easy to play and partly because  having a tech (and a music school) brought in more and more customers

I kind of fell out with the shop over them saying I wasn't upholding my end of the deal - but by then they were getting guitars in by the pallet/carton, and it was eating up more time than they imagined as each set-up still takes half an hour to an hour to do , even if just making it "shop friendly rather than an exacting setup to a customers requirements

yeah. a single man has his limits. i focus on straight necks, good action, and PROPER RADIUS of the saddles. it's crazy how many strat type saddle guitars are shipped with the saddles set straight. just radiusing the saddles give a much better experience!

and some guitars don't react that fast to truss rod adjustments. especially chinese stuff. it can look perfect now, but an hour later the neck will keep bowing back and you have to readjust some stuff. an hour on a decent setup is quite the minimum i'd say.