guess how much guitar center charges for pickup replacements?

[TattooedCarrot]

Re: guess how much guitar center charges for pickup replacements?

Local guy I've been using for years ballparks it, but generally charges me $40 for swapping out pickups & electronics in any config, including as a simple setup. He's done more complex work like fret leveling and crowning for $60-$80 and complete refins (not the most expert job mind you, more like relic quality) for $100 which includes total stripping, refin, and disassembly and reassembly, the whole thing.

 

[TheLivingDead]

Re: guess how much guitar center charges for pickup replacements?

Somebody's makin' bank.

 

[Joaquin]

Re: guess how much guitar center charges for pickup replacements?

thats odd because my gc charges only 20 bucks a pickup, it depends on whos the repair guy, some stores hire local repair men who have their own shop already and they charge their charge, some gcs hire their own men and charge less

 

[shred1980now]

Re: guess how much guitar center charges for pickup replacements?

the guitar store around here is $25 for the first pickup and $5 for each one after. i cant solder very well at all so i always go there. problem is it always takes them about a month to get your guitar back to you because they are so busy all the time and you get put on a list. i would never pay $70, thats nuts.

 

[Jessie's ghost]

Re: guess how much guitar center charges for pickup replacements?

the guitar store around here is $25 for the first pickup and $5 for each one after. i cant solder very well at all so i always go there. problem is it always takes them about a month to get your guitar back to you because they are so busy all the time and you get put on a list. i would never pay $70, thats nuts.

So is waiting a month. They're under-charging if they're that busy.

 

[Snoogles]

Re: guess how much guitar center charges for pickup replacements?

i think i heard somewhere that GC techs rent out the work space, and aren't even paid employees

 

[9unslin9er]

Re: guess how much guitar center charges for pickup replacements?

i think i heard somewhere that GC techs rent out the work space, and aren't even paid employees

Yup, I was just at GC, 14th St. Manhattan.

Seperate company. So I'm thinking at least $20 from that $70 goes to their rental fees for the booth. Sounds fair to me.

If you know someone who'll do it cheaper, go to them. Don't trash GC for being a money making establishment.

I'm also happy it's an actual tech, and not some GC employee who messed around with his LTD in his basement.

 

[AlexR]

Re: guess how much guitar center charges for pickup replacements?

I was lucky - I've just paid $80Aus for 2 pickups into a semihollow (and we all know how much of a nasty job that can be, but I'm a regular customer there) - and we also have a much higher minimum wage than the US too. Generally things are about double by the time they get here (SD pickups are generally $180 +).

I think $70 is a bit high for a straightforward job, but if you were needing to remove other pickups to thread the lead through then that would be more acceptable. Perhaps they have a flat fee and need to get a balance point between the easy and the labour intensive.

 

[9unslin9er]

Re: guess how much guitar center charges for pickup replacements?

we also have a much higher minimum wage than the US too.

Fock, I need to retire in Australia.
Then I can play hair metal w/ Casey Jones in Perth.

How are your gun control laws?

 

[BrianS.]

Re: guess how much guitar center charges for pickup replacements?

As a person who makes part of their living as a guitar repair person, I'm glad to see a few people sticking up for us. As has been pointed out, many of us pay for/maintain our own tools; had to pay for schooling and spend a considerable amount of time on customer service, etc...not all techs are just dudes that like messin' with guitars!

I have seen what untrained guitarists can do to the wiring of a guitar! Most people don't have the right tools to solder properly, let alone know how to do it.

Seventy bucks seem excessive, but hey, if people are willing to pay that much, it is what it is.

 

[AlexR]

Re: guess how much guitar center charges for pickup replacements?

Fock, I need to retire in Australia.
Then I can play hair metal w/ Casey Jones in Perth.

How are your gun control laws?

Well, we seem to control the handing out of guns to idiots for the most part, so pretty good. I think you need to learn to jump thru hoops first. then I think you can only own guns if you belong to a gun club, and there are severe restrictions on what you can own.

So for most sane people its a great place to live:friday:

 

[verbotenco]

Re: guess how much guitar center charges for pickup replacements?

