Great independent workshop ! It had been several years since they rebuilt out son's acoustic guitar but when Taylor Guitars recommended them for a repair I was confident I could rely on them. They were able to do a delicate repair to my vintage Taylor in an hour and she's never looked or sounded better ! Extremely reasonable and personable as well. Thanks guys! read more

Super knowledgeable about guitars and very cool store, I'd trust him with any of my guitars

Harrisson did a great job on my Martin D41. I was thinking it was in need of a neck reset. He said no, all you just need a recrowning of your frets and a set up. He had my guitar back to me in no time and it plays great. Thank you, Harrison. read more

Harrison is super helpful and gave my acoustic guitar a full set up and restring for $95 super reasonable! And finished within 4 hours. Would definitely recommend!!! read more

Saw Harrison about two weeks ago. My fingerboard of my fretless bass had some buzzing issues. . Harrison took about 10 minutes to adjust the truss rod and string height. Nothing high tech, but the last guy I saw just couldn't hear it. He also saw me on the fly when I walked in and took care of me right then and there. My instrument plays great. He knows his stuff. Definitely an old school love and understanding of instruments. I'll be back. read more

I brought in my 1956 Martin guitar.. Excellent, expert work. Reasonable prices. Communication was a little difficult. Long waits for information to be exchanged. However, in the end, he got it back to me just in time to take it on vacation! Highly recommended. read more

Harrison is a brilliant craftsman. Hands down the best luthier around - both for repairs and for workshops in building instruments. AND he's extremely honest, kind, and prompt (he restored my banjo to playable condition within the hour I brought it in). I've also had the privilege of building my own instrument under his instruction. It was a 100% positive experience. Harrison's expertise, patience, and generosity really made it rewarding. I highly recommend attending a workshop or diving into a longer-term class at the Fretted Strings shop. It's really fun, and Harrison will teach you how to do it right the first time! He does mostly guitar repairs, but he works on all sorts of instruments. I've seen banjos, double basses, violins, amps... even drums and wooden shotgun barrels! Whenever I need help with any instrument, I bring it straight to Harrison. I feel so lucky to have Fretted Strings in town. (Plus, the new shop on G Street is awesome! Y'all should just pop in and check it out if you haven't yet.) read more

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Harrison taught me to build guitars starting 6 months ago, and I'm fully obsessed now. I finished the first instrument after 3 months and am more than halfway done my second one. Harrison is a great teacher and a very generous person. Most importantly, he is highly creative and fosters an environment where each student can make their visions come to life. Having been a luthier for many decades, his attitude is that any idea can be executed, and any mistakes can be fixed. There is nothing quite like playing an instrument that you've made. My first guitar sounds better than my Martin 00-DB, and more importantly, I know EVERY inch of that instrument. I chose every piece of wood (with Harrison's assistance) and made every artistic decision. His new workshop is a gorgeous space and he's adding new guitar and ukulele building students on a daily basis. I'm so lucky to have this priceless resource located right in downtown Davis. Any of you reading this: you have the opportunity to ride your bike to build a guitar with your own hands. You can learn from a master luthier who is the most respected repairman in the Sacramento area. I recommend the experience wholeheartedly. read more

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He really makes some beautiful instruments. His guitars are great sounding, highest quality, he is a perfectionist. He is a genuinely nice person. He used to help me with my upright bass as well, though he no longer works on them. That's no very convenient for me. I would love to take his course on how to build a guitar. He said anyone that plays could do it, but I am the least mechanical person I have ever met. I'd love to buy one of his guitars. read more

Pretty disappointed, honestly. I paid 100.00 for a set-up and was disappointed. I purchased a D-41 that had high action from the factory. Harrison, at Fretted Strings, filed the nut slots too low which made the open strings buzz so I brought it back to be corrected. Harrison turned the truss rod too far which raised the strings to about 4mm over the 12th fret. I took it home and tried to get used to it. I texted Harrison and let him know the action was now way too high. He said to bring it back in. Harrison used bone dust and superglue to build the back up ( I believe he should have made a new nut since he filed it too low in the first place). A new nut would have been better. I've been back twice to have Harrison correct the problem and now my guitars g string has a ping to it - probably from the superglue. I paid 100.00, have seen Harrison three times, and now have to take my guitar to someone else and spend money to have a nut made and the guitar setup correctly. I don't trust Harrison as while I was in his shop, I would play the guitar and experience buzzing even after he would hand it back to me. Why is he not playing it and making sure it is properly setup before handing it back to me. I feel like a professional should discover this before I do. I understand that everyone likes a different feel and action height but he should stick to building guitars and leave the setups to someone go is good at it. I'm now out 100 bucks plus the cost of having a nut made after Harrison ruined it. Beware. read more

For guitar repairs, adjustments, and optimization, you won't find a more skillful, thoughtful and knowledgable craftsman than Harrison Phipps at Fretted Strings, in Davis. Long ago, even before he moved into his larger upstairs workshop in Downtown Davis, I found his services complete, and he always took personal time to understand my wishes and found the best ways to accommodate those. He has done acoustic flat top crack repairs, rewiring of magnetic pickups in a jazz archtop, and even some extensive neck, truss rod adjustments and resolved some serious intonation issues for me over the years. His turnaround time is great and prices are fair, considering the careful thought and precision work he administers to fine wood instruments. I never hesitate to recommend his services to other musicians, and his luthiery school has produced some fabulous restorations and new instruments. Really, the way he can restore even battered old pre-war acoustics is phenomenal. Just walking into the shop is an adventure sometimes. read more

I have been to numerous luthiers in the area, including some of the better known ones, and this shop by far has done the best work. I'm amazed at how much better my guitar plays now, and Harrison has fixed some problems that other luthiers created or didn't diagnose. He also fixed my electronics. Be careful out there. Bring your axe here and get it done right the first time. read more

Harrison is a fantastic luthier, teacher, and person. I can say a thousand good things, but I'll just tell you the most recent. I bought a used $2,500 guitar that looked great to me and everyone else. I took it to him, and within two minutes he found four cracks and binding that was coming apart. Luckily, I was able to return the guitar. He saved me from owning an expensive piece of junk. read more

Absolutely the best, in every respect. Quality, cost and turnaround time. The important stuff. I've had several techs over the yrs. I'm kinda lazy and just like to spend time playing. Have found Harrison to be the best. Detail oriented. Knowing what I need even when I don't know. Just a true artist and scholar of the instrument(s). Recommend him highly. Best in the valley. read more

I always go to Harrison when I need a fix for my instruments. He's probably the most knowledgeable person in the area when it comes to fixing and building guitars and the like. Definitely stop by his shop if you can and see all the beautiful instruments he has built! read more