Frey Guitars used to make strat and teles with custom colors from the 50-60’s era.
Vintage specs true to originals.
One piece bodies 3-4 lbs each. Great tone look and feel.
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how do i get in touch with Ron? I’ve been searching all over the place and can’t find a definitive website or phone number to contact. I want him to build me a tele.
how do i get in touch with Ron? I’ve been searching all over the place and can’t find a definitive website or phone number to contact. I want him to build me a tele.
hey my uncle this is your niece kelly…how r u and what have u been up to lately? im ok have been going skating as usual..and write now Im hanging out with my best friend ever charity! shes koolio as a cream fillin lol (laugh out loud) jk (just kidding) we r just hangin and wanted to say hi! So this is her email adress so yep g2g (got to go) loves ya bye bye!! <3
Stay away from this paranoid, and very delusional cluster**** of a human being! I don’t know if this **** stick is a tweaker or what, But stay away!!!
Stay away!!!!
He is onsessive and compulsive. No telling what sort of nightmare he will attempt to bring into your life.
I don’t know if his mental problems were brought on by his complete and utter imcompetence and lack of talent, or a bad methamphetimine habit. Either way he is a walking nightmare!
Stay away,,, Far away !!! He will threaten to sue and to kill you!!!!
Just wanted to post another message, since it’s been some time and I ‘don’t like to see people talk bad. Frey has been working hard on a custom hollowbody for me. He has sent me countless, detailed emials and photos with updates along the way…and HE IS ALMOST DONE. THIS is the most beautiful hollowbody you ever did see, along teh lines of a STRATIVARIUS…….there is heart and soul in this creation…and I know it will soon live and breath. Well, any ?s about frey, email me adn I’ll confirm that he isa standup artist! I"ll also send pics later on when I get this…..
Thanks, FREY!!!!!!!
I just want to make sure this REPOST is WELL READ. I posted "Where the fuck is he?"….about a month ago.
Things are now all patched up….Frey had some pressing family issues, had to reloocate and set up a new shop and home….thisi took time. I HAVE NOW HEARD FROM FREY SEVERAL TIMES, with detailed descriptions of progress to my beautiful archtop hollowbody. I have seen current digital photos sent to me, detailing progress. EVERYONE has their problems, and Frey has now gone through his (re: family issues). RON’s new shop is now up and running……..I RECOMMEND FREY to anyone who is looking for a great custom guitar. FREY is passionate about his work, and is building me a great guitar at a great price. ANYONE who wants to contact me personally, please do so at: [email protected]; I have very kind words to say about FREY….ONCE AGAIN, this was a misunderstanding.
BEST,
David Coleman
[email protected]
I’ve been waiting OVER ONE YEAR for a guitar he promised to build. I sent him over $600 worth of guitar fx, IN TRADE for this guitar. IT"S been about 2 MONTHS SINCE I"VE HEARD FROM HIM AND NOT EVEN RESPONSES TO EMAILS>>>>>>DOES ANYONE KNOW HIS WHEREABOUTS?????????
: I’ve been waiting OVER ONE YEAR for a guitar he promised to build. I sent him over $600 worth of guitar fx, IN TRADE for this guitar. IT"S been about 2 MONTHS SINCE I"VE HEARD FROM HIM AND NOT EVEN RESPONSES TO EMAILS>>>>>>DOES ANYONE KNOW HIS WHEREABOUTS?????????
David Im right here working on your archtop..
email me ive been sending emails and pictures of your instrument..Frey
I wanted to reply to Jon wallace in public
I was contacted by Jons dad and asked to make
a 54 strat copy for him. Jons dad asked if I could
make something for his son at or near 1000 dollars
they asked for a 2 tone burst body with a neck that
was to be larger than that of a Jeff Beck model.
I did just that and in record time Jon took the guitar and told me
the neck was too big and unplayable they sent the neck back and I shaved it to specs again for Jon reshot the neck and returned it.
I was then contacted by Jons dad to completly redo the whole guitar
I had gone over the details as to how the guitar should look ahead of time I must say I never heard back from Jon or his dad I built a strat custom made to specs with details worked out ahead of time
on color size of neck ect. I was never contacted by The wallaces again
and untill just now I did not even know about this post.
I went way out of my way to accomodate Jons wishes as well as his dads
I did the best I could for the price asked I did this as a favor to jons dad and now i see ive been stabbed in the backside.
I sent an email to Jon asking him why he did not contact me
no response. I have many reviews of my work that stand for themselves
I build custom made instruments that are agreed upon before I make one cut so as far as the above statement I am at a loss for words
I did exactly what Jon and his Dad asked a 54 style strat with a large neck shot to color prefrences agreed upon before I started.
I was never contacted again by Jon or his Dad only here today do
I see this post thus the response..
Ron,
Good to see you’re still screwing honest, hard working people.
i’m not really interested in posting specifics, but please, to anyone considerring having ron frey build you a guitar or do any work for you, spend some time researching his business practices thouroughly and get opinions from MANY differrent people. don’t believe one person’s opinion only, but accumulate several, more if you can. i will say my association with mr. frey was less than satisfactory, but i have decided to take the high road and not make an issue out of it. our transaction and working consumer/luthier relationship left much to be desired, but i only hope it was due to a total and complete breakdown in communication. i just don’t want anyone else to lose any more money than they have to and not get what they want. feel free to email me for specifics.
