I am worry free when Steve is servicing my guitars. His work is the best and guaranteed read more

Streit Stringed Instrument Repair - Musical Instruments & Teachers Near Me - Asheville, North Carolina

Steve is great. His setups are second to none. He's super knowledgeable and easy to talk to about what's going on with your instrument. Can't recommend him enough. He does fantastic work. read more

Just got my Gibson tuned up. Steve adjusted the neck, action, intonation, fingerboard nut and pickups. He also treated the fingerboard with boiled linseed oil. My guitar plays like a dream. Sounds beautiful all the way down the neck as it should(before it was playing sharp at the 12th fret). The one year warranty is great too so if things move a tad (wood adjusts with moisture and temp) I can bring it back to fine tune it again. Definitely sticking with Steve for my guitars. read more

Streit Stringed Instrument Repair - Gibson Les Paul - Musical Instruments & Teachers Near Me - Asheville, North Carolina

Steve has three decades of experience which culminate in sublime repair work you won't find elsewhere. His extreme attention to detail and sensitivity to the needs of clients is unchanging, and his ability to execute tough jobs and exceed expectations is unmatched. For his skill and reliability, the value of his service couldn't be better. He will take the time to explain the work completed, encourage you to test your instrument in a comfortable environment, and guarantee the repair. He has a humility that is rare in the guitar repair profession. He will go above and beyond to make your instrument play like it should. Don't go anywhere else! read more

Steve helped me out recently while I was in the middle of a tour with Squirrel Nut Zippers. The nut on my bass had chipped the night before on a gig and I brought my bass to Steve the next day on short notice. He fit my bass with a new nut, adjusted the action accordingly, and even brought my bass to my hotel the next morning. He really helped me out of a jam and I cannot recommend his services enough to touring musicians who find themselves in the Asheville area. read more

Extremely helpful and great to work with! My guitar needed a new nut and he replaced and repaired it within 2 days.

he couldn't fix my guitar because he didn't have the part and I was traveling so I took it back.

I just started learning to play the guitar about a month ago and not very long after my first "lesson" I bought a used guitar (a Daisy Rock Wildwood artist deluxe) and started teaching myself after my "teacher" decided to change his mind. So when I broke my first string I didn't know what to do. I called a few places and the one closest to my work actually said it might take up to an entire week! I don't know how to change a guitar string but I'm pretty sure it shouldn't take that long! So this is where Yelp came in extremely useful. I saw the positive reviews for this place and I really liked the fact that it's super close to Bart! So I called and Steve said he had time to do it as long as I brought it in before 1:30pm or after 3:30pm (this was a Friday). I told him I could come in within a half an hour, before 1:30 and he said ok! The shop is a tiny room inside of the jazz school (down the stairs, through the cafe, past the music rooms, at the very end of the hall) and you might miss it if you don't read the signs carefully. I wasn't sure if Steve would have time to fix my string since it was closer to 1:30 when I arrived but he was really nice and explained that he always over-estimated his time so that he would have less of a chance to be late! I handed over my guitar, briefly explained that, yes, I was new to the guitar world, and after that I didn't even have to explain how it happened - he already knew! lol This is a guy who knows what he's doing and I would trust him with my guitar any day. He even offered to teach me how to re-string all the strings on my guitar when that time came so that I wouldn't have to rely on anyone else to do it for me! How many repair shops do that? When I got home, I couldn't wait to play with it again and I swear it sounded wayyy better than when I first got it and tuned it myself! Price-wise, I don't think any other place could be better. Other places were quoting me anywhere from $10-15 just to change 1 string and $20-30 to change all 6! I won't advertise just how much Steve charged me but let's just say it would be perfect for a college student's wallet. In short: service (top-notch, fast and friendly), knowledge (abundant) and price (awesome). I may never take my guitar anywhere else to get fixed but here!! read more

Steve is a master of his craft. He's also prompt, friendly, and reasonably priced. I've become so accustomed to the quality of work I get from Steve that NOBODY works on my guitars except for him. If you play a stringed instrument, you NEED Streit Stringed Instrument Repair. Just do it! read more

Consistently great work, honest, friendly and affordable. I always feel at ease and well taken care of when I bring in my guitars/basses for tune ups. Do yourself a favor and make Steve your first choice! No one else will be getting my business as long as he is around. read more

