Customer Reviews/Opinions
This is a collection of the typed out opinions of my setup/tech work from random past customers, along with contact information from the customer -for anyone to verify the review.
Out of the hundreds of customers I've had over just the past few years, it's been hard collecting reviews and getting into contact with past customers (hence the small number of reviews I have).
If I have worked on your guitar in the past through WA Guitar, please feel free to email me a review at any time.
Thanks!
______________________________________________________________________________
Thank you Ricky for your outstanding work. My 81 Gibson SG is a completely new guitar again. Ricky did an exceptional job with installing a brass nut, a complete re-fret job and fret board rework. The action and playability with the Kahler Bridge is awesome with a full new setup. Ricky also worked on my Jackson, with installing a new bridge pickup and a full setup. His customer service is excellent with suggestions up front and letting you know how things are going thru the process asking any questions prior to completion. This was my first time working with Ricky at WA guitar and I can definitely tell he treats anyone's guitar like they are his own. - Thanks again Ricky.
-Robb Allen: [email protected]
---
I couldn't be more stoked on my setup. The action is dialed in and butter-smooth all across the board and the brass nut that Ricky cut adds a dynamic that I've never had before in my playing. I'll definitely be bringing my other guitars to him in the future.
-Cory Jacobs: [email protected]
---
I have played quite a few guitars that you have worked on and I was astonished. The action was perfect, there was so much clarity in the sound... and the brass nut just tops it off.
I always thought that my guitar sounded great, but after you set me up for a great low price, I realized guitars with a bad setup are shit. I would like to thank you for the amazing work you do for a low price for people everyday.
-Dave Todd: [email protected]
---
I have to admit when I first looked at how close the strings were to the frets, I thought to myself "this thing is gonna buzz like a bee hive"....
Then; astonishment when I plugged it in and played .... no buzz anywhere! OMG and the difference in sustain... night and day.
It's so easy to play now dude.. You'll be seeing me again.
-Konrad Neubauer: [email protected]
---
For a setup like mine (heavy playing/ low tuning), Ricky did an excellent job with my guitar. The action and intonation were adjusted PERFECTLY, and the brass nut was the icing on the cake. Polishing of the frets were very nice too.
I had played a show the night after getting my guitar back, and I never felt more comfortable in my playing than ever before with this set up Mr. Dekker has provided for me.
I was surprised at how much the brass nut added a brighter tone to my guitar. It is very much worth it to get it set up by Ricky, for the price and quality, I recommend going to him for a set up.
-Kyle Green, of Listen Closely: [email protected]
---
After other shops totally messed up the nut on my guitar and created other issues, I decided to go to WA Guitar to set up my guitar and get a brass nut. When I got it back it played and sounded great!
Ricky does quality work with a good, affordable price (He's pretty quick too). I highly recommend getting your guitar set up and if you have the money, get a brass nut too.
-Calvin Russell: [email protected]
---
I bought a guitar from Ricky about a month ago, the very first thing I thought when I picked it up was that it was perfect. No strings buzz, and the action is smooth and easy to play. I will never get rid of this guitar for any reason, or will I forsee myself ever changing the set up on it.
-Camrin Ward: [email protected]
---
I've taken every single one of my guitars to you and they've always came back playing better than any other guitar I've ever picked up! Every time I get new guitar strings or new pickups, I always make sure I take my guitars to you because I know they will NOT play any better than after you set them up.
Every aspect of the guitar from the frets to playability, tension to tone, wiring to clarity is PERFECT! Words cannot express how much I can thank you for making my guitars to the best of their ability for such a LOW price!
I trust you with every single one of my instruments because I know that I'm giving them to a professional who knows exactly what he's doing.
Initially setting up my Ibanez 7 string, then taking grand care of my 8 string, after that rewiring and installing new pickups also crafting and installing brass nuts, and finally doing my S series Ibanez 6 string.
I trust you and am confident that my guitar(s) will never be more well taken care of, setup properly, and play better than after you have taken care of them. The frets are always perfectly level and polished so they look nice and shiny as well as letting your fingers glide across the fingerboard.
I will play every single note on every string on the guitar with ABSOLUTELY NO BUZZ OR DEAD NOTES AT ALL with the action still being very low for perfect playability but also with perfect tension to the strings so that there's no problem playing on the low end.
