Am I the nightmare customer?

[Mike O'Malley]

I'm at best semi-pro. I've owned four different basses in my life, the one I own now, a shen 7/8 willow flatback, is the best I've ever owned. I play jazz, almost all pizz, though I like to work out with the bow in practice. I'm not unhappy with anything about the bass except that sometimes I think it's a little too bright. Could be my technique, but I think a bass this size ought to have a little more boom. I've never had the soundpost adjusted or any other work done since I bought the bass about a year and a half ago. It has a rib crack down by the endpin--my fault, not Shen's--that I need to have looked at.

If I take it to, say, Mike Shank, how much can I reasonably expect him to work with me on setup for the right sound? How much change in sound can I reasonably expect? Mostly the bass feels really right to me--why I bought it--and sounds good. But I don't have the widest range of experience. I have dealt with a well known local shop here in DC, and some of my dealings have left me slightly uneasy, for no good reason that I can name. I don't entirely trust this place, which may be unreasonable on my part

I also have a good friend that runs a local guitar shop, and one of his biggest complaints--and sources of revenue--is guys who come in nitpicking about this or that when what they ought to do its practice more. I don't want to be that guy!

How much of a luthier's time and attention would it be reasonable to expect? How much improvement might I see?