Fret Dress + Setup in New Jersey Area?

So, yellow diablo needs a fret dress. Badly. And a setup by someone who doesn't have their head up their *#$( like I do.

My usual guy is booked (as usual) and seems to be getting more and more expensive. I've had good luck with the Eastern School of fretted instrument repair (mouthful!) down in Freehold, and I've heard about a good guy in Freehold, but I wondered if anyone else had thoughts.

Or should I just take it over to BCR Music?

Bill Baker at Dave's Sound Repair in Whippany

Dave Wintz (Robin Guitars, Rio Grande Pickups) recommended this guy to me.

I have not yet tried him out, but that's high praise in my book.

I ended up taking it to forum member YEN for the fret dress/setup, and it plays awesome now. He's got a healthy harem of hamers as well, including some very impressive specimens, like a '92 Archtop Custom with a quilted maple top. Very happy with the work he did. Plays great!!

www.notefornote.net/

tbonesullivan said:

I ended up taking it to forum member YEN for the fret dress/setup, and it plays awesome now. He's got a healthy harem of hamers as well, including some very impressive specimens, like a '92 Archtop Custom with a quilted maple top. Very happy with the work he did. Plays great!!

www.notefornote.net/

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It's my pleasure meeting you tbonesullivan and talking some Hamer. Diablo rules!

Came across this thread late.

I have had experiences both good and bad with the guy linked by kizanski. I live very close by.

Steve Hayes in Colonia is very good, but you may have to wait. Tbone, Patrick (RIP) recommended him to me.

Glad it worked out. Is Zen in central NJ?

Hfan said:

Came across this thread late.

I have had experiences both good and bad with the guy linked by kizanski. I live very close by.

Steve Hayes in Colonia is very good, but you may have to wait. Tbone, Patrick (RIP) recommended him to me.

Glad it worked out. Is Yen in central NJ?

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My guitar teacher uses Steve Hayes. Has for years. He has to wait too. I Think he's had his Tele in there for a few months getting a fret dress. It was so worn he said he'd have to level/crown the frets twice. Steve is a Heritage dealer I believe, so it's not surprising Patrick is familiar with him.

Yen is in Clark NJ, which some would say is central NJ. I dropped my guitar off on Thursday, and picked it up on Sunday. He even did a bit of sanding with a small radius block between a few frets where the previous owner had dug into the board with his fingernails, to make it smoother. Guitar really plays great now. Yen has an identical Diablo with the stock pickups, and said he might like the Tone Zone and 36th anniversary PAF I put in mine better.