Setup costs

[woodyratm]

Hey guys,

I’m wondering if anyone in the know could advise the cost to setup a bass from standard to lower, with the nut being adjusted to suit the larger strings? Also, adding the strap locks which I believe needs a wee bit of drilling? 
 

Right now, I have no idea how to do it myself and was generally happy to pay. But since 2022 when I was first using a local place, the cost has increased 163%. I understand everything costs more nowadays but I feel this is a bit mad… it’s kinda making consider buying the tools and cheapo bass and learning myself. 
 

obviously, I understand there maybe cost changes depending on area but I’m looking for ballpark really. 
 

thanks in advance. 

[bassbiscuits]

It sounds as tho the job is really making and fitting a new nut, probably tweaking intonation and neck relief. Fitting strap locks is a five min job.

 

As a guide I think I’ve usually paid about £40 for a set up (fret dress, set action and intonation) and the same sort of price for a new nut (the jobs go together as a new nut will require the rest to be set up around it.)

 

But that’s based on one local repairer that I’ve used for years. There’s probably a few luthier websites online with prices listed for that sort of work to give you an idea. 

Edited Tuesday at 14:16 by bassbiscuits

[franzbassist]

Are you going to a much heavier gauge? You may not need to make any changes if it's just the next gauge up.  As @bassbiscuits says, you may need to adjust the intonation and relief, but you may not!  

 

Also, I've never had to drill out a strap lock hole to allow for a bigger screw (and I have fitted Dunlop locks to loads of basses); I just put a little bit of wax on the new screw and they always go in easily enough.

 

As to cost, these are the kind of tweaks I've made on my basses for years, so I'm afraid I have no idea. Sorry

 

Edited Tuesday at 14:19 by franzbassist

[woodyratm]

Cheers folks, there is a drastic change on the nut tbf - standard to A#. But that was the exact same back in ‘22. Every bass I get gets the same treatment. 
 

String gauge is usually 105 to 135. 
 

EDIT: also - there has never been a new nut fitted, always just filled to suit the larger strings.

Edited Tuesday at 14:20 by woodyratm

[franzbassist]

Just now, woodyratm said:

Cheers folks, there is a drastic change on the nut tbf - standard to A#. But that was the exact same back in ‘22. Every bass I get gets the same treatment. 
 

String gauge is usually 105 to 135. 

 

Okay, so yes, a new nut may well be in order.  You could wrap fine gauge sandpaper around each string and then run them up and down the nut slots to file open the existing nut (put a little pen mark right at the bottom of each slot so you don't take it lower!), but I appreciate you may not be comfortable with that!

 

[neepheid]

If you don't mind naming names - which local establishment have you been going to at which you have noted the price rise?

[woodyratm]

7 minutes ago, neepheid said:

If you don't mind naming names - which local establishment have you been going to at which you have noted the price rise?

Posted but maybe shouldn’t name. Will PM.

 

Edited Tuesday at 14:33 by woodyratm
Removing name

[neepheid]

3 minutes ago, woodyratm said:

Ramjam. I like them, but feels a bit much. 
 

 

 

I don't have much data to go on when it comes to Ramjam - the only time I engaged their technical services was over 2 years ago for a full rewire of a bass, which cost £50, which I thought was pretty reasonable at the time.  But who knows what it would cost me today, sorry.

[Mokl]

Would be interested to hear what you've been quoted! 

 

In my view a lot of instrument setup work has been undervalued over the years, and these days a guitar setup is one thing that you can't really buy off the internet. 

 

I always think about how much time a job is likely to take, how much do I think it's reasonable for a skilled person (who's also taking liability for my instrument whilst on their care) to charge for that time?

[woodyratm]

20 minutes ago, Mokl said:

Would be interested to hear what you've been quoted! 

 

In my view a lot of instrument setup work has been undervalued over the years, and these days a guitar setup is one thing that you can't really buy off the internet. 

 

I always think about how much time a job is likely to take, how much do I think it's reasonable for a skilled person (who's also taking liability for my instrument whilst on their care) to charge for that time?

The price was £47.50 in 2022, I was quoted £125 yesterday. 

 

[HoorayForAnonyms]

This is the Bass Gallery’s based in London price list. Might be a helpful comparator: 
 

GENERAL SET UP - £55

Full Gallery setup including: truss rod adjustment, intonation, action, nut height, fingerboard & fret cleaning and pickup alignment.

SAME DAY SET UP - £65

As above. Must be dropped off before 11.30am and picked up at the end of the day

 

BATTERY COMPARTMENTS - from £50

Fitting new battery compartment

DE FRET – from £150

Lines from a choice of woods and colours

ELECTRONICS SERVICE - from £15

Electronic Maintenance

FITTING NEW ELECTRONICS - from £40

Fitting on board EQ's (Not including the price of the electronics)

ROLLING EDGES – from £65

Fret edges filed in for a smoother and faster neck

FRET STONE – from £110

Fret stone to level frets including crowning

FRETLESS LINING - £250

Adding fretlines to an unlined fretless instrument

FRETTING LINED FRETLESS – from £250

Adding frets to an already lined instrument

FRETTING UNLINED FRETLESS - from £350

Adding frets to an unlined fretless instrument

HARDWARE FIT - from £15

Fitting of replacement hardware

NECK RESHAPE - from £100

Reshape neck to make a flatter profile

NECK STRIP - from £50

Remove varnish and smooth off neck

NEW FINGERBOARD - from £350

Replacement fingerboard, maple, rosewood ebony etc

NUT REPLACEMENT - from £50

Choose from from brass, bone, phenolic, graphite, graphtech etc.

PICKUP FITTING - from £20

Fitting and wiring up of replacement pickups

RAMP - from £80

Ramp between pickups

RE-FRET -  from £280

Fret maple fingerboard including re - shooting and re - varnishing of fingerboard

RE-SHOOT – from £110

Re shoot fingerboard and levelling

RE-STRING - £20

Re-string instrument, strings not supplied

ROUTING - from £80

Routing for pickups etc

SCREENING - from £40

Electronic cavity screening

 

[Mokl]

38 minutes ago, woodyratm said:

The price was £47.50 in 2022, I was quoted £125 yesterday. 

 

That is a large increase! Did they explain why (sorry if you've explained elsewhere, sneaky work-based forum browsing!)?

[lemmywinks]

Been years since I paid for a setup, get yourself a decent notched straight edge (I have a Crimson one which does all common bass scale lengths, not cheap though) and some basic tools then watch a ton of luthier videos on YouTube. £125 is a lot for a basic setup and nut adjustment, unless you also need a fret dress then I'd look elsewhere.

 

The last four basses I bought all had wholly unsuitable setups for me, one needed a fair bit of adjustment and two of them needed frets knocking down higher up the board, the tools have paid for themselves already. 

[Hellzero]

18 hours ago, bassbiscuits said:

As a guide I think I’ve usually paid about £40 for a set up (fret dress, set action and intonation) and the same sort of price for a new nut (the jobs go together as a new nut will require the rest to be set up around it.)

Fret dressing, action and intonation for £40 must be so badly done that the instrument must be unplayable as it takes a lot of time to do it perfectly, including adjusting the neck to the fitted string tension (simply putting the neck super straight without strings on it is an heresy as it doesn't take the laws of physics into account), protecting the fingerboard, dressing the frets, crowning them (a huge time consuming process) and then polishing them (which takes a bit of time too), plus setting intonation and action...

 

Maybe this £40 price tag for that job was in the 80's or 90's?

[neepheid]

I'm a big advocate of self-sufficiency, at least up to a level of doing basic setup (relief/intonation/action) work.  Setup is personal - and it's really not difficult.  Of course when you get into territory like what is being discussed here, it's player's choice if they want to stretch themselves and learn these other skills.  Me personally I do all my setups, I'm OK with the electronics if it's not too taxing, replacing hardware is fine, and I'm currently at the grinding back ratty fret ends/knocking down proud frets kinda stage.  Mostly using improvised tools, because I'm a cheapskate.

[woodyratm]

1 hour ago, Mokl said:

That is a large increase! Did they explain why (sorry if you've explained elsewhere, sneaky work-based forum browsing!)?

Initially it was “sorry - prices are needing to go up. You know what it’s like”. 

Everywhere I’ve seen so far has been about 40-60 - which id have been happy with paying. 125 for the same service seems bit of a kick. 

[neepheid]

1 minute ago, woodyratm said:

Initially it was “sorry - prices are needing to go up. You know what it’s like”. 

Everywhere I’ve seen so far has been about 40-60 - which id have been happy with paying. 125 for the same service seems bit of a kick. 

 

Classic Aberdeen mentality, thinking it can charge "London prices" for things

 

[bassbiscuits]

10 hours ago, Hellzero said:

Fret dressing, action and intonation for £40 must be so badly done that the instrument must be unplayable….

 

Maybe this £40 price tag for that job was in the 80's or 90's?

Not at all. 

I wouldn’t hand over any of my instruments to someone I didn’t trust and certainly wouldn’t do so repeatedly if the result was bad. 
 

I guess I must just be getting a good deal then, as a long standing customer. 
 

Jolly good. 
 

Edited 12 hours ago by bassbiscuits

[Jamie Oliver]

In the UK, I'd say you're looking at around £60–£90 for that kind of work, maybe a bit more depending on the shop.

Slope Game

Edited 2 hours ago by Jamie Oliver

[TimR]

If it's a one man band working from a home based workshop, their prices will be a lot lower. 

 

However, if other technicians in the area are a lot more expensive they'll probably find they're being overwhelmed and supply and demand being what it is, they'll put their prices up.

 

Don't forget prices to import things has gone up a lot recently due to various factors. 

[tegs07]

19 minutes ago, TimR said:

If it's a one man band working from a home based workshop, their prices will be a lot lower. 

 

However, if other technicians in the area are a lot more expensive they'll probably find they're being overwhelmed and supply and demand being what it is, they'll put their prices up.

 

Don't forget prices to import things has gone up a lot recently due to various factors. 

There is a local luthier I have used on occasion that fits this description. He used to have a bigger shop and employ people. Now retired and working out of his garage. Very reasonable and working as a hobby really.