I had Ron make me a 22 fret soft "V" 9.5 radius neck for my EC Strat. What I got back was absolutely beautiful. In a time is money economy it is nice to know Ron’s passion for the work goes beyond the profit motive. He takes his time to get it right. If you are nervious about e-commerce don’t lay that on him. If time is of the essence, don’t give it to him. BUT if you want the best job money can buy in custom work send the check to him. I can’t enumerate the many reasons why I think his work is excellent. The way the neck was positioned on the blank. The wood used. The accuracy in duplicating specs. The fact that he met me in Austin to see me in person. All added up to me receiving a guitar that I could not get anywhere else. Fender custom shop would have been double the price and they’re snotty to deal with on top. If you are looking for a bargain go to Warmoth. If you want excellent true custom made to order work see Ron Frey.
As "Jeremy Lewis" stated, a picture is worth a thousand words…
http://users.inna.net/~mark/
Check out pics and reviews of his work from former customers of Mr. Frey and you can see why we are, in fact "hostile".
Mark
Seems as though Mark Deavult has broken several
laws including posting private emails as well as
using webpages and copyrighted images.
Not too mention the selling and trading of illegal
dat tapes.It is against the law to try to run someone out of business according to my lawyer
who is in process or serving mark for punitave damages.I think Marks Mom might be getting served as well last I heard there were several letters heading to Mark and his Mom. I dont think she realizes the trouble her son is causing for not only him but now her as well.
Now I hear there are several others suing mark deavult as well seems as though Mark Deavult
is going to get what he deserves afterall.
By the way to any builders and craftsmen out there
who have dealt wiht Mark Deavult I would like to hear from you about your dealings with this person. [email protected] please feel free to email any information about Mark Deavult.
As I’m sure everybody is aware, any individual has a right to file suit against anybody for any reason at all. For a retainer of no more than $100 you can hire an attorney to draw up the required docs. and have any individual served for any reason. From my experience approx. 85% of all such actions go no where. From Mr. Frey’s reputation on the web, I’m guessing this will be one of those instances. Seems everywhere I look on the web, I find negative oppinions of Mr. Frey. I’ll turn elsewhere for my luthier needs.
I wanted to let anyone know that i have a complete guitar made and a tele body done by Ron Frey and they are perfectly fine. I find Ron to be very plesant to deal with and a fair man. He takes his time but keep in mind most custom guitar makers have a waiting list of a minimum of 1 year!! I gig out weekly with the lefty strat in none other than Fiesta red with a baseball bat neck and it looks and resonates great. The finish is perfect and that is that. I have pictures of both models and will happily furnish them to anyone who doesn’t believe me. I have 2 other strats that are new and they don’t sound as good as the one Frey made. Pictures and recordings don’t lie…
This is a reply to mark devaults slandourus statement about frey guiatrs….
I stand behind my work 100% mark devault sent me a body that
had been finished allready and was in process of suing someone else
to recoop his money this body he sent was not built by frey guitars
and it was in bad shape to begin with I complety redid the body.
during the process i recieve a threating letter stating Mark devault is going to sue me as well as turn me in to the attorney general
I promptly answered his threats by sending his guitar refininshed
to the color he asked for. Mark Deavult is a hostile individual
who is trying to sue anyone to recoop his money froma bad finsh
job in the first place as he stated in his threatening emails.
If anyone is interested ill be glad to provide his threats as i have to the local authorities as its against the law to threaten anyone over the internet or by phone. I urge anyone who is dealing with mark devault to be aware that he is indeed hostile and lawsuit happy.
I sent his guitar promptly after being threatend by email and by phone. My advise is to stay away from him. If anyone wants to
know about this situation please feel free to email me.
Ill provide the documents and info. Thanks Frey guitars
After finding his website (http://frey.home.texas.net/), I contacted Ron Frey of Frey Giutars in
Buda, Texas on December 12, 1999 about refinishing a Fender Stratocaster body. He offered
to refinish the body in a time span of no more than a month and a half, as follows in his
communication of 12 December:
Mark waht I meant was from the time I got it in till completion
month and a half
The body was to be stripped down to bare wood, sanded and prepped, with any dings or body
imperfections to be repaired before the refinish. Frey agreed to send me a color sample in
advance of the refinish for my approval, as shown in Frey’s emails to me on 12 December
1999:
Ill scrape it all off to wood fill, seal well then prime in white then
spray gold I use white undercoater like the 60s ones unless specified
otherwise.
Ill take my time to eliminate all the grain flaws ect and any dings if
any…
Mark Ill go mix a quart of firemist and send a sample to you once I get box
in from you.
Ill go right away and have it mixed then send sample.
