Great shop! I've had Dave set up 4 different acoustics and they all played much better when he got done with them. He put a pickup in my Guild Jumbo, and I took his advice to get the better one or the lesser would be a waste of time. What a difference! I had been playing with the same guys for years but they all said my rig was the best and came in to get new pickups for their guitars. Keep up the good work Dave and staff! read more

Had Dave completely rebuild a vintage jazz box and as promised it is better than new from the Ibanez custom shop. Absolutely fantastic! Ten stars! read more

I recently came into an early-80s Japanese-made clone of a vintage P-Bass. Great tone, look and feel but something was just a bit "off." It fought with me but had definite potential. Dave diagnosed the issue and did a total fret level. I just picked it up and WOW! What a difference. It's as close to perfect as I could have hoped for.all notes sing cleanly, action is nice and low, easy and inviting to play. I'm guessing this bass and I will be spending some quality time together on stage and in studio going forward. Highly recommended. read more

Dave does great setup and maintenance work and can sometimes get the work done earlier than scheduled. He knows his stuff when it comes to guitar repair and prices are in line with the quality of work you get. And if you don't like his policy on masks, then go elsewhere. He's just trying to get to protect his business from the theft that is rampant in Sacramento. read more

Fantastic experience, the owner repaired my son's guitar that was trashed! He was kind thoughtful and did a remarkable job on restoring my son's guitar! read more

I brought in my Taylor acoustic a couple years ago for a string lower and set up. I had a set of 13 strings I wanted them to put on, they said no problem. When I came back they said they got the strings as low as they could but that Taylors don't like 13s, they like 12s. He told me this AFTER they did the work without at least a phone call. Never really happy with what they did, I took my Taylor to a authorized Taylor luthier and he showed me that the Taylors have a neck shim system and you never grind down the bridge nut (which is what these guys did) to lower the strings. He also told me that he could easily put 13s on it if that's what I wanted. He told me the advice I got from these guys was complete bullshit to cover up the fact that they didn't know what they were doing. Bottom line, these guys don't know what they are doing with Taylors. Don't bring your to them. read more

Valentine's day was right around the corner and I had gift idea zero. My beloved plays an acoustical guitar at home but, I don't know a Gibson from an Fender much less what the appropriate accouterments are. Luckily, I met Dave Lynch who walked me through the store and helped me choose some wonderful items. I must admit, I was leery of what the reception of these gifts would be. My Honey was astounded and super impressed. He enjoys everything and swears he will use them until they need replacing. The store is a joy to explore and Dave is patient and kind and just as helpful as can be. I will be a return (again, and again, and again) customer. read more

Dave does incredible setup work, I highly recommend him! He fixed a guitar that had a buzz no one else could find, and now it plays like a dream! read more

I came here to bring one of my guitars for a repair estimate and turned around as soon as I saw the signs proclaiming the owner does not wear a mask. I am glad I did and went to Kip's because after reading on his Facebook that he is anti mask and anti vax I could have exposed my elderly parents to death. I doubt I will ever come here again. read more

I came here looking for strings because one of mine broke hours before a performance. I knew what I needed and I wanted it to be a quick in and out purchase, but that is not what happened. I "needed" to replace the entire instrument instead of just putting on new strings. Apparently I look like I don't know how to change strings? When he figured out I wasn't interested in buying a new guitar, the person got extremely short and rude. I ended up leaving the not buying anything from him and went to guitar center a few miles away. I try to support small businesses when I can, but this place isn't worth giving a penny to. read more

I've only ever had great experiences bringing in my guitars to get worked on at Guitar Workshop.

Dave is a legend around the Sacramento area Easy to work with and responsive, Came for a simple setup, Reasonably priced and expertly handled read more

The owner, Dave, is a stubborn and pugnacious know it all who will belittle you if you have an opinion contrary to his. I asked for two humbuckers to be installed on my strat with a push pull tone knob for coil split. Dave told me push pull was a bad idea because it might interfere with where I strum (what?) and it would be better to have a switch installed. I told him to install the push pull. When I picked up my guitar there was a switch like he had suggested. When I questioned this Dave essentially told me to pound sand; the work was done and he couldn't change it. Dave doesn't care what the customer wants. He thinks he knows better than anyone and will unilaterally perform work that was not requested. On top of that he is just rude. This shop is close to my house, but I would rather drive a long distance than give Dave any more of my money. read more

