I told my husband about this store from Nextdoor that just opened near us in Belmont. He stopped by last week and saw a beautiful custom sky blue Stratocaster guitar for sale. Jim custom built this guitar. My husband purchased it and can't stop playing it. Recently he played at his gig and received many compliments regarding its sound and quality. It's nice to have a guitar store like this so close. read more

dB Limit - Custom built Stratocaster guitar by Jim! - Guitar Stores Near Me - Belmont, California

I have a nearly 30-year-old Japanese JB75 Fender Jazz Bass. It had been my main bass for many years, but unfortunately the frets were totally shot and it really wasn't up to par for gig use. I'd gotten a few quotes from various luthiers in the South Bay, but a couple were reluctant to work on it due to the fact that the instrument has a bound maple neck finished in gloss (higher level of difficulty). I'd heard about DB Limit and decided to check it out. I was pleasantly surprised when I arrived at the store. It's located in a small strip mall in Belmont and has parking out front and in the back. I went in and found the vibe of the little shop was great, a gem on the Peninsula! The store was filled with guitar accessories, amplifiers, and custom and consignment/used inventory. Indie music and band posters lined the walls along with the wares, making it a cool spot to hang out for a bit. Jim, the guitar repair tech (owner?) greeted me right away and evaluated my bass. He was very knowledgeable and even pointed out some issues I was unaware of with the pickps/electronics. I felt confident Jim would do a great job with this difficult re-fret and so I left my prized bass with him to do the work. Jim completely refretted my bass, made a new hand-carved bone nut, addressed the electronics issue, and totally dialed the bass with a pro setup that played great up and down the neck. I was extremely pleased with the turnaround time and attention to detail Jim has with his work. He even spent 15 minutes with me while I played the bass to make sure there weren't any micro adjustments for my preferences that needed to be made. All in all fantastic work, great shop, and a skillful, fairly priced repair. I'll definitely be bringing my future guitar work to Jim and DB Limit! read more

We recently brought my daughter's acoustic into Jim for an issue with the electrical connections. It had been cutting out. After having it repaired previously at Guitar Center, we were happy to have a local guitar pro shop in our neighborhood to support. Jim listened to our concerns, did an initial inspection, and we were happy with his pricing estimate. We expected for it to be about a week, but were called the next day to let us know he was able to squeeze it in while working on another guitar. He took the time to show us pictures of what the wiring looked like previously and what it looked like after his repairs. He did a thorough job and it performs better than when she first got it. We'll be happy to go back to Jim for any further guitar repairs. It's a pleasure being able to support a local business in our neighborhood run by someone that really cares about his craft. read more

dB Limit has done some guitar setups for me, which have been great. Jim is patient, knowledgeable and fun to talk guitars with. Most recently he did some reconditioning of a vintage guitar from the 70s for me and made some changes to the electronics. Great job! read more

I dropped off my 1963 Fender Jaguar with Jim. It needed some attention to get it back to having playability. After a re-fret and a tuner upgrade, my guitar is back to sounding amazing! Jim's professionalism and attention to detail surpassed my expectations. All around great guy, and I will continue to go to him with any guitar issues I may encounter with my collection! read more

This is THE place to go for any professional-level guitar repair or upgrade. Jim, the owner, is super knowledgeable and dedicated to making a guitar the best it can be. I had Jim do a fret job plus some electronics upgrades on my beloved Fender Blacktop Strat. Played it 8 years and the frets were pretty beat. Now it's like new, better than new actually. Jim saw things I missed and did an amazing set up. He has incredible attention to detail and all the tools. I think the price was very fair considering the time and expertise he put into it. Shop is beautiful and fun to visit. Jim is a cool guy and always happy to talk guitars. Worth a visit if only to check it out for the future. read more

Killer boutique music store! Some awesome guitar builds and solid tube amps. Thanks Jim!​

Took my Telecaster for a complete work over. Totally happy with his craftsmanship! The guitar is better than the day I got it. Smooth, silky and bright. When I played "Lake Charles" I think my little dog started crying. My aspiration to be the lead guitar player on a cruise ship may never materialize. At least my guitar is ready to go onstage. What I learned is, you don't need to ship your guitar to Nashville to get world class workmanship. read more

Always on the lookout for a good local luthier, I was excited to hear that dB Limit had opened in Belmont. I eagerly brought in my Tele for a thorough check and professional set up. All I can say is WOW! Jim took the time to welcome me into his shop and immediately made me feel comfortable. He knew the right questions to ask about my current playing as well as future goals in order to make recommendations for work that he might do on my guitar. Turns out, his suggestions were spot on, and the set up and additional fret work he did has my guitar sounding incredible. It's great to have such an experienced professional so close to home. I'll be back soon! read more

I recently brought my Stratocaster to dB Limit, and to say that Jim exceeded my expectations would be an understatement. This wasn't a basic setup job. My Strat had all the right ingredients--premium electronics, top-shelf hardware, beautiful tonewoods--but it never quite felt right. It lacked that elusive "X factor" that makes you reach for a guitar over and over again. Over the years, I'd taken it to three highly reputable techs, and no one could quite bring it to life. Until now. From the moment I walked into dB Limit, I knew this place was different. The shop just feels right--laidback, full of character, and an energy that invites you to hang and/or geek out. Jim welcomed me in like an old friend. He's approachable, passionate, and clearly lives and breathes guitars. His knowledge of the instrument both inside and out is as deep as it is obsessive (in the best way possible). The work he did on my Strat wasn't flashy or heavy-handed. Instead, it was a series of thoughtful, precise, almost surgical tweaks that collectively transformed the instrument. It finally has the resonance, feel, and response I always hoped it would. It's now the guitar I want to play first, and stands out as my number one. Seriously, I can't believe how well this thing plays. dB Limit is a great addition to our local music community and I am excited to see what the future holds for the store. I'll be bringing all my guitars to Jim from here on out. If you're serious about getting the most out of your gear, don't wait and get the job done right the first time. You will be glad you did. read more

I took my acoustic guitar into Jim to get it set up.The Guitar was in rough shape and I had very low expectations for what could be done to it. Jim exceeded all expectations. He transformed the instrument and he made it much more playable. He ended up scraping the finish of the damaged neck. I can't believe how well it turned out. My old beat up guitar feels new again and his turnaround was really quick. I really trust Jim to set up any of my instruments now. It's great that we have a such a fine shop in Belmont. read more

I had my Gibson Lucille restored and setup here. They did a super job, it sounds amazing. Check them out!