Anyone who doubts you is stupid not to pick you to setup their guitars! Especially at the price. I guess if they feel more comfortable they can pay three times as much money to have their instrument "professionally" setup... but it will still not play as well any of mine, or anyone else's guitar you've setup for that matter!
I will always take my guitars to you until the day I seize to play guitar (never) and I highly recommend your work to every musician I talk to because I know they will be satisfied. Thank you so much!
-David Michalek: [email protected]
---
Excellent Guitar Tech work. Ricky brought my 60's vintage electric back to life with a great setup and a beautiful brass nut upgrade. Got the wiring back into shape too. Consultation was thorough and the complete job was quickest service I have ever had. Thanks!
-Richard: [email protected]
---
Ay yo my boy Ricky does all that good set up work. He set up my entire bands gear before tour and I always go back to him. He even did my fanned fret 8 string and it plays like a dream! If you don't go to him you messin' up brah.
-Jared Dorsla, of Navigator: [email protected]
---
Ricky definitely knows what he’s doing when he sets up guitars. After getting a complete setup, my Agile 8-string shreds like a dream. The installation of a brass nut has increased the clarity and brightness of my guitar’s sound.
Notes ring with greater sustain and distinctness with the brass nut implemented, and the strings also maintain tune very well due to the brass nut. The brass nut is also aesthetically great; the golden color shines epically.
The setup reduced the burden of finger and wrist stress that often results from playing an extended-range guitar while also maintaining a good level of tension. I can now play for longer durations of time with greater ease.
Dead notes have been eliminated, and my guitar sounds fantastic. Ricky also routed my guitar’s pickup slots beyond their initial capacity. I purchased a set of 8-string Duncan Blackouts but my guitar had arrived stock without having been routed for larger pickups.
He managed to extend the pickup slot space to the measurements necessary to accommodate my Blackouts. I’m very impressed with the results; doubtlessly it was a difficult process.
He removed my stock passive pickups, rewired my 8-string for the actives, and installed the new pickups for a very affordable price. My guitar sounds exponentially better with the Blackouts properly installed.
If you need your pickups swapped out from passives to actives, or vise versa, Ricky can get the job done well. I recommend Ricky as a guitar tech. His rates are comparatively inexpensive, and his setup will dramatically improve the sound and playability of your guitar.
-Kev Kellogg: [email protected]
---
I've been playing guitar for 8 years and until now I had never imagined my guitar needed such a serious set up to play to its fullest.
Once WA Guitar got a hold of my Ibanez, I was amazed by the difference in how it played.
The frets were leveled to perfection, and the action was so low the guitar was practically playing itself!
The best way to describe the final result of the set up is that my guitar finally feels "right".
I will be bringing all of my guitars to WA Guitar from now on.
-Derek Gary: [email protected]
---
I saw Ricky's ad on Craigslist for guitar setup. I had just bought a used Fender DG-8 acoustic guitar used from a lady in Seattle. It is in very good shape, she had it about 6 years, but by the serial number it was built in 2000. I have never had a guitar setup so I thought I would have Ricky do it before I got started playing it. It had old strings on that needed to be replaced anyway.
Took it to Ricky, and as shown on his web site he polished the frets, oiled the fretboard, shaved material off of the bottom of the saddle to lower the action. He relieved the string crossings on the nut so the strings don't bind. He adjusted the truss rod to take some of the bow out of the neck, installed and tuned up the new strings.
The guitar plays much easier now,with the action lowered, but still has NO fret buzz.
When I picked the guitar up, Ricky, he carefully went over what he had done, and gave me suggestions about string gauges that I could use to lower the string tension even further. I found the sizes I need in a set of lighter strings by the same manufacturer. (John Pearse)
All and all a job very well done, I would recommend that any one take their guitar to Ricky even if it is new to get it working it's best.
-Andy Lengenfelder: [email protected]
---
I had my guitar setup this week, along with having some rewiring done and a brass nut installed. I've never been so happy with the way any of my guitars have played. The brass nut makes a huge difference in the way notes are voiced. I have to say that this was money well spent and I'll definitely be bringing my other guitars here in the future.
