I found Bill through a friend and he not only took my guitar in but managed to bring it back to life in record time. So yeah, if you need some great work from an honest guitar doctor, go see Witsett! read more

For more than two decades, Bill Whitsett has regularly serviced my 1996 Martin SPDC16. Besides the standard neck set-ups, he has repaired the binding, fixed cracks, replaced frets, and, most recently, did a full neck reset. The quality of his workmanship keeps me coming back. I recommend him and Whitsett Guitar Works without hesitation! read more

Bill has worked on a couple of my guitars, including a Jackson American Virtuoso and a late 1990's Taylor 414 acoustic. His work is exceptional. He took care of fret sprout on the Jackson, along with a setup. On the Taylor he replaced 6 worn upper frets, repaired a crack and did a set up as well. I've been playing for almost 50 years. If you want a high quality luthier who's passionate about what they do, look no further. Highly recommended. read more

I had taken my beloved J-45 to my long-time repair person for a partial fret job. When I got it back the fret ends were sharp, I had buzzing on the upper frets and it wouldn't stay in tune. When I took it back I was told "I don't hear it". I knew I had to find someone new. Found Bill and took my guitar there. After looking at it Bill called and we talked at length about how to approach it. Bill replaced all the frets, straightened out the neck and went the extra mile by mitigating some neck dings I had been living with. Guitar plays very nicely now, everything is even, and it stays in tune. Guitar techs are hard to find. Good ones who care are even harder to find. When you find one, you hang onto them. That's what I'm doing with Bill. read more

The bridge on my Seagull acoustic was cracking due to a poorly fitting saddle. Bill made me a custom bridge and bone saddle and it plays (and sounds) better than ever! Another time Bill fixed a crack on the body of my guitar. The wood had dried out from leaving the guitar hung on a wall hook during winter, instead of in a case with a proper humidifier. UPDATE: Years later, Whitsett Guitar works is still my go-to choice for any guitar repairs or maintenance. I've been fortunate to not have needed any more repair work still, but I've brought in the Seagull mentioned above and any new guitars I've picked up to get setup by Bill, and I'm always so happy with the work. read more

Bill is an amazing resource and the community is lucky to have him. He really goes out of his way not just to do his technical job but give you advice that will, if followed, help maintain the value of your investment/toy. As others have stated, he treats every guitar as if it was his own and genuinely cares about his craft. He has worked on several of my pieces and I have always been extremely happy. As for the few negative comments...thank you!! I can always use a good laugh. Did you ever consider it was you? Can you walk into a fine restaurant and demand immediate service? Smarten up. Bill rocks, shout out to Dave! read more

Bill is straightforward and to the point. He tells you what needs to be done in order to keep your instrument in the best condition. After having several bad experiences previously with other repair technicians, if you can even call them that. I was a bit nervous leaving my guitar with someone I didn't know. However after talking to Bill about my guitar I could tell he knew what he was talking about. He got me in very quickly and unfortunately I wasn't feeling well the morning I was supposed to drop it off. His assistant, which I feel awful I can't remember his name, was very understanding and rescheduled me for the following week. I was quoted two weeks and was able to pick my guitar up in exactly that time frame. Bill even came down personally when I felt the action was a bit off. After an adjustment, though it was still higher than I typically play, my guitar has never played better. Turns out I didn't even know what action I should be playing at LOL just in the few conversations I had with Bill he was able to dial it in perfectly. I had hoped that all the work would be covered under warranty but unfortunately that wasn't the case. I was a bit stressed about having to spend any money at all as I had taken this guitar to someone else for warranty work and he didn't even fix the problem. Bill went above and beyond and even kept my guitar after the repair was done to make sure everything was done correctly. Most people would just hand it back to you as soon as they were done. Just because you make an adjustment on a guitar doesn't mean it's going to stay that way. Bill takes pride in his work and I would highly recommend getting repairs done here. Though I had to pay some out-of-pocket cost on top of the warranty, I honestly could care less at this point. My guitar sounds and plays amazing. Worth every penny and I will definitely be returning for any work that my guitar may need in the future. The last guy found high frets and only focused on that. Then didn't even do the job correctly. Bill looked over the entire guitar to make sure everything was on point. Exceptional service and exceeded my expectations! After reading some of these reviews, some people need to lighten up LOL Bill likes to mess around and poke fun. I didn't think he was being rude at all. He is just very blunt and doesn't have time for nonsense. People are way too sensitive and need to have a sense of humor! Would you rather have someone baby you and tell you what you want to hear, only to do the job incorrectly? Or would you rather have someone who tells you what you need to hear, has fun while doing it and completes the service as or in my case better than requested! read more

Bill Whisett does fantastic work. Bill took considerable time to see what my expectations from my guitar and understand my preferences. Then he went to great lengths to see that those expectations and hopes are met. The end result was as good as it can get. I brought Bill a particularly tricky older Gibson that had fretboard & neck issues. Others would've tried to just make this passable and get on to the next project. Bill on the other hand spent a few days MAKING IT RIGHT. Now the guitar has no relief capable of full adjustment for the future, and most importantly plays like a dream. My old guitar will have a whole new life ahead of it. Whitsett Guitar Works is my new goto for work on my stringed instruments. Pros: Quality work Interested in how I want the guitar to play, not how he thinks it should Reasonable pricing Cons: None that I can think of. read more

Bill pays attention to every detail and has a passion for his work. He works on every guitar as if it were his. Extremely high wuslity work

