My Martin D35 is getting in need of refretting. We have a local man who does them, but the results have been mixed, to say the least. I know at least three people who sent their instruments 'down south' for remedy after the local luthier had done a number on them.

In another thread, Brendy said he gets his done frequently; presumably he's satisfied with the results. I'd like to think that's the norm.

I've been doing some reading- FretNot Guitar goes into great detail on how it is done and some of the pitfalls -and frankly, it's a little scary.

How tricky is the job? If only the frets in the 'open' chord positions need it, will the luthier replace only those and just level the others? Approximately how much should it cost? Should the luthier be expected to guarantee the job?

Ideally, I'd like to send the guitar somewhere on the west coast- or maybe even Anchorage, Alaska's largest city- rather than to the east coast. I have another guitar so I won't be without one to play, but I'd like to get the 35 back as soon as practicable.

Any information out there? Thank you kindly.