Faq’s
Why are your refret prices lower than others?
We are more efficient and do not have the overhead of a retail shop. A retail shop has to pay a salary to an employee to do their work for them and in addition they have to provide a location and all the expenses that go with a retail location. We don’t have that because we are a small family business and operate from our home. Our operation expenses are lower. There are no employees and no associated costs in time and money to go with that. With that said many retail shops have astronomical prices on refrets because they can. Nashville is a good example. Business is often times what the market will bear not reasonable prices. Other retail shops with lower prices use service as a loss leader to get customer in then attempt to up sell them on their products.
We tie our pricing to the economy and the time it takes to do a refret for a reasonable return so our prices can go up and probably will again at some point.
Why are your prices for hand made necks and bodies lower than others?
The big player in the game charges almost twice what we do because of the name. We run a small shop so our overhead is lower. Each neck you order is made personally by me. We do the CAD, CAM, CNC, and web programming, database for accounting, networking, mechanical and electronics mods and in house tooling design for our necks and bodies. And janitorial duties:). This all saves money for internal operations of a small business and that saving is passed along to you in comparative lower prices.
We know our prices are a bit lower than others. We are currently lower than the big guys when you compare apples to apples and our quality is as good and better from our own real world comparisons and feedback from our many satisfied customers.
What is your delivery time if I order? It can range from 3 to 6 weeks. It varies with the ebb and flow of orders and repair work I have. If we get backlogged we will stop taking orders until we catch up.
What do I need to know about a Fender™ neck and body to use an Aperio neck or anybody else’s neck? I
Please go to this page Fender necks and bodies. The issue is described in detail
What is your guarantee on an Aperio neck? It is guaranteed for life to the original purchaser. If the wood, truss rod, glue joints, dots, or side markers ever fail, return the neck to me and I will either repair it or give you a new one. I do not guarantee fret, fretboard or finish wear. These happen with use and are expected. The stainless steel frets we provide will last a long, long time if not forever. Let me know when you wear them out. If the neck is finished with Tru-Oil it will wear a bit over time and you might occasionally touch it up. Many prefer the look of wear and tear. I do not cover abuse like broken head stocks or jammed and stripped truss rod nuts or modifications. There is no reason, other than from misuse or neglect, that any of these two would ever happen with a responsible owner.
Who is your market for your necks and bodies? Working musicians! People that are out there actually doing it! Aperio necks and bodies are as good as any you will find anywhere. They are priced reasonably for working musicians. My necks and bodies are for those that simply need great instruments to play. They have excellent tone and build characteristics. The head stock truss rod nuts adjust the neck easily, they are dual acting to the degree necessary with the minimum of wood removal, unlike others with masses of steel embedded in the neck. Truss rod adjustments in the heel never get adjusted. If you are looking for wall art or a guitar you are afraid to scratch then Aperio is not your company. If you play hard we are it. Do what Joe Bonamassa does and take your ’59 Gibson out on tour and play it. That is what it is for. If it gets stolen, too bad, keep smiling, and at least you can say you had one and played it for a while.
Do you make custom necks and bodies? We will make most anything that is within our capabilities. I’ve made everything from Hookah tables to wooden boats and obviously guitars. What you have to ask yourself is ‘can I afford it?’
I get requests quite often. Many people think they can get a five thousand dollar guitar for 400 bucks if they shop it around and that is just not reality. So if you are serious I expect a phone call to talk it over. I will not respond to emails requesting full blown project estimates. Deposits are also required on custom work of any type. That is because estimates and quotes take time, design and build is expensive for one off projects. It’s like buying a Ferrari, if you feel you have to ask how much one costs then you really can’t afford it.
Fender™, Strat™ and Tele™ are all Trademarks of Fender Musical Instrument Corporation.