This is more a post for those in the know, but I will try to sum up.

First, people that have paid attention to my posts know that I have had nothing but trouble in buying or fixing my guitars.

Well, seven weeks ago, I bough a Squier '51 from a secondhand store after falling in love with the humbucker without knowing what the guitar was - I found out about 2 weeks later that it was a '51, and was thrilled - and took it to a highly respected luthier in Melbourne to be set up.

I was told it would take 1-1.5 weeks.

That was on 12 September.

I wanted a new pickguard made, coil tap repaired, and a basic setup. About 4 weeks ago I got antsy and bought an OG '51 neck to install on the guitar. Taking it to the luthier, I was told that they had a "flame out" on the bandsaw and they could not cut the pickguard until it was fixed. That was 3 weeks ago. Can a busy luthier go without a bandsaw for 7 weeks???

Anyway, my financial situation has changed due to a pending house move, and I have decided I am going to go to the shop on Monday and pick up the damn guitar and try to do what I can with it myself. This will entail me swapping the neck (and apparently one of the neck screwholes needs to be doweled and re-drilled), and re-stringing it. As a tech, I rate myself a -5. I cannot even re-string a guitar properly, much less adjust a truss rod and set action and intonation. But I am just sick of waiting. I will have a new pickguard made - or ebay one, and use the acetate I bought to make a new pickguard for my tele - eventually, and have the coil tap fixed another time.

Anyway, just saying how disappointed I am. But just to show I am not purely badmouthing, I will not name the establishment that has given me this grief.

Anyone who made it this far, thanks for reading the ravings of a tired, frustrated young man...