Payment was to be made by Money Order or cashier’s check. I overnighted the body and
payment at Frey’s request:
if you need send a
cashiers check
thats fine if its better for you im flexible… If body is going to take a
week to get here can we overnite
the cashiers check so I can have everything here when it arrives? Just to
save time I can get it cashed
and buy paint the same time im In town. Or overnite the whole thing body
should not be alot to overnite
It will expedite this if I had it on tuesday I could strip it and maybe
shoot it this week if its in that good of shape
The body was sent FedEx Next Day Air (cost $80), received by Frey on Tuesday December
14, 1999. Payment by certified check was sent the same day by US Next-Day Express Mail
(Cost $20) and received by Frey on the same day, Tuesday, December 14, 1999.
Frey had, in his previous communications, promised to mix and send me color samples once he
got the box from me. On 20 December 1999 I received the following from Frey:
I will get it and meanwhile ill prep the
body out and get it ready to spray
Ill be gone this week for Christmas but back at it next week. Once the chart
gets here ill get it mixed
and send some samples Ron
By 23 January Frey was apparently still prepping the body, I had yet to receive a color sample
for my approval, this from Frey:
Hey Mark Im on schedule here shot acrylics this week
its goign to be 40 tomorrow so no spraying but im still
on prepping your strat so when its ready to spray
I think the weather will be nice again im on it
so bear with me
Apparently in the intervening five weeks, he still had not managed to get my body prepped.
Frey did send me some poor quality scans or colors (he shot digital pictures of a color chip
chart), but no sample was forthcoming.
Two months into the process, still no body, no word from Frey. I had left him alone, guessing
that his time would be better spent in doing the work I had paid him to do than in answering
email. On Saturdy, February 12, I wrote Frey about the status of my guitar and received the
following:
Mark Im on it I havea family emergency need to leave next week
ill be back at it midweek or so will advise progress thanks for hanging in
there
will be well worth it Frey
Two weeks later, February 27, I wrote Frey again, requesting an update, and wanting to know
when he planned to finish the job, and I received the following:
Mark your guitar is being finished now its not compete nor dry yet to send.
I have been on it it will be done as promised just not ready to box yet.
My digital camera is on the blink or id send shots now.
I will finish it up within two weeks
Given the promise of "within two weeks" on Febryary 27, I waited until March 22 (almost a
month) before demanding my body back. The body was mailed to me on Thursday, 23 March
and I received it on Monday, 27 March.
Now, I could have handled the delays if, as promised, the work was of high quality. I could
have even handled the fact that he did not, as promised, send me a color sample for approval in
advance if he had used the correct color.
However, the refinish job is, in my opinion, terrible. The finish is dull, and lumpy, with a texture
that is rough to the touch. There are numerous flecks of dirt, etc. UNDER the finish. There
appears to be no clear coat at all, as the finish is very dull, almost matte in appearance. There
were several small dings (no wood removed) in the forearm contour that Frey had agreed to
prep out before the refin (fairly simple), instead he applied the finish right over them. Instead of
using a bright gold color like the "Aztec" or "Firemist" gold requested (we had also discussed
the color often called "Shoreline" which is in fact a one-off custom color), Frey used a pale gold
with a sickly greenish tint. Had Frey, as requested, provided me with a sample of this color in
advance I would never have agreed to it. The finish, as applied, appears to be extremely thick
and does not appear to have been sanded or buffed at all.
I have had a number of guitars refinished over the years, including a ’57 Strat, a ’62 Strat, and a
’63 Strat, plus owning a number of other instruments which have been refinished, so I do have
more than a little experience with the average quality of refinish work, and this work, in my
opinion, does not meet any commonly accepted standard. I’ve never seen a refinish job on a
guitar that looked this poor – and this includes those done with cans of spray paint!
Contacting Frey and requesting a refund, as he did not adhere to any of his promises, or
provide a quality job, his response was less than helpful:
Please sir Im not going to refund anything I shot an aztec gold body
in the original finish from the original source that fender got it from
Im sorry you cant be pleased with that I did exactly what I said id do
good day sir
Ok you sent me a body that was shot in the wrong color
I redid it for 300 dollars I returned your body
end of story
To date (8 June 1999) I have not received a refund, nor has any attempt been made by Frey to
resolve this. I would recommend that anyone considering doing business with Frey spend some
time researching reviews of his work. I have been contacted by a surprising number of people
who claim to have had eerily similar experiences with Frey, so it’s apparent to me that this was
more than an isolated incident. Anyone wanting more information about this: copies of all the
emails, pictures of the work, or any other information, feel free to contact me!
Mark Deavult
[email protected]
This popular thread has been given its own page : Re: Ron Frey / Frey Guitars – stay away!
this website is about guitrs and i didnt see one, all i saw was you wibbiling on about fucking shite cunt face,
[email protected]
:
: : After finding his website (http://frey.home.texas.net/), I contacted Ron Frey of Frey Giutars in
: : Buda, Texas on December 12, 1999 about refinishing a Fender Stratocaster body. He offered
: : to refinish the body in a time span of no more than a month and a half, as follows in his
: : communication of 12 December:
: : Mark waht I meant was from the time I got it in till completion
: : month and a half
: :
: : The body was to be stripped down to bare wood, sanded and prepped, with any dings or body
: : imperfections to be repaired before the refinish. Frey agreed to send me a color sample in
: : advance of the refinish for my approval, as shown in Frey’s emails to me on 12 December
: : 1999:
: :
: : Ill scrape it all off to wood fill, seal well then prime in white then
: : spray gold I use white undercoater like the 60s ones unless specified
: : otherwise.
