Recommended Luthiers & Techs

scrumhalf · August 2015

Another vote for LA Guitars in north London.

Not the cheapest, I think, but I gave them a Squier Strat that refused to stay in tune and was in other ways an absolute dog and it's now a thing of beauty.

CloudNine · August 2015

I am based up in Glasgow and have been using Ricky Claffey for a good few years now for anything needing doing on my guitars, Electric or Acoustic. Young luthier and VERY talented. Genuinely listens to what you want, and his primary goal is to make sure you are 100% happy with the outcome.

The acoustics he builds are up there with the very best quality I have seen. I am seriously considering a custom order at the minute.

Great to see that he (along with another young luthier Ian Dickinson) has now opened a shop in West End of Glasgow (link below) called Guitar Workshop Glasgow. Open plan shop, great vibe.

Just picked up my '59 re-issue ES335 from it's first setup today, and it is just stunning. Night and day. Amazing work, same as everything I have had Ricky do. Highly recommended.

http://guitarworkshopglasgow.com/

https://www.facebook.com/guitarworkshopglasgow?_rdr=p

http://claffeyguitars.com/

TheMarlin · August 2015

Can any one recomend a good amp tech north of, or around the M25. Will go as far north as Oxford for a good tech.

I'm in High Wycombe.

My guy moved, he's now in Bristol - Steve's Amp Repairs. He can be a bit slow, but does excellent work, for not much money.

It's too far to go.

Marlin

Moss · August 2015

TheMarlin said:

Can any one recomend a good amp tech north of, or around the M25. Will go as far north as Oxford for a good tech.

I'm in High Wycombe.

My guy moved, he's now in Bristol - Steve's Amp Repairs. He can be a bit slow, but does excellent work, for not much money.
It's too far to go.

Marlin

http://www.amgardelectronics.co.uk/ is my local - haven't used him but I know people who have and recommend him @TheMarlin

vaticancameos · September 2015

Who have people used around the Cambridgeshire area? My strat badly needs some TLC and I dont have time for her

roberty · September 2015

Another vote for Leon at Grizzy Guitars Hackney

http://www.grizzlyguitars.co.uk/

He did a fantastic refret on my 1981 Ibanez Artist. Someone had done a really bad job of filing down some of the frets and actually cut into the fingerboard and the binding. Leon was able fix this completely and even match the yellowing of the binding. You'd never know.

https://www.dropbox.com/s/ic50v6dom9s5wdu/Ibanez Frets.JPG?raw=1

ThePrettyDamned · September 2015

vaticancameos;764799" said:
Who have people used around the Cambridgeshire area? My strat badly needs some TLC and I dont have time for her

I really struggled to find anyone with total recommendations - for every recommended I got, someone else said "don't use this person, they're dodgy".

vaticancameos · September 2015

ThePrettyDamned said:

vaticancameos;764799" said:
Who have people used around the Cambridgeshire area? My strat badly needs some TLC and I dont have time for her
I really struggled to find anyone with total recommendations - for every recommended I got, someone else said "don't use this person, they're dodgy".

@ThePrettyDamned did you end up using anybody in the end?

ThePrettyDamned · September 2015

vaticancameos;780332" said:
ThePrettyDamned said:

vaticancameos;764799" said:Who have people used around the Cambridgeshire area? My strat badly needs some TLC and I dont have time for her

I really struggled to find anyone with total recommendations - for every recommended I got, someone else said "don't use this person, they're dodgy".

@ThePrettyDamned did you end up using anybody in the end?

I'm saving up and going to feline in Croydon. I know he's great, so... I'll save up and take them/pick them up on the train.

Pain in the bum. But unless I get a solid local recommendation, feline will be my man.

1979 · September 2015

Howard Smith in Leicester just re-radiused and re-fretted my 62 Strat. Fantastic job and a top bloke to deal with

vanwinkle58 · October 2015

Jimmy Egypts in Glasgow.... http://www.guitarrepairshop.co.uk/

and Billy Finlayson in Glasgow ( it wont let me add his wedsite)

GavRichList · October 2015

1979 said:

Howard Smith in Leicester just re-radiused and re-fretted my 62 Strat. Fantastic job and a top bloke to deal with

Howard is a genius. Trusted implicitly for years. Trust him with my 62 Jag, and just last week he made my newly acquired strat absolutely perfect to play.

wisem66 · October 2015

I recommend Terry Chapman in Stevenage, Herts.

Wouldn't risk going anywhere else ....

http://www.tjcguitars.com/

musicman100 · October 2015

Colin Keefe In Nottingham.
He did work on two of my valuable vintage guitars n I would recommend him to anyone.
Really nice guy too

AxeWieldingBastard · October 2015

midlifecrisis;499301" said:
thoroughly recomemend Malcolm Hine in Edmonton. set up my les paul raw power really nicely and very reasonable price. good bloke

After a recomendation from a friend, who told me Malcolm did decent work on his Jag and that he also built his own amps. I gave him a 1 watt combo amp of mine that had developed some annoying, intermittent crackle.
Unfortunately I got a completely different sounding amp given back to me one week later-and not in a good way.
Crackle removed, but alas, the amp's tone had become muddy and lifeless with a side order of ugly, flabby distortion. Thanks Malcolm.
Tried taking it back and explaining the situation to him, hoping that with a bit of customer feedback the necsssary adjustments could me made. But no such luck im afraid.
He did take it back in the end, only after making it quite clear that my amp simply sounded shit and was badly made to begin with- a Wienbrock ME1 if anyone is interested.
I got the amp back again in the same state i'd initially receieved it back in. I have little doubt the un-apologetic Malcolm had done zero work to the amp since receiving it back. In hindsight, perhaps that was for the best.
I'm not usually one to air sour grapes on the internet, but my experience was really disapointing and counter to your own, so i thought it was worth adding here.