-Ryan Dowty, of Navigator: [email protected]
---
My bass sounded like crap before I brought it in to be set up. It had no life left in it, I don't know how else to put it. I also payed for a brass nut, and now it plays like brand new. The sustain is amazing and you managed to get the strings impressively close to the board without buzzing being a problem. You will be the only person I go to for setups from now on. The price is great and so is the work.
-Dylan Tetzlaff: [email protected]
---
Ricky did an amazing job on my Les Paul. I have to admit I was a little nervous about it, I mean, I found his site on the web, didn't know him, never heard of him, and still I left my baby in his hands. The set up is perfect. It was actually a little disorienting at first. So damn easy to play; I realized I'd been compensating, muscling the thing before he did his magic. Now I just fly all over it, so much fun, and I swear it even sounds better. He made the guitar play in a way that allows me to loosen all the way up, try things I might not have before, to really play from inside instead of just from my hands. That was the real service, for me anyway. Thanks, Ricky.
-Peter Schmalzer: [email protected]
---
I had been having problems for the setup on my 8-String Ibanez for months when a friend of mine referred me to WA Guitar. Finding people who are knowledgable about proper care and setup with extended range intruments is challenging, so I jumped at the referral, and I couldn't be happier with the service I got. My Ibanez Prestige RG 2228 plays and sounds better than the day I received it from the factory. My action is perfect, each of my strings is the proper thickness and tension for my tuning and playing style, and I feel better about my recording and live sound in general. The service WA Guitar offers is unbeatable for the price.
-Michael Freerksen: [email protected]
---
Ricky is AWESOME!!! He made my Ibanez Acoustic Electric sound like something truly out of this world! And timely as heck! It was done before I could even get back the next day. He cleaned up and filed my frets, cleaned the neck, set up the guitar perfectly and installed a new brass nut for better quality sound. I'm definitely bringing more of my guitars to him in the future! Oh and the price!
AMAZING! Top notch. Very professional and to the point. I highly recommend you go to Ricky first before losing your shirt at Ted Brown or Guitar Center. They don't know what the heck they are doing (besides gladly taking your money)
-Adam Martin of iMod iPod Repair: [email protected]
Past customers: please send your reviews to WA Guitar!
Out of the hundreds of customers I've had over just the past few years, it's been hard collecting reviews and getting into contact with past customers (hence the small number of reviews I have).
If I have worked on your guitar in the past through WA Guitar, please feel free to email me a review at any time.
Thanks!
______________________________________________________________________________
Thank you Ricky for your outstanding work. My 81 Gibson SG is a completely new guitar again. Ricky did an exceptional job with installing a brass nut, a complete re-fret job and fret board rework. The action and playability with the Kahler Bridge is awesome with a full new setup. Ricky also worked on my Jackson, with installing a new bridge pickup and a full setup. His customer service is excellent with suggestions up front and letting you know how things are going thru the process asking any questions prior to completion. This was my first time working with Ricky at WA guitar and I can definitely tell he treats anyone's guitar like they are his own. - Thanks again Ricky.
-Robb Allen: [email protected]
---
I couldn't be more stoked on my setup. The action is dialed in and butter-smooth all across the board and the brass nut that Ricky cut adds a dynamic that I've never had before in my playing. I'll definitely be bringing my other guitars to him in the future.
-Cory Jacobs: [email protected]
---
I have played quite a few guitars that you have worked on and I was astonished. The action was perfect, there was so much clarity in the sound... and the brass nut just tops it off.
I always thought that my guitar sounded great, but after you set me up for a great low price, I realized guitars with a bad setup are shit. I would like to thank you for the amazing work you do for a low price for people everyday.
-Dave Todd: [email protected]
---
I have to admit when I first looked at how close the strings were to the frets, I thought to myself "this thing is gonna buzz like a bee hive"....
Then; astonishment when I plugged it in and played .... no buzz anywhere! OMG and the difference in sustain... night and day.
It's so easy to play now dude.. You'll be seeing me again.
-Konrad Neubauer: [email protected]
---
For a setup like mine (heavy playing/ low tuning), Ricky did an excellent job with my guitar. The action and intonation were adjusted PERFECTLY, and the brass nut was the icing on the cake. Polishing of the frets were very nice too.
