The Calico Repair Process
Professional Care For the Instruments You Depend On
A look inside from appointment to pick up
The Shop
Our facility is purpose-built for instrument care and restoration.
- Clean and organized
- Appointment only workshop
- Temperature and humidity controlled
- Profesional grade tools & equipment
- Storefront location in downtown Nesconset
- 24/7 Video Surveillance
- Security system with central monitoring
- Insured against theft or damage
The Philosophy
Guitars and Basses are deceptively intricate pieces of equipment; A seemingly minor issue can make a world of difference in the instrument’s playability. Music making is challenging enough without unnecessarily fighting the shortcomings of an instrument that isn’t up to the task! As such, we recommend having guitars and basses professionally evaluated and setup regularly.
Sometimes the answer is “don’t repair it.”
Our job isn’t simply to find something to fix. We want to understand the instrument, identify the cause of the problem, and help you make an informed decision about what—if anything—should be done.
All Evaluations Include:
- Assess instrument for overall structural integrity: check finish, glue joints, and neck angle
- Check neck for straightness and determine if truss rod is working correctly
- Make sure frets are level, properly seated, and not excessively worn
- Visually inspect nut and saddle for any imperfections
- Test that all electronic components are working correctly (if applicable)
- Measure action and intonation
- Play through to asses overall feel
How It Works:
We set to work on your guitar or bass the moment you contact us. When booking, you will be asked some general information about the instrument and the service requested; This information helps point us in the right direction. If necessary, we may follow up via email to request photos or further information.
Upon arriving for your appointment, we will briefly assess the instrument, its maintenance history, your preferences and style of play, as well as any specific concerns that you have. You will then be e-mailed a detailed claim ticket with an estimated cost for all work prescribed. All quotes are based off of our extensive repair price list, so you know that you are being treated fairly.
We aim to perform service “up to a standard” rather than “down to a price”. During the course of repair, we prefer to do what is necessary to get your instrument performing its best. As such, minor changes to the initial estimate may apply. However, should anything major come light, we will contact you for authorization before performing the additional work.
In-shop evaluations are subject to a $60 minimum bench fee. For some concerns, this fee may represent the total cost of the repair. For larger services, the bench fee is incorporated into the listed service price and is not charged separately.
In the rare event that a client chooses not to proceed with the recommended work, we reserve the right to collect the $60 bench fee to cover the time spent evaluating and diagnosing the instrument.
Quality work takes time. In order to provide thorough service and return instruments promptly, the shop accepts a limited number of appointments each day. Before repair work begins, we routinely spend 30 minutes to an hour on an instrument between correspondence, inspection, diagnosis, and, when necessary, research.
The bench fee allows us to devote that time and attention to each instrument without compromising the quality or thoroughness of our evaluation.