The ShadowMusic Web Community

Hi

Just a quick email to all to say that I purchased a new custom shop strat last year for 2k and have not been happy with the set up despite taking it back to the shop and 2 different Luthiers, until I got hold of a guy by the name of Andy Warnock. He has completely reset my guitar up stone the neck repolished the frets and it is now fantastic plays like a dream and is totally different in both the playing and sound (as he also tweaked the vintage pickups).

Now I have found this guy I will always use him for the future as my guitar is now the guitar it always should have been. On speaking to him I found out he also carries out repairs and makes original guitars, Andy also sets up guitars for a lot of famous people. If you wish to use Andy his details are below

23 Factory Road,Northfleet, Kent.DA11 9HH. United Kingdom
Telephone: 01474 537264
Mobile: 07971 347043
E-Mail: andy.warnock@virgin.net

Kind Regards

Edward Spencer
07771997617

I sent my Customshop Stratocaster to a local shop that sets up and repairs guitars for musicians. The guitar is brand new and had been set up by the US shop I bought it from for the thick gauge strings I use. It felt good, but the tremolo action was too heavy. A picture of this sunburst guitars appears in the '56 NOS Stratocaster thread -,

viewtopic.php?f=21&t=6978

The shop is a one-man operation, the owner being a guitarist himself in a blues band and a former gunsmith. He put in a note in the case to list what he did- adjusted the neck, rod, bridge, springs, nut, intonation, and leveled the frets. He told me over the phone that he also removed the clear fretboard finish that was left over on the sides of the frets. In his note, he drew what he meant and taped on some of the removed finish for me to see. He said this is common in new guitars,



The change in the feel of the guitar from all those adjustments was incredible. The guitar feels so much nicer to play. And the trem bar is just right too. His fee, translated to US dollars, was about $40.

Regards,

Andy

Setups can be a bit of a minefield. I've heard so many horror stories about guys ruining guitars with bad workmanship.

I was lucky. When I got my seven string from the luthier I was fairly happy with the action. I got talking to a guy at work and he told me his son was a luthier and had offered to set up my guitar if I so desired. I took it into him at his shop in Glasgow and when I got it back I thought it was someone else's guitar, he did a cracking job on it and a bit more as I was a friend of his dad.
But that sadly does not happen with other set up technicians. You've really just got to go with word of mouth sometimes and hope for the best.
I usually do my own but I am in no way as good as this guy was