Price range for fingerboard planing

October 9, 2014 at 03:30 AM · I just had my viola fingerboard planned in Pittsburgh, PA. It cost $82.50 + tax. It was a beautiful job.

October 9, 2014 at 05:50 PM · Starting about 1:33 especially, but elsewhere also.

This is a link to Leonid Kogan - Cantabile, Paganini

October 16, 2014 at 07:48 PM · i thnk mine was about $120 in Atlanta, Ga

October 17, 2014 at 04:41 AM · "I think mine was about $120 in Atlanta, Ga"

I think that would be in the ballpark, or maybe it would need to be somewhat higher for a stellar job in an expensive area.

Not that I'm recommending evaluations of quality by price.

October 17, 2014 at 04:00 PM ·

How much approximate time is involved in this?

October 17, 2014 at 04:39 PM · How do you determine if the fingerboard needs planing?

If the strings buzz?

But if so, how to differentiate between the fingerboard in need of planing versus correct string height above fingerboard?

October 17, 2014 at 07:16 PM · I had deep grooves from fingernails and wear caused from the string being depressed over and over.It may or may not have caused trouble getting in tune. I had to leave it for a week because the guy doing it was going out of town for a few days. That all depends on how busy the shop is.

October 17, 2014 at 07:24 PM · It takes about 20-30 minutes tops, its a simple enough job that you don't really need to pay $250/hr to have it done right, though I'm sure someone could screw it up, I charge $30, that includes planing and sanding first with 100 grit, then 200, then 300 then fine steel wool, and finally a coat of oil. All the while checking with the fingerboard curvature template and a straightedge to get the optimal shape.

October 18, 2014 at 03:38 PM · It takes me quite a bit longer to do a job I'm happy with.

If you open the site below and read the steps (with photos), it's a good example of how much work can go into making something as seemingly simple as a new upper nut, or a new bridge, at a really high level.

http://www.pasewicz.com/tag/strings/

The articles were written by Pasewicz employees. Jerry Pasewicz was trained in a variety of workshops, including the Francais/Morel workshop, and is highly involved and respected as a teacher in continuing "graduate level" education for professionals in our fiddle trade.

October 18, 2014 at 08:51 PM · He damn well better be "graduate level" if he's going to charge twice the hourly rate of my doctor. Anyway I'm not one to boo hoo the abilities of highly trained violin specialists and their rates and abilities, I'm just pointing out that leveling fingerboards is not one of the most difficult jobs, and if you fiddle is worth less than a couple thousand, you might consider a cheaper rate for the leveling.

October 18, 2014 at 09:17 PM · Where was it said or implied that he charges twice the hourly rate? Top-notch fiddle work can easily take twice, or ten times as long as "passable" work.

Granted, that level of work probably isn't worth it on a cheap fiddle.

October 18, 2014 at 10:46 PM · In that description of making a nut by Pasewicz he says that he makes the inside distance between the strings equal. I would have thought that one would make the distance between the centers of the strings equal. Why is that?

October 19, 2014 at 01:47 AM · I have a printout from one of the top local shops on basic fitting techniques where he states the intended time to do said job and the work times(what he pays his employees??) are pretty short, under an hour for bridge and soundpost. 30 minute to 1 1/2 hour for fingerboard leveling or planing.

October 19, 2014 at 12:10 PM · Michael, different shops can have different preferences on that. So can different players.

My default is to space the strings equally center-to-center, unless the client wants it done differently.

October 19, 2014 at 01:51 PM · I love it when David and Lyndon have playdates...

Fun AND informative...;)

October 19, 2014 at 11:15 PM · Thanks re the info on string separation!