Bench Notes: September 2021

Keeping you up to date on the latest happenings at The Guitar Rescue!

Well, it’s time for an update on the shop - and while I wish I could be all warm and fuzzy I instead need to lay down the hammer once again and stress a few important facts for everyone:

1. Masks are still mandatory. It doesn't matter what you think is acceptable or effective: if you don’t have a mask upon arrival, don’t bother entering. I have a young child at home and I refuse to put him in any unnecessary risk to contacting COVID. This will not change until a vaccination is available for children his age (currently 1.55 years old). And don’t give me a bunch of “masks don’t do anything” or “I have my shots” - these are the rules of the shop and I am sticking to it.

2. Appointments will always be required. Always. Period. Our door has a sign that stresses “appointments only”, and my advice is to heed that notice. The only way I can manage my work flow is to know when someone will be stopping in for a visit (this includes pickup and drop-off for all repairs future and completed alike). Call, text or email for scheduling your appointment. If I don’t know you are coming, I can and will turn you away.

3. This is a one-man shop, and it is very busy. Yes, I might have to screen calls during the day, and yes I get a lot of email inquiries. Just sit tight and I’ll get back to you as soon as I can. If I don't respond, send a follow up message - or try another mode of contact (if you emailed: try calling; if you called: try emailing).

4. Along those same lines, the current wait time is growing. At most given times I have at least 30 to 40 guitars/jobs in the queue ahead of yours upon drop-off. Now some jobs can and do get cranked out sooner than others, but while this is at my sole discretion I will not be able to perform same-day services of most kinds. If I do, count yourself extremely lucky - but don’t hedge any bets on having things done at lightning speed.

5. Please refrain from reaching out to me on any platform other than business phone numbers and emails. If you happen to have my cell number or my personal pages on any social media platform and you contact me regarding work while I am not at the shop, you will be advised to contact me through other avenues. I spend my down-time caring for my son and trying to live a normal life, so please don’t mess up my weekends away from the shop by bothering me about wether or not you should buy F-spaced pickups or not. Instagram is not an acceptable place to message me and Facebook messages are not considered emails. Both of these avenues are of the worst to get ahold of me. Call the shop number (it's posted everywhere and hasn't changed in 10 years: 609-298-6432) and the email is easy to remember as well: either info@theguitarrescue.com or theguitarrescue@gmail.com .

6. Manufacturing lead times are delayed heavily across the board. This is affecting my custom builds severely. Between parts manufacturers being back-logged and raw materials sky-rocketing in price, the shop is experience a huge hiccup in finishing custom builds. If you have an order in, be patient and I will accommodate you however I can.

7. Strange to have to mention this, but unless my name is on the headstock I did not build your guitar and I am in no way responsible for the problems it may have, but I can and will offer modes of repair to help it along. If your neck is misshapen and requires frets to be ground down for your desires, I will accommodate. But a $500 guitar that might need $400 of work in the end is not my fault. I'll point out the flaws, quote the price and let you judge what you would like to do, but in the end I can only stand behind my work and not the manufacturer of your instrument.

8. Last bit of venting (and this circles back to my earlier point about being a one-man shop)… I’m a new dad, and sometimes life will get in the way of the shop. If I end up having to cancel appointments or call out at the last minute to care for my son, I will do my best to notify everyone on the docket for the day. I know this may pose an inconvenience to you and your plans if you are one of the cancelled during such a time, but if you were in my shoes you would do the same thing. So stop and think before leaving a voicemail in anger or posting that you “showed up but no one was there”. As a one-man operation one employee out is all employees out. Bottom line: my son and his safety and care will always come above a guitar.

I don’t want to be a downer, but this is how it is. The shop is busier than ever, and the industry is still facing a lot of issues with supply & demand. I am human, and not a machine. I would rather stand behind my work completed to the utmost quality than just “fast” - so please stay patient and know that I am doing all I can to make everyone happy (an impossible task to say the least).

That being said, I want to thank everyone who has understood my position up to this point in time: your cooperation and understanding makes my day to day just a bit easier to manage.

Thanks & see you at your next appointment!