FrancesK · November 2015

funstuie said:

Anyone recommend a guitar tech in east/West Sussex? Near Brighton.

Here's part of a story about David Simmons, courtesy of Richard Winfield of RG Winfield & Double$huffle in Sussex/Brighton.

"...1979 I bought a new Gibson Les Paul Custom. After years of gigging I’d worn the frets down so much a refret was required... It began to languish in its Gibson hard case and I played other guitars.

Years later I met David Simmons at blues jams. Mates told me he was also an exemplary luthier.... I made enquiries in the manner of a bluesy undercover agent of all our mutual friends, all agreed, David was "The Man”. In all respects the quality of work exceeded expectation: it's been brought back from the dead really. I am absolutely CHUFFED! I really can't recommend David's work highly enough."

Think rest of story is still on the wall in Ivy Arch Studios, Worthing, with some pics. Highly illuminating if you read the whole piece!

johnny9fingers · November 2015

When I was first call at TPA studios in Denmark Street I used Celine Camerlynck at Luthier's Corner.

Once when I was there she had an insurance restoration come in for a late 16th Century Cremonese violin (for those of you who understand).

She is good. Lots of folk on Tin Pan Alley use her. But you have to specify restoration, rebuild, or whatever.

Amps was John Kelly in Islington. I don't know if he's still around. These days John Dickinson does my amps for me. I now live in Dulwich, and Dickinson Amplification is in Crystal Palace. I own an amp of his too. But he still fettles my Marshalls, Fenders, and Boogies.

Barrivee · November 2015

Any recommendations in South Devon - I am based between Exeter and Plymouth. I'm obviously aware of one or two well known establishments but hoping there's someone not on my radar I can use. Initially probably for a new nut and set up.

algroves1 · December 2015

Can anybody recommend anywhere good in Merseyside?

DanR · December 2015

@algroves1 you looking for a tech or luthier?

strat84 · January 2016

+1 for @SteveRobinson
Steve let me bring my Strat to his house on a Sunday with very little notice.. He did some soldering, gave me some parts I was missing and some advice.. didn't charge a penny..Top guy!

Haych · January 2016

I've just had my '82 Strat seriously fettled by John Moriarty in Dun Laohaire, just south of Dublin.

Honestly, the guy is a genius and his attention to detail is incredible! Seriously, seriously impressed.

He removed the old veneer fingerboard, milled a new, thicker, fingerboard to the correct radius, top and bottom, and has done the most incredible fret job I've ever seen!

It wasn't cheap, especially when you factor the cost of shipping it out to Ireland and flights/car hire etc in fetching it back but boy was it worth it!

He's got some detailed repair work and videos on his site at archtop.ie - take a look, you'll be impressed.

brojangles · January 2016

Votes for Leon at Grizzly Guitars in Hackney and for Philippe Dubreuille on Parkway in Camden.

notanon · February 2016

Hi All,

Any recommended techs for Swansea Cardiff region that will re-fret my beloved Fender Jag? Approx costs would be good. I had a service and setup on that Jag but not really happy as the frets seemed to have been crowned or rather 'flattened' and my £200 Washburn is just as good :-(

P.S. Ever tried a fender Jag with flat wound 10s and standard .09s for all strings up to the D? Awesome for all genres!

Tuscan777 · February 2016

'Deptford' John Armitage - got a workshop in Bermondsey or does weekend work in Whitstable, Kent.

www.guitarhospital.com.uk

mark_jwedge · February 2016

Jeremy at www.charlesguitars.co.uk, great place to get hardware and electrics upgrades and he gives great advice and a superb level of customer service

JMP220478 · February 2016

algroves1;882708" said:
Can anybody recommend anywhere good in Merseyside?

KGB Birkenhead - Barry , Keith & co - exemplary work

xsheq · February 2016

+1 for Howard Smith in Leicester.

http://howardsmith.co.uk/howardsmith/hsgrs.htm

Vaiai · February 2016

Chris McIntyre in Edinburgh https://www.facebook.com/Mcintyre-Guitars-153331625010/?ref=ts&fref=ts Chris has worked with a host of session guys from his time in London but lives here in Edinburgh now, he builds guitars and basses and does pretty much anything you need done! (Check his client page!) http://www.mcintyreguitars.com/mcintyre-guitars-clients.html He also used to set up the infamous Blackmachine guitars after Doug had built them. I use him for all my set ups and modding. His prices are great and he'll more often than not fix other little niggly things too. Bit of a perfectionist

DaiCapp · March 2016

I use Nottingham City Guitars - Andy sets stuff up just how i like it and the prices are really reasonable. Does all manner of repairs and restoration and always has a nice selection of vintage guitars and amps in to have a look at. Makes a good brew too - whats not to like...

Howdy, Stranger!

Categories

In this Discussion

Become a Subscriber!

Recommended Luthiers & Techs

Comments