Maintenance, Repairs, and Restorations

 Below is my pricelist for some of the repair/restoration tasks I do. Costs will vary somewhat depending on the instrument and any associated tasks required as a result of unforeseen issues. A thorough examination of the instrument is required before I can quote an estimate! Equivalent tasks for electric instruments, mandolins, etc. will cost roughly the same as those listed below. Please note that as a rule, I charge an absolute minimum of $35 for any work requiring less than an hour of labor. (Consultations/evaluations are free.)

This list is not all-inclusive. For other repairs or comprehensive restorations, please send me an inquiry.  Note: I am not a violin-family luthier; however, I will take on certain tasks such as bridge replacement, nut replacement, tuning peg replacement (including installation of planetary tuners), and re-stringing.

If I feel uncomfortable with a requested repair I will explain why, and if appropriate, refer you to another luthier.

SET UP:  $75.00 Includes strings, neck relief adjustment (truss rod/action adjustment), minor fret work/recrowning, tuning machine adjustment/cleaning, general clean up. May also include compensation and nut and saddle for additional cost. For 10 or 12 string, add $25.00

NEW CUSTOM NUT: $40.00 Includes new bone, horn, or ebony nut and custom fitting (dimensioning, shaping, slotting, and final fitting of the nut). May also include compensation to correct intonation issues. For 10 or 12 string nut, add $30.00

NEW CUSTOM BONE SADDLE: $40.00 Includes new cow or camel bone material and custom fitting. Same caveats apply as with new nut installation above.

RE-GLUE BRIDGE: $100.00 Remove, refit and re-glue old bridge. Very minor finish touchup included.

REPLACE BRIDGE (FACTORY): $150.00 Includes removal of old bridge, installation factory-made bridge, new bone saddle, and action adjustment at bridge. For 10 or 12-string bridge, add $25.00.

REPLACE BRIDGE (HANDMADE): $200.00 or by quote. Includes removal of old bridge and fabrication and installation of new bridge; new bone saddle; adjustment of action at bridge. For 10 or 12-string bridge, add $30.00.

TUNING MACHINE REPLACEMENT (includes restring): $50 and up for labor. May include repair of hidden issues/cracks, removal of broken screws, installation of plugs for new screw holes, etc. Cost of tuning machines will vary greatly depending on manufacturer and style choice.

FRET CROWNING (no leveling or dressing): $5 per fret. Typically this is for frets that are lightly grooved from wear and do not otherwise need to be leveled or dressed.

FRET LEVELING (entire fretboard, includes dressing and crowning): $150.00 and up. Cost will vary depending on whether any frets are excessively worn and require replacement. (See below.) Includes "set up" adjustments. Additional $25 for finished fingerboards (for additional protective steps and potential finish repairs).

RE-FRET: $15.00 per fret, plus the set up charge (above): Additional $5 per fret for bound fingerboards. May also require saddle and/or nut replacement, and may require new neck binding at additional cost. For 10 or 12 string, add $25.00. 10% discount for full set of new frets, including fret leveling and dressing.

TOP/BACK/SIDE CRACK REPAIR: $25.00 per inch or by quote (particularly for heavily damaged areas) for cleat installation. Includes glue and brush touchup with appropriate finish. Repairs often not invisible. Additional $75.00 minimum for finish touch-up.

HEADSTOCK/NECK HEEL CRACK REPAIR: $100.00 and up Includes reattachment of cracked headstock or neck heel. Repairs often not invisible. Additional $250 for complete duplication and replacement of heavily damaged headstock or heel. Additional $75.00 minimum for finish touch-up.

PATCHING (TOP, BACK RIBS): $100 per inch or by quote Includes recessing or removal of damaged area; grain-matching and shaping of patch; installation of patch; leveling and refinishing. Patch will be visible unless hidden under bridge or fret board. Additional cost (as quoted in estimate) for unusual woods, rare exotics, etc.

HEADSTOCK CRACK/SPLIT: $150.00 and up, by quote. Glue, seal and re-finish area. Repairs will be visible but finished smooth.

REPAIR BRIDGE PLATE: $75.00 Fabricate and install bridge plate patch inside instrument (under bridge). This is sometimes done in conjunction with replacement of a worn-out bridge.

NECK RESET: by quote Acoustic, Classical and Flamenco guitar necks are set in a number of different ways these days, as are mandolin and violin family necks; therefore, cost can vary considerably depending on the instrument’s age, manufacturer, etc. Some guitar necks (especially traditional Classical) cannot be reset in the standard way (neck removal, angle adjustment, re-installation); if done at all these, require alternate methods, such as removal of the back, removal or replacement of the fingerboard and frets, and can get quite expensive due to additional material and labor. I am of the opinion that neck resets are too often employed when other less invasive and less expensive methods of correcting string height and saddle break angle can be utilized. Neck resets are typically necessary only when the neck has separated from the body.

A note about historical, vintage, and/or rare instruments: In these cases, I strive to strike a balance between conservation (maintaining as much of the original instrument as possible) and restoration (making the instrument functional/playable again). For example, on instruments with historical significance, I will not “convert” an instrument built for gut strings into a steel-string acoustic, nor will I remove perfectly functional original components to improve playability. On the other hand, I will restore such instruments to as much of their original state as possible, especially if they have been unadvisedly modified, while getting them as close to playable as these limitations will allow.