Free Technician Adjustments

In the past, we did extensive pre-sale setup of every instrument.  For Internet sales, this is a problem because:

1. The customer's environment can radically alter the action and other playability or performance factors.

2.  What we consider an appropriate setup may not please a particular customer, who has not played the guitar and discussed it with us in person.  If so, money spent on the setup is wasted.  For example, we prefer a moderately high action that increases volume, clarity and "punch", and allows for a wide dynamic range without buzzing.  Many of our customers, however, want a very low action.

In conclusion, if you like the guitar you receive from us, but it has minor setup issues, take it to a classical guitar builder or a repair shop that does frequent work on classicals.  In most cases, we will compensate you for the cost of the technician's work.  We don't  guarantee payment in full to avoid inflated setup costs, but we will be fair and reasonable in all cases.  At the very least, you would receive partial reimbursement for a legitimate adjustment.

If non-removal parts of a guitar are altered by a technician, e.g. filing frets, bending the neck, or cutting down the bridge height, IT CANNOT BE RETURNED.  Therefore, receive assurances from the technician that the problem you find can be resolved with 100 percent certainty. 

If nut or saddle work is needed, the technician can create new ones without voiding your return privilege.  If these do not improve the instrument to your satisfaction, paying the technician is your responsibility.

At our discretion, we will pay to adjust or replace faulty tuning machines. 

In the case of subjective issues, such as perceived flaws in the sound of a particular open or fretted note or general tone quality, lack of sustain or volume, the best policy is to return the instrument. 

Real vs. Perceived Defects

Before reporting a perceived problem with your new guitar, take note of the following experiences of other customers.  Also, keep in mind that we are expert classical guitarists and music teachers with nearly 50 years of collective experience, and don't ship guitars that are offensive to our ears.

Concern about a single, mildly-flawed note heard in isolation from music playing, or when playing at a slow tempo, is a typical for customers who have just purchased an expensive instrument.  When the customer settles into playing music at a normal tempo for several days, the perceived problem is usually resolved.  If not, it should be inspected by a technician as described above. 

Another scenario is comparing a relatively loud, sensitive guitar to a student guitar, where the latter sounds flawless because it is a poor amplifier of string vibrations. In other words, if you want volume, sustain, a rich tone, and good responsiveness, you'll have an instrument that does not produce perfectly pure notes in every case.  When one of our guitars is compared to another in the same class, the customer realizes that what they are hearing are sound characteristics inherent in all good, solid-wood instruments.

Overly long or misshaped right-hand fingernails can produce tone anomalies, as can defective strings.  Although we put fresh strings on all guitars, a particular string can go bad very quickly, especially trebles.  A popular string with guitar builders, D'Addario high tension, is ideal for guitarists with sensitive ears who want a clean sound.

Return to Classical Guitars Etc. Home