Always bring my guitars here when I need something done. I've known Paul for about 9 years now I think? Setups are great. I don't even try the guitars in shop when I pick them up after a setup, because they've always been so consistently great. Bought a really expensive used Meshuggah 8 string guitar, and brought it directly to him to set up; plays like brand new. Brought him a used 7 string that was out of wack, he set it up perfect and also installed a shim to turn the floyd into a hard tail. Be's brought several old acoustics of mine back from the dehydrated dead, and sound great. I first met him when I was looking for someone to put together a custom lucite flying v guitar comprised of parts sourced from all over the place. A project that could have gone horribly wrong, he took and made it the best it could possibly be. He even suggested and routed battery compartments behind the pickups to retain the cleanest possible look from the see through body. Paul is a genius. He is in my phone as "Guitar Genius Paul" since I first reached out to him in 2008. All the negative reviews, take with a grain of salt.. Everyone knows how needy and bitchy these kinds of people can be. Paul is not only reasonable, he's extremely cool! read more

I have been a customer of Guitartech for going on 6 years now, and have experienced nothing short of superb customer service. Paul & Joe are great at what they do, and genuinely care about me as a customer, but also as a guitarist. I trust every word of advice that I am given about guitars and all things related to them. I grew so confident through my experience with them, that I had a custom guitar built by Paul. It has been an invaluable piece of my journey as a musician. Amazing place! read more

Guitartech - Musical Instruments & Teachers Near Me - New York, New York

I used to get my guitars serviced from Guitar Tech and they were good for awhile. The owner seemed nice and accomodating and his assistant, Joe Belle seemed nice, as well. I always explained I was a 'hobbyist' who casually played the guitar and Joe acknowledged that with some comments. That's fine. I just used to get a set-up, neck adjustment and new strings. They even brought to my attention the fact that my Santa Cruz had something going on with the neck-truss rod and they were right, as Santa Cruz took the guitar back and admitted to having a bad batch of truss rods. Anyway, when my Blonde Goodall got scratched on the headstock, I was upset but said nothing. I just never went back! I read some of the reviews about Guitar Tech and just figured it wasn't worth mentioning. A finishing repair isn't so easy to repair and it never looks the same. It matters to me because sometimes I sell/trade my guitars. I don't have that much room or spend that much time playing them like maybe a more serious guitar player would! Not trying to bad mouth these guys but they should be a little more mindful/careful with others' instruments because there are people out there who take good care of them! Manhattan was also getting a little out-of-the-way for me. I am in Queens and their hours have changed. So, a little inconvenient, as well. The trains don't always run so well and driving to the city is at times very inconvenient! Other than that, I have nothing against Paul Nieto or Joe Belle. They seem to be pretty nice fellas. read more

Wanted to say thanks for doing such a great job at setting up my acoustic Alvarez guitar recently. Pablo was very professional and knowledgeable and I appreciated the care he put into it. Speedy service too, I highly recommend! read more

DON'T GO!!!! Definitely not going back! been treated horribly by the Owner at the phone after i spent 1500$ for upgrades. He told me That he didn't like me calling to find out when the guitar would be ready! i'm a paying customer and i needed to know when should be expected. He was so rude and disrespecting. Really shocked how someone that owns a business can just treat people like shit! read more

I had a great experience buying two acoustic guitars here. The owner and staff were very nice and professional. The prices were reasonable, and they had a great selection of guitars, amps, and accessories. I would highly recommend this guitar store. read more

Professional, no hassles, quality work, if expensive (but it's Manhattan, so comes with the territory).

I wish i could give six stars. I came to paul after multiple "experts," including in-house luthiers, told me that i need both a neck re-set and re-bracing