If you think about it, $70 is not an unreasonable amount to charge for a pickup change. But it is crazy to pay that much for something you can do yourself.

They probably have too many people on payroll so that 70 bucks will go to that.

 

[verbotenco]

Re: guess how much guitar center charges for pickup replacements?

I was lucky - I've just paid $80Aus for 2 pickups into a semihollow (and we all know how much of a nasty job that can be, but I'm a regular customer there) - and we also have a much higher minimum wage than the US too. Generally things are about double by the time they get here (SD pickups are generally $180 +).

I think $70 is a bit high for a straightforward job, but if you were needing to remove other pickups to thread the lead through then that would be more acceptable. Perhaps they have a flat fee and need to get a balance point between the easy and the labour intensive.

I paid about 6 US dollars (Rp 50 thousand) for installing 2 pickups by an experienced luthier. Two years before I paid 30 bucks for a refret. And the work is superb. You know how cheap labor is in here.;;)))

 

[Jakek5150]

Re: guess how much guitar center charges for pickup replacements?

Sam Ash did the work on my Charvel for $40. Now that I've learned more about that kind of thing, I can probably do it on my own, but $40 isn't bad, IMO. The music theory teacher at my high school said someone he knew paid $50 basically just to have new strings put on.

 

[guitar74]

Re: guess how much guitar center charges for pickup replacements?

My god! I used to charge $40 for two, and that included any kill switches, coil taps, etc. The bad thing about it is if their attention to detail for this is no better than getting to actually greet me when I go in, I wouldn't want them to touch my axe.

 

[brunogio]

Re: guess how much guitar center charges for pickup replacements?

The guy who used to work at the GC in Boston when it first opened was really good but not an employee of the store. I've heard of prices in this town (which is pricey) to go between40 a set to 50 each pickup.

If the guitar is one of my better ones, I let my friend do it (he's a pro repair guy) and it's $40. If it's a project guitar I do it myself. I'll probably do my own from now on because it's something I've done enough of to be confident about doing it right.

 

[tonello]

Re: guess how much guitar center charges for pickup replacements?

I didn't go to guitar center, because they "stole" my friends guitar. He took it to them, and they lost it. When you sign their paper work, they lose all liability for lost or damaged instruments. So I took it to a friend who did it for like $20.

 

[PRSfan nym 1985]

Re: guess how much guitar center charges for pickup replacements?

here's the deal when you take guitars to anyone to get work done you are paying for more than simply the job at hand.....you are paying for parts, labor, rent, utilities, tools, etc. As with most things it's cheaper to DIY, but you probably don't have tools, let alone of equal or better quality than most techs, and you probably don't have the same amount of experience so whether or not you want to admit it there is a greater amount of risk.

Frankly I have to agree that a lot of people don't know how to "properly" solder. I'm pretty picky about who I let work on my guitars in general because a lot of "techs" really don't know what they are doing. I wouldn't trust most people to solder let alone cut a nut, do intensive setup work, touch my truss rod, or work on my frets.

Bottom line is if you feel comfortable doing your own work then DIY and don't ***** about other people taking their stuff to someone else. Likewise if you do take your guitars to get worked on do your homework before going anywhere. Find the best deal and the best luthier/tech you can.

It's hard to say if $70 is a good deal, every location/market is different. Typically it's only about $50 give or take where I am on average. Some jobs are considerably cheaper some are more expensive it really just depends on what you are doing, how much bench time it'll take up, and if you need to add parts into the mix.

 

[9unslin9er]

Re: guess how much guitar center charges for pickup replacements?

I didn't go to guitar center, because they "stole" my friends guitar. He took it to them, and they lost it. When you sign their paper work, they lose all liability for lost or damaged instruments. So I took it to a friend who did it for like $20.

I really doubt this is at all true.

However, giving it the benefit of the doubt, if your friend read this contract and STILL signed it, he's a retard.

 

[Varg]

Re: guess how much guitar center charges for pickup replacements?

At the gig we played on Saturday night there was a 16 year old kid there with a BC Rich, Floyd bridge. He broke a string and didnt know how to change it, had no tools or anything, so I did it for him and he told me he normally pays the local shop £40 to change his STRINGS!!!!