I had played a show the night after getting my guitar back, and I never felt more comfortable in my playing than ever before with this set up Mr. Dekker has provided for me.
I was surprised at how much the brass nut added a brighter tone to my guitar. It is very much worth it to get it set up by Ricky, for the price and quality, I recommend going to him for a set up.
-Kyle Green, of Listen Closely: [email protected]
---
After other shops totally messed up the nut on my guitar and created other issues, I decided to go to WA Guitar to set up my guitar and get a brass nut. When I got it back it played and sounded great!
Ricky does quality work with a good, affordable price (He's pretty quick too). I highly recommend getting your guitar set up and if you have the money, get a brass nut too.
-Calvin Russell: [email protected]
---
I bought a guitar from Ricky about a month ago, the very first thing I thought when I picked it up was that it was perfect. No strings buzz, and the action is smooth and easy to play. I will never get rid of this guitar for any reason, or will I forsee myself ever changing the set up on it.
-Camrin Ward: [email protected]
---
I've taken every single one of my guitars to you and they've always came back playing better than any other guitar I've ever picked up! Every time I get new guitar strings or new pickups, I always make sure I take my guitars to you because I know they will NOT play any better than after you set them up.
Every aspect of the guitar from the frets to playability, tension to tone, wiring to clarity is PERFECT! Words cannot express how much I can thank you for making my guitars to the best of their ability for such a LOW price!
I trust you with every single one of my instruments because I know that I'm giving them to a professional who knows exactly what he's doing.
Initially setting up my Ibanez 7 string, then taking grand care of my 8 string, after that rewiring and installing new pickups also crafting and installing brass nuts, and finally doing my S series Ibanez 6 string.
I trust you and am confident that my guitar(s) will never be more well taken care of, setup properly, and play better than after you have taken care of them. The frets are always perfectly level and polished so they look nice and shiny as well as letting your fingers glide across the fingerboard.
I will play every single note on every string on the guitar with ABSOLUTELY NO BUZZ OR DEAD NOTES AT ALL with the action still being very low for perfect playability but also with perfect tension to the strings so that there's no problem playing on the low end.
Anyone who doubts you is stupid not to pick you to setup their guitars! Especially at the price. I guess if they feel more comfortable they can pay three times as much money to have their instrument "professionally" setup... but it will still not play as well any of mine, or anyone else's guitar you've setup for that matter!
I will always take my guitars to you until the day I seize to play guitar (never) and I highly recommend your work to every musician I talk to because I know they will be satisfied. Thank you so much!
-David Michalek: [email protected]
---
Excellent Guitar Tech work. Ricky brought my 60's vintage electric back to life with a great setup and a beautiful brass nut upgrade. Got the wiring back into shape too. Consultation was thorough and the complete job was quickest service I have ever had. Thanks!
-Richard: [email protected]
---
Ay yo my boy Ricky does all that good set up work. He set up my entire bands gear before tour and I always go back to him. He even did my fanned fret 8 string and it plays like a dream! If you don't go to him you messin' up brah.
-Jared Dorsla, of Navigator: [email protected]
---
Ricky definitely knows what he’s doing when he sets up guitars. After getting a complete setup, my Agile 8-string shreds like a dream. The installation of a brass nut has increased the clarity and brightness of my guitar’s sound.
Notes ring with greater sustain and distinctness with the brass nut implemented, and the strings also maintain tune very well due to the brass nut. The brass nut is also aesthetically great; the golden color shines epically.
The setup reduced the burden of finger and wrist stress that often results from playing an extended-range guitar while also maintaining a good level of tension. I can now play for longer durations of time with greater ease.
Dead notes have been eliminated, and my guitar sounds fantastic. Ricky also routed my guitar’s pickup slots beyond their initial capacity. I purchased a set of 8-string Duncan Blackouts but my guitar had arrived stock without having been routed for larger pickups.
He managed to extend the pickup slot space to the measurements necessary to accommodate my Blackouts. I’m very impressed with the results; doubtlessly it was a difficult process.
He removed my stock passive pickups, rewired my 8-string for the actives, and installed the new pickups for a very affordable price. My guitar sounds exponentially better with the Blackouts properly installed.