Steve was prompt, professional, and easy to work with. And he did fantastic work on my Fender acoustice! Fixed a tuning peg that had a screw broken off, and the built in electronics. Would totally go back read more

FIRST AND FOREMOST: Steve is the guitar whisperer. The Obi-Wan Kenobi of stringed instruments. THAT SAID: You don't have to be a Jedi master to get his attention. He's setup and maintained my cheap Xaviere Les Paul knockoff with the same careful attention he's paid to my (real) Gibson ES339, Strat, Taylor acoustic and ukuleles. Many local musicians -- including the hotshot teachers and performers at the Berkeley Jazz School -- work with him. PLUS: He's professional, works quickly, stands by his work and he's a nice guy. SO: I'm happy to toss this recco into the mix. I'm happy to see him busy ... as long as he's got time for me ;^) read more

I found Steve here on Yelp after running a search on guitar-related business in the East Bay. I wasn't looking for a new guitar tech but 35 5-star reviews does have a way of grabbing one's attention, so I clicked through to his website. It's excellent. Well-built, smooth, clean, and informative. Having just labored for months on my own business site (I'm the guy behind Axes of E'ville), I know that you've got to be really on top of your game to pull together one as nice as his. So I shot him an email. I was considering having some rather specific work done on two of my guitars: An Epiphone AJ-220s (the student loaner) and my '72 Telecaster Custom. Steve wrote back in less than three hours, responded to my every item of concern, quoted me clear and simple pricing, and suggested some possible scheduling times. Further contact went just as smoothly. Booking with him is easy. He has a shop at home in addition to the space he keeps in downtown Berkeley. I dropped my guitars off at one and picked them up a few days later at the other. He listened to my concerns re: all three of the guitars I'd brought to him, answered my questions well and thoroughly, and never once made me feel pressured or rushed. He also confirmed my suspicion regarding a problem I'd been having with my Martin - an issue that two other local techs have told me "wasn't a big deal at all". And his work? My Epiphone came back exactly as I'd asked him to set it up, and my Tele came back better. It's never played so well, sounded so nice, nor felt so good in my hands. I've referred at least five students to Steve since then and every one of them has come back beaming. It's a tricky thing, recommending a guitar tech to my students. The experience they have there is in many ways a direct reflection of my own expertise, and I've had some spotty luck with recommending techs in the past. Not anymore, though. Steve's been great with every student I've sent to him. Check out Frankie C. and Kristi M's reviews below. I was astonished by the results of his work on Kristi's guitar. His setups are guaranteed for a year, too. That's about twice as long as anyone else I've run into. What's more, he's so easy to contact and pleasant to deal with that I know I won't hesitate bringing any of my guitars back in to him, should I ever need to do so. Check this guy out. He's worth it. read more

Apparently, you *can* polish a turd! (Well, Steve can.) I took my little second-hand acoustic Ibanez (ok, cheap-ish, but not actually that turd-y) to Steve for a setup on the recommendation of my guitar teacher Damon of Axes of E'ville (also awesome, and a bit of a teaching wizard). I had previously taken it to another place to have just the truss rod adjusted with mediocre results, so off Gene went for the full set up treatment from Steve. I was a little gobsmacked at how much of a difference the adjustments made. He sounds like a different guitar, even to my beginner ears. Steve is also super friendly, returns emails and phone calls quickly, had my guitar ready for me when he said he would, and actually encouraged me (multiple times) to come back for free adjustments within the year for whatever reason (change of seasons, strings, mind...). The shop is a stone's throw from the downtown Berkeley BART, located downstairs, past the Jazz School Cafe, past all the practice rooms, through a mini sub-saharan desert, and then on the left at the end of the hall. Not too hard to find if you know what you're looking for. Taking your guitar to Steve will make you sound like a better player, which will make you more attractive. Not bad for $85. read more

I took in a 71' SG which was in pretty bad shape. Steve is indeed fantastic and made this guitar a real player. Action and Intonation were set perfectly. He had also gone through the electronics and cleaned things up. No more crackling and loose knobs. I had this work done about a year ago. I didn't play it much and it sat in it's case for a long time. I recently pulled it out to play it and I kid you not, it played like butter. I will be bringing in another SG (Tweedy model) to get some pickups swapped out and will report back on how that goes. Highly recommended!! read more