: : Ill take my time to eliminate all the grain flaws ect and any dings if
: : any…
: : Mark Ill go mix a quart of firemist and send a sample to you once I get box
: : in from you.
: : Ill go right away and have it mixed then send sample.
: :
: : Payment was to be made by Money Order or cashier’s check. I overnighted the body and
: : payment at Frey’s request:
: :
: : if you need send a
: : cashiers check
: : thats fine if its better for you im flexible… If body is going to take a
: : week to get here can we overnite
: : the cashiers check so I can have everything here when it arrives? Just to
: : save time I can get it cashed
: : and buy paint the same time im In town. Or overnite the whole thing body
: : should not be alot to overnite
: : It will expedite this if I had it on tuesday I could strip it and maybe
: : shoot it this week if its in that good of shape
: :
: : The body was sent FedEx Next Day Air (cost $80), received by Frey on Tuesday December
: : 14, 1999. Payment by certified check was sent the same day by US Next-Day Express Mail
: : (Cost $20) and received by Frey on the same day, Tuesday, December 14, 1999.
: : Frey had, in his previous communications, promised to mix and send me color samples once he
: : got the box from me. On 20 December 1999 I received the following from Frey:
: :
: : I will get it and meanwhile ill prep the
: : body out and get it ready to spray
: : Ill be gone this week for Christmas but back at it next week. Once the chart
: : gets here ill get it mixed
: : and send some samples Ron
: :
: : By 23 January Frey was apparently still prepping the body, I had yet to receive a color sample
: : for my approval, this from Frey:
: : Hey Mark Im on schedule here shot acrylics this week
: : its goign to be 40 tomorrow so no spraying but im still
: : on prepping your strat so when its ready to spray
: : I think the weather will be nice again im on it
: : so bear with me
: :
: : Apparently in the intervening five weeks, he still had not managed to get my body prepped.
: : Frey did send me some poor quality scans or colors (he shot digital pictures of a color chip
: : chart), but no sample was forthcoming.
: : Two months into the process, still no body, no word from Frey. I had left him alone, guessing
: : that his time would be better spent in doing the work I had paid him to do than in answering
: : email. On Saturdy, February 12, I wrote Frey about the status of my guitar and received the
: : following:
: :
: : Mark Im on it I havea family emergency need to leave next week
: : ill be back at it midweek or so will advise progress thanks for hanging in
: : there
: : will be well worth it Frey
: :
: : Two weeks later, February 27, I wrote Frey again, requesting an update, and wanting to know
: : when he planned to finish the job, and I received the following:
: :
: : Mark your guitar is being finished now its not compete nor dry yet to send.
: : I have been on it it will be done as promised just not ready to box yet.
: : My digital camera is on the blink or id send shots now.
: : I will finish it up within two weeks
: :
: : Given the promise of "within two weeks" on Febryary 27, I waited until March 22 (almost a
: : month) before demanding my body back. The body was mailed to me on Thursday, 23 March
: : and I received it on Monday, 27 March.
: : Now, I could have handled the delays if, as promised, the work was of high quality. I could
: : have even handled the fact that he did not, as promised, send me a color sample for approval in
: : advance if he had used the correct color.
: : However, the refinish job is, in my opinion, terrible. The finish is dull, and lumpy, with a texture
: : that is rough to the touch. There are numerous flecks of dirt, etc. UNDER the finish. There
: : appears to be no clear coat at all, as the finish is very dull, almost matte in appearance. There
: : were several small dings (no wood removed) in the forearm contour that Frey had agreed to
: : prep out before the refin (fairly simple), instead he applied the finish right over them. Instead of
: : using a bright gold color like the "Aztec" or "Firemist" gold requested (we had also discussed
: : the color often called "Shoreline" which is in fact a one-off custom color), Frey used a pale gold
: : with a sickly greenish tint. Had Frey, as requested, provided me with a sample of this color in
: : advance I would never have agreed to it. The finish, as applied, appears to be extremely thick
: : and does not appear to have been sanded or buffed at all.
: : I have had a number of guitars refinished over the years, including a ’57 Strat, a ’62 Strat, and a
: : ’63 Strat, plus owning a number of other instruments which have been refinished, so I do have
: : more than a little experience with the average quality of refinish work, and this work, in my
: : opinion, does not meet any commonly accepted standard. I’ve never seen a refinish job on a
: : guitar that looked this poor – and this includes those done with cans of spray paint!
