Dear Vixen,

Are these sorts of repairs costly?

From what I can ascertain from your description....not necessarily.

Do they need to be done by a top-notch luthier?

No.

Can I do them myself?

I would say yes.

Is it worth doing them?

I would say yes again as you are attached to the guitar and like the sound of it.

How long can I expect it to take?

I would start out with a new bone saddle, slightly higher, and take it from there. With a little filing and shaping, this should take no more than about half an hour and may already eliminate some of the problems. If you put in a new saddle, you will probably not need a shim in the saddle slot. It could well be that you need a refret or partial refret after this length of time. This is possible to do yourself if you have access to a luthier's supplier for the correct fretwire or any luthier should be able to do it relatively inexpensively. A refinishing of the fingerboard is more tricky and will add to the cost. It may be unnecessary (but one would need to see the extent of wear).

How much would these kinds of repairs cost in New England?

I live outside the US (Belgium) so cannot comment on the likely cost but I would say less than $50 so far.

Or should I really give up on the instrument, and get something better?

This is entirely your choice but the guitar sounds fixable to me!

Best regards,

moo