Repair / Refinish / Restoration
Retro Guitars offers a full suite of Electric Guitar and Bass Repair. All work is done onsite by Chris O'Dee and includes the cost of materials unless otherwise noted. The below is an approximate estimate for your repair, refinish or restoration. You will get an actual estimate before the work starts after instrument is assesed. Feel free to send pictures detailing scope of work. Any quote given prior to the start of the job is subject to change as the actual work is done and reveals difficulties that could not be pre-determined.
RESTRINGS
String install, oil board, stretch strings, tune to pitch and polish guitar.
6-String
$20
With other work $15
12-String
$30
With other work $25
Floyd Rose Trem
$25
With other work $20
SET-UPS AND FRET LEVELS
Set-ups include diagnostics, redressing and buffing frets, cleaning fret board, tightening hardware, restring, adjusting nut slots, truss rod adjustment, balancing tremolo, adjusting action, setting intonation, checking electronics, adjusting pickups, detail and cleaning. Electro/acoustics get balance of output, and archtops have bridge located and taped.
Fret levels include measuring and leveling frets, recrowning and redressing to a high polish.
Standard
Hard Tails, Les Pauls, Teles, Basic 4-string Basses, Stratocaster style guitars, Guitars with Bigsbys, 7-string electrics, 5-string Basses
$65-$75
With Fret Level $125-$135
Advanced
Locking Tremolo Guitars (Floyd Rose trems), 12-string guitars, 6-string Basses, Jaguars & Jazzmasters (Includes shimming neck, taping bridge and HAN on saddles)
$75-$85
With Fret Level $135-$145
Rickenbacker Bass or 6 String Guitar
Includes glossing board
$90
With Fret Level $150
Rickenbacker 12-Strings
$100
With Fret Level $160
MAINTENANCE & ADJUSTMENTS
Adjust Action or Intonation
Included with set-up
Adjust Truss Rod
Included with set-up
Blocking both sides of tremolo
$20 with set-up
Blocking one side of tremolo
$15 with set-up
Filling nut slot
$3 each additional
First included with set-up
Keyholing bridge slots
Requires set-up
Lower nut slots
Included with set-up
Glossing fingerboard
$15 with set-up
Masking fingerboard
Requires set-up
Clean electronics
With set-up $10-20
Dowel and drill strap button
Lowering nut shelf on Floyd Rose nut
With set-up $15-25
Strap button install
With set-up $7.00
$20
$15
$40
$30
$15
$5-15
$10
$20
$10
$15-25
$10-20
$25
$15
Shimming neck
With set-up $10
Shimming side of neck pocket
With set-up $10-15
Very Dirty Guitar or Rusty/Frozen Hardware
Requires set-up
Removing stickers
With set-up $10-25
Saddle installation for Strat Style
Includes restring
With set-up $15
Saddle installation for Strat Style
Includes restring
With set-up $15
Tuner install, with reaming & drilling 6 string
NO restring
With set-up $30
12 string tuner install
NO restring
With set-up $55
Tuner install, non-dog ears (Spertzels, Schaller)
NO restring
With set-up $35
Pick guard mounting, cutting and shaping required
With set-up $25-$40
Pick guard mounting, LP style, no screws
With set-up $7.50
Pick guard mounting, Strat style, drop in
With set-up $25
Shimming in strap button
With set-up $7.50
$15
$20
$10-40
$15-20
$40-60
$40
$40
$60
$50
$30-50
$12.50
$30
$12.50
NUTS
Includes hand cutting and shaping new fingerboard nut from scratch, and fitting it specifically for each instrument. Some variation in pricing is due to the unexpected difficulty in removing some nuts. It is highly recommended each instrument be set up to ensure optimal playability. Restringing is NOT included. Price excludes cost of blank ($6 for bone/synthetic)
DIFFICULT REMOVAL OF NUT
With Set up $15-25
FENDER STYLE
With Set up $75
Gibson style, acoustic or fender w/ binding
With Set up $80
12 String
With Set up $125
Install Plastic Nut
With Set up $30
Graphite
With Set up $85
Brass or Steel
With Set up $120
Blanks are $10
5 String Brass Bass Nut
With Set up $125
Blanks are $25
$15-25
$90
$95
$150
$35
$100
$160
$170
Adjusting Floyd Rose Nut Shelf
With Set up $15-25
Install LSR Roller Nut w/rout
With Set up $170
Install Floyd Rose nut w/rout
With Set up $170
Shimming up and Re-cutting Nut
With Set up $25
Raising Nut Slot 1st/each additional
With Set up $10/$3
Building up broken nut
With Set up $25
Lower Nut Slots
Included
$25-45
$175
$175
$30
Included/$3
$30
$10
BINDING WORK
Re-glue Loose binding on top, side or back with touch up
This is a very difficult repair and can require lots of touch up to make it work and look good.
