Guitar Setups and Repairs Plymouth
WORK SHOP
We pride ourselves on our Guitar Maintenance and Repair Service which will ensure your guitar performs to it’s fullest capability. Every guitar setup is discussed with you prior to work beginning then, if needed, tailored to your requirements and playing style.
Along with the work we do on Guitars and Basses we also do a lot of work on Violins and other Orchestral intruments. We also have some excellent connections for repairs on Woodwind Instruments.
Do not hesitate to call or email should you have any questions about our repair and setup service, or if you just simply require some advice relating to your instrument.
Workshop Current Lead Time:
Same-Day Stringing In-Store
The regular Restring price is £6 + Strings. We now offer a time slot restring service you can book in advance using this very simple web-app. Same-Day Restringing must be booked via this system.
- Includes Electric Guitar, Acoustic Guitar, Bass, Classical, Uke, Mandolin
- Does Not include Bowed Instruments, Floyd Rose Guitars, Locking Floating Trems
Restring Bench
We have a lot of work going through our Workshop which can involve long jobs suchas refretting and rewiring Guitars. This used to delay simple restrings and mean you would need to wait some time for the job to be done. As restringing is a quick, we have added a new bench in the shop and have an online booking system.
FAQ
Can I see the my guitar get restrung?
Yes, you can watch and we will talk you through it. The space is in the Shop and all the tools we use are for sale as well.
Can I just turn up?
No, it is best to have the appointment pre booked as it shows up on our calendar and also stops any conflicts. We also occasionally block out time if we don’t have enough staff or are too busy.
What happens if it is a bigger job than just a restring?
Sometimes it can be a more complicated job because of an unforeseen problem which means we cannot finish the restring. In this case we can book it in to the workshop which may take 3-5 days to complete. This will likely be a different pricing but we will discuss this with you. No extra charge will be incurred.
Do I have to wait?
It is best to wait as it only takes about 15 minutes, however you can comeback later the same day.
Can I do it myself?
Yes, you can book the use of our bench, it will not cost you and you can use our tools.
Do I need to buy strings from Soundunlimited?
It is obviously preferred. However, in the unlikely event we don’t stock the particular strings that you use then you can of course provide your own. We don’t charge Corkage ;)
Can I also get the guitar cleaned or extra bits done at the same time?
Yes, we can also provide a clean for an additional charge. The same applies to cleaning jack sockets or electronics.
A big part of our business is to provide an excellent setup service for musicians. This covers many areas and often relies on our ability to communicate the finer details with our customers. Our main Workshop is always busy, your guitar will be booked in to our system and then you receive a text when it is ready.
Accuracy
Due to the way we approach a setup we are able to communicate with customers with great accuracy. Instead of talking about low or medium action we can actually identify a customers specification and know they want 1.25mm action at the 12th fret for example. The same detail is applied to nut height, how they like the truss rod set or whether they prefer the action lower on the Treble side. Ultimately, the result is consistent setups across all of your guitars.
We deal with lots of customers who use alternate tunings these days and have a vast range of strings to cater for their needs. We do not guess but instead use calculations to ascertain the tensions needed to make two instruments feel consistent even in different tunings or scale lengths.
Our Processing System
Guitar setups can be very complicated, not just to do but also to keep track of. We use a very robust system (Trello) which allows us to track all the details of a setup.
This is exceptionally useful as it allows us to keep track of the history of an instrument. Logging measurments or pictures helps us understand changes with an instrument over time.
Primarily, it is about being organised so we can deal with the large numbers we have in the shop at any one time.
We use the best
Although there are lots of good cleaning products we use Big Bends for all of our setups. The quality of these cleaning products is exceptional with all the best guitar techs in the world using it.
All of the products are designed to be used with Vintage finishes and contain no Solvents or Acids, they of course are perfect for modern guitars as well. Each of the cleaning stages has a Big Bends Micro-fibre cloth only used for that job to ensure cross contamination does not occur.
What is included in a Setup?
We discuss each setup and this is usually specific to each guitar but the below list gives you our average expectation when performing a setup.
- Clean body, neck, nut, saddles, jack socket.
- Fretboard clean and condition
- Fret polish and check over to give further advice on condition (fret work charged seperatly)
- Neck angle (if applicable) & Truss Rod adjustment
- Intonation
- Saddle Heights with correct radius and height
- Nut Heights checked and lubricant applied to avoid friction and tuning issues
- Measurments taken and logged
- Restring
Time Lapse of a Build
This is a Timelapse only of our workshop building a Fender Tele F-Hole from Genuine Parts.
We stock a huge range of Genuine Fender Parts and build some models.
Below is a stunning original 1964 Fender Stratocaster which the customer has owned from new. We did a restoration on this beautiful guitar including returning the wiring to original as it had been rewired in the 70s.. badly. Have a look at the Electronics section for more examples of our work.
We do see a lot of minor electronics repairs and these can be dealt with under a normal setup. Buffing the plates of an input jack is routine on older guitars. However, there are a huge number of reasons to have an electronics over-hall.
As with the setup of instruments we pay very close attention to the quality of the work, tools and parts involved.
Preferred Components
It is true that wiring doesn't have to be pretty to work but this is not how we believe things should be done! Although you might not see it, our work is immaculate under the scratch plate using only the best parts we can.
We use a range of suppliers to source the best parts for the job including CTS Pots, USA blade switches, Switchcraft, PureTone, Lux Capacitors, Evidence Audio Hoockup Wire, Vintage Wax Wire, Orange Drop Caps to name a few. Using components of this quality ensure years of reliability and great tone.
Our growing interest in this area means we now sell a number of different pickup brands: Seymour Duncan, Dimarzio, Fender and Bare Knuckle. Of course this is coupled with the advice needed to pick the right set.
We also understand not everyone needs "The Best" so offer a range of products for a more relative price point on lower end instruments.
Within the shop we have the ability to test most valves fitted in guitar amplifiers. This enables us to provide an initial diagnosis and access whether further faulting is required. We can provide valves on request but only hold a limited stock in the shop.
In the event of further faulting and for Solid State Amplifiers we have access to two independent Amp Technicians who are able to repair most amplifiers both valve and solid state.