: : Contacting Frey and requesting a refund, as he did not adhere to any of his promises, or
: : provide a quality job, his response was less than helpful:
: :
: : Please sir Im not going to refund anything I shot an aztec gold body
: : in the original finish from the original source that fender got it from
: : Im sorry you cant be pleased with that I did exactly what I said id do
: : good day sir
: : Ok you sent me a body that was shot in the wrong color
: : I redid it for 300 dollars I returned your body
: : end of story
: :
: : To date (8 June 1999) I have not received a refund, nor has any attempt been made by Frey to
: : resolve this. I would recommend that anyone considering doing business with Frey spend some
: : time researching reviews of his work. I have been contacted by a surprising number of people
: : who claim to have had eerily similar experiences with Frey, so it’s apparent to me that this was
: : more than an isolated incident. Anyone wanting more information about this: copies of all the
: : emails, pictures of the work, or any other information, feel free to contact me!
: : Mark Deavult
: : [email protected]
UPDATE 12/02>>>>Ron has since contacted me and is well on his way to building me a very fine guitar. During the time I was out of contact with him, Ron had to deal with personal family issues, a relocation and setting up a new shop. HE was VERY APOLOGETIC and took the time to explain his situation to me. I now am in contact with him on a daily basis, and have received digital photos of the progress. I ONLY POSTED so NEGATIVELY when I was out of contact with him, and again, I STATE, HE IS ON TRACK and BUILDING a very FINE, Complicated archtop guitar. Ron will be very personable with you…..so don’t pay attention to my earlier post. ANY ?s or a recommendation from me about ROn can be had at: [email protected].
: : I’ve been waiting over ONE YEAR for a guitar that he was supposed to build for me, in exchange for over $600 worth of effects. I’ve sent numerous email, begging for this guitar. It has now been over two months that I have had no contact with him.
:
: : After finding his website (http://frey.home.texas.net/), I contacted Ron Frey of Frey Giutars in
: : Buda, Texas on December 12, 1999 about refinishing a Fender Stratocaster body. He offered
: : to refinish the body in a time span of no more than a month and a half, as follows in his
: : communication of 12 December:
: : Mark waht I meant was from the time I got it in till completion
: : month and a half
: :
: : The body was to be stripped down to bare wood, sanded and prepped, with any dings or body
: : imperfections to be repaired before the refinish. Frey agreed to send me a color sample in
: : advance of the refinish for my approval, as shown in Frey’s emails to me on 12 December
: : 1999:
: :
: : Ill scrape it all off to wood fill, seal well then prime in white then
: : spray gold I use white undercoater like the 60s ones unless specified
: : otherwise.
: : Ill take my time to eliminate all the grain flaws ect and any dings if
: : any…
: : Mark Ill go mix a quart of firemist and send a sample to you once I get box
: : in from you.
: : Ill go right away and have it mixed then send sample.
: :
: : Payment was to be made by Money Order or cashier’s check. I overnighted the body and
: : payment at Frey’s request:
: :
: : if you need send a
: : cashiers check
: : thats fine if its better for you im flexible… If body is going to take a
: : week to get here can we overnite
: : the cashiers check so I can have everything here when it arrives? Just to
: : save time I can get it cashed
: : and buy paint the same time im In town. Or overnite the whole thing body
: : should not be alot to overnite
: : It will expedite this if I had it on tuesday I could strip it and maybe
: : shoot it this week if its in that good of shape
: :
: : The body was sent FedEx Next Day Air (cost $80), received by Frey on Tuesday December
: : 14, 1999. Payment by certified check was sent the same day by US Next-Day Express Mail
: : (Cost $20) and received by Frey on the same day, Tuesday, December 14, 1999.
: : Frey had, in his previous communications, promised to mix and send me color samples once he
: : got the box from me. On 20 December 1999 I received the following from Frey:
: :
: : I will get it and meanwhile ill prep the
: : body out and get it ready to spray
: : Ill be gone this week for Christmas but back at it next week. Once the chart
: : gets here ill get it mixed
: : and send some samples Ron
: :
: : By 23 January Frey was apparently still prepping the body, I had yet to receive a color sample
: : for my approval, this from Frey:
: : Hey Mark Im on schedule here shot acrylics this week
: : its goign to be 40 tomorrow so no spraying but im still
: : on prepping your strat so when its ready to spray
: : I think the weather will be nice again im on it
: : so bear with me
: :
: : Apparently in the intervening five weeks, he still had not managed to get my body prepped.
: : Frey did send me some poor quality scans or colors (he shot digital pictures of a color chip
: : chart), but no sample was forthcoming.
: : Two months into the process, still no body, no word from Frey. I had left him alone, guessing
: : that his time would be better spent in doing the work I had paid him to do than in answering
: : email. On Saturdy, February 12, I wrote Frey about the status of my guitar and received the
: : following:
: :
: : Mark Im on it I havea family emergency need to leave next week
: : ill be back at it midweek or so will advise progress thanks for hanging in
: : there
: : will be well worth it Frey
: :
: : Two weeks later, February 27, I wrote Frey again, requesting an update, and wanting to know
: : when he planned to finish the job, and I received the following:
: :
: : Mark your guitar is being finished now its not compete nor dry yet to send.
: : I have been on it it will be done as promised just not ready to box yet.
: : My digital camera is on the blink or id send shots now.
