Originally posted by Hammurabi
... Me doing it myself all these years was probably really stupid, but I have trust issues...

It's hard to pass something as intimate as a guitar over to a stranger. Take it in to the shop, show it to the tech, and explain what the promlems are, along with the history of the instrument.

Techs are usually very busy, but the good ones know that a lot of useful insight can be gained by talking to the owner for a few minutes. Don't be embarrased about working on it yourself - that's something they'll need to know. And most first-time customers bring in a guitar they have tried to fix themselves.