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Repair Menu
* All repairs are subject to Wisconsin sales tax, prices are for cost of work done and or parts included. Any estimates for work to be done are subject to change upon receipt of instrument in person.
* Estimates of time required for work to be done are “estimates”.
*Minimum repair costs for 2025 of $500 are required for pick-up and drop-offs @ Madsen Guitars Neenah shop (with appointment only), all repairs under this amount can be scheduled with Scott Aurther at the Island Music’s New London location.
*No electronic wiring work is offered from Madsen Guitars
Setup
Standard Acoustic/Electric/Bass/Mandolin/Banjo Setup: $85
Includes- Restring, Intonation check, Truss Rod Adjustment, Cleaning, Tuner check/lubricate, Adjust saddle or Nut
-Floyd Rose or 12-string add $20-$45
Nut or Saddle
Bone Nut for Acoustic/Electric/Bass/Mandolin: $70
Includes- Unbleached Cow Bone sized .125”-.240” w/dial gauge measurements to .025”-.016”
Bone Saddle for Acoustic Guitar : $60
Includes- Unbleached Cow Bone sized 3/32”-⅛”+ Compensated for proper intonation dependent on brand instrument.
-Cut through or wide saddles additional: $40
Fret Work
*Madsen Guitars default for fretting issues is replacement not dressing vast portions of fretboards- please keep this in mind
Re-Dress Frets In Tension Jig: $200
Partial Refrets: $27 per fret Nickel - $30 Gold - $32 Stainless
Full Refret on Fender style Rosewood board: $325
Includes: New Nickel Wire, Reslot w/dental bit, Epoxy or CA glued, Sealed w/paste wax, polished to 1500 grit, dressed strung to pitch (either tension jig or understring sanded)
-Bone Nut add + $40
-Finish Maple fretboard +$200
-Gold + $50
-Stainless + $100
Full Refret on Electric or Acoustic: $375
Includes: New Nickel Wire, Reslot w/dental bit, Epoxy or CA glued, sealed w/paste wax, polished to 1500 grit, dressed strung to pitch (either tension jig or understring sanded)
-Hemispherical Fret ends +$100
-All frets tangs cut back for binding unless specified differently
-Gold +$50
-Stainless + $100
Compression Fretting for Acoustic: $450
Includes: Generally performed post neck reset, placement and measurements taken in the neck jig system tuned to pitch. Slot cleaning is performed so that the neck shift frets slots are disturbed at a minimum, slots over the heel and body will be cleaned with a dental bit.
Acoustic Bridge Work
Reglue Standard Bridge: $85-$125
Includes: Removal and clean-up seal bridge pin/pickup holes and re attach with Titebond Glue.
-Hot Hide glue +$30
-Spruce slip to fill gap +$20-$50
Replacement Bridge: $75 -$175
Includes: Indian Rosewood/Amazon Rosewood/Ebony custom shaped and templated to former footprint with intonated saddle location.
Saddle Slot Work: $50-$150
Includes: Fill current slot w/approparte wood match- Locate Intonation - Recut with 3/32”-¼” Saddle size
Bridge Plate Retainer: $75-$125
Includes: .075” Hard Maple Rift-sawn 1”X ½ ” past bridge pin width glued with CA or Hide
-Fill, Redrill,Ream,Reslot Bridge Pin Holes +$25-$50
Fit New Bridge Pins: $20-$50
Includes: Resize with 5 or 3 degree tapered reamer +Fill with rosewood or ebony dust/compacted/saturated with thin CA glue
Keyhole String Slots in bridge : $25
Includes: Measure appropriate string width/ slot-saw and file clean top of bridge with 400-grit
Acoustic Neck Reset
Standard Dovetail Martin: $450
Includes: Tongue heated removal 3/32” Hole Drilled at the 15th, ¼” from either side of the Dovetail steam injected or heat stick with pressured heel release. Pitch reset to appropriate bridge/saddle proportion with top lift compensation calculated into measurement. Preglued wedges or shims to tighten dovetail prior to final assembly. Fingerboard tongue ramped to proper straight line angle with ebony or rosewood. Light finish touch-up to blend fretboard wedge or neck heel. Titebond reassembly, Light fret level/crown,polish. Refretting after a neck reset will achieve the best results and is recommended.