Steve did great work on 2 of my basses- He converted my 4string G&L L1000 back to EADG after years of it being setup as BEAD. He lowered the action and fixed the wonky intonation and good god it's like I got a brand new bass! Steve also did a great setup job on my 5string acoustic Epiphone El Capitan. That thing was unplayable before Steve worked his magic. Again, it's like I got a brand new bass! Steve did the work quickly, affordably, and was totally great with communication. He warranties his setups for one year, and even offered to tweak the action on either bass if I found that I wanted an adjustment after I played it for a while. Super glad I found Steve. Highly recommended! read more

I may amend my review -- still waiting for my guitar to come back. that said, I had an AWFUL experience down at 5th String and ended up coming to Steve. the place is a bit hard to find -- downstairs in a small room. it's kind of crazy, really. but Steve was really nice, genuine, and interested in helping _me_ with _my guitar_ rather than trying to bring his own baggage into the equation. (see my review of 5th string for further explanation). I encourage anyone who needs some guitar work done to visit Steve first and go from there. EDIT: got my guitar back as expected, when expected, cost as expected. no complaints. (it took me forever to return to edit this review.. sorry about that!) read more

First yelp review. Had to do it - Steve is fantastic! Had an emergency-ish need, he listened and went out of his way to help. Great guy and amazing (and reasonable) work! Thanks, Steve read more

I brought my 1982 Rosendo Verdugo hand made classical guitar to Steve since after years of use the holes for the pins of the bridge had grown too large to fit any standard pins. Steve evaluated the job and agreed that he would indeed be able to rectify the issue. He was currently working on 2 other guitars and my need for this guitar was not immediate so he let me know ahead of time that he would be taking about a week to complete the job. Steve fixed the bridge and lowered the action on the strings leaving me with a guitar that is very fast. He was able to restore the warm and rounded sound that the Verdugo guitars are so well known for. He was prompt and courteous and also focuses on customer satisfaction by guaranteeing his repairs for 1 year. I will most certainly be bringing Steve any kind of repair and set up related business I have in the future. read more

It's hard to find someone who can do quality work on your guitar at a reasonable price and within a short timeframe. In the past, it's always been either I pay less and wait 2-3 weeks for it to get done or I pay a ton to get it back earlier. Steve is what i've been looking for. He does great work, charges a fair price, and gets my guitar back to me within a couple days. What I like the most about him is that he is upfront about what he's doing and isn't out to get as much money out of you as possible. He actually will suggest different fixes before suggesting replacing parts. The shop is small and it's a one person job but somehow he manages to get stuff done fast. He also has a great policy with his setups where you can bring it in for adjustments for free for a year which is so awesome since things tend to go out of wack with the weather. Anyways, for anybody looking to get their guitars set up, fixed, modified, etc, call Steve. read more

Steve is a very competent guitar setup guy. I brought him my black Les Paul deluxe for a complete set up and he did a great job! The action is low and fast, the intonation perfect and he tightened up the controls as well. He's very knowledgeable and without the usual attitude you get from some guitar dudes. I plan on bringing him my 76 Takamine Acoustic. read more

Meticulous job; Excellent turnaround times; Reasonable rates. First rate guitar repair, setups, etc. Do yourself a favor and talk to Steve to get your gear playing right. Thanks Streit! read more

I was looking for a new Luthier in the Asheville area. I looked here on Yelp and stumbled upon Steve. He did some work on my PRS and Fender mustang. I am extremely happy with both! He's a great communicator and knows his stuff. I would definitely recommend Steve to do any work on your guitar. read more

Steve is the man! I gig regularly & have been bringing guitars to him for 2 or 3 years now. Even if I think the guitar plays well, I bring it to Steve & it plays that much better. And you can't beat a year guarantee on setups! If he says it will be ready tomorrow, or Friday, or whenever, that's when it will be done - no B.S! read more

Another great set up! Steve is only guy in Berkeley I ever want working on my guitars. The best set ups I've ever had done. The other guitar player in my band and I joke that Steve is the unofficial guitar tech for our group...we've both sent several instruments to him and have never been disappointed with the way they've been handled. Anybody who wants confidence in their guitar repair and set ups should use Steve. read more

Streit Stringed Instrument Repair - Another great set up....awesome! - Musical Instruments & Teachers Near Me - Asheville, North Carolina