If you need your pickups swapped out from passives to actives, or vise versa, Ricky can get the job done well. I recommend Ricky as a guitar tech. His rates are comparatively inexpensive, and his setup will dramatically improve the sound and playability of your guitar.
-Kev Kellogg: [email protected]
---
I've been playing guitar for 8 years and until now I had never imagined my guitar needed such a serious set up to play to its fullest.
Once WA Guitar got a hold of my Ibanez, I was amazed by the difference in how it played.
The frets were leveled to perfection, and the action was so low the guitar was practically playing itself!
The best way to describe the final result of the set up is that my guitar finally feels "right".
I will be bringing all of my guitars to WA Guitar from now on.
-Derek Gary: [email protected]
---
I saw Ricky's ad on Craigslist for guitar setup. I had just bought a used Fender DG-8 acoustic guitar used from a lady in Seattle. It is in very good shape, she had it about 6 years, but by the serial number it was built in 2000. I have never had a guitar setup so I thought I would have Ricky do it before I got started playing it. It had old strings on that needed to be replaced anyway.
Took it to Ricky, and as shown on his web site he polished the frets, oiled the fretboard, shaved material off of the bottom of the saddle to lower the action. He relieved the string crossings on the nut so the strings don't bind. He adjusted the truss rod to take some of the bow out of the neck, installed and tuned up the new strings.
The guitar plays much easier now,with the action lowered, but still has NO fret buzz.
When I picked the guitar up, Ricky, he carefully went over what he had done, and gave me suggestions about string gauges that I could use to lower the string tension even further. I found the sizes I need in a set of lighter strings by the same manufacturer. (John Pearse)
All and all a job very well done, I would recommend that any one take their guitar to Ricky even if it is new to get it working it's best.
-Andy Lengenfelder: [email protected]
---
I had my guitar setup this week, along with having some rewiring done and a brass nut installed. I've never been so happy with the way any of my guitars have played. The brass nut makes a huge difference in the way notes are voiced. I have to say that this was money well spent and I'll definitely be bringing my other guitars here in the future.
-Ryan Dowty, of Navigator: [email protected]
---
My bass sounded like crap before I brought it in to be set up. It had no life left in it, I don't know how else to put it. I also payed for a brass nut, and now it plays like brand new. The sustain is amazing and you managed to get the strings impressively close to the board without buzzing being a problem. You will be the only person I go to for setups from now on. The price is great and so is the work.
-Dylan Tetzlaff: [email protected]
---
Ricky did an amazing job on my Les Paul. I have to admit I was a little nervous about it, I mean, I found his site on the web, didn't know him, never heard of him, and still I left my baby in his hands. The set up is perfect. It was actually a little disorienting at first. So damn easy to play; I realized I'd been compensating, muscling the thing before he did his magic. Now I just fly all over it, so much fun, and I swear it even sounds better. He made the guitar play in a way that allows me to loosen all the way up, try things I might not have before, to really play from inside instead of just from my hands. That was the real service, for me anyway. Thanks, Ricky.
-Peter Schmalzer: [email protected]
---
I had been having problems for the setup on my 8-String Ibanez for months when a friend of mine referred me to WA Guitar. Finding people who are knowledgable about proper care and setup with extended range intruments is challenging, so I jumped at the referral, and I couldn't be happier with the service I got. My Ibanez Prestige RG 2228 plays and sounds better than the day I received it from the factory. My action is perfect, each of my strings is the proper thickness and tension for my tuning and playing style, and I feel better about my recording and live sound in general. The service WA Guitar offers is unbeatable for the price.
-Michael Freerksen: [email protected]
---
Ricky is AWESOME!!! He made my Ibanez Acoustic Electric sound like something truly out of this world! And timely as heck! It was done before I could even get back the next day. He cleaned up and filed my frets, cleaned the neck, set up the guitar perfectly and installed a new brass nut for better quality sound. I'm definitely bringing more of my guitars to him in the future! Oh and the price!
AMAZING! Top notch. Very professional and to the point. I highly recommend you go to Ricky first before losing your shirt at Ted Brown or Guitar Center. They don't know what the heck they are doing (besides gladly taking your money)
-Adam Martin of iMod iPod Repair: [email protected]
Past customers: please send your reviews to WA Guitar!