: : I will finish it up within two weeks
: :
: : Given the promise of "within two weeks" on Febryary 27, I waited until March 22 (almost a
: : month) before demanding my body back. The body was mailed to me on Thursday, 23 March
: : and I received it on Monday, 27 March.
: : Now, I could have handled the delays if, as promised, the work was of high quality. I could
: : have even handled the fact that he did not, as promised, send me a color sample for approval in
: : advance if he had used the correct color.
: : However, the refinish job is, in my opinion, terrible. The finish is dull, and lumpy, with a texture
: : that is rough to the touch. There are numerous flecks of dirt, etc. UNDER the finish. There
: : appears to be no clear coat at all, as the finish is very dull, almost matte in appearance. There
: : were several small dings (no wood removed) in the forearm contour that Frey had agreed to
: : prep out before the refin (fairly simple), instead he applied the finish right over them. Instead of
: : using a bright gold color like the "Aztec" or "Firemist" gold requested (we had also discussed
: : the color often called "Shoreline" which is in fact a one-off custom color), Frey used a pale gold
: : with a sickly greenish tint. Had Frey, as requested, provided me with a sample of this color in
: : advance I would never have agreed to it. The finish, as applied, appears to be extremely thick
: : and does not appear to have been sanded or buffed at all.
: : I have had a number of guitars refinished over the years, including a ’57 Strat, a ’62 Strat, and a
: : ’63 Strat, plus owning a number of other instruments which have been refinished, so I do have
: : more than a little experience with the average quality of refinish work, and this work, in my
: : opinion, does not meet any commonly accepted standard. I’ve never seen a refinish job on a
: : guitar that looked this poor – and this includes those done with cans of spray paint!
: : Contacting Frey and requesting a refund, as he did not adhere to any of his promises, or
: : provide a quality job, his response was less than helpful:
: :
: : Please sir Im not going to refund anything I shot an aztec gold body
: : in the original finish from the original source that fender got it from
: : Im sorry you cant be pleased with that I did exactly what I said id do
: : good day sir
: : Ok you sent me a body that was shot in the wrong color
: : I redid it for 300 dollars I returned your body
: : end of story
: :
: : To date (8 June 1999) I have not received a refund, nor has any attempt been made by Frey to
: : resolve this. I would recommend that anyone considering doing business with Frey spend some
: : time researching reviews of his work. I have been contacted by a surprising number of people
: : who claim to have had eerily similar experiences with Frey, so it’s apparent to me that this was
: : more than an isolated incident. Anyone wanting more information about this: copies of all the
: : emails, pictures of the work, or any other information, feel free to contact me!
: : Mark Deavult
: : [email protected]
: : I’ve been waiting over ONE YEAR for a guitar that he was supposed to build for me, in exchange for over $600 worth of effects. I’ve sent numerous email, begging for this guitar. It has now been over two months that I have had no contact with him.
:
: : After finding his website (http://frey.home.texas.net/), I contacted Ron Frey of Frey Giutars in
: : Buda, Texas on December 12, 1999 about refinishing a Fender Stratocaster body. He offered
: : to refinish the body in a time span of no more than a month and a half, as follows in his
: : communication of 12 December:
: : Mark waht I meant was from the time I got it in till completion
: : month and a half
: :
: : The body was to be stripped down to bare wood, sanded and prepped, with any dings or body
: : imperfections to be repaired before the refinish. Frey agreed to send me a color sample in
: : advance of the refinish for my approval, as shown in Frey’s emails to me on 12 December
: : 1999:
: :
: : Ill scrape it all off to wood fill, seal well then prime in white then
: : spray gold I use white undercoater like the 60s ones unless specified
: : otherwise.
: : Ill take my time to eliminate all the grain flaws ect and any dings if
: : any…
: : Mark Ill go mix a quart of firemist and send a sample to you once I get box
: : in from you.
: : Ill go right away and have it mixed then send sample.
: :
: : Payment was to be made by Money Order or cashier’s check. I overnighted the body and
: : payment at Frey’s request:
: :
: : if you need send a
: : cashiers check
: : thats fine if its better for you im flexible… If body is going to take a
: : week to get here can we overnite
: : the cashiers check so I can have everything here when it arrives? Just to
: : save time I can get it cashed
: : and buy paint the same time im In town. Or overnite the whole thing body
: : should not be alot to overnite
: : It will expedite this if I had it on tuesday I could strip it and maybe
: : shoot it this week if its in that good of shape
: :
: : The body was sent FedEx Next Day Air (cost $80), received by Frey on Tuesday December
: : 14, 1999. Payment by certified check was sent the same day by US Next-Day Express Mail
: : (Cost $20) and received by Frey on the same day, Tuesday, December 14, 1999.
: : Frey had, in his previous communications, promised to mix and send me color samples once he
: : got the box from me. On 20 December 1999 I received the following from Frey:
: :
: : I will get it and meanwhile ill prep the
: : body out and get it ready to spray
: : Ill be gone this week for Christmas but back at it next week. Once the chart
: : gets here ill get it mixed
: : and send some samples Ron
: :
: : By 23 January Frey was apparently still prepping the body, I had yet to receive a color sample
: : for my approval, this from Frey:
: : Hey Mark Im on schedule here shot acrylics this week
: : its goign to be 40 tomorrow so no spraying but im still
: : on prepping your strat so when its ready to spray
: : I think the weather will be nice again im on it
: : so bear with me
: :
: : Apparently in the intervening five weeks, he still had not managed to get my body prepped.
