Guitars are very sensitive instruments.  They have to be lightly built so that a gentle pluck on a nylon string can be amplified by the guitar body to be able to fill a hall. 

All guitars have what I call the "dance with death" where they need to be lightly built to be responsive, yet avoid warping and breaking due to normal use.  And that's not taking into account accidents and abuse that can also happen.

So these delicate guitars can break.  It can happen from years of string tension pulling the action high or it can be from damage caused by humidity or impact issues.

I can fix a good number of problems that can occur, but I am not a dedicated repair and restoration expert.  Here's a list of what I can and cannot handle in the repair world.

Repairs I have done well:

  • Setup changes
  • Fix cracks in wood of top/sides/back
  • Repair minor impact damage (emphasis on intact playability and not on making it look like it never happened)
  • Fret repair or replacement
  • Finish repair on French Polished instruments
  • Broken headstocks
  • Add fret markers as desired
  • Replace tuning machines

Repairs beyond the scope of my abilities:

  • Neck reset for major high action repair
  • Touch up on Lacquer or Poly finished guitars.  I have no spray capability in my small shop, just French Polish.  I have performed French Polish on top of a damaged Urethane finish successfully.
  • Any work at all on Double-top guitars.  They are too delicate and I don't even want them in my shop.
  • Any work on guitars built with epoxy and carbon fiber on the top bracing.