Guitar Set-up Service
Re-strings string install, oil board, stretch strings, tune to pitch and polish guitar.
| w/Other work | ||
|
6-string |
$15 |
$10 |
|
12-string |
$25 |
$20 |
|
Classical, Mandolin or banjo |
$25 |
$20 |
|
Floyd Rose Trem |
$20 |
$15 |
Set-ups include diagnostics, redressing and buffing frets, cleaning fret board, tightening hardware, restring, adjusting nut slots, truss rod adjustment, balancing tremolo, adjusting action, setting intonation, checking electronics, adjusting pick ups, detail and cleaning. Electro/acoustics get balance of output, and archtops have bridge located and taped.
Fret levels include measuring and leveling frets, recrowning and redressing to a high polish.
Standard With Fret Level
|
Hard Tails (Les Pauls, Teles) Basic 4-string Basses Ukulele |
$50-60 |
$95 |
|
Acoustic 6-strings Classical Acoustics Stratocaster style guitars Guitars with Bigsbys Archtops Lapsteels Guitars with truss adjustment needing neck removal 7-string electrics 5-string Basses Resonators |
$55-65 |
$100 |
|
Locking Tremolo Guitars (Floyd Rose trems) 12-string guitars Mandolins Latin Instruments 6-string Basses |
$60-70 |
$105 |
|
Banjos Jaguars & Jazzmasters (includes shimming neck, taping bridge and HAN on saddles) |
$65-70 |
$110 |
|
Rickenbacker Bass or 6 string guitar (includes glossing board) |
$70-75 |
$125 |
|
Rickenbacker 12-strings |
$80-90 |
$130 |
|
Steinburger Trans trem |
$130 |
$135 |
|
Buzz Feiten Retrofit, most electrics (set up included)
Buzz Feiten Retrofit, most acoustics (set up included)
|
$150 + $29 for blanks
$350-375 + $79 for blanks |
+$50
+$50
|
[...] 2009 Guitar Repair Pricing Guide Setup 2009 Guitar Repair Pricing Guide – The Setup 2009 Guitar Repair Pricing Guide - Addons & Customizations 2009 Guitar Repair Pricing Guide – Bridges 2009 Guitar Repair Pricing Guide – Electronics 2009 Guitar Repair Pricing Guide – Frets & Fingerboards 2009 Guitar Repair Pricing Guide – Necks & Structural 2009 Guitar Repair Pricing Guide – Paint & Touch-Up [...]
Hello,
I have a 2008 Epiphone Prophecy SG that has always had some fret buzz. It really annoys me and I would like to know what it would cost to keep the strings low without buzz. I may also be interested in upgrading the stock components which I’m pretty sure are lower end. It does have Grover tuners and EMG pickups. Your recommendations would be appreciated. I have been playing this guitar every day for 11 months. I have changed the strings 10 times and I am now pretty good at putting them on properly. If I decide to let you work on it about how long would I be without it?
Thank you,
Mark
Having the guitar properly set up will make a big difference. If you are looking to make hardware improvements, we are big fans of the Graph Tech Resomax bridges, and a bone nut always helps with sustain. You may need a pinch of fretwork, depending on the guitar. Our typical turn around on that kind of repair is about 48-72 hours.
I have a 2003 Les Paul DC. Need good setup done. Intonation issues, maybe needs new bridge saddles or a new tune-a-matic installed. Check fret while its there. Can I bring in and leave one weekend and pick up the next? I live out of town about 150 miles.
Sure, John, we can do that easily for you.
I had my 1954 00-18 martin refretted at your shop, you do outstanding work.
Thanks so much, John. It is always a pleasure to work on fine guitars like your Martin!
I just started playing bass again after several years of playing nothing but keyboards. I recently purchased a Hofner Icon Beatle Bass. I want to get it set up but to tell you the truth, I don’t know the first thing about what should be done. I wouldn’t know a truss rod from a fishing rod.
I would probably want to switch to flat wound strings i.e LaBella or RotoSound (can you tell I did some research? 
Do you do this kind of set up for short scale basses like the Hofner? If so, what kind of price would I be looking at for the entire set up? Thanks!