Our eclectic collection was set up, restored when back in the Boston Area by the late master Luthier, James Mouradian. Lost hope that we could find another Luthier and here is David Lynch that can spread the magic pixie dust on a six string bringing out the voice of your instrument. Turnaround time is about a month so we have to plan out the project most urgent. A great restoration of a late 90's MIJ Santa Fe Takamini that was beat up from the stage and giving lessons to young kids and changed the 90's MIK Washburn J6S Hollowbody JazzBox vibe with a wonderful set up. Mr. Lynch gave new life to my late 90's Fender Strat in solid Ash with rare teal mint finish. In the shop is my Norlin Era Gibson Les Paul Deluxe Goldtop and 60th Anniversary Fender Tele Deluxe for refret and pots/switching/pickup work. Well used guitars have their own unique story of life, no mint condition closet queens needed. read more

Guitar Workshop - 60th Anniversary Fender Deluxe Telecaster with Jazz Quartet - Musical Instruments & Teachers Near Me - Sacramento, California

See all

Terrible customer service and higher priced than anywhere else in town. So many other options to go to for your guitar needs. Was not helpful at all and super rude and condescending when I was in here last week. read more

Took a guitar in for some minor modifications and found the staff to be rude and unnecessarily judgmental about my choices and preferences. I've been playing guitar for over 30 years and was well-informed about the upgrades that I was making; yet--like other reviews have noted--they were openly giving me a hard time about what I wanted to do to upgrade my guitar. In retrospect, I wish I would have taken my business elsewhere. Also, I had to fix issues that they created, which caused the guitar to feedback like crazy. I have not shopped here since and will not ever shop here again. read more

Took my fav & older Marshall with scratchy pots and other problems to the shop and DR ROCK! The AMP came back as new. Now I really know how I sound (maybe I should have left it alone! :) ) GREAT Job Dr. Rock for your work on the amp. As good as new. read more

If you're looking for guitar parts and are on a deadline, this is the place. They have some really obscure stuff and has saved my butt on a number of occasions. Try to find selector switches for a Fender Jaguar anywhere else in Sacramento--I dare you. It isn't going to happen. Their prices are higher than Guitar Center, but that's to be expected. I tend to shop here just so I can support our local shops...but avoiding the 'look how cool I am' 15 year olds wailing on Epiphones and the unbearably loud music is an unexpected perk of shopping here versus the big box stores. You can walk in, get what you're after and be out the door in under five minutes...again, try that at GC...ain't going to happen. read more

Trusted my 1974 Gibson Les Paul Custom to Dave Lynch (who sold me my first guitar at Andy Penny's Drum and Guitar City) for an overhaul. Guitar Workshop is not cheap, but I got what I paid for...an excellent job. Thank you Dave! read more

I've been taking lessons here for about a year and a half with Ken, who has been super patient, even when I don't practice enough (which, to be real, is ALL THE TIME). The rates are super reasonable and my teacher has real expertise. Quite a few times he's written out music either from memory or an MP3 for me to learn. While lessons aren't strictly structured, I learn something new every time and am able to have a say as to whether I do or do not like a certain piece of music. Its a far cry from childhood piano lessons! Retail staff is super friendly and helpful, always ready with an answer to my questions. They always say hello and never neem bothered to assist. I'll be coming here for many many years to come! read more

lots of stuff and helpful staff.

You know the place is legit when the guitar tech points out 7 things that can be improved on your axe in literally 3 seconds. My strat felt and played pretty solid when I brought it in, I just wanted it check out and tuned up. It came back playing awesome! Action, nut height, Intonation, neck etc... all dialed! Also received very helpful info when re-wiring a guitar for my first time. Thank you Guitar Workshop! I'll be coming back for more guitar needs. read more

Everytime I come in here, I am deeply satisfied when I leave. Just about everytime, I get wonderful conversation and a welcome feeling. I haven't yet, but i feel like this is the kind of shop where I can just hang out, and talk shop. I have been playing music for over 20 years, guitar for 15 of them. My dream job is to be a luthier. That being said, I have been in hundreds upon hundreds of guitar shops, and this one definitely sits in my favorites. My last visit, Adam was the guy who gave me a hand at what I needed, we ended up talking about cool picks. I recommended trying an ace comb as a pick. It's tricky at first, but once you have it, you have a really awesome reverb/chorus effect. Video time. read more

I've been taking guitar lessons here for a few months. I started with Nokes Kelley, but am now taking classes with Adam Block. Both are good instructors; I only switched to Adam, because the timing was more convenient. I don't have a lot of time to practice, and they have been forgiving and patient, yet still encouraging. I'm improving slowly! Thank you, Nokes and Adam. read more

I brought my acoustic guitar in there to see if it needed a tune up because I hadn't played it in many years. They (Dave) immediately told me it needed 5 new frets and hey since we're in there, might as well do the whole fret board at a cost of $550. This didn't sound right to me, so I had a second and third look by local luthiers. This guitar needs nothing, just a proper restring and its perfect - no buzz, action is clean, etc. I am not sure if it's the lack of expertise or they just wanted to rack up a large repair bill. Either way, I'll not be back and that's unfortunate because I'd rather support a small local shop over Guitar Center and was excited to find this one in midtown. read more

So Dave is a guy who does not take responsibility for the people who give his guitar lessons in his shop. He claims they are not his responsibility and to challenge one of his instructors (Tyson) in his shop is to "put him in the middle." We signed up for lessons in late June. This was before the 4th of July. As it turned out, the first lesson was on the 4th. We did not check the calendar while signing up and neither did they. THERE WAS NO MUTUAL AGREEMENT TO MEET ON THE 4TH OF JULY! THERE WAS NO DISCUSSION REGARDING THE 4TH. No one said, "Hey, your son's first lesson is on the 4th, can you make it? I mean it is a National Holiday." Nor did I ask Tyson to work on the 4th anymore than I would expect him to work on Christmas or New Years--those are dates normal people spend with family and friends. No discussion what-so-ever. We went on holiday like 90% of the population. The 4th was to be our first lesson and if Tyson was going to be there on a national holiday it is incumbent upon him to let us know. He (Tyson) sent me an email after the 4th saying he was there--that is the only notice we received and one that should have been sent before the 4th, not after the 4th. Everyone I talk to feels the same way about this. A national holiday, really? Who would expect a guitar shop to be open on the 4th for lessons? The money is trivial, but the point is not. We are not looking to get over on anyone, but we did not agree with anyone to be there on the 4th of July. We should have been informed and that is a shortcoming on behalf of Dave, Tyson and his staff. Sign us up and give us the pertinent information by which we can make a decision, otherwise you are deliberately or carelessly misleading the public. I know a lot of people in town, I own my own business and I would never/ever expect my clients to pay for services they did not receive when I was negligent in my communication. Tyson was negligent and frankly Dave's staff member who gladly took our money and signed us up was negligent too--kindly state the store policy to us as it applies to all calendar days including holidays. If we had known we would have acted accordingly, but we should not assume that your instructor is going to be working on Xmas, the 4th or any other national holiday. It begs credibility to think so. So when I asked Dave about this matter with Tyson his first response is to say it is not his responsibility. That he feels put upon because these people only give lessons at Dave's place, but they really do not work for him. When money is exchanged at your pace of business you do bare responsibility. Period. They offered lessons with another instructor, but after careful consideration I decided I did not want to do business with them. I did ask for money back on the lessons not used. Dave said there were no refunds on lessons. Not a wise move to make people pay for services they do not receive. This is a poor business practice, but reflective of the owner and his lack of business acumen. I run my own business we have five star reviews for a reason. We put our customers first. Dave and the people at Guitar Workshop practice a form of business that has little honor. Maybe I am old fashioned to say so, but I think you should conduct yourself honorably in business and that means not taking money you have not earned. So keep the $50.00 Dave, it is a very small price to pay to keep people like you out of my life and the life of my son. And this I would say to parents who are considering guitar lessons at Guitar Workshop: they lack honor and they will not put your children's interest first. read more

I have had Guitar Workshop do numerous jobs for me. Setup of a used Squier Stratocaster was excellent. Dr. Rock can be a little cranky but he's an excellent technician. I had him do some work on an amp. They swapped out my original Fender neck that was cracked for a Warmoth neck that I had ordered and did an excellent job of setting up my 5-string Fender J-bass. This bass is my main axe and I love it more than ever now with the new Warmoth neck. Great set-up job on a Squier 5-string jazz bass that I had bought used. The lower frets were rattling and they adjusted it so the bass plays great now. Great set-up job on a brand new Yamaha 4-string bass that I had ordered through Amazon. Action and playability on this bass is super smooth now. To summarize: Guitar Workshop is my go-to shop for guitar repair. Yes, you will have to wait several weeks or even a month or so to get your axe back but believe me these guys & gals do amazing work. It is well worth the wait. read more

I gave these guys a call because I was looking for a fairly common part, a slotted nut. The guy who answered was just plain arrogant, unprofessional and wrong. He lept saying over and over "the thing you are describing DOES NOT EXIST!" "There is no such thing". I was unable to even get a word in. It's OK to be factually wrong, it's even OK to be ignorant of guitar parts when you work in a guitar store, but don't be a douche. Lost a customer here read more

So glad that this place exists. If you need work done on a guitar this the only place. They do good work at a fair $ so you don't have to deal with guitar sh%ter. read more

