Brian Howard Guitars - NEVER AGAIN

[pianoguyy]

As to what is and is not included:
My regular guy includes a fret polish with his setups. That is something I am just accustomed to. Setups aren't just string changes, why shouldn't fret and fretboard work be included?
However, I won't complain about differences in included services when there isn't an industry standard. I am more concerned about the heinous errors in his repair work.


Either way, a copy and paste of the Brian Howard Guitars website states:
All set ups include; truss rod, nut and intonation adjustment (if applicable), adjust action, cleaning and polishing frets and fretboard, tightening loose hardware, spraying and cleaning of electronics, pickup height adjustment, cleaning instrument.

And further down the page it says:
Set up included with all fretwork



So, there is no way that I should be looking at dirty fretboards on both guitars, dull frets on one, and all of the issues with tuning and intonation.

[pianoguyy]

My business with him is over.
I will never go to him again. I will strongly suggest no one else does either. If Taylor sends you there for warranty work, request someone else.
************************************************** *******



Its over, I'm done with it. So here is the short version:

I took my stuff back a 2nd time. His attitude almost got him punched (I have been trying very hard to not hurt people anymore). Believe me, I want someone who knows their stuff and is confident enough to assert it. But when I come back to have your work corrected, its not the right time to pull the 'i know more than you' bullshit.

When I went to pick them up again, it was only then that he became very humble. 'You must have caught me on a bad day.' And 'you shouldn't have needed to bring them back.'
I had already made up my mind that I was going to open the cases to make sure they were the right guitars and walk out, and I pretty much did. But he did manage to apologize for his horrible work.
Of course, he also had the time to accuse me of saving money buying strings online and getting knockoffs instead of the real deal... but that is another story.

As I said, he did become humble and apologetic when I was picking them up.
But by that time, between the quality of his work, his attitude, and his pricing; no amount of ass kissing is going change my opinion.



The guitars:

Guitar 1.
Its as good as its going to get without putting a hundred or two into it. I can live with it for awhile.
He definitely cleaned up the fretboard this time, but its still not to concert pitch and the intonation is still off. It was in tune to itself, but to an A-436 instead of 440.


Guitar 2. The one that gave me muscle spasms after his initial work.
I can play it. No more pain. But I don't like it. I don't feel comfortable with it. It just feels wrong.
I think, at least for now, I could use it as a rhythm guitar. But no leads. The action is ok, but... I can't explain it. Something is just not right about its feel.

So, basically, I have two functional guitars.



Brian Howard, from Brian Howard Guitars, in Hummelstown Pennsylvania
Stay the hell away from him.


As of now, the matter is closed.
I no longer want to devote anymore time to him. If you are local and have questions or concerns, I will take private messages. But this is the end of me posting about it. The saga has ended.




**update - as of 2018, he has is in Magnolia, Delaware
***update - as of 2022, he has retired

[Larz]

I looked at that guy's website, he comes across like a mystical luthier or something.

Definitely not the experience you got.