Sure, Mike, we do this kind of thing 10 times a day, though maybe not all Hofners. We have and old 6 string Violin Hofner in the shop right now! I really like the La Bella strings as far as flat wounds go. Those and the D’addario Chromes are very good. Look to spend about $50-60 to have the bass fully set up. If you want us to glue the bridge in place (so you don’t have to worry about it falling off if you change the strings), it is an extra $10.
Im kind of confused about the pricing. I have a six stringed guitar with a locking tremolo. How much would it cost to just intonate it?
Sorry if there is confusion. A locking tremolo set up is $60-70. We don’t do one single thing like intonation. We perform a full set up to make sure that all elements of the guitar are working properly.
Thanks, that clears everything up!
I want my strat (mex made) to have a better set up ..lower the string height and i want to change the nut and bridge saddles..to give a better sound.. I like the way the PRS and USA strat sound when unplugged the notes jump off the strings and great sustain. Can i get that type of thing from my strat?? If so what would i need to do to get it?
KWESI,
There are a few really good modifications you can make to your strat. i like the idea of the Ferraglide saddles from Graphtech for that guitar. That and a good set up and maybe some fretwork will get you way in the ballpark. Upgrading the pickups is a great idea as well. If you drop a great set of pickups into the guitar and get some set up work done, you should be able to close your eyes and not tell the difference between a USA and Mexi Strat!
I have an Epiphone EJ-200 Acoustic guitar; the strings are too close to the frets, so they buzz when the guitar is played. About how much would it cost to have them raised? Thanks!
Brandon,
It sounds like the guitar may be a little dried out. The top of the guitar has a tendency to cave in a bit when it gets cold and dry outside. You probably need to have the guitar humidified and set up. That usually runs around $55-60. If the frets are uneven because of a slight twist in the neck that can be caused by drying out, that may requier some fret work which could add about $50 on to the cost of the set up.
Ok I got another question…I asked about my mex strat and wanted the notes to jump off the strings like the PRS and USA made strat.
I would like to change the nut to a graph tech TUSQ the trem block to brass and upgrade the saddles. I already have upgraded the pick ups is this overkill? Or will this put in the ballpark of the strat and PRS. I will get the guitar setup as well.
Kwesi,
It may not make the Mexi Strat sound like a $3000 guitar, but it will make a difference in tone from what you have now. I am not sure where you plan to get a brass block for the tremolo from, but Callaham make excellent Mexi Strat upgrade kits. The TUSQ stuff is good, but we do prefer good old-fashioned bone for nut blanks.
I’ve got a 6 month old Taylor Nylon string guitar that I’m having some trouble with. I suppose it would be considered fret buzz. My question is, I strum chords prett aggressively. Will a set up on this guitar be able to help, or are the nylon strings just not meant to be strummed agressively? Also, if you think the set up will help, how long does it typically take? Thanks adavance for your help!
Mark,
A set up probably will help you. Nylon string guitars do have less stiffness to the strings so extra energy can make them buzz a bit more. You may want to try a harder tension string and then have the guitar set up from there. Remember, all guitars can buzz if the strings are hit hard enough.
I have a 2001 Gibson Studio. The neck seems to have a slight arch down. Can this be adjusted when being setup? There is quite a bit of fret noise.
Paul,
The neck probably just needs adjusting and that is part of our standard set up. It should address the fret buzz, assuming that your frets are level. If you have had the guitar for 10 years and have not had the frets leveled and recrowned, it may be in need. Fretboards tend to move around quite a bit in the first 7 years of the life of a guitar.
Can I make an appointment so that I can get my guitar setup while I wait?
Durman,
We can do while you wait service, but there is a rush charge of $25, just like the dry cleaners!
I have a warped 1 ply Eric Clapton pickguard. If I bring in a new guard can you swap it and do a guitar setup? If so, what’s the cost?
Sure we can. Swapping out a pickguard and setting up a maple necked strat should run you about $80-90. The fretboard on this guitar will need to be masked off for us to do our customary fret redress, and putting on the pickguard is more time consuming than you might think. Turn around is usually about 48 hours.
Hey I have a les Paul copy, and I was wondering what a regular setup would be. I checked everything and the neck has some relief but still buzzes when i strum hard. I don’t want anything else other than a regular setup and from the comments it almost seems like the setups are around 50 instead of the 15 as stated on the charts. The only string that buzzes is the 6th string, which has me thinking that I don’t need a fret level. I am new to guitar, but I have read several books on guitar repair out of curiosity.