$175 1st side
Each additional side $125
Repair Binding that is missing, cracked, disintegrating
This is another very time consuming repair. Often, we may recommend refinishing the whole guitar.
$275 1st side
Each additional side $175
Replacing Binding, on any part of the guitar
Must Quote
BRIDGES
All prices are for 6 strings except where otherwise noted. Add $10-20 extra for 12 strings. Restring is NOT included unless otherwise mentioned.
Mount new bridge, Tune-O-matic or Strat hard tail
$20
Mount new Tremolo (Strat, F. Rose, etc)
$20
Mount Bass Bridge (Leo Quan or other style)
$30
Mount Tele Bridge
$30
Installing Bridges
Some woodworking, includes set up
Tune-O-matic
plugging/drilling holes
$120-160
Tremolo
plugging holes/carving rout
$120-180
Bigsby Install
$120
Bigsby Install on Tele
With bridge install, cups, trem, set up
$200
Tele
mounting, drilling holes through body, etc
$300
Bass
$85-120
Rout for Install
Strat (no existing trem)
Includes Set up
$300
Floyd Rose original, with lock nut
No lock nut +$50
Includes Set up
Floyd Rose with back rout, with lock nut
No Lock Nut $50
Includes Set up
Electronics
Minimum Bench fee or diagnosis
Hollow bodies add-on
Pick up installation
$60 Two
$70 Three
Pick up Installation on Tele, Bridge
Pick up Installation on Tele, Neck
Pick up Installation on Tele, Set
Repairing/rewinding Pick ups, Single Coil
With uninstall and reinstall
Humbucker $175
Rout body, Flat top
Each additional $50
Rout Body, Les Paul or Archtop
Each additional $55
Rout Pick Guard
Each additional $30
Install Midi pick up
Removable screw in
With full permanent routing install (does not include cost of making backplates) $300+
EMG Install
1 pick up, 2 pots, jack & battery
Each additional $10
3 pick up Strat or Noiseless install $80
Les Paul with 4 pots $120
I
nstall On-board acoustic pick up system
$20-25
Clean Electronics
Top load (Strat style)
$20
$20-60
$50 One
$60
$50
$65
$125
$90 1st
$100 1st
$55 1st
$40
$80
$180
$20-25
$10-20
$20-25
$40
$12.50
$40
$20
$12.50
$30
$125-200
$160-240
$70
$80
$60
$200+
Clean Electronics
Back Load (LP style)
Replace Pot
Two pots $60
Three pots $75
Four pots $90
Replace Jack
Resolder Jack
Replace Switch, Les Paul style
Replace Switch, Strat style
Push Pull Pot Install
Each additional $25
Tap Switch Install
Each additional $25
Total Rewire
Regular
Total rewire
Hollowbody
Shield Guitar Cavity, Copper
Plus materials $8
Shield Guitar Cavity, Paint
Plus materials $8
Wax Potting Pick ups
Includes uninstall/reinstall
Each additional $17.50
Install Fernandez Sustainer
Does not include cost of making backplates. Price may vary.
FRETS & FINGERBOARDS
Full Fret level & re-crown, Basic 6 String
With Set up $60
Fret-end File
With Set up $40
Fret Level, re-crown and Fret ends
With Set up $90
Re-Crown only
With Set up $30
Humidify and level frets
With Set up $60
Seal, Seat and Level
Must have Set Up
$80
$50
$125
$40
$80
$100
$80
$50
$125
$40
$80
$100
Re-seat fret
Each additional $12
With Set up, each additional $6
Skunk Stripe Level and crown
With Set up $60
Heat set Neck
Must have Set up
Only guaranteed with refrets
Scallop fretboard, no refinishing
Includes Set up
Scallop fretboard, with refinishing (maple board)
Includes Set up
Replace Fender Am Std Truss nut
Includes Set up
$17.50 1st
$90
$40-60
$400
$550
$300-350
PARTIAL RE-FRETS
Includes fret level, re-crown and set up on 6 string
1 Fret $140
2 Frets $150
3 Frets $160
4 Frets $170
5 Frets $180
6 Frets $190
7 Frets $200
Guitar with Binding Add $20
FULL RE-FRETS
Includes Fingerboard plane, slot clean and seal, fretting, level and crown. Material cost $10 per re-fret, $25 for stainless steel or "EVO gold" fret wire. Compound radius can be done at no extra charge.