I've had two guitars, an Ibanez JEM and a BC Rich Mockingbird, setup by Steve, and I have been thoroughly impressed with his work. The action and intonation were spot on, and each guitar was so much more fun to play because you got the note you wanted when you landed on it. I've been to other shops in Berkeley and SF and none of my experiences with them have compared. Steve goes the extra mile to make sure you are satisfied. I was on hiatus from purchasing more guitars because the idea of maintaining any more frightened me. Much to my wife's chagrin, I've recently picked up a new Tele and an Ibanez 8 string ... yeah, that should say it all about Steve's work. read more

For about a year, I have been having issues with my Epiphone Les Paul. There was huge fret buzz even with the action set high. I had went to several Bay Area guitar shops, from Guitar Center to some of the smaller mom and pop shops, and no one could fix the buzz. One place had my guitar for 3 weeks with absolutely NO change with the problem. I went to Streit and he solved the problem in 2-3 days. Another plus is that he offers a full year set-up guarantee, so instead of having to pay for each set-up, you pay once and if you have problems he will take care of it. Dude is really super friendly and helpful, even answering my questions about where I could learn Luthier work. None of the other guitar repair places would even give me a clear answer. If you are in the Bay Area and are having trouble finding a "Go To Luthier" for all your guitar issues. THIS is your guy. After 7 months my guitar is still in tune and playing wonderfully. Kudos! read more

I am a home player and recently presented Steve with what I thought would be a challenge - to help me set up a mid-'80s Strat, a Copley, and an EVH copy that I built from a kit. All three had major setup issues, but the action was so high on the kit guitar that it felt like playing a cheese slicer. Steve made solid recommendations for each and quoted a very reasonable price, with a discount for bringing in all three. He was not at all challenged. He returned the Copley in one day so that I had something to play over the long weekend, which was really nice. It played and sounded amazing (now that I could finally tune it above D!). The other two came a few days later, and the kit guitar, which I had given up as an exercise in guitar mechanics, sounds fantastic and is now well worth the year I spent finishing it and putting it together. My all-original Strat plays better than it ever did. Steve is knowledgeable, professional, and friendly. He offers a one year warranty on his work, so if I want to change string gauges or try different tunings, or if weather alters the setup, he'll re-adjust for free. I will definitely be back. read more

Yup, Steve is awesome, he's available after hours for drop off and pickup and does great work. Steve has worked on two of my elec basses and an electric guitar, all work was excellent and on time and was competitively priced. He's also super cheery and fun to chat with. Thumbs up! read more

OK. Straight up - Steve is THE MAN. I went to him because of all the rave reviews, and I just had to take the time to confirm that it's not hype at all. In fact, even with all the 5-star reviews, I came out of my Streit Stringed experience more than impressed, with Steve having exceeded my expectations. Steve definitely knows his stuff, and even just from stepping into his workspace, you know that he loves what he does. I took my Ovation in because it kept crapping out on me when plugged in, and initially thought it to be a faulty jack plug. Turned out to be a faulty battery casing + connectors, so he had to improvise and do some mod work and still kept it within my budget. When taking my guitar in, he was very clear about the cost of the parts and the labor which was nice because I didn't feel like he was trying to nickle and dime me. He's very straightforward and honest, which I really appreciate. When I picked up my instrument (which was done in a timely manner I might add), he took the time to walk me through all he had done, and plugged in the instrument just to make doubly sure that it was in good working order. I glanced over to ask him about the guitar he was working on so delicately, and ended up having a good chat about all the different pieces that had been brought in to him. Steve waved his hand toward a particular guitar that was brought to him in horrible shape - said it was turning out to be quite a project. But even that he said in a kind of endearing way, rather than one of frustration and exasperation as I might have expected. The way he carried on about the inner workings of the guitar itself made it abundantly clear that he would have no trouble getting the guitar in beautiful working condition, even it meant a little extra work for him. I might also add that never once in my interactions with him did I feel rushed, or disrespected as I have at other establishments that shall remain nameless (i.e. Blue Note Music on Telegraph). I paid up the modest sum for what I thought would cost at least 3 times the amount, and felt I received superb service and attention. I really hope he stays in business, more for selfish reasons since I will be taking my guitar and referring other friends to him for anything guitar-related. That is all! read more