: : Frey did send me some poor quality scans or colors (he shot digital pictures of a color chip
: : chart), but no sample was forthcoming.
: : Two months into the process, still no body, no word from Frey. I had left him alone, guessing
: : that his time would be better spent in doing the work I had paid him to do than in answering
: : email. On Saturdy, February 12, I wrote Frey about the status of my guitar and received the
: : following:
: :
: : Mark Im on it I havea family emergency need to leave next week
: : ill be back at it midweek or so will advise progress thanks for hanging in
: : there
: : will be well worth it Frey
: :
: : Two weeks later, February 27, I wrote Frey again, requesting an update, and wanting to know
: : when he planned to finish the job, and I received the following:
: :
: : Mark your guitar is being finished now its not compete nor dry yet to send.
: : I have been on it it will be done as promised just not ready to box yet.
: : My digital camera is on the blink or id send shots now.
: : I will finish it up within two weeks
: :
: : Given the promise of "within two weeks" on Febryary 27, I waited until March 22 (almost a
: : month) before demanding my body back. The body was mailed to me on Thursday, 23 March
: : and I received it on Monday, 27 March.
: : Now, I could have handled the delays if, as promised, the work was of high quality. I could
: : have even handled the fact that he did not, as promised, send me a color sample for approval in
: : advance if he had used the correct color.
: : However, the refinish job is, in my opinion, terrible. The finish is dull, and lumpy, with a texture
: : that is rough to the touch. There are numerous flecks of dirt, etc. UNDER the finish. There
: : appears to be no clear coat at all, as the finish is very dull, almost matte in appearance. There
: : were several small dings (no wood removed) in the forearm contour that Frey had agreed to
: : prep out before the refin (fairly simple), instead he applied the finish right over them. Instead of
: : using a bright gold color like the "Aztec" or "Firemist" gold requested (we had also discussed
: : the color often called "Shoreline" which is in fact a one-off custom color), Frey used a pale gold
: : with a sickly greenish tint. Had Frey, as requested, provided me with a sample of this color in
: : advance I would never have agreed to it. The finish, as applied, appears to be extremely thick
: : and does not appear to have been sanded or buffed at all.
: : I have had a number of guitars refinished over the years, including a ’57 Strat, a ’62 Strat, and a
: : ’63 Strat, plus owning a number of other instruments which have been refinished, so I do have
: : more than a little experience with the average quality of refinish work, and this work, in my
: : opinion, does not meet any commonly accepted standard. I’ve never seen a refinish job on a
: : guitar that looked this poor – and this includes those done with cans of spray paint!
: : Contacting Frey and requesting a refund, as he did not adhere to any of his promises, or
: : provide a quality job, his response was less than helpful:
: :
: : Please sir Im not going to refund anything I shot an aztec gold body
: : in the original finish from the original source that fender got it from
: : Im sorry you cant be pleased with that I did exactly what I said id do
: : good day sir
: : Ok you sent me a body that was shot in the wrong color
: : I redid it for 300 dollars I returned your body
: : end of story
: :
: : To date (8 June 1999) I have not received a refund, nor has any attempt been made by Frey to
: : resolve this. I would recommend that anyone considering doing business with Frey spend some
: : time researching reviews of his work. I have been contacted by a surprising number of people
: : who claim to have had eerily similar experiences with Frey, so it’s apparent to me that this was
: : more than an isolated incident. Anyone wanting more information about this: copies of all the
: : emails, pictures of the work, or any other information, feel free to contact me!
: : Mark Deavult
: : [email protected]
Mark I see the lawsuit for 10,000 dollars for slander didnt
set in with you remeber the letter to stop slandering my name my attorney sent it to your mother and to you?
Ill be contacting him tomorrow again to settle this you dont seem to understand the law so here we go one more time..
: I’ve been waiting over ONE YEAR for a guitar that he was supposed to build for me, in exchange for over $600 worth of effects. I’ve sent numerous email, begging for this guitar. It has now been over two months that I have had no contact with him.
: After finding his website (http://frey.home.texas.net/), I contacted Ron Frey of Frey Giutars in
: Buda, Texas on December 12, 1999 about refinishing a Fender Stratocaster body. He offered
: to refinish the body in a time span of no more than a month and a half, as follows in his
: communication of 12 December:
: Mark waht I meant was from the time I got it in till completion
: month and a half
:
: The body was to be stripped down to bare wood, sanded and prepped, with any dings or body
: imperfections to be repaired before the refinish. Frey agreed to send me a color sample in
: advance of the refinish for my approval, as shown in Frey’s emails to me on 12 December
: 1999:
:
: Ill scrape it all off to wood fill, seal well then prime in white then
: spray gold I use white undercoater like the 60s ones unless specified
: otherwise.
