Acoustic Guitar Repair in Spokane, WA

The Acoustic Guitar is a marvel in many ways. The natural inclination of the instrument is for its hollow body to implode under string tension. Proper humidification, regular truss rod adjustments (depending on humidity in our region), and even the eventual neck reset are all necessities to keep an acoustic playing properly. When you drop off your acoustic guitar for a set up with Cole Music Co. we will ask you a series of questions about your playing style, your preferences, and what issues you may be having with your instrument. Do you play in alternate tunings? How far up the neck do you Capo? Are you a heavy strummer, or a light picker? From there we can tailor the setup to get the most out of your acoustic guitar. We also do free adjustments for 30 days after your instrument is set up...need something tweaked a bit for your style...no problem, we will make the adjustments quickly and with no additional charges. Not only have we worked on thousands of guitars, we build them from scratch. We are well equipped to handle all the heavy repairs other shops are not able to perform.

Restring…..$20

Remove old strings; clean and hydrate the fretboard; polish the frets; tighten the tuners; install new strings.

Complete Set up….$85

Adjust the truss rod; adjust string height at the nut; adjust action at the saddle; polish out grooves in saddle (when needed),tighten tuners; clean and restring. One of the most common things we address is making sure the radius at the saddle matches the radius at the 12th fret, which is commonly off.

New Bone Nut….$75

A well made nut is an extremly important to the tone and playability of your guitar. A properly cut nut can improve tone, tuning stability, ease of play, sustain, and even intonation. We can custom cut a new bone nut specifically for your instrument and we don’t use premade nuts, or inferior plastic nuts. Graphite, ebony, brass, Tusque, pearl, and Mammoth (legally sourced) are all available by request.

New Bone Saddle….$65

A well fitting Bone Saddle is one of the best upgrades you can give your guitar. Every note you play on an acoustic is affected by the saddle. A properly fit bone saddle will match the radius perfectly at the 12th fret, have better intonation, and generally “brighten’ the tone over a synthetic saddle.

Re-glue Bridge….$50+

Re-glue lifting bridge.

FRET WORK

Fret work is one of the most important, and often overlooked, variable in guitar set up. Professional level fret work is one of the things that seperates a “luthier” from a “guitar tech” and is one of the most requested services we perform. If you want low action, those frets have to be perfect! Contrary to popular belief, having your frets “Plekked” is essentially having a “fret level” done by a machine, and will never be as good as what a skilled luthier can do. We perform all of our fretwork in house and is one of our specialties.

Fret Level…..$110

We take measurements of the truss rod relief, nut height, and string height at the 12 fret; adjust truss rod; level all the frets; recrown and polish all the frets; clean and restring; set the guitar back up to the “original specs” using the measurements we took at the beginning of the procedure.

Individual Fret Replacement….$25 each + Fret Level

Not every guitar with worn frets needs a “complete refret”. Often times we can replace worn frets individually and follow up with a “fret level (see above)”, seamlessly blending in the new frets with the old. This not only saves money, it helps to preserve “originality” of an instrument. Depending on the instrument, a new nut is sometimes required after individual fret replacement.

Complete Refret….$399 ($499 for stainless steel)

A complete refret is a very challenging repair and should only be performed by an experienced luthier. This procedure is one of the things that sets a “luthier” apart from a “repair tech” and takes years to perfect. As vintage guitar experts, as well as guitar builders, we are well versed in the art of fretwork and are equipped to handle “bound necks”, ebony fretboards (which are prone to “chipping”) and maple necks (which require specific procedures for different years of Fender production, as well as finish touchups). Additional charges may be incurred for ebony and maple boards. Quite often a new nut will be required after a complete refret.

Custom Shop Stuff

Having worked on thousands of acoustic guitars (literally), there is probably not a repair or mod we haven’t been asked to perform. With a well outfitted wood shop, as well as our extensive experience, we have the luthier skills that are crucial to ensuring “structural repairs” come out at a professional level. We use “Hot Hide Glue” almost exclusively in our shop. This is the same glue that was used in the “Golden Era” of guitar building by both Martin and Gibson. As vintage guitar experts we are adamant that we use the same glues as was used at the time of construction, regardless of the extra effort.

Remove a broken screw…$35+

(Seriously, let us fix that for you! I put this one at the top because many people don’t know a broken strap button or tuner screw can be removed and repaired like it never happened)

Pickup Install….$65+

We believe that L.R. Baggs makes the best “active” pickups available, and K&K makes the best “passive” acoustic guitar pickups available. They are all USA made and better quality than their import competitors. We stock a full variety of each and we are happy to assist in picking the best pickup for your needs.

Custom Intonation:....$125

Acoustic guitars, with a fiixed saddle inparticular, are extremely difficult to intonate. Using a custom intonation tool we can set the octave at the saddle with amazing accuracy for an acoustic guitar. Pricing includes new bone nut

Tension Leveling….$125

For the discerning player: With vintage, and lightly braced guitars, the top may distort extensively under string tension. This results in the saddle slot not being perfectly level with base of the saddle when tuned to pitch. We have developed a system to jack up the top to replicate where the bridge would be under tension. By “leveling” the saddle slot under simulated string tension, we are able to increase the amount of surface area that the saddle makes contact with the bottom of the saddle slot in the bridge.

Tuner Replacement….$45+

Install new tuners, clean and restring. Modification/Drilling the guitar to accept new tuners will be estimated after evaluation. Parts in addition to labor.

Structural Repair….$ by estimate

Cracks, cleats, punctures, broken necks, busted headstocks...we have extensive experience in repairing and restoring such things. We use “Hot Hide Glue” for most repairs, and have innovated many “uninvasive” repairs to keep vintage instruments authentic. Finish touchups are available depending on circumstances.

Bridge repairs….$ by estimate

Cracked bridge, loose bridge pins, lifting bridge, custom bridge replacement...all common problems we can help with.

Neck Reset….$ By estimate

Every acoustic guitar will need at least one neck reset at some point in its lifetime. Whether it is a dove-tail, a bolt-on, or a slipper-foot neck joint, it will need a neck reset. These are the facts friend. This is one of the most critical repairs one can do on an acoustic guitar and requires experience and skill. Give us a call and we’ll set up a time to evaluate your guitar.

Refinishing….$ by estimate

We are happy to do finish “touch ups” but we only refinish instruments in rare circumstances (see our blog for some cool restorations). Basically, if you have something awesome that needs a complete restoration we are happy to help.