Repairs and Setups price Guide
The following prices are for labour only, and do not include parts or materials unless otherwise stated.
Restring
String Change (standard), includes fret polish and fretboard clean.
Classical, Acoustic, Electric, Bass – $60
Electric (Floyd rose bridge) or 12 string – $75
Guitar Setups
Setup tasks will vary depending on the type of guitar and will include some or all of the following: nut and saddle adjustment, fretboard clean, oil & polish, truss rod adjustment, intonation adjustment, string break angle adjustment, re-string, cleaning of potentiometers, switches and output jack and pickup height adjustment.
Acoustic / Classical – $120
Electric solid body and Bass guitar – $140
Complex setup (Floyd Rose,12 string) – $160
Fret Levelling
In addition to a setup, guitars sometimes need a fret level in order to improve playability and minimise string buzz, particularly when a low action is required.
Cost of a full fret level, re-crown and polish is $160. If your guitar only requires a partial fret level (e.g. one or two frets only) this can be done at a reduced cost, however please note that fret levelling is an additional cost to setting up your guitar.
Electrical
Pickup swap (like for like swap with no cavity adjustments required, and no extra wiring or connections required)
Single – $110, two pickups – $160, three pickups – $230
Install potentiometers
Single- $60, two – $100, three – $150
Install output jack – $60
All other electrical work will be quoted on assessment.
Install passive pickup (e.g. K&K 3 spot mini) in acoustic/Classical guitar – $160
Install active pickup in acoustic/Classical guitar – price on assessment
Other
Refret – Quoted on assessment, typically $450 – $580, includes full setup.
Fabricate & fit new nut – $80
Fabricate and fit new saddle – $50
Acoustic/Classical bridge repair/replacement – Quoted on assessment, typically $180 – $360
Fix broken headstock (simple repair) – $220
Fix broken headstock (complex repair) – price on assessment
Replace broken truss rod – price on assessment
Repair cracked soundboard – price on assessment
Replace soundboard – price on assessment
Repair damage to finish (scratches, dings etc) – price on assessment
Replace machine heads – $85 + cost of new machine heads
Install a new fretboard including new frets and setup – $950 – $1050 (includes supply of new fretboard & frets)
Action correction (acoustic/Classical guitar where saddle adjustment is not an option)
Clamping method – $160
Fretboard taper – $350
Fretboard wedge – $420
Neck reset (acoustic guitar): price on assessment
Scallop a fretboard – $380
Re-profile a neck and re-finish – $480
Finishing
Services include sealing, grain filling and spraying of newly built acoustic and classical guitars with nitrocellulose lacquer in the gloss level of your choice. Clear, tinted and colour-burst finish options are available and prices range from $650 upwards. We can also finish your newly built solid body guitar (nitro or acrylic) in the colour (opaque, translucent, metallic) of your choice. Price on application.
Full Restoration
Services include fully restoring your stringed instrument to ‘as new’ state, and can include removing the old finish, repairing all damage (cracks, dings, breaks etc), replacing any broken or damaged parts and then refinishing as appropriate in shellac, nitrocellulose lacquer or acrylic lacquer in the colour and gloss level of your choice. Alternatively if you don’t want an ‘as new’ appearance we can restore your instrument to keep the aged look that you may prefer. Cost will vary considerably depending on the current state of your instrument and what you would like to achieve, and will be provided on assessment.
CNC Work
CNC work is provided on a time and materials basis, and includes a range of services such as acoustic and classical bridge manufacture, solid guitar body shaping and pocketing, pickguard fabrication, fabrication of pickup rings, fretboard shaping and slotting (blind slots or through slots)(including compound radius) and guitar template manufacture.
Inlays for headstock, fretboard etc.
Inlays (CNC machined or laser cut) can be provided in a range of materials such as mother-of-pearl, paua shell, abalone, wood, soft metal (e.g. copper) to your own design, on a time and materials basis – cost on assessment.
In addition, we can do a wide range of other jobs such as furniture parts, decorative inlays, signs, breadboards, cheese boards etc.