: Ill take my time to eliminate all the grain flaws ect and any dings if
: any…
: Mark Ill go mix a quart of firemist and send a sample to you once I get box
: in from you.
: Ill go right away and have it mixed then send sample.
:
: Payment was to be made by Money Order or cashier’s check. I overnighted the body and
: payment at Frey’s request:
:
: if you need send a
: cashiers check
: thats fine if its better for you im flexible… If body is going to take a
: week to get here can we overnite
: the cashiers check so I can have everything here when it arrives? Just to
: save time I can get it cashed
: and buy paint the same time im In town. Or overnite the whole thing body
: should not be alot to overnite
: It will expedite this if I had it on tuesday I could strip it and maybe
: shoot it this week if its in that good of shape
:
: The body was sent FedEx Next Day Air (cost $80), received by Frey on Tuesday December
: 14, 1999. Payment by certified check was sent the same day by US Next-Day Express Mail
: (Cost $20) and received by Frey on the same day, Tuesday, December 14, 1999.
: Frey had, in his previous communications, promised to mix and send me color samples once he
: got the box from me. On 20 December 1999 I received the following from Frey:
:
: I will get it and meanwhile ill prep the
: body out and get it ready to spray
: Ill be gone this week for Christmas but back at it next week. Once the chart
: gets here ill get it mixed
: and send some samples Ron
:
: By 23 January Frey was apparently still prepping the body, I had yet to receive a color sample
: for my approval, this from Frey:
: Hey Mark Im on schedule here shot acrylics this week
: its goign to be 40 tomorrow so no spraying but im still
: on prepping your strat so when its ready to spray
: I think the weather will be nice again im on it
: so bear with me
:
: Apparently in the intervening five weeks, he still had not managed to get my body prepped.
: Frey did send me some poor quality scans or colors (he shot digital pictures of a color chip
: chart), but no sample was forthcoming.
: Two months into the process, still no body, no word from Frey. I had left him alone, guessing
: that his time would be better spent in doing the work I had paid him to do than in answering
: email. On Saturdy, February 12, I wrote Frey about the status of my guitar and received the
: following:
:
: Mark Im on it I havea family emergency need to leave next week
: ill be back at it midweek or so will advise progress thanks for hanging in
: there
: will be well worth it Frey
:
: Two weeks later, February 27, I wrote Frey again, requesting an update, and wanting to know
: when he planned to finish the job, and I received the following:
:
: Mark your guitar is being finished now its not compete nor dry yet to send.
: I have been on it it will be done as promised just not ready to box yet.
: My digital camera is on the blink or id send shots now.
: I will finish it up within two weeks
:
: Given the promise of "within two weeks" on Febryary 27, I waited until March 22 (almost a
: month) before demanding my body back. The body was mailed to me on Thursday, 23 March
: and I received it on Monday, 27 March.
: Now, I could have handled the delays if, as promised, the work was of high quality. I could
: have even handled the fact that he did not, as promised, send me a color sample for approval in
: advance if he had used the correct color.
: However, the refinish job is, in my opinion, terrible. The finish is dull, and lumpy, with a texture
: that is rough to the touch. There are numerous flecks of dirt, etc. UNDER the finish. There
: appears to be no clear coat at all, as the finish is very dull, almost matte in appearance. There
: were several small dings (no wood removed) in the forearm contour that Frey had agreed to
: prep out before the refin (fairly simple), instead he applied the finish right over them. Instead of
: using a bright gold color like the "Aztec" or "Firemist" gold requested (we had also discussed
: the color often called "Shoreline" which is in fact a one-off custom color), Frey used a pale gold
: with a sickly greenish tint. Had Frey, as requested, provided me with a sample of this color in
: advance I would never have agreed to it. The finish, as applied, appears to be extremely thick
: and does not appear to have been sanded or buffed at all.
: I have had a number of guitars refinished over the years, including a ’57 Strat, a ’62 Strat, and a
: ’63 Strat, plus owning a number of other instruments which have been refinished, so I do have
: more than a little experience with the average quality of refinish work, and this work, in my
: opinion, does not meet any commonly accepted standard. I’ve never seen a refinish job on a
: guitar that looked this poor – and this includes those done with cans of spray paint!
: Contacting Frey and requesting a refund, as he did not adhere to any of his promises, or
: provide a quality job, his response was less than helpful:
:
: Please sir Im not going to refund anything I shot an aztec gold body
: in the original finish from the original source that fender got it from
: Im sorry you cant be pleased with that I did exactly what I said id do
: good day sir
: Ok you sent me a body that was shot in the wrong color
: I redid it for 300 dollars I returned your body
: end of story
:
: To date (8 June 1999) I have not received a refund, nor has any attempt been made by Frey to
: resolve this. I would recommend that anyone considering doing business with Frey spend some
: time researching reviews of his work. I have been contacted by a surprising number of people
: who claim to have had eerily similar experiences with Frey, so it’s apparent to me that this was
: more than an isolated incident. Anyone wanting more information about this: copies of all the
: emails, pictures of the work, or any other information, feel free to contact me!
: Mark Deavult
: [email protected]