-Hide Glue Assembly +$35
-Binding applied wedge +$45
Gibson or any finish over Neck Reset: $575-$750
Includes: Finally cut finish around Neck Heel and Fretboard. Tongue heated removal, 4 x 3/32” Holes Drilled at the dovetail corners and body joint. Holes positioned from either side of the Dovetail, steam injected or heat stick with pressured heel release. Pitch reset to appropriate bridge/saddle proportion with top lift compensation calculated into measurement. Preglued wedges or shims to tighten dovetail prior to final assembly. Fingerboard tongue ramped to proper straight line angle with ebony or rosewood. Light finish touch-up to blend fretboard wedge and or neck heel. Titebond reassembly, Light fret level/crown,polish. Refretting after a neck reset will achieve the best results and is recommended.
-Hide Glue Assembly +$35
-Binding applied wedge +$45
Taylor NT Reset: $85-$135
Includes: Measure top uplift and calculate proper desired string angle from bridge. Unbolt neck and resize NT shims for proper height of neck angle. Reinforce wood around the metal insert area with thin CA glue (commonly these will crack the end grain of the neck heel over time). Re-bolt and apply oil-based filler to gaps as necessary. Light fret dressing might be required and may increase cost. Setup and Restring included. Refretting after a neck reset will achieve the best results and is recommended.
Modern Bolt Mortise Neck Reset: $150-$325
Includes: Measure top uplift and calculate proper desired string angle from bridge. If possible to unbolt and lean the heel away from the body to slip sand the neck heel this is done when no mortise is present. Otherwise removal of the tongue will be required. If a pitch wedge is warranted a ebony or rosewood one will be fabricated. Light fret dressing might be required and may increase cost. Setup and Restring included. Refretting after a neck reset will achieve the best results and is recommended.
Cracks/Braces/Binding Work
Cracks and Cleating
Individual Cracks Glued/Cleated per 1”: $25
Includes: Sitka Spruce ¼-sawn ¾”x ¾” Cleat glued with titebond along with seam. Seam glued first and then cleat glued using clamps or rare earth magnets.
Finish touch up Lacquer or CA Glue : $28 per inch
Hide Glue: + $6 per inch
Released Brace Reglue: $50-$125 per brace (still attached)
Includes: Cleaning of remaining glue to create a new bonding surface, reglued with titebond and clamped with standard wood cauls.
Hot Hide Glue: +$25
Custom Made Cauls: +$15-$50
Detached Brace Reglue: $85-$175
Includes: Cleaning of remaining glue to create a new bonding surface, reglued with titebond and clamped with standard wood cauls.
Hot Hide Glue: +$25
Custom Made Cauls: +$15-$50
Installed Spruce “Popsicle” Fingerboard Brace
Includes: Red or Sitka Spruce ¼sawn ⅝”-⅞” .08” Brace fitted and hide glued in to support cracks along fingerboard sides.
Plastic Repairs
Martin Pickguard Curl Repair: $125-$225
Includes: Release pickguard from top to relieve shrinkage pressure. Mapping of Brace pattern around pickguard. MDF Corked Lined Clamping Caul inserted inside with outside MDF block for appropriate pickguard shape. Titebond glue is inserted into the gape between the top and pickguard. Several C-clamps will be used to laminate the pickguard. Keeping the original guard is important for maintaining historical value. In some situations the shrinkage of the pickguard will cause a top crack underneath B or G strings, also on O models the Treble X brace can have a tendency to release. Both of these issues will be on the higher end of the above price.
Released Plastic Binding; $85-$400
Includes: The use of plastic binding in guitar construction has its many issues, depending on brand of instruments different repair techniques must be used. In general most binding is applied using a melting glue that will cause the plastic to shrink over time, this not the strength of the glue is the problem. Releasing that stress is the only way to truly fix the issue in the long run. Portions that release from the waist must be peeled back to either the neck joint or tailblock. Using the original melting glue is discouraged as most of the time it will eat into the finish. Some manufacturers' warranties recommend using Titebond which is not a realistic long term fix as wood glue doesn’t adhere to plastic, it may hold for a time but not for long. Over years of repair and building experience I have settled on full strength epoxy as the best long term fix for plastic binding repairs or building methods. This makes the job more labor intensive but does eliminate the issues with return visits for customers. Finish touch-up and blending is an added cost and is condition dependent.
Finish Work
Nitro-Cellulose Lacquer Touch-ups: $150 and Up
Includes: Spray application with minor taping and overspray control. Minimum of 8 day curing time, wet sand/buff to appropriate gloss. Colors/Stain or shading will add costs.
CA Glue Drop fill : $75 and Up
Includes: Fill with appropriate viscosity glue, allow to cure. Scrape/Wet sand/Buff
Nitro-Cellulose Lacquer Refinish Buffed
Martin Style Construction: $1350
Gibson Style Acoustic: $1500
Les Paul or Archtop: $1850
Strat Body: $575