Al Pachter Al’s Guitar Workshop
Forum Replies Created
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Hi Matt,
I have some pretty strong opinions about this but each person has to decide what makes best sense based on their own situation. From my point of view in the long run its much better to approach a shop, introduce yourself, present your shop as an option for them to refer to if they find themselves with work they don’t want or can’t handle. From that approach I’ve gotten many referrals with no formal agreement at all. The best shops and music stores know the importance of having solid referral options. Those that are looking to make money on that deal are the ones I usually avoid. Its about building relationships. Good luck!
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When I do touch up repairs I send the customer my disclaimer that says I’ll do the best I can to match colors, but don’t expect “factory fresh.” I specifically mention black. Also, poly and nitro don’t play well together but I’ve found (from a tip from Ian) that Mohawk Ultra Flo Ultra Bond spray bonds well with most finishes. It has a chemical additive akin to CA glue that helps it adhere so well. It also has almost no overspray which is a very big deal. Lastly, I’ll mention Mohawk Blendal powder stain which can be applied directly to the surface then sprayed using an air brush. Air brush is a must-have for finish repair. My work got a lot better once I started using it. I usually spray a 50-50 lacquer/thinner mix with the air brush.
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You should check out the loothalong. Evan Gluck is on there every day and is an expert on bass set up. He just shot a bass set up video for Stewmac as well.
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I find my Google site really useful. You can make a business FB page and just use the personal FB for the purpose of having the business page, ignoring the personal fb page basically.
I’ve never had a website. Didn’t see the need.
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One last thing: I use a lot of diffferent colors, like 5-10 different kinds. After a while your eye tells you what needs to be added in the next layer.
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I think if you had started with an amber base and built the edges with powder stain directly applied, you might have gotten more of what you were going for. All that said, I think your work here was pretty excellent and I would have no problem calling that “done!”
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Lastly
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Another process photo of gradually adding color. I use the graining pen on top of the base amber. My graining technique sucks so I’ll keep working on that.
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I’ll chime in too. From watching Ian’s videos I learned to build color from the lightest visible color on the guitar. Here I used amber toner from a can. Then I build up the other colors using the he direct-apply method, bit by bit, with Blendal powder stains. That’s how I blend the edges. Not by spraying color.
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One other suggestion: I’m also a local musician so I told all the musicians I know, and also mentioned it on the local musician fb pages. I made a fb page for my shop and pointed people in that direction. The shop got alot of attention from the fb page. I’ve never felt the need for a website. I have a google business page that also attracts a lot of customers and a Yelp page that is moderately helpful although also more trouble than it’s worth. So get yourself a Google page. It’s very easy. I’m moderately tech savvy, not expert by any means.
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Excellent question!!! Here is how I would handle that: first of all, you definitely don’t want to or need to work for him or anyone else. Let him know about your business and your reviews and offer to have him refer any customers if that would make life easier for him. You are doing him a favor by offering. I’ve done this with several shops in my area and it’s worked fine. There is so much work to be done and so few repair shops that we are not truly competitors. Your business will grow naturally over time. It would be great for you if he agrees to refer to you but also fine if he doesn’t.
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I agree that Titebond would not be adequate. At the very least consider epoxy. If it was my shop, the only method I would try would be carbon fiber mesh wrap with epoxy, aka the carbon fiber overlay. That would hold for sure. Although carbon fiber rods would probably be enough as well. See @ianhatesguitars to get the jig for drilling. It works really well.
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I have a process for determining the answer to this question. Assuming its a job I’m at all interested in, I think about how long it will take me, then I add 2-3 hours because that is how much extra time most jobs tend to take me. Then I multiply it by my hourly rate and add material cost for the final tally. If its a really big PITA job then I might bid a few of those hours at my ovetime rate which is 50% higher than my standard. Currently both rates are respectively $100/hour and $150/hour. Check out he articles I just added to the download section of this forum for more on this topic.
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Mixol gold and copper with clear epoxy.
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I’ve never found it necessary to become certified. I’ve heard it’s a hassle to deal with those jobs, and they pay less from what I understand. If I needed more business then I would definitely become certified. Taylor says they only sell their shims to authorized Taylor techs but I convinced them to sell me a set 🙂
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Hi Garrett, I found it helpful to let my musician friends know about my shop. I am a fairly active local musician, part time. I also am a pretty shameless self promotor, so I generally tell as many people as I can about my shop. Initially I had to use Craigslist to let others know about my shop, but I also utilized a local FB group for musicians and I found a lot of customers that way. I’ve been open around 10 years now so I’m pretty well established, but I remember how good it felt on that FB group over time to get tagged in posts about musicians looking for guitar work. Now my name pops up much more than anyone else’s on those posts. Instagram is not nearly as useful for business development, although I did connect with one of the biggest guitar stores here through IG, and that store now refers many folks to me. Other than FB, the Loothgroup has actually become a fantastic referral source as there are a few on the loothalong who are local to me. One other thing, as my reputation grew, other shops began referring to me as well. Finally, I have been fortunate in the sense that when I opened there were 9 other shops in operation, all of which have closed due to various reasons. I inherited the vast majority of those customers so that has enabled me to stay actually much busier than I ever wanted to be, which is another story on how I managed to resolve that issue. Hopefully this helps you!
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Hey Bryan,
I have always liked square. Not sure how you are outgrowing it since I believe it allows multiple users. I send initial estimates using the invoice feature then I convert that estimate to an invoice once the final amount is determined. The final bill is usually pretty close to the estimated amount. I send the invoice once the job is done. Customer is instructed that pickup can be scheduled once the invoice is paid. I never take payment at pickup. It saves a lot of time and hassle to have them pay before pickup.
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I haven’t seen a video on color building using dry powder stain directly applied to the guitar surface in the manner I do it. Maybe someone has made one. I’m not sure…
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Yeah I hear you. I’ve started declining those types of jobs, I usually tell the customer not to do the work at all if they don’t want to do the full job because there is too big of a chance that they still won’t be happy. If they insist then I give them a written disclaimer so they are clear that the job is a “best we can do” situation. And I charge it by the hour with a high estimate that accounts for the extra time necessary to do the work. That usually is enough to help them decide it’s not worth doing. Good luck!
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Doug, you make very good points here. Much does depend on the situation. And particularly the personalities involved. Job says he is somewhat quiet, so likely not a big self promoter like I am, lol. And maybe not as comfortable with sales pitches or discussions about buisness deals. And obviously the personality of the other shop owner is a big factor here. I’ve found a very wide array of personalities of the local looth shops and music store repair departments. I’ve made it a habit of introducing myself to several shops here, telling them a bit about me and offering my card and the opportunity to send any customers my way if their shop finds the need for a referral, or if there is a repair they prefer not to do. Guitar Center, Music and Arts and a few other local looth shops. The responses I get are anywhere from “sure, sounds great, I have too much work anyway” to stone cold silence, lol. But I have found that it definitely doesn’t hurt to try. And it also helps that most of those shops that I have visited have heard of me at this point, although not all of them have. Either way, the determining factor is really Job’s comfort level in giving that a go with this current shop he is talking to as well as any other shops in his area. Good luck, Job!
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Here is the one I made
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Thanks!
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Thanks a lot, Ryan!
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Thanks, Ian!
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I encourage you to get familiar with touch up refinish techniques if you are going to do headstock repair. Otherwise your headstock work is going to look incomplete.