Thanks
The price guide starts with Setups and Maintenance and the resting is at the top of the list. It is $15 to restring, tighten tuners, oil the board and stretch and tune the guitar. A full set up does start at $50. As far as the frets, I would have to measure and take a look at the board to determine that. If you want to just have a full set up, we don’t have to do any fret work. It’s just that, if the frets are uneven, it makes the set up not quite as good.
This may be a dumb question, but I am going to bring you guys my new hollow body for a set up and re-string. I want to change out the stock strings for flatwounds. Do you stock strings or do I need to bring them in. I know…silly question.
Thanks!
Not a silly question, you never know what strings may be in stock. We do have flatwounds in 10, 11, 12 and 13 gauges.
Hi Chris,
You did great work on the two guitars I brought in. I have a Takamine EF508KC that I would like set-up for a little lower action. It has a split bone saddle. Takamine rep says there may be a shim under the saddles or there may not. I am wondering if grinding down the bone saddles may be required and how much it would add to the set-up cost? Thanks for your reply.
Thanks for the good word, Stan. As far as I know, there shouldn’t be any shims under the saddle on that model guitar. The saddles should be cut properly to get the action where you want it, unless they are too low, then there may be a hardwood shim under the saddles. Cutting the saddles is part of the set up process and there is no extra charge for that. If we find we want to replace the saddles for any reason, there is an up-charge for the (usually $36).
Hi,
I bought my Ibanez 6 string solid body electric over 2 years ago, and since it played decent out of the box all I’ve done is change strings every now and then to keep it going. However now there’s a lot of buzzing and the tone just isn’t that great.
How much would it cost to get it set up and playing smoothly without any buzz again?
I’m not really looking to get too much done to it, as long as a basic set up can fix the problem.
Thanks
John,
In most cases, a good set up would resolve the issues you have with buzzing on your guitar. If there are any problems with the frets being uneven, it may need to have the frets leveled and recrowned. A full set up on a floating tremolo guitar ( I am only assuming that it has a FLoyd Rose style tremolo) is a little more than what you would pay for a Strat or Les Paul, as there are lots of moving parts. If that is the case, look to spend about $60-70 for a full set up. If it is a hard tale or has a regular tremolo, look to spend about $50-60. If the frets need leveling, just add $45. Our turn around is super quick as well. Look for us to have it for about 48 hours.
Where does a regular 4 string bass fit in in the above setup chart without the fret leveling?
A full set up on a four string bass (as long as it is not a Rickenbacker or maple board Fender) is $50-60 depending on the shape the bass is in and what needs to be done.
I play guitar for Funk Legend Steve Arrington. I’ve been using 3rd Coast for setups at least 12 years. You all do excellent work (esp. Nate). I plan on buying more guitars with extra work needed. My only choice is Third Coast.
Thanks Derrick! Nate is certainly top notch. We appreciate the good word and stop by to see us sometime soon.
Greetings Chris. Your web site is looking good. As you know, I have been a Third Coast (TC) customer for years. I have had TC perform many setups on various guitars, finish repairs (chips, etc.) on three and even an intricate custom pick guard inlay for a replica ’57 LP. I will go nowhere else to have work performed on any of my instruments even though I live 36 miles from your Chicago location. My “devotion” is based upon my experience with many other repair shops and the comparison of their work to what I have received at TC. Highly recommended!
Thanks Curtis I really appreciate the good word! You have been a great customer for a lot of years and we look forward to seeing you again soon.
I recently bought an Epiphone Les Paul Ultra and there was buzzing on the bass strings. After taking it over to Guitar Center for a check up they were able to fix the problem with the strings buzzing. On the open G however, there seems to be an echo or ringing sound when I pluck it and its unplugged or when its plugged but in low volume. Once I raise it higher then the sound goes away. Its not a buzzing sound but more like a background echo. I’m not really sure how to describe it. It also doesn’t happen when press down on the string on any fret. Is there anything that could be wrong that the guitar tech missed? Or is it normal? If there needs to be something done how much could it cost?
The nut slot on the G string may be miscut. I would bring it back into GC and let the tech have a quick look at it. It could either be too low, or the slot may be at an improper angle.