Unbound rosewood or ebony
$325
Unbound Maple
$335
Bound Rosewood or Ebony
$350
Bound Maple
$360
New nut with re-fret, 6 string
Plus materials $6
$60
New nut with re-fret, 12 string
Plus materials $6
$85
Refinishing fingerboard with re-fret, glossy
$175
Refinishing fingerboard with re-fret, matte
$100
Hand rubbed finish with re-fret
Gunstock finish
$80
Stainless Steel fret upcharge
Labor only $80
Plus Materials $25
FINGERBOARDS
Does not include cost of materials. Must quote.
Build, fret and install unbound rosewood or ebony fingerboard
$650 & up
Build, fret and install bound rosewood or ebony fingerboard
$750 & up
Rebind fretboard, touch up and re-fret
$600 & up
NECKS
Mounting neck, no drilling
With Set up $20
$40
Mount Neck, with drilling
With Set up $40
$60
Dowel and drill stripped neck
With Set up $30
$45
Replace or fix truss rod
Includes Set up
Plus Materials approx $30
$600 & up
Heat set neck
No maple. Rosewood/Ebony only.
Not a guaranteed repair
$40-800
Re-glue Loose Neck, Celebrity style
Must have Set up.
Not a guaranteed repair
$160-180
NECK RESETS
Includes Set up and new saddle. Proper playability is not guaranteed without a full refret.
Les Paul
Includes touch up and Set up
With Refret $800
Plus Materials $10
$500
SG Guitars (no binding)
Includes touch up
With Refret $700
Plus Materials $10
$600-650
Hollowbodies (Gibson ES style) or Archtops
Includes Set up and touch up
With Refret $800-850
Plus Materials $10
Add $25
Any guitar with binding
Add $25
CRACKS AND STRUCTURAL
Headstocks and top cracks. Guitars with multiple cracks will be done at a discounted rate per crack. -25% per each additional crack.
CA seal crack, 1"-3"
Finish only, no touch up
3"-6" $115-125
Over 6" Must Quote
$90-100
Glue Crack, 1"-3"
Includes cleating and touch up
3"-6" $200
Over 6" Must Quote
$175
Plus Materials $8 (majority of top cracks)
Glue Crack,
Includes Splint and touch up
1"-3" $200-250
3"-6" $250-300
Over 6" Must Quote
Plus Materials $9
Headstock Re-glue (no touch up)
Plus Set up
$100-125
Headstock Off, no splines
Plus Set up
With Splining and touch up $700+ Must Quote (Includes Set up, Plus Materials $10)
$150
Headstock with Expert Touch up
Plus Materials $8
$350 & up
Rebuilding Headstock
Includes Set up
Plus Materials $10
$750 & up, Must Quote
PAINT AND TOUCH UP
Finish repairs are the hardest to price. All prices are subject to change. Each touch up must be evaluated by a tech at the Production shop. Please allow 4 weeks minimum for all finish repairs and 90-120 days for refinishes.
BUFFING AND SANDING
Buffing Out Top, Acoustic
$60
Buffing Out Top, Electric
$80
Buffing Out Whole Guitar, Acoustic
$100-$120
Buffing out whole guitar, electric
$140
Wet sand and buff out top, acoustic
$100
Wet sand and buff out top, electric
$120
Wet sand and buff out whole guitar, acoustic
$200
Wet sand and buff out whole guitar, electric
$225
REFINISH
Touch up
Air brush touch-up
$150 & up
Drop Fill
$75 and up
Crazy Glue Touch-Up
$50 and up
Spray clear over signature, no set up
Must Quote
Refinish neck
No set up, post removal
$275-300
Refinish top
Clear or standard color. Not including bridge removal on acoustics
$400
Refinish side
$200 & up
Refinish Back
$250-$300
Refinish Headstock
$100 + materials
Clear over headstock
$100
TOTAL REFINISH
Includes sanding and color. Price includes cost of stringing and a short set up. Full set up add $40.
Any custom paint must be paid in full $35-60. Standard in-stock colors are $25 per guitar.
Remove Polyurethane paint
Add $100
Metallic
Add $75
White finish
Add $75
Candy Colors
Plus Materials
$700
Sunburst
Add $150
With binding and color on Neck
Add $75
With body binding and color, per side
Add $100
Bolt-on, Fender style Body
Standard color, body only $550-650
Neck and body $750
Plus Materials
Set-neck body and neck
SG, no binding
Plus Materials
$750
Set-neck with binding on body and neck
Les Paul
$850
Custom "aging" job
$150-300
Clear Coat, Glossy
Over body only
$400
Clear Coat, Matte
Over body only
$300