I've been a customer of Music Unlimited in San Leandro in the past and had been very happy with their service. They were very helpful the times I visited, so it was the first place I considered going to. I went in and showed it to one of the guys there. This guy at first feigned ignorance about my guitar and suggested that it might be a fake even after I told him exactly what it was. He gave the impression at first that they just didn't want to do the work as he was presenting obstacle after obstacle to try and talk me out of it. He then said to wait for another other guy. After the other guy said my guitar was "a real Fender" and after I told him what I wanted done, he, instead of working with me, started asking me how much I had paid for it, what kind of investment I had on the guitar, and if it had any sentimental value to me. Then both of them mercilessly tried to get me to instead trade it in for another guitar (any guitar! even the low-end Squiers and unknown brand guitars!) on the spot while offering me a ridiculously and insultingly low trade-in price. When I finally asked them if they could just do what I originally asked, they were very dismissive and not encouraging at all. It was clear to me that they didn't want my business. They just ignored me after I told them I didn't want to trade my guitar in. I didn't even feel like returning to buy strings!
It was a very unfortunate experience because one wants to support small / independent business, but those guys just made me want to stick to the Guitar Center instead (not a knock on Guitar Center mind you).
So now I'm actively looking for a local place where I can take my guitar. Hopefully "Part 2" is going to be the happy ending of the saga of the bridge and nut!
Have you ever been treated like that before? Have you been in a similar situation to mine? Any advice?
Here's a not-so-good picture of a great guitar:
