Justin is an incredible luthier who helped create my dream guitar! It's a one of a kind instrument representative of how awesome he is and how awesome he makes things sound read more

I have taken several guitars to Justin over the last 2 years, and his work is always superb! Justin made a bone saddle for my Epi Masterbuilt, which not only improved the tone, but also improved the playability of a guitar that was already pretty sweet. Pickup installs and setups, always top notch. Justin is also a decent human, easy to talk to and is willing to commiserate on our many health struggles, lol. On the other hand I've had a few bad, sloppy work experiences, elsewhere, at a very well known shop on xxxxxx. As long as Hackl Guitars is in business, it's where I'll take any and all work I need done. read more

Hackl Guitars - 2022 Gibson SG Standard '61. Set up with 9's, to perfection, by Hackl Guitars. - Guitar Stores Near Me - Denver, Colorado

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Solid dude providing solid work. A long time supporter and active member of the Denver music scene. The only guy in town I'd take my guitars to. read more

I have brought multiple custom guitars in to Hackl for everything from nut upgrades and setups to more intricate electronic and pickup work. I trust him with my instruments and the communication/turnaround time has been excellent. I would absolutely recommend this shop. read more

I brought my Ibanez Artcore in for a setup and new nut. Justin did an amazing job, I didn't know my guitar could play this well. The total for my service was $130 which is less than I was expecting. His setup is awesome too, he converted his garage (although now that I'm thinking of it I'm not sure if it was ever a garage or just a large shed), into a really cool shop, I'm jealous of the setup. I'd give 10 stars if I could. read more

Fantastic experience working with Justin. From communication to quality of work I couldn't have asked for a better experience. Highly recommend. read more

Stellar service!!!! Justin is just way too cool to work with. He works efficiently, is very approachable and totally laid back. His service prices are definitely musician friendly too! I will keep going back Hackl Guitars G. read more

Couldn't be happier with the service I received! I got a response almost immediately after reaching out, and was able to come in the following day. Justin was able to fix the problem I had the same day I brought it in, and was extremely helpful with answering my questions. He's extremely skilled and knowledgable, and answers questions with humility and professionalism. There's no one else I'd go to in the area, and I'll be telling all my guitarist and bassist friends to head his way if they need a luthier. read more

For some time now, I've been looking for a place that could do basic tune ups, set ups and repairs on my guitar, both quickly and cheaply. I had gone to a couple other places in Denver but they typically took way too long and it was hard to get anything turned around quickly. I did a quick search on Google and found that Hackl guitars was pretty close to down town where I work so I decided to take my guitar there. I kept breaking strings on my electric guitar so I needed someone who could diagnose and fix the problem and get it back to me all in less than a week. I called Justin at Hackl, made an appointment and brought my guitar in. He was super friendly and professional and was able to diagnose what was going on with my guitar quickly. I also want to note that he specifically discouraged me from requesting any fixes or replacements that would devalue my guitar. I know my way around a guitar a bit and I was making suggestions as to what we could do for me to stop breaking strings and he steered me away from anything that would devalue the guitar even if it meant I might have spent more money with him. Turns out a basic setup and some thicker gauge strings were all I needed to stop breaking strings. I paid $45 for a basic setup and an additional $10 for two sets of strings which I think is very reasonable, especially given the quick turnaround time. I brought it in on a Tuesday and Justin had it ready for me by Thursday, ready in plenty of time for my weekly church band practice on Friday and to play on Sunday morning. The best part was, no broken strings that Sunday! I'll be going to Hackl Guitars for all my set up and repair needs from here on out. Justin does quality work in a short amount of time at a reasonable price. What more can you ask for? Like the previous reviewer said, don't bother taking your guitar anywhere else. Justin should have any service you need for your guitar covered. read more

I've been taking my guitars to Justin for years and he is by far the best guy in town. Whether it's an easy setup or a complicated project, he always takes great care of my guitars and I always leave super happy with the work he did. Also his custom made guitars are beautiful! read more

Another quickly turned around, fairly priced, and thorough set up. Again, my guitar plays and sounds better than it ever has. Don't even think of taking your guitar anywhere else in Denver. read more

Outstanding guitar worker and great dude. He's been keeping my guitars playing beautifully for years, recommend 100%. Affordable, thorough, and professional. read more

Justin lately put together a somewhat eccentric Warmoth-based Strat for me and I can report: 1. He is very patient with completely neurotic, perfection-obsessed customers...mentioning that for a friend... 2. His work is exemplary and absolutely meticulous. 3. He works quickly and his prices are more than fair. 4. He's just about the nicest guy you'll ever meet. Over the years, aside from the occasional emergency work done by Rudy's in NYC, I've had all of 3 main guitar techs: one in NOLA, one in Denver, and the guys at Gruhn's for very old Martins. I was terrified of giving this project to a young guy whom I hadn't worked with before. Justin's the real deal and I was in the very best of hands. read more

I don't know the first thing about guitars, but when I purchase my first axe, I most definitely will not go to one of those shitty off the rack chain stores. I'll give Mr Hackel a ring because I've seen and heard his guitars in action and they're second to none. Do yourself a favor and patronize this small business because it's worth every penny and you're supporting a good dude. read more

Seriously the best. Every dang guitarist I know relies on Hackl Guitars to keep their axes shimmering in the moonlight. I'm a dumb drummer. All I know is that every guitarist I've ever played with always sound great. They're all pretty terrible musicians, so it's probably Justin's magic touch that keeps them from making me look bad. #hackl4life read more

Justin does great work at an extremely reasonable price. Quick turnaround. Brought a Japanese made SG and Les Paul to have some work done. Extremely happy with the work. They play incredibly well now and really sing. Flawless work! Comparable to work I've had done by much pricier, big name luthiers and techs, both locally and in NYC. So hard to find a solid tech/Luthier these days. Especially one that doesn't charge an arm and a leg. Really happy to have found Justin! read more

Highly recommend Hackly Guitars! I recently had Justin install a set of pickups for me on a Stratocaster. They had a bit of a strange wiring pattern, due to the S1 switch and the fact the guitar was put together from many different parts. He took the time to research the best way to setup the electronics and perfectly set it up for me. My Strat plays 1000x better after his setup than it did before. Justin is a great guy and a very talented luthier. I highly recommend him for any repairs you may need, especially guitar setups! read more

Never trusted anyone with my HOLY GRAIL one off warlock, Justin was fast, honest and took great care of her, And his ability of what i wanted was top notch!!! this guy is awesome, i will always take all my gear to HACKL GUITARS you should too!!! Thanks Justin, see you soon. read more

Justin did a great job on both my bass and guitar. Pricing was fair, turn around was quick, and he also gave me advice on caring for my instruments in this dry climate. Would definitely recommend and use again! *edited for spelling, not content read more

Justin is the man - a one man show with his shop that's out of his home in Park Hill. Not going to add much more that's already been said about his technical ability to setup, tune, repair, or build guitars - he's legit and knows his craft well. But I'll add that he is just a super down to earth, friendly, and a straight shooter. He'll be honest with exactly what your instrument needs and what to focus on versus leading you astray. He has setup/tuned a mexi-Tele for me and just recently helped to re-build a Stratocaster by installing a new neck, new pickups, new pick guards, and installed all new electrical/pots. Both guitars are just perfect now. He's the guy and I'm definitely always bringing my instruments to him to get worked on. read more

Very reasonable prices, quick turnaround, and most importantly, excellent work. He did a fantastic job fixing some fret issues on a Fender Strat that other techs didn't, and the work didn't take weeks. I'll be bringing my other guitars to him for sure. Definitely recommended. read more

Justin has done work on four or five of my guitars over the past several months, including set-ups, custom nuts and electronics upgrades. Each guitar I've brought to him now play and sound better than they ever have before. He really knows how to bring out the best in every instrument. Plus he's just a cool, down to earth guy. Don't spend money on any more gear until you've had your instrument set up properly by someone like Justin (I have yet to find anyone better than him though!) Hackl Guitars FTW! read more

Found Justin and Hackl Guitars on Yelp. I brought my mid 2000s Taylor 410CE acoustic guitar in for a few different service items, including lowering the action and fret repair. Justin was very knowledgeable and the repairs were done per our discussion, on time and per the original price quoted. Very happy and my acoustic plays better than ever. read more

I've taken several guitars and a couple of basses to Hackl Guitars and have been impressed with the results each time. When I moved here from California, where the weather features far less temperature swing and significantly more humidity than here, the local climate made most of my instruments go badly out of whack. Justin has put everything right and everything has stayed right. He works out of a back shed at his home. Someone said that's weird, but I think it's smart--keeps his costs low, and the savings are passed on to the customer. He's also a pleasure to deal with, and turns routine repairs and maintenance around quickly. What more could you want? read more

My Martin jumbo cutaway badly needed some t.l.c. and I had the rare opportunity to drop it off with a pro in Denver for a couple of days (I live about 4 hours away with little access to guitar techs). I followed the recommendations here at Yelp and am glad I did. Justin was upfront about what he thought should be done without pressuring me to do anything that I didn't feel was necessary. I followed his recommendation and had him provide a full set-up, fret leveling, and replacement of the bridge and nut with custom-cut bone fixtures. I have it back now and am thrilled with the work. It plays better than ever with the neck and frets exactly where they need to be. Also, the bridge and nut upgrades have noticeably improved the tone. He also charged a very fair price and I was happy to have paid it for such quality work. He runs a garage shop out of his residence and it was easy to find on Google Maps. Him and his wife were both really friendly and it feels good to support a talented entrepreneur over a huge chain store. I will definitely look him up next time I need guitar work and I hope he stays in business for years to come. read more

Justin did such a great job. My acoustic is playing better than ever. Fair pricing, and incredibly quick turn-around.

Some of the most thought out and well designed guitars around. Justin is able to fix most any issue thrown at him. Timely work at a great price! read more

I commissioned Justin to build me a custom bass guitar, made to my exact specifications that came out absolutely amazing. I am always blown away by the look, feel and sound of my instrument. There is nothing like playing a hand-crafted instrument...I feel like the Hackl "Shark" bass is a part of me. Even though I am a 'musician', I am unskilled at the actual day-to-day, show-to-show care of my guitars...lucky Justin and Hackl Guitars is there for me. Any weird noises or errant tones he can quickly identify and correct. This is one solid dude. read more

q:What do you call a metal guitarist that works on guitars? a: Luthifer. I am very happy the service I got at Hackl. The only funniness is that it's run out of a garage at a home so you have to make sure you call in advance to ensure that the luthier is in. He's done great work on two of my guitars now and they plays beautifully. I don't think you can beat Justin's work for $50 a set-up. read more

Pretty much a one of a kind. Justin is very flexible, with great rates, service, and craftsmanship. Whether you are looking to have a one of a kind custom built, it just need some neck work this is the place to go! read more

Justin is the only person who I trust to work on my guitars. He's always been super helpful with suggestions, flexible with turnaround, and is very cognizant about warning you about changes that will affect resale value. read more

Super easy to schedule an appointment. Repair was timely and very reasonably priced! I will keep going back to Justin! Thanks man!

Justin is great! Friendly, knowledgable and fast. He knows his stuff. I always have hesitations when leaving my precious guitars with somebody else, but once we met I was immediately comfortable that they were in good hands. Plus my guitar sounded better than ever. You can't beat it! Just call ahead and make an appointment, and he'll give you a time to drop it off. Again, he's been fast for me, so you shouldn't expect to be without it for long. read more

Justin was fast with his turn around, quick to respond and really flexible and worked with my crazy work schedule to make sure i got my guitar. To the point where I went to his house at 9 am right before he left for vacation. The set up was fantastic and before I left he made sure the action was just right for my playing style after watching me play for a few minutes. Amazing set up, amazing guy and the best set up job I've ever had over my 15 years of playing. He's the only repair I will go to in Denver from now on, and you should too. read more

I should've left this review a long time ago. A little back story- I'm fairly new to Denver and had no idea where I should start when I saw my Gibson Flying-V's neck separating from its body. I've also had pretty crummy experiences before with experts who have "fixed" different issues with it. I read some reviews and saw an interview somewhere about Justin. Seemed legitimate and looked like he was in business for the love of it and not to make a dollar. Justin is phenomenal. Not only kind, professional, and friendly, but the guy is good at what he does. Full setup, new strings, and fixed in what..? A day? The guitar plays better than ever and actually fixed what was "fixed" by others who had been in business for 30 years. So, in essence, I wish I could leave 10 stars for Justin instead of 5. Oh wait! Let me back up- his pricing is also awesome! I'm very very impressed with Hackl Guitars and recommend to ANYONE. Oh, and if you pull up to a residential address... it's because his shop is in the back. Just to alleviate any confusion for you... Keep doing work Justin! read more

Justin has done setup, repair, and pickup replacement for me for years. I've worked with many techs around here, and there's not a more talented, reliable, personable guitar technician in the Denver area. His company would be remarkable if it was just a dependable and high-quality guitar tech service provider, but Justin goes well beyond that. He's genuinely committed to helping you get the tone you want, and is always happy to take the time to discuss options and make recommendations. Highly recommended to any guitarist looking for a long-term partner for guitar services. read more

Justin's real knowledgeable, and runs a nice little shop out of his garage. Prices are extremely reasonable and he's a guy you feel good about supporting, as opposed to guitar center or whatever. He did a nice job cleaning up my electric, swapping the strings and realigning the neck. An excellent find. read more

Took my Fender Acoustic and Fender Baritone out to Justin to get work done. I thought the Baritone might be an issue since it is not all that common. Within two days Justin was in touch asking pertinent questions and making sure I knew exactly the work he was going to do. My guitars were ready within the week. Both guitars have never sounded, or played better AND the price he quoted me was the price that I ended up paying. From here on out Justin is the only person in Denver that I will take my guitars to. read more

I have a 1986 Mouradian that needed to be tuned up. This is a super rare guitar that needed super special attention. Justin was able to fix the action and adjust the Floyd Rose to support .011 gauge strings with meticulous detail. This guitar now plays like a dream when it was originally built. I HIGHLY recommend taking your guitar needs to Hackl Guitars. Super quick turn around time for very professional work. I will be bringing the rest of my arsenal to Justin for all future work. read more