These people were so completely rude! The guy who runs the place is a complete loser! I wanted to get guitar lessons and he wanted me to lock myself into a slot forever. There was absolutely no flexibility on his part nor was he willing to work with me on a temporary schedule. Some people have jobs and lives. . .no everyone getting lessons is a 12 year old kid with the same routine day after day! I say go anywhere else but here! read more

This place is a gem! I have an old electric guitar that needs some work, and I was debating whether to have it fixed or just buy a new one. The young gent with the stretched ear lobes behind the counter was very polite, looked it over for me and suggested what it would need to set it up correctly (apart from some electronics repair), quoted me a fair price, and gave me the pros and cons of getting it repaired versus buying a new one. I got some picks, a tuner and some strings at standard prices, and left. What he suggested was in keeping with what I'd heard elsewhere, so I give him top marks for honesty and knowing his field. The selection of guitars wasn't great, but it's a very small shop, so that's to be expected. The guitars I checked out were clean, well-priced, sounded fantastic, and looked more like new instruments than used and refurbished. Overall, great place. read more

A few months ago I brought another friend here. The friend had a guitar that was given to them, and that guitar had a problem. The people at the Guitar Workshop fixed my friend's guitar for free and didn't try to sell him anything! That's why I'm upgrading to five stars. read more

Went in to get my Ukuele re-strung, or so I thought. The man behind the counter assisted me and let me know that the Uke sounded great, I did not need to get it restrung. He helped me make some minor adjustments, and I left with a new carrying case and a snark tuner. Also informed me of Ukulele lessons available. I would do business with them again. read more

The staff at Guitar Workshop are very knowledgeable in guitar repair and lessons. I have been taking my guitars to them for over 10 years and have never been disappointed. I have taken lessons from different teachers from time to time and all of them are top shelf players. I recommend Guitar Workshop to all my musician friends. Easily worth 5 stars. read more

I took lessons there from Nokes Kelley, I have to say that out of my many teachers that I've had, he's been the best so far. I had 2 different Satriani students as teachers, another guy that had a masters in classical, and a few others, Nokes was the most patient and easy to get along with. Nokes has a gift, when he saw that I was stuck on something, he backed up and went over what I had issue with. A few times he had to do a lot of backing up for my benefit. He was more interested in teaching me than showing be a big ego with how well he can play. Hopefully in the near future I can return to lessons. I had to quit due to my scheduling issues with children's activities. As far as the workshop, they worked on 1 of my guitars and did a great job, but the last time I called them, they were a month out and I couldn't schedule my work, I would have had to leave the guitar there in Que for the whole time. Basically I needed a quick bridge sanding adjustment that took a luthier about 5 minutes to adjust. Anyway, I wasn't going to leave my extremely expensive guitar just laying around. They are busy for a reason, I guess they are about tops around. I would recommend these guys, the wait would be worth it if you need some work done. read more

Updated review: Make sure you discuss what you want done with your frets when you go to this shop. I had a bone nut installed at suggestion of shop owner along with setup, as string was binding in nut. String still binds in nut, but I am having another shop fix it. read more

I have over 35 guitars, mostly vintage. I am weary of who works on them. Perfection is a great word to describe The Guitar Workshops quality of work. My guitars have never played so well...actually better than when they were new. I'm going to pick up my 5th guitar and drop off my 6th today. Doesn't your instrument deserve the best? read more

I decided to take some guitar lessons and buy a beginner guitar ! I had driven across town to go this place I had seen it several times and thought it would fit my needs! I went in and asked if i could use their bathroom first seeing it would probably take sometime to pick out a guitar and get some lessons lined up ! They refused to let me use their bathroom and expected me to use the bathroom in the bar next door ???? Needless to say I left and let them know they lost my business ! Bad business practice !! read more

I brought in an old '74 Gibson Heritage acoustic guitar that had been given to me by my grandfather. Unfortunately, the guitar had seen years of neglect. Years in humid Florida, years in dry dry winter Michigan. The front had a sizable crack (maybe 0.5 mm wide and about 20cm long. They closed the crack, filled in the finish, and did a really professional job restoring the guitar. The neck had also warped, causing the action to be a little high, with significant buzzing on the higher frets. They were able to straighten out the neck and bring the action back to a level that is a pleasure to play. The price for the work seemed appropriate given the amount and quality of work that was performed. Since work had been done from the inside of the body, they took the time when I picked up the instrument to grab a mirror and show me the work from the inside. I wouldn't hesitate to put another guitar in their hands. read more

I handed down an old guitar to my brother in law who is a beginning guitar player. The guitar wasn't in the best of shape so I put it through GW's basic overhaul and they brought it back to great playing condition. Got the action down and it seems like the tone improved. Thx! read more