Services

Lessons

Single Lesson (1 hour)- $50

Monthly Plan (4 lessons)- $170

Ludlow Guitars now offers professional guitar lessons on site in our rehearsal studio. Our two resident experts, Garrett V. Alarcon and Dave Ross, teach to players of any level. Lesson plans are custom tailored to each student.

Garrett V. Alarcon

stringdoctor@hotmail.com

(917) 306-3217

Garrett has played with various local bands, opening for some big acts like Iron Maiden, Bon Jovi, Megadeth and Ratt to name a few. During that period he became involved in recording and performance projects with Dave Murray of Iron Maiden and again with Cliff Williams of AC-DC. Garrett moved to Tokyo for two years under a teaching contract with the "Niibori Guitar Center" where he also played as a side man on numerous live gigs and jingles for television and radio. Garrett specializes in composition and arrangemnet, delta style rhythm and picking techniques, scales and soloing, and unlocking the bluesman within by exploring the pentatonics.

Dave Ross

International man of mystery...

Repairs & setups

Guitar repairs & setups | Pedal repairs | Solid state amp repairs | Tube amp repairs

Guitar repairs & setups

Guitar repairs and setups are handled in house by our expert luthier. Set out below are a list of basic services and standard repair costs for each item. But beyond these basics, we can fix just about anything. Bring your guitar in and we will get you a quote; it if can be fixed, we can do it. We also build guitars from scratch. If you are interested in this service check out a few of the instruments we have built and then come in to talk about what we can do for you. If you can imagine it and it is possible to build, we can do it.

Basic services and charges

Restring - $25 (strings not included)
Basic setup - $80 (6 string acoustic & electric guitars and basses)
Basic setup - $95 (12 string guitars, 5 string basses, floating tremolos like Floyd Rose, etc.)

Pickup installation charges assume no electronics modifications. Where wiring or other changes are required then there may be additional charges.

Electronics

Jack re-wire, repair, etc. - $30
Pot replacement, re-wire, etc - $30 each
Pickup installation - $40 for the first, $30 per pickup thereafter for electrics - $80 per pickup for acoustics

Pickup installation charges assume no electronics modifications. Where wiring or other changes are required then there may be additional charges.

Pickup potting - $50 each
Rewiring - $50 minimum **

Fret work

Fret leveling - $150 (includes setup)
Re-fret (standard) - $400
Re-fret of bound or maple fingerboard - $400+

Cracks and structural repairs

Cracked headstock - $100 ** minimum (without paintwork touch-up)
Cracks in top and back of acoustic guitars - approx. $20 per inch **
Loose braces - $30 per brace
Bridge removal and reinstallation on acoustics - $150 minimum **

Nuts and saddles

All nut and saddle work is based on the hourly repair rate, e.g., bone saddle replacement - bone nut replacement - shim and re-cut nut - install plastic nut or saddle

Hourly Repair Rate

$80 an hour

Refinishing

The following prices are the standard charges for refinishing to a single-color gloss finish an instrument that is in clean condition. Multi-color finishes, such as sunburst, special color finishes such as sparkle, and for guitars that require stripping or other body work to get them into shape for painting, there will be additional charges. We can quote almost any paint work that you might require but these figures represent the starting point and apply to the majority of refinishing work for a stripped instrument.

Bolt-on bodies (e.g., Strat® guitar style) - $470.00
Necks with unfinished fretboards (e.g., rosewood Tele® guitar style neck) - $110.00
Necks that need the fretboard to be finised also (e.g., maple Strat® guitar style neck) - $140.00
Set-neck instruments (e.g., Les Paul style) - $570.00

Stripping a guitar from an existing painted finish is $100.00. Satin finishes are easier to do and cost only 80% of the above amounts. The time taken to complete a guitar depends on a number of things, including the weather, and ranges from as little as six weeks to as many as fifteen weeks. We will provide a much more accurate time estimate along with an exact quote for pricing when we receive any specific enquiry.

Enhanced service

For anyone interested in learning how to work on their own instruments, for an up-charge of 20% with a minimum of $20.00, you can sit in while the repair work is carried out and see how it is done for yourself.

Charges that are likely to vary significantly are indicated **.
However, any charge can vary depending on the specific nature of the work.
All prices are for labor only.
Turnaround time is usually 3 to 7 days but this can vary.
Sometimes, for a rush fee of $25, you can get the item back the next day.

Tube amp repairs

Amplifier repairs are handled in house by our expert Technician. Whether you need a basic tune up or a total overhaul, we can fix just about anything! Bring in your amplifier and we will get you a quote. Beyond just repairing amps back to stock specifications, should you request a modification, let our technician know what you’re looking to get out of your amp and he will tailor it to suit your needs.

Here are the general rules: Because of the nature of amplifier repairs, there is no standardized list of repair costs. Our amp repair rate is $80 per hour plus the cost of parts. There is likely to be an initial charge just to look at your amp to determine what the total cost is going to be. This will be agreed to beforehand and will depend on the amp that you have and the work that may need to be done. Once the amp has been looked over we will call you and let you know the status and you can tell us whether you want to proceed or not.

Hourly Repair Rate

$80 an hour

Solid state amp repairs

Due to the use of integrated circuit boards and proprietary chips in most solid state amps, we cannot usually repair these things. If you need to have a speaker replaced or have a loose solder joint on an input jack then we can help you out.

Hourly Repair Rate

$80 an hour

Pedal repairs

Due to the use of integrated circuit boards and proprietary chips in most pedals, we cannot usually repair these things. If you have a loose solder joint on an input jack then we may be able to help you. We are happy to take a look at your pedal and see if there is anything we can do if you want to bring it in.

Hourly Repair Rate

$50 an hour for standard pedals
$80 an hour for Line 6 products & multi effects units

Rentals

We rent out all types of gear: guitars, basses, keyboards and amps (but not effects pedals). The rates are 10% of the value of the goods for each night that the goods are in the possession of the renter, with a minimum daily charge of $50.00. To secure the transaction, we ask the renter to enter into a contract to the effect that if the goods are not returned, or are damaged in any way, then the renter agrees to purchase the rented goods at their full value.