How much do shops usually charge to install pickups?

thejoker · #1 02-12-2006, 11:18 AM

Anyone know prices shops will usually charge to install pickups for you?

buddroyce · #2 02-12-2006, 02:59 PM

Rates varies between shops and also whether or not your a regular customer. I've seen rates anywhere from $20-$100(even higher in some cases). If you can do it yourself you can save some cash there.

Gurj · #3 02-12-2006, 03:02 PM

£10 each pick-up over here. Or like buddroyce, DIY

jclogston · #4 02-12-2006, 03:03 PM

Hi -
I recently had Sam Ash install one pickup and install a push/pull pot. They also changed my strings as well.
This cost me $60 which included the push/pull pot and the strings.
Got in done in one hour which was the real selling point for me.

jeff

buddroyce · #5 02-12-2006, 03:16 PM

The speed issue really makes a difference actually. Some places around town here actually will take 2 weeks to install pickups. Usually these are places where there's only one guy that does the work and s/he is usually not there(ie. they take your guitar to another place to get it done at).

Toto · #6 02-12-2006, 03:30 PM

$100 ??? wow! man it's a price of a vintige PU! man DIY, just make sure u'r using HQ stuff

good luck

lyconxero · #7 02-12-2006, 04:03 PM

It definitely varies from place to place. I got EMGs installed in one of my RGs (which involved changing out the switch and all the other electronics in the guitar) and the guy only charged me $30 along with the electronics that he pulled out the other guitar. I was out of state when I had that done but I think it was a pretty good deal. I got charged $35 to replace the pickups in my S470DX when I had Dimarzios installed. The real difference was that it took the first guy like a week to finish with my guitar AND I had to keep taking it back because there were wiring issues that we had to track down and it only took the other guy one full day to get them installed and that's only because he was the only person working at the shop so he had to stop everytime a customer came in.

waylay00 · #8 03-05-2006, 01:18 AM

Take the small amount of time to learn how to do it yourself...soldering is a valuable skill to have.

Xavier 7 · #9 03-05-2006, 02:40 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by waylay00

Take the small amount of time to learn how to do it yourself...soldering is a valuable skill to have.

+1

It's about $30 a PU at a small shop here in Phoenix.

toneboy · #10 03-18-2006, 10:33 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by waylay00

Take the small amount of time to learn how to do it yourself...soldering is a valuable skill to have.

+1. I'm not electronics whiz but if you can read a map, you can read a pickup wiring schematic. The only time I ever paid to have a pickup installed was when I was having other work done to the guitar.

If I don't like the PAF Pro in the bridge position of my PGM301, I will be swapping it out with a Tone Zone and I will do that installation myself.

lyconxero · #11 03-18-2006, 11:28 AM

It definitely depends on whether you're a regular customer or not because the guy that runs the local guitar shop that I frequent said that his base rate is $30 a pickup but he only charged me $35 to install two humbuckers in my newest guitar.

toneboy · #12 03-18-2006, 07:14 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by lyconxero

It definitely depends on whether you're a regular customer or not because the guy that runs the local guitar shop that I frequent said that his base rate is $30 a pickup but he only charged me $35 to install two humbuckers in my newest guitar.

That package deal makes sense because if you're changing 1 pickup already, changing 2 isn't that much more work at all.