Start to finish a fantastic experience. I bought a used guitar that needed some love and did some searching around to find a luthier and these guys had fantastic reviews. After speaking with Bill or was immediately apparent just how knowledgeable and skilled he was. My needs were fairly basic in this instance but I'm confident that he could tackle anything I threw at him. He was happy to take on my basic project and did a great job. read more

Found Whitsett when I needed a Gibson repair shop to fix my sons 6 month old guitar under warranty. Bill was fast, professional and went above and beyond to get the guitar back in my sons hands as soon as possible. I'm very pleased and appreciative. read more

I had a very similar experience as Eric I. I was in his shop twice when it was in Lowell. Both times, I was there for five minutes at most. Both times he was abrasive, rude and belittling. I've done a fair amount of guitar repair myself, so I'm not a novice. And even if I was a novice, no one should be treated like that. read more

I brought my '67 Martin here based on glowing reviews of Bill's work, and I'm glad I did. Bill handled every problem beautifully, solving what I worried were unsolvable problems, including back cracks and a large belly/bridge replacement. I enjoyed following along with the process through videos and pictures on social media. Bill's message is simple-give him your instrument, and he will go above and beyond to fix it. He is the real deal; you will find no B.S. at Whitsett Guitars read more

Bill is highly competent, knows his stuff. Very forthcoming with info. I brought in an inexpensive Martin acoustic which had not been properly cared for, and he did an excellent job rescuing it. He takes justifiable pride in his work, and there is no reason for him to suffer fools. read more

This guys the guitar whisperer. I have a Martin that got a big ding in it and it eventually cracked all up the side. I wasn't even sure it was fixable. 2 weeks later the thing looks brand new. Not bringing my guitar anywhere else read more

I sent a request via his actual website which has the whole set up for job specifics, contact info etc. I waited weeks for him to get back to me after I re-sent the same request several times. No communication at all. I will 100% assume he's very picky on what he wants to do and who it's for. When a retailer or any licensed skilled professional cherry picks jobs for what ever reason and doesn't have the common sense to at least write back saying they either can't do it and why (or better still, here's who can which I will respect) then don't complain when times are tough. Two stars because I'm sure he can do the work but can't tell me won't One star for having a method of contacting him then doing nothing about it. read more

I would advise looking at the non-recomended review, and I'd like to echo that customer's sentiments. I went here today looking for strings, in trying to have a completely neutral conversation with the owner regarding a possible repair he was rude to the point of insult for absolutely no reason whatsoever. I asked him first if he did repairs and he said in the nastiest most belittling tone: "YEAH THAT'S WHAT IT SAYS ON THE SIGN BOSS." It was so out of nowhere and pointlessly rude that I was taken aback. When describing my repair he said "I DON'T HAVE A CRYSTAL BALL..." again in a rude, belittling tone that seemed to imply that it was stupid to even ask basic informational questions. He offered no insight into any prior similar repairs or anything, as any other experienced professional in any field would have done. I thought perhaps he had a terrible morning which was why he was channeling such pointless aggression onto any target, but the other negative review makes me think he's just a deeply negative and aggressively rude individual. It's sad actually. It pains me to write a negative review about a Lowell business, I try to promote my lovely city, but this was just too extreme. If you dislike people so much you should get out of the service business entirely. read more

This is a place like no other in the area. Bill is a master at his craft. This is not your typically guitar center clerk know-how. Do yourself the favor and get your guitar restored or fixed at this place. The owner is passionate about guitars and shines through in his work. Keep up the great work! read more

I've had Bill work on my electric and acoustic Gibson guitars and couldn't be more happy with the work he has done. I've also recommended him to some friends who have also had work done and they have also been pleased with his work and expertise. I am of the opinion that he is the best in the Merrimack Valley and probably among the tops in the greater Boston area. I'm basically writing this review in response to the negative review posted on yelp that I feel was somewhat inappropriate and quite frankly kind of "whiny". In response to that review, his website is quite clear that you should make an appointment if you need work done or even just have questions about your guitar. The reason is rather obvious, he could be in the middle of painting something or applying lacquer or trying to get something completed by a due date. No where on his website does it say anything about him being in retail for guitar gear. It's rather clear that he's a luthier. So to walk into his shop looking to buy guitar strings and then ask questions like "so you fix guitars?" Is like going into a car garage looking for a auto part and then asking them if they fix cars and then being taken aback when they give you a wise ass answer. Furthermore, the person who wrote that review didn't even have any work done and so really has nothing much to base a review on. So to sum it up, this place will get your guitar fixed right. You will get to meet and ask questions to the person who fixes your guitar, something that will not happen in a lot of guitar stores. When you pick up your fixed guitar you will have a chance to play it and Bill will make sure it's what you want and are satisfied. Another reason he prefers appointments, so when he's dealing with a customer one on one he and the paying customer are not interrupted. I feel strongly you will not be dissatisfied with his work and should not be hesitant to go to him for repairs. read more

I just had my classical guitar repaired here, and they did a great job at a reasonable price.

Had been looking for a new acoustic repair craftsman for about 6 months after my usual guy migrated elsewhere. I was lucky enough to stumble upon Whitsett. Had my appointment and Bill clearly spelled out what needed to be done. Two weeks and I would have her back. Bill easily met his promise and spent a good deal of time explaining what he had done and why while going thru the photos of the procedure. Could not have asked for anything more. The Martin actually plays and sounds better that when I first got her. There may be cheaper shops but they certainly could not be better. read more

Bill is professional and thorough in all he does, and puts his all into his product. He has always been a pleasure to work with, and I would highly recommend his services. read more