Earlier this Fall, 2023, I brought my 6-year old Froggy Bottom H-12 acoustic to Ron's shop for some needed fret work. Looking to his expertise, he told me it would likely only need fret "dressing." When I came by to pick up my guitar, he told me that, since he saw that the bridge was a little high, he had also lowered the saddle. Well, now it plays better than when it was new. As evidence of Ron's high-quality work on my Froggy Bottom, last week, I brought my 10-year old Huss & Dalton 00-SP to Ron for the same service. Ron has been a pleasure to work with. He communicates well and charges a fair price for his exceptional service. read more

Ron has done many of my friends instruments as well as mine. All my Best to the staff over there. Your Guitar or Bass are in good hands over there. read more

Ron refretted, reset the nut and set up my 40 year old Stefan Sobell 10 string mandolin. It plays better than new, sounds fantastic. Many thanks and highly recommended-a true craftsman. read more

I've been going to Ron since he had his workshop on Delaware Ave. Besides the usual setups, I've had a fret job done on my 78 tele and he repaired a cracked headstock on my 1991 Gibson ES-165. He has installed replacement pickups, fixed wiring issues and more. He does top notch work on all my electric and acoustic guitars. Even though he relocated a bit further from my south jersey home, I still bring him my guitars when they need work. Not only does he do great work, he is also a super nice guy. read more

A hidden gem! Ron really knows his stuff! I have been looking for someone like Ron for a while. I've taken my guitars to different guitar shops who have a "luthier" they use, but there is something different about cutting out the middleman. I took my strat in for fret work and a set up. Ron immediately knew what I wanted and had multiple suggestions on how to improve the playability of my guitar. His fret work is amazing and my guitar plays like a custom built now. Prices are very reasonable! read more

Ron is an exceptional luthier. He takes the time to work through needs and has the answers. Thank you much!

Moving from the Philadelphia area was certainly going to provide a challenge for me in finding someone as gifted with guitar repair as Ron Ruggiero. I had been taking my guitars to Ron for well over ten years. He is not just a repair man for he treats the process with the diligence of a brain surgeon. He understands the art behind repair and his meticulous work is without peer. When you enter his workshop, there is a wall of posters and letters from great guitar players who champion his talents. Considering the excellence of his work, his prices were always very reasonable. He is as straightforward a person as one could find. If you live or are ever in the area and need work done on your guitar, give him a call. The only drawback may be how logged he is; it may take a couple weeks before you get your guitar back. If you can afford to wait, it is worth it. read more

So...I read all the reviews online and decided to head over and get some work done by Ron. Turns out he works out of his apartment/house and its by appointment only which is something that should probably be mentioned somewhere on here haha. For whats its worth he was pretty helpful on the phone. read more

I just got my beloved 12 fret slot-head 000 Recording King ROS-626 back from Ron. This is copy of a great old Martin, and while the woods and hardware are great, the initial setup from the factory and dealer was anything but. I took it to Ron to see if he could correct intonation problems I was experiencing up the neck, which I assumed was a saddle problem. However, Ron wisely lowered the nut and spared the saddle, which at once corrected the intonation problem AND rendered the action lightning fast across the fingerboard. This guitar sounds and feels better than ever, thanks to Ron's magic hands. I honestly could not be happier with with my now perfect guitar. Ron's craftsmanship (and the atmosphere of his shop) are reminiscent of an earlier era. And to make the experience even better, his modest fees are too. Those of us who live anywhere near Yardley are very lucky to have access to such an amiable spirit and skilled luthier. read more

Ron is as good as it gets. He has built three basses for me and in addition he has set up every instrument I own. I can't recommend Ron highly enough. read more

Just returned home with my Collings MT mandolin that had a beautiful fret job done by Ron Ruggiero in Yardley, PA. Thanks to Ron's artistry and craftsmanship, my mando plays like new again and the fretboard looks perfect! read more

Ron did a super job for me. There were some intricacies with parts and Ron made it work. The guitar plays like butter and he came in ahead of schedule and right on budget. Will be back very soon! read more

Ron is a real pro and does great work. He is always able to turn around a wonderful setup in about a week. Competitive pricing and personal attention are why I definitely keep coming back. Highly recommended. read more

I have been using Ron's services for years now. For me he has worked on acoustics and electrics, solid bodies and hollow bodies, Fenders, Gibsons, Martins, you name it. His work is always impeccable, I have never had a less than stellar result. And a great guy to boot. As one other reviewer stated, his turnaround time is longer than some, but I think that is just a testament to how many players in Philadelphia believe in the work that he does. If you want your guitar to sound and play better than you thought possible, Ron is your guy. read more

I just got back from Ruggiero's with my Takamine which looks and plays better than it has in years (I'll post a picture shortly). So contrary to Samantha L.'s review, he does work on Takamines. Re-fretted my guitar, replaced one of the pegs that had broken, raised the action a bit, and replaced the battery in the pickup. read more

Ruggiero's Guitar Workshop - Here's me after playing for a little while on the Takamine I just got repaired at Ruggiero's. - Musical Instrument Services Near Me - YARDLEY, Pennsylvania

Philly guitar players: Fantastic service. My guitar was dried out and he sold me a guitar humidifier for face value, even when I tried to offer him more money for the service. Gave the guitar (Martin dreadnought acoustic) the full inspection. Great guy and a real pro. Highly recommended. read more

went here based off of a recommendation by a friend. Took two gibsons in just for a set up. He was rude and impatient on the phone and when I got the guitars, one of them had swirl marks around each of the tuning pegs on the head stock (I assume from restringing). I showed him and he blamed me for it and said it must have been done previously. He refused to fix the damage. I wouldnt waste my time. read more

Ron has been working on my guitars for years and has always provided top notch service. Recently he took my so so playing American Strat and turned it into a dream fixing the set up and installing new pickups that met my specifications. AWESOME JOB! I trust no one else with my guitars. He provides honest and quick service that is top notch. He even gave one guitar that I was considering buying the once over and told me that it was a no go.... he would not take a cent for that. This is the place if you want real guitar service. read more

My 1925 Martin 0-21 had a warped top and the action was high as a result. I brought it to Ron and he repaired the bracing and bridge at a reasonable price. Now the top and the action are perfect. Ron is very knowledgeable and I highly recommend him. read more

Ron's work was fantastic. Sad to see him moving from the current location. My guitar had been a victim of pre-moving revelry. When I brought it in I quite frankly didn't know what was wrong with it, just that it seemed like the tuner was broken and dangling inside the guitar. He diagnosed that the tuner plate had broken or fallen off. I got a new part on the Internet in a week and he finished the guitar a week ahead of schedule. The guitar sounds like it hasn't in years, thanks to the tune up and restringing. The price was fair given that the guitar is back to its old self again. If I ever have any guitar related issues if probably run it by him first. Also, it is just his apartment, so make sure to call ahead first anyway. read more

Ron installed Fishman Nashville resonator pickups for me. The work came in on time, perfectly done, and below the quoted cost. Customer service was excellent. Ron will be my luthier recommendation in Philly for anyone who asks. read more

I've been playing guitar for 12 years and have numerous guitars. After reading Seth's review of Ron's work, I decided to have him work on a used guitar that i picked up. I play a 7-string guitar and I am meticulous about intonation, fret rattle, and overall playability. These are all things that I asked Ron to take care of with my guitar. My experience was sub-par. He didn't put a new toggle switch in even though i told him it was bad. The intonation is mediocre. And, there's still too much fret rattle! Not to mention, he had my guitar for almost a month in total. The bottom line is, I had to take my guitar to him twice and the combined cost was $400!!!!!! Sorry Ron, but if you're gonna charge someone $400, the guitar should be in tip top shape. read more

I was excited to try Ron out considering the good reviews. Unfortunately he did not deem me worthy of his service. I wanted to get my boyfriend's guitar repaired and restrung for him as a surprise, but when I called Ron to ask about the service he asked me the brand of the guitar, and when he heard it was only a Takamine he said no, don't do that and hung up on me before I could even ask why. Horrible customer service, and others deserve to know about it. read more

Ron knows his job but he is extremely arrogant. I have used him once, it took him ages to respond on the phone and then again to finish the project on an acoustic Martin. I don't know what kind of issues he has, I bet he was traumatized seriously when he was a kid, but this should not concern his customers. He is impatient with his clients, rude and arrogant. I would try to avoid him. There are other good options out there. read more

Ron is a craftsman in the "olde world" tradition, an artisan. I have been giving him my guitars since the 80's requesting customizations and clean ups. I don't know how he does it and don't want to know. I just know that his skills are incomparable. If you love your instrument he is the purrfect au pair. read more

Ron has worked on my Martin D45 and my custom Gibson Hummingbird and Dove. I have been taking guitars to him for two years. I would never trust anyone else with these guitars. When I bring him a guitar that sounds even a little off he works his magic and they sound great. Let no one else work on your babies. read more

Having read reviews, I too made an appointment with Ron. Besides being helpful and courteous, he transformed my '74 Guild into its own with a complete refret for a reasonable price --on time. A real pro! read more

I coudn't agree more with the first reviewer. Ron's work and careful attention to detail are unsurpassed. He's worked now on 2 of my Gretsch guitars and done absolutely stellar work. read more