Late 1950's Repair Price List - Willock Music Service

[Thomas James]

I thought some of you might get a kick out of this little piece of history. (attached)

The front shows prices for guitar, banjo, and mandolin repairs. The back shows Martin serial number info. It stops at 1956.  ~ Just Dial: Citrus 2-0449. Willock's name still echoes in repair shops around town. This was given to me by an old-timer customer.

[William F.Eden]

That looks a lot like my price list now Thomas.Bill...............

[Thomas James]

Bill, I have stack of work for you! :)

[Eric Steven Johansen]

That's a California shop! Sure glad we can charge a bit more than that today.

[Frank Ford]

THANKS for posting this bit of history!

[Ned Knepp]

I did a bit of checking and found that $1.00 in 1956 is equal to $8.42 today.By that standard, leveling and rounding the frets on a guitar was going for about $55.00 in todays market.  For those of you that actually get paid for your work, how does this list, adjusted for inflation, compare to things today? 

[Eric Steven Johansen]

Ned, Thanks for putting this in perspective. $90+ to re-glue a neck feels a whole lot better.

[William F.Eden]

Well my price is  $75.00 for leveling and dressing the frets.......Bill.............

[Ron frazier]

I replace strings and level frets adjust truss rods adjust string hight  for $60.00.  It takes about 15 minutes.

I adjust all new guitars that come into my store as they mostly are to me unplayable. I let them set a couple of weeks to get used to the weather.  We sell lots of Chinese guitars for $100.00 and all need adjusted.  This is not a prumem job but I cant sell them if they cant push the strings down to make a chord. I have converted a old key machine to remove the height of saddles and it takes about one minute to get a very flat bottom and if I have to make a new saddle I can arch the top and use the old saddle as a pattern.  To reround the top takes a lot longer.

I think if the customer cant play the thing he wont practice and learn to play.

Ron

[Frank Ford]

While  you're pondering that, consider how much higher the standards are today . . .

[Ned Knepp]

I was actually thinking that it takes me so long to do a leveling and dressing that $75.00 wouldn't make me anything!  There's a reason that I don't do this for a living.

 I was already thinking about that. It's hard to figure out how anyone ever learned to repair instruments in the 50's. Now there is so much information available that I can learn to do it, even if it does take me forever and I don't know that I would try on a really good instrument, at least not with out a lot more experience. 

[Robert May]

"Just Dial: Citrus 2-0449". Oh, I'd like to, for fun. I mean if I could call back to '56 and ask how much for a compound radius refret, scalloped with 6100 frets.