Professional guitar care and repair.
Keep your instrument in peak playing condition.
Services
Maintenance.
• Professional setups.
• Truss rod adjustments.
• Precise intonation.
• Buzzing issues.
Fret work.
• Re-fretting.
• Fret leveling.
• Crowning and polishing.
• Stainless Steel frets.
Nut & saddle work
• Nut replacement.
• Saddle fabrication.
• Bone, Tusq, Graphite.
A poorly setup instrument can make playing unpleasant or even difficult. Even the finest instruments need periodic maintenance. We have over three decades of experience under our belt. Our extensive 16-point setup will get your instrument playing its best.
The foundation of a well tuned instrument. From dressing sharp ends to complete re-frets on prized vintage instruments, our fretwork is done with expert precision and care. Stainless steel frets are one of our specialties.
Often overlooked, string contact points can affect your guitar in profound ways. A custom made nut and/or saddle is an effective way to immediately improve the tone and playability of your instrument. We tailor make them from your material of choice.
Customization.
• Aftermarket installations.
• Pickup installation.
• Wiring modifications.
Structural repair.
• Expert Headstock repairs.
• Brace repairs.
• Bridge replacement & repair.
Restorations.
• Reconstructions.
• Spec refinishing.
• Free consultation.
Personalize your instrument and make it yours. We handle everything from basic tuner upgrades and pickup swaps to major modifications like altering neck profiles and refinishing. We love a challenge.
Broken headstocks, cracks, loose braces and bridge work. Normal wear and tear and accidents happen to all of us. We can mend that wounded guitar both structurally and cosmetically and get it back in action quickly.
Vintage and antique instrument reconditioning and revival. As builders with years of experience we know our guitar history and what makes theem tick. You can trust us to bring your your classic instrument back into top playing condition.
Frequently asked questions.
How much is a setup and what do you do?
A standard setup is $75 and applies to acoustic and electric guitars. Floyd Rose and robot tuner equipped guitars are and additional $20. During a setup we do the following:
• Inspect & polish body.
• Check any electronics for functionality.
• Check tuners.
• Check for uneven frets.
• Polish frets
• Clean and condition fretboard.
• Check nut slot depth. Adjust if necessary.
• Tighten any loose screws.
• Check neck relief, adjust truss rod is necessary.
• Adjust tremolo if applicable/necessary.
• Check and adjust saddle position.
• Adjust pickup height.
• Set string action based on playing style.
• Set intonation.
• Install and stretch strings & tune to pitch.
• Play and test notes on the entire fretboard.
Can you fix my guitar?
Yes. Almost any instrument can be repaired. We do everything from simple restrings to major restorations on vintage instruments. The limiting factor being time and money. Sometimes there is damage that is beyond repair or the work just wouldn’t be cost effective. Bringing your instrument in is the best way for us to evaluate your needs and assess the repairs needed.
Evaluations are completely free.
How long will it take to repair my instrument?
Long wait times deprive you of your prized instrument. We pride ourselves on fast turnaround. Standard setups and refrets are usually out the door within 48-36 hrs or less. If you have an important gig coming up and need your instrument we’ll do everything we can to make concessions and expedite your work. More complicated work such as restorations, modifications and finish work can take a bit longer. We take pride in delivering your instrument on the agreed time as quoted.
Do I need an appointment?
Yes. Please contact us directly to schedule a time to bring in your instrument. Once you have an appointment please be on time. We look forward to meeting you but our time is valuable. Missed appointments are annoying to everyone involved.
What brands do you work on?
We work on any brand of instrument.
Can you quote a firm price over the phone?
Unfortunately no.
Each instrument is unique and will need to be assessed in person. We can give you a general price based on your description but we need to visually inspect your guitar to give an estimated repair quote.
What forms of payment do you accept?
We take most credit cards, PayPal, and cash. And yes, we charge tax on cash transactions.
Can you repair a broken headstock?
Yes. Broken headstocks are common and we should be able to restore your guitar functionally and cosmetically. If you have a broken headstock take the following steps.
• Gently loosen the strings on your guitar.
• Gather any wood shards that may have dislodged from the break.
• Do not try any glue yourself! You only have once chance to properly repair a headstock break. Removing glue from an improperly repaired break can add significant time and cost to the repair or make it impossible to fix correctly.
• Have it fixed as soon as possible.
How much to re-fret my guitar?
It depends on several factors. Almost all refrets require a new nut to be made. For an acoustic guitar you will probably require a new saddle as well. Some guitars are easier to refret than others. For example removing frets from a guitar with a maple board will generally be easier than a guitar with an ebony board as ebony tends to chip during removal and usually requires some level of restoration before new frets can be installed. Stainless steel frets are harder on tools and require a bit more time to install. Once we have the chance to evaluate your particular guitar we can give you an accurate quote.
What we can tell you is that well will always be more economical and will deliver better work than the big brand chain stores.
Are stainless steel frets better than nickel silver?
In our opinion yes. They are much harder and feel much smother than standard nickel steel frets. Bending notes is noticeably easier on SS frets. Some will argue that they sound brighter than standard frets but we think the difference is negligible if not completely unnoticeable. A significant benefit of SS frets is their durability. Stainless frets will most likely never have to be replaced.
Can you fix a finish ding or dent on my guitar?
In most cases, yes. Bring it in for an evaluation.
Do you do neck resets?
Yes. We do neck resets on a case by case basis.
