STRUGGLING SQUIRE

[Greg_L]

It does, doesn't it?
The Stewmac is pretty much what I already have. I was hoping for a double solution...better saddles and not having the screw/bolt in the way.

Oh yeah I see what you mean. You need top load with the offset saddles.

[Armistice]

Buy a new one and Hendrix the old one in the backyard...

[CeeBee]

Why don't you just shorten the adjustment bolts so they don't touch the strings?

[Armistice]

I think the bolts touching the strings is an ancillary issue - not the main problem.

[rayc]

I attempted all things but didn't have a great deal of success. I found a luthier two towns over, did a little back ground digging etc. He builds acoustics mainly but also electrics and does set ups for both. He runs building courses etc.
Once I was happy that he wasn't shonky I gave him the Squire & Epiphone Sheraton II to work on.
The Squire because it's a basher and should be playable & the Epi because I've not enjoyed playing it for some reason. It has spent most of its 20 years in a case.
I have them back as of yesterday morning. The bolt issue properly dealt with, a slight adjustment to nut height on two strings and action a little lower as well as pick up heights tweaked. Intonation set. It sounds & feels good again. No neck profile issue he said. The Epiphone had a neck profile adjustment, string height/action adjustment, intonation and pickup adjustments done. It is a surprise to me how different the guitar is now: easy to play, fun to play, I look forward to playing it again, soon.
I tested the squire by tracking some accents for a song I'm working one and working up the neck - no probs.
US$198 or UK 156 for two guitars picked up & delivered seems like a good deal when they both play well.

[Armistice]

US$198 or UK 156 for two guitars picked up & delivered seems like a good deal when they both play well.

And in AUD for the Australians here? $300? $310? I get both from conversions. Seems a reasonable price.

Also, which town, in case I need to know? Two towns over could be quite close, or way too far, for me...

There are lots of "luthiers" around the joint, I've noticed. Also lots of hippies, bogans, sovereign cits and other followers of lifestyles alternative I'd probably rather not deal with in terms of guitars.

I remember this guy in Glebe - everyone raved about him - such a wizard, apparently. I took 4 guitars to him over a period of months for general once-in-a-decade set ups and fix ups of various things that I couldn't do myself without major outlays in soldering gear. IMO he ended up as dodgy as f... as most of the repairs have since come undone and I had to redo the intonation on two of the four guitars - I didn't immediately play them afterwards, so I didn't realise until they were all done. I should have gone with gut instinct when I first clapped eyes on him.

On another matter - you'll be in the local Cooran FB group I assume - you know how these things work. I'm in the Peregian Springs one and some guy posted the other day that he was moving to "the Springs" early next year and he was retiring but was also a guitar player of some apparent renown - played in bands in London back in the day - whatever that means! Anyway, he's offering guitar lessons for as yet undecided pricing but probably $35 - $40 per half hour or so - and people are flocking onto the post saying "Please, take my money!"

Talk about business opportunity lost...

But then, that would involve all sorts of organisation I'd probably not want to do, and I definitely wouldn't go near teaching minors anything with a barge pole these days. Not worth the risk.

[rayc]

He's in Cooroy.
Garry "Gaz" Walton.
https://www.facebook.com/Waltonguitars/
gazwaltonmusic@gmail.com
I don't follow a Cooran page...I suppose I ought.
Mr Walton seems genuine enough, the cost - given pick up & delivery - was good and both guitars are better for the experience...though it's only a day later. The luthier I used in Thirroul was a disaster...it seems all trades are a matter of trial & error though we've been lucky.

[muttley]

I attempted all things but didn't have a great deal of success. I found a luthier two towns over, did a little back ground digging etc. He builds acoustics mainly but also electrics and does set ups for both. He runs building courses etc.
Once I was happy that he wasn't shonky I gave him the Squire & Epiphone Sheraton II to work on.
The Squire because it's a basher and should be playable & the Epi because I've not enjoyed playing it for some reason. It has spent most of its 20 years in a case.
I have them back as of yesterday morning. The bolt issue properly dealt with, a slight adjustment to nut height on two strings and action a little lower as well as pick up heights tweaked. Intonation set. It sounds & feels good again. No neck profile issue he said. The Epiphone had a neck profile adjustment, string height/action adjustment, intonation and pickup adjustments done. It is a surprise to me how different the guitar is now: easy to play, fun to play, I look forward to playing it again, soon.
I tested the squire by tracking some accents for a song I'm working one and working up the neck - no probs.
US$198 or UK 156 for two guitars picked up & delivered seems like a good deal when they both play well.

That is about what I would charge plus strings of choice and any identified extras during the process.

[Tadpui]

That's great to hear @rayc! Glad that they're playing well and they're back in spec. Sometimes it's just worth it to have an experienced pro take care of things. I actually like taking my guitars to a pro, even though I can do most of the setup stuff myself. I get to help support a local small business, and I get reliable setups...win/win!

[Armistice]

He's in Cooroy.
Garry "Gaz" Walton.
https://www.facebook.com/Waltonguitars/
gazwaltonmusic@gmail.com
I don't follow a Cooran page...I suppose I ought.
Mr Walton seems genuine enough, the cost - given pick up & delivery - was good and both guitars are better for the experience...though it's only a day later. The luthier I used in Thirroul was a disaster...it seems all trades are a matter of trial & error though we've been lucky.

Cheers. Cooroy is definitely doable - I know there's Mooloolaba Music down the road but my experience of retail shop luthiering services is that they just outsource it to someone else and then double the price. Caught someone in Sydney doing exactly that once when they forgot to check the case pocket and there was a copy of the original invoice in it.

I joined the Cooran FB page when you moved there, out of curiousity as to what sort of place it was. It's full of the usual lost cats, roaming dogs, and a few more farmyardy animals like cows as well given your more rural location, what's happening in the local cafe etc. Currently there's a free cream leather lounge in average condition sitting outside 214 Arthys Road Cooran just ready to be picked up. Be good for your studio guests.

Also, don't think you're a Christmas tree family but there are only two places to get real Christmas trees up here, and one of them is Noosa Christmas Trees which is nowhere near Noosa but actually at Pinbarren - just down the road from you. We had no choice to get one from there last year and they had to be picked up at this rural property there somewhere from 8am on a Saturday morning. There was a substantial queue on the day, so in amongst all the SUVs and tradie trucks was my little Audi A3 convertible, which, to the amusement of everyone there managed to swallow up a 6 foot tree no problems at all. Roof down. Tree in. Roof up. Simples. This year I'm getting one delivered from the other place, however. Act now, they sell out quickly...