If you're looking for true craftsmanship, this is the place to bring your guitar with complete confidence. Ross is a miracle worker in saving my vintage elite ovation 12 string after a major bridge snap completely off the body. I thought it was firewood, Now, it's better than ever and repaired to last. Easy process, great staff. Thanks SF Guitarworks, again! Highly recommended. read more

SF Guitarworks - Musical Instruments & Teachers Near Me - San Francisco, California

I scheduled an appointment online with SF Guitarworks, then called their number to ask about earlier availability. Geoff, the owner, told me to come by -- no mention that he was referring to a completely different location. I hopped in a $20 Uber only to arrive at a closed shop with a construction crew tearing out walls.   Several unanswered calls later, one of the workers handed me a phone with a random woman on the line who casually informed me that the SF location was closed for the week. That's how I found out -- not from Geoff, not from the website, but from a stranger on a construction site.   The fact that Geoff couldn't grasp that a customer with a San Francisco appointment might assume he meant the San Francisco location is astonishing. After this experience, I wouldn't trust Geoff to tune a ukulele, let alone work on my guitar. read more

I took my 2021 PRS Silver Sky straight to Sonoma Guitarworks. The technicians I spoke with and the service they provided was 100% top drawer. I had multiple issues, buzzing, intonation, unbalanced tone, whammy bar. All resolved and the guitar performs way better than ever. Wish I had not waited to get the guitar Plek'd. Thanks Geoff and the boys. read more

I had an ESP B206 SM six string bass converted to fretless to match my fretted one. This was a complex job. In particular, the coating on the fingerboard needed to be uniform over the entire fingerboard. Otherwise, dull and dead notes would occur. The workmanship by Alex was amazing. My bass "sings"! I recommend SF Guitarworks without reservation. read more

I took Geoff's electric guitar setup class today - Fabulous ! He's exceedingly knowledgeable and patient with everyone. Highly recommended ! My new electric can now be all that it was meant to be. read more

Perfect luthier, all of my guitars have been made better, here. Great people to work with, too

I'm ambivalent about how I feel about SF Guitarworks. The benefit-cost ratio is not as high as other places. The work done here is good. The guitar techs are competent and can improve/fix anything with their tools. I've gotten my guitar Plek'd and set up and a few other things. I was satisfied except for the custom nut that chipped at one of the slots. The thing is that they charge a lot. While the work is good, I've gotten similar results at other places for much cheaper. The other places also don't nickel and dime you as much. It feels like they'll charge you for something they can do in 5 minutes even if you spend hundreds of dollars there. I would recommend this place if you have a complex job and money isn't an issue. read more

I took my bass there because it had a buzz on a high fret. When I went to pick it up, the buzz was still there. So they did some more work on it. I waited at the store. Then they came back. I checked, and the buzz was still there. So they did some more work on it. I waited at the store. Then they came back. I checked, and the buzz was still there. This happened maybe 2-3 more times. Then they just gave up, and had me pay for the work they did that did not solve my issue. This was a few years back, but I'm never going in here again, for sure. Sometimes, all this talk about technology (plek etc.) hides a lack of skill. To be fair to them, it wasn't the main guy who did the work. But to be fair to me, the customer, they charged full price after failing to fix the issue I brought in the bass for. They literally just gave up, and had me sign and pay. They also charged a king's ransom for basic jobs, if I recall (my experience was from a few years back). I get it that rents are expensive, etc., but come on, catering only to tech bros and lawyers (or people who earn like them) is not very endearing. I've been having my guitars and basses worked on at various places in SF, back when there were various places in SF, for decades. I've never had this particular experience where the guitar/bass tech just gives up and asks me to pay up anyway. read more

I have thought long and hard about writing this review. Unfortunately I would absolutely not recommend anybody take their instrument here for repair. I dropped off my 1968 Les Paul Standard for a simple repair. The tuning peg holes had previously been enlarged to fit Grover tuners. I wanted to use the stock Kluson tuners and decided to have a simple "fill and re-drill" performed on the headstock. There were two small extra holes drilled in the back and some chips of wood missing. Lastly, there was a small surface crack that I asked them to address. They quoted me 2-3 weeks and sent my Les Paul up to their Sonoma shop for the more experienced luthier to work on. 5 weeks later, I called to check in on the repair and it hadn't been started yet. Not great, but it happens. A week or two later (now ~6 weeks into my 3 week quote) my guitar came back from repair. I took it home and noticed some sloppy glue on the neck. So I popped the tuners off and behold: a painfully sloppy repair job on the peg holes. The plugs aren't flush with the back of the headstock, there's sloppy glue remnants, and the two small mahogany plugs in the center of the headstock are sloppy. I would have preferred to have been consulted about the use of maple plugs (which are strong and solid) vs. the mahogany plugs that I was expecting. I could have been more clear about my expectations regarding a repair vs. restore level of craftsmanship, but I expected a higher standard of quality from such a well known shop in the Bay Area. This might be an acceptable level of fit and finish on a less valuable guitar, but I can't believe they'd let my vintage Les Paul leave their shop like this. It looks like an apprentice worked on this thing. I talked to Geoff, who very politely stood behind his work. All of the employees that I spoke to were very kind and helpful, but the quality of work speaks for itself. He offered to try to make it right, but I'm not going to leave my guitar there again. I've attached some before and after photos. Take a good look and decide for yourself if you'd leave your prized vintage guitar at this shop. I would strongly advise against it. read more

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I have been going there of and on for years they always do excellent work I've done many tours in the states and international and its a good feeling when I play my guitar(s) on stage or recording sessions I know it's in top shape and rest is up to me, Ramos read more

I recently purchased 2 guitars with frets that definitely needed work - they were both fretting out on high notes, and had some weird buzzing spots on random frets. Geoff did a terrific job with fretwork and setup for both guitars; they play terrific now, and he gave it just the setup I asked for. The price was very reasonable too - it was only slightly more than what I paid at a different shop ~18 years ago(!). I'll definitely bring my guitars here in the future. Absolutely recommended. Thanks Geoff!! read more

I miss these guys. Used them regularly for over 10 years for anything from repairs, to setups, to a full PLEK on a guitar I built during lockdown. Since moving to LA (ironically ) have yet to find anyone comparable. (Recommendations are welcome! ) read more

On February 13th, my daughter and I took her acoustic in for a headstock repair. We were told it would be about 4 to 6 weeks for the repair to be completed. On March 19th, I received an email stating the guitar would be ready in two weeks. This was the last communication we received from SF Guitarworks. After calling several times and speaking with a man named Seth who identified himself as a manager, we were told it would be at least another month before the guitar was repaired. When I asked Seth where they were in the repair process, he couldn't say. On the phone, Seth could not provide us with ANY information on the status of the repair even after we provided him with the claim ticket number for the guitar. At this point, they have had the acoustic for 76 days... When I asked if we could come pick up the guitar today so we could take it to another repair shop, Seth was not even able to confirm the guitar was still in the shop. Seth then suggested we contact the store owners, the Luttrells, and provided us with the number for Sonoma County Guitarworks. We have called and left a message for them, but upon getting no response, we went to the shop. Seth was able to locate the guitar in the shop, and the repair was nearly complete. A few hours later, he called us and we were able to pick up the guitar. The repair was beautifully done, and Seth was extremely helpful. The lack of communication was problematic, and it took going to the store in person to get info and the guitar back in my daughter's hands. It is upsetting that it took nearly three months to have it repaired. So, three stars. The quality of the work done on the guitar itself, however, is five star. read more

I only take my guitars to the Sonoma County location. Close to my home. Geoff and his team have worked on most of my guitars and I have always been very impressed with their work. Having the on-site Plek machine is a huge bonus. The pricing seems to be fair, the customer service is amazing and they always seem to get the job done sooner than promised. Plus, they are super nice people. read more

I didn't get any work done here, but don't think I would based on the general attitude from the service rep. Everyone values an instrument differently but he was dismissive likely since I didn't own a big name guitar and so I left their shop with a feeling that my money would be better spent getting a guitar with a big name instead. It was a Seagull with some damage that played really well and I wanted to give it some love so brought it here for a quote and advice on on a possible re-fret, a slight bow in the neck and small crack on the side. The rep made a comment about the case looking funny, took a brief glance, nearly nicked the top raking the straightedge over the fretboard and commented that "it sounds nice though" (despite being a cheap guitar was the insinuation I got) and said it wasn't worth getting any work done; which was the actual conclusion I settled with for now so no fault on them on that portion. Seagull is sub brand of Godin, both are handmade in Canada with NA solid tonewoods and very well regarded for players looking for quality without the pricetag. Often times it's not just the brand name and sticker price that affects the value and playability of a guitar. I went directly to Gary Brawer instead and got an honest quote there where the guys showed care like it was a friend bringing in their guitar. Despite the long queue, they put it on the bench and had a good 5 minute check over of the bridge, nut, action, sight down the neck and looked inside for a structural check of the crack. They offered to adjust the neck and seep some super glue and clamp down to fix the crack since it was just superficial or that I could do it myself. The first few frets were a little worn but I could wait until further wear before investing in any work, just good honest advice. read more

Took over a month to do a basic setup. I realize this was probably due to a backlog of work after the pandemic; but still -- they could've been more communicative. The setup itself was... meh. I took it in so they could fix some specific problems; they did not fix them. The setups I do myself are just as good, don't cost $150, and don't require a month wait. I took my guitar to a "professional" because I couldn't diagnose the problem myself; they couldn't either, but it didn't seem like they tried very hard. Kinda felt like they thought I wasn't a "serious" musician (I am), and didn't need to put much effort into it. read more

Thanks for repairing my banjo. You did a great job and made it better than it was before.

Years later I'm still a passionate fan of SF Guitarworks. I recently took their Partscaster class with a couple of friends and it was super fun. We spent about a day and a half completely geeking out on guitar tech and each of us left with a truly stellar guitar that we assembled and set up (cough cough Geoff may have helped a bit - some more than others :p). The parts options on your future guitar are nearly endless, but Geoff and team help you stay the course and navigate the complexity. While it's not cheap, you're going to leave with a truly great instrument you'll play for years... see it's so damn easy to rationalize the spend, call now! As for setups the shop continues to do great work. I recently sent in a couple of my (other) treasures and they're both sounding and feeling great. In general if you buy an acoustic or electric new or used a great setup will make a massive playability difference. These guys know what they're doing and Geoff is maniacal about getting things right for his customers. High praise to the whole team. read more

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I had a simple issue, a basic guitar that hadn't been played in years needed a restringing. Geoff noticed that the travel was really high and promised that he'd make it sound like a whole new guitar. He told me it would take a week to a week and a half to get the work done, but Geoff called me a couple hours after I dropped off the guitar telling me that it was already done! Nice! read more

Just Picked up my strat for a Plek, full refret and proper setup with adjustment for action based on my pref. Was in communication with Seth from the start. Although it took long, due to covid and waiting list BUT from jst plugging in for 5min HUGE IMMENSE diff in playing with not only new frets but the string action Seth had recomended due to my action height when I brought in my guitar without a pro setup...If you need to bring back your guitar to its finest day bring it here!! I had done my own setups in the past and now i just realized I had it all wrong! read more

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I had an way-overdue fret dress and setup done for my acoustic guitar, the first time since it was new in 2015. Here they use a PLEK machine, which results in a very accurate leveling. When I picked it up, there was still a bit of buzzing, which the tech, Ross, traced to a couple of bad strings in the set that I had given him to use. He replaced the strings, and along with a further adjustment to the bridge, I was good to go. Very happy with the result and the quick (2 weeks) turnaround. Thanks also for taking the time to get it right. read more

Sf Guitarworks is my go to place for setups whenever I buy a guitar. However, as expected in 2020, I got the fever for something new to break the rut from Corona days so I bought a 7 string Petrucci Music Man (used). Aside from the regular setup needs, the guitar had 6 dents near the bridge due to the prior owner not being careful with a string change. As expected, Geoff and his team were able to fill the dents with the exact same color and finish of the guitar. Mind you this is not a usual finish because it had sparkle in it 5 stars is never enough for this team read more

I brought them a new Fender Stratocaster to set up. They didn't have the Ernie Ball strings that I wanted, so I took the D'adarios they insisted on (the only ones #10 they have). Several weeks later, I got a phone call and they say that my guitar had a "buzzing vibration on a top fret" that the only thing It could posible corrected it was the plek machine work ($320 usd roughly). I didn't like their sales pitch. However, I agree with the plek work and several weeks later (The whole thing takes a long time maybe about two months) I pick the guitar up only to get home and be completely disappointed with my sound and the strings they had put on it (This D'adario n10 make the guitar look and feel more like a bass guitar) I seriously have think this over and over again to come with the honest conclusion that I believe my electronics were either swap or changed for lower quality ones as my fender magic has completely disappeared! The guitar simply doesn't sound the same (it was actually amazing sounding with the different action before) and the tone control bottoms on the guitar now do little to provide variation in the low frequencies as before this guitar tone controls did a lot more before!. I'm not sure if the electronics were traded out for a squire or an unbranded part, that I will never know! and this claim cannot be proven or I cannot provide any evidence of this claim other than the lower quality tone. However that's the only thing I can think of after doing lots of testing and lots of amp tryouts. That's the only thing I can think of because my primarily fender amp settings didn't change at all! and this guitar sounds ten times worse than when I took it and after a plek job! The tuning stability is also questionable. You will expect tuning is to be improved with this type of plek work (I have this happened before with another instrument and the change was for good day and night on stability), but now I have to be tuning after every practice, in fact I have to do a tuning after 20 or 30 minutes of play! I am sorry but I cannot recommend this place. This was not what I was expecting as a result of such a long wait and after a 320usd plek job. I had better experiences with Sweetwater's store when buying new guitars with included setups. In short I feel the whole think was disappointing and a wasted time. Although the action is low after the set up/plek and the frets seem level and even if they do offer a friendly welcoming service or wherever, my sound quality mysteriously disappeared and that's completely unacceptable! Update Mr. Geoff replied to my set up experienced/Yelp review. He said: "...It sounds like you have a minor tuning stability issue that will be easily remedied while you wait. As for the sound of your guitar, we adjusted your pickups to make the output even, and that could be what you are hearing..." This was my reply to this communication reply (experts, make your own conclusions): ...I seriously could not think of anything else that will lower the quality of the instrument and I do disagree that lowering the pickups wasn't either the reason of the resulting sound, specially after a professional job such as plek/setup where one would expect the guitars are play out sufficient enough on an amp before delivery. As you know time is limited and after the time it took for the job I have no time to be figuring out what really happened or what not. Imagine someone who had to perform that same week or night. What would the consequences of that would be?... Whereas I don't think Mr. Geoff is in the business of changing electronics himself. I don't know what else to say at this point. read more

Took my new tele in for a setup and it came back much more playable than when I initially purchased. Customer service was good and prices were on the higher end, but fair. After that, I had my prized ES-355 refretted as I really disliked Gibson's factory fret work and setup. I opted for jumbo EVO gold frets to match my gold hardware. The work was impeccable and the guitar plays and looks soooo much better. The turn around time is a bit slow, but I wasn't in a hurry, so I won't dock them for that. It was basically ready when then said it would be, so they set proper expectations. All in all I'm very happy with this place and am looking forward to taking one of their classes in the near future. Seth was a pleasure to deal with. Oh, I own several Music Nomad guitar products and saw the owner, Geoff, in several of their instructional videos on YouTube. He knows his stuff! read more

Posting my experience with the shop here, and it is only limited to the guitar repair so can't speak for worships etc. I came to the shop after hearing good things and honestly, the more premium price tag as well. I asked for a pickup+wiring harness installation into a semi hollow 335 style guitar. The first guy who worked on it (believe his name is Brian?) absolutely messed up the guitar. Took 2 additional weeks than the promised "finished by" date", and the work quality is... sigh.. I wouldn't even have it done like this for free, not to mention paying $300+ for it. The bridge buzzes, the pickups are wobbling freely (beyond the reasonable humbucker wobble), and the most ridiculous part is that the the tone/volume knobs were installed completely incorrectly (how do you mess that up??). He also broke one of the tone knobs... So essentially, except that the guitar still works plugged in, nothing was right. I called them and Jake is very nice and helpful. He took the guitar back and worked on it himself. Now it is in much better shape. Pickups don't wobble any more, the bridge stopped buzzing, and everything in done decently. $300+, one broken tone knob, two long drives back and forth and some patient wait later, I finally have my guitar in decent shape. Did they good a good job eventually? I think so. Is it worth the price solely based on this single experience? Absolutely not. I do like their customer service, so I'll give them another try in the future, but I'd appreciate it if they could work on their QC. A little update: the owner reached after I wrote this review and offered his personal apology. Really appreciate the gesture and will for sure work with them for my next project. read more

I have a CBS-era Strat I decided to get fixed up. It wasn't a distinguished instrument as was, but Sf Guitarworks transformed it. It was worth the wait; the degree of finish to the work, and the excellent set-up have made it a whole other guitar. Geoff, Heather, and the other staff I encountered were always pleasant and easy to work with.A very good experience. read more

Brought 2 ukuleles for restringing and placement of strap buttons. Took over a month to get them back. Job was done well, but seems like a very long wait and was very expensive. I took them to the Petaluma site, but they somehow ended up in the San Francisco shop for the actual work and pick up. I might choose them for a major repair, but not worth it for this small job. read more

I am very fortunate to have a very fine ES-335 style guitar that is very precious to me. I played the heck out of it for years until it developed a bad buzz on a few frets of the G string. I showed it to a guy at Gryphon where I bought it who recommended I raise my action, which was surprising given that I don't like my action particularly low. I turned to Yelp which resulted in an appointment at SF Guitarworks where I talked to Seth who asked me a ton of questions about the guitar and how I play. He suggested a Plek. I worked up the nerve to leave it with him, and I'm glad I did. They did a great job. My guitar is restored to an excellent state, with no buzzing and a perfect setup. It came back clean and shiny like new on the day they said it would. I'm very pleased. I will trust them with my instruments in the future. read more

I got my LTD Phoenix 401 Plek'd at SFG. They took my $200 guitar and turned it into a $3,000 one. Excellent workmanship and very nice people! If you need your guitar Plek'd in San Francisco this is the place to go. read more

Ok update, I picked up my Les Paul from a refret today and they did a fantastic job! I also had them swap the pickups and change to locking tuners. I am very happy with the quality of work and Monique was great with keeping me informed of the progress.i highly recommend these guys for any guitar related work. read more

If I could give this shop zero stars I would. I dropped off my guitar to get a kahler route filled and have it refinished. I asked them for an estimate of the work and a timeline, and photos along the way. They gave me a ballpark on price and time, which seemed outrageous on both accounts, but they were highly recommended and I wanted the guitar done right. Boy did I get totally screwed! They kept my guitar for ONE YEAR! No photos along the way. They didn't even get to painting the guitar during that year, and I found out later they had sent it out for a refinish to someone who had no idea what I wanted done. They offered me a measly $100 discount "for my trouble". I ended up paying over $400 for the work and shipping it to another shop to finish the job. To make matters worse, after the route was filled, I simply asked them to send the guitar to another shop to refinish it. At that point I was pretty pissed with the whole situation and didn't trust them to continue the work. I still hadn't seen the guitar but was assured by the owner, Geoff, that it looked great. When the shop in KY got the guitar and went to work on it, they had to refinish it TWICE because of how shoddy the work was on filling the kahler route. "It looks like they rushed through it with a hand sander - it's got a huge ditch where they filled the route." Needless to say, I will NEVER go back to this place again. The work is shoddy, the attention to detail doesn't exist and the communication completely unprofessional! They didn't even apologize! If you have a guitar and need good work done, avoid this place at all costs! There are WAY better places in the Bay Area to get work done than this poor excuse for a "repair shop"!! Stay away! read more

Long overdue review here...  I have been a customer of SF Guitarworks for about 12 years now and have brought several guitars in for setups, repairs, pleks, new pickups and modifications. In every case, Geoff and his team listened very carefully to what I wanted with the instrument, offered relevant suggestions and tips, and ultimately improved each instrument relative to my playing goals. I always feel that the team at SF Guitarworks has my best interests at heart, and even though they probably see dozens of guitars a month, I believe they truly care about my guitars:) Probably the strongest endorsement I can make for SF Guitarworks is the fact that I live 60 miles away in Los Gatos, where there is a "guitar hospital", but I still make the drive to SF when I need guitar work done. Thanks Geoff and team! read more

Excellent experience with Guitarworks. Seth was helpful in determining the problem with fret and addressing the issue at minimal cost. Would highly recommend. read more

There are the best, and those who say they are the best. Want second best, go to Guitar Center in S.f. For the best, stop looking-these guys are IT! I brought an old A model Gibson mandolin for restoration, and boy did they fix it up-left everything else alone, just did the work on the mandolin. Perfect. The price was more than reasonable, it was unrealistically low! Both Seth and Geoff are true masters of old line craftsmanship. Not only did they fix it, they let me pick it up after being sick for several months. Of course, I paid them up front. They also restored an old 1991 PRS guitar of mine, again beautiful work. Don't expect conversation when you go-- these guys are super busy. Also, expect to wait-shops this good are hard to find and impossible to hide-the word gets out. I've got pictures of the Mandolin in its pristine state. If you want to see them email me at jerrygray238@gmail.com. read more

They are musicians who are great at their instrument craft. They restored a dear Taylor guitar to her former beauty.

Best place to get your guitars worked on in the Bay Area. Ive been going here for years when my axes required work. Recently went in to get new setups done and it was recommended that I get fretwork done. Although this costed a bunch more it was well worth with it ! My guitars sounded great before but wow what a difference. Thanks again guys ! read more

Got a neck reset from them a couple months back and my guitar plays beautifully. Great and efficient service! I will be going here anytime my guitar needs work. read more

Great little guitar shop. Pride of ownership and workmanship is very apparent. Sells Reverend & Eastwood guitar brands. Decent quality fairly priced Korean made guitars. This ain't Guitar Center - THANK GOD! read more

Did an excellent job setting up my guitar and a very friendly staff. The best repair shop in SF!

Well I finally brought in my on-stage wear and tear telecaster and personal use Washburn acoustic to take care of noisy inputs set-up and fret work and action lowering. Found Geoff and Monique super helpful on the intake and reviewing the problems that needed to be fixed. They took the time to helpfully explain the options. Their work was excellent- I did find an additional issue with tone knob that I didn't realize was there, when I brought it in, and they quickly fixed it no additional charge. Great people and great work. read more