I had an unfortunate incident involving my guitar and was pretty much devastated. I'm from New York and if I was there I would have known exactly where to bring it to be repaired. Being new to the Bay Area I took a whole bunch of recommendations from others and went searching for the person who I thought would treat my instrument with the care it deserved. As it turns out I found Steve on Yelp and decided to go with him over everyone else I spoke to. I care about my guitar a tremendous amount and I wanted whomever was doing the work on my guitar to express that same kind of care or concern for the instrument they were working on. Most other shops who were willing to do the work simply didn't seem like they cared. The damage wasn't so extraordinary but I was heartbroken and wanted someone who could at least understand that. Steve, made me comfortable. He didn't just look at the guitar for 15 seconds and tell me how much it would be... He spent some time talking to me about the instrument, commiserating with me and looking at it very thoroughly. He even gave me an alternate option of someone else to bring it to. After visiting with the recommended person, I felt that Steve would really do the best job and I was happiest with him. It took a long time but I didn't mind. I'd rather it be done right and take a long time than be done wrong and quick. He did beautiful work. The guitar sounds gorgeous and he really made me believe that he cares about the instruments he works on. I'll bring every guitar problem I have to him and will suggest him to everyone I meet who has an issue. read more

Really great service on my Gibson...fixed a nasty hum coming from the electronics and reset the action/intonation much to my liking, for a very fair price and quick turnaround. Not sure why anyone would go anywhere else. Too bad my guitar only needs service so often read more

I brought my 'dull' '71 ES335 to Steve to see what he could do with it. This particular guitar never really played well. I'd previously had someone fix the nut, evidently incorrectly built at the factory, likely during a labor strike. I explained this to Steve, with the caveat that there might be other lemony issues with its manufacture. I'd noticed dead spots in the neck and missing sustain pretty much across the neck. Since I've gotten it back, it's playing better than it's ever played! Steve explained that my neck had a 'high tongue'; That he'd corrected for that and made a few other esoteric (to me :) adjustments. It's magic I say. Count me with the others who ask, 'Why would you take your guitar anywhere else'? Thanks Steve for making my guitar play like it's supposed to for the first time in 44 years!! read more

OMG, I finally got my dream guitar from Reverb, online, and when it arrived, the rear pickup was jacked up and the casing would not respond to my attempts to adjust it. The last thing I wanted to do was return this beautiful 1967 SG. Panicking, I googled guitar repair in Berkeley and Steves Yelp page came up. I called right away and Steve was so accommodating to my plight. He gave me his HOME address and I went by after work, where he repaired my guitar right there in his home shop while I waited! Ten stars is more appropriate. I will definitely return with my other guitars for tune ups, repairs and set ups as needed. read more

Got a complete bass guitar setup and it sounds great! He even fixed a broken nut on it. It's been about 6 months since I got the setup and it still sounds great. Definitely recommend taking your guitar to him if it needs any work. read more

Steve is great. He's obviously very knowledgeable and cares a lot about the quality of his work. I brought in my relatively cheap and crappy acoustic guitar to optimize the set up, and it is now orders of magnitude easier to play than it used to be. His prices are totally reasonable, and I could not be happier with the result. Plus, since string instruments tend to shift over time, he guarantees his work for a year, so if you need additional adjustments he'll do them for free. So glad I found him (via yelp!). read more

Steve is an ace luthier and a friendly business man. I brought a priceless trophy guitar (literally, I won it) to Steve hoping he could set it up for daily play. He did and was sincerely affable during our exchanges. It was basically all you want in a business transaction - a friendly person who does good work. Oh, and he was very affordable. I've paid more for less elsewhere. I appreciated his work so much I brought him two more guitars two weeks later. read more

Steve is a complete gem in the often muddy instrument repair trade. Competent, reliable (I know, this is such a shock!), affordable and unfailingly honest. A year inafter, he remembered (and insisted) to give me credit for a slight oversight he had made during a previous repair. Wow, talk about integrity (and good memory!!). I highly, highly, highly, highly recommend him. Highly. Enough said? read more

The Best Period!! Always backs up his work and has done a great job on a bunch of my guitars. Best example though is my 76 Les Paul had always gone out of tune on the B and G strings. Gary Brawer in SF had tried to fix the problem by replacing the tuning pegs - which didn't work. I had brought it to Steve for a tune up and forgot to tell him about the going out of tune problem, when I mentioned it later he had me bring the guitar back in carefully widened the nut, put the original tuners back on, fixed the problem and didn't charge me! Can't recommend Steve enough!! Plus the location is super cool. read more

I took my music man sting ray in for some love. Steve did an amazing job, it's playing better than ever before after some years of neglect. He was friendly and super knowledgable and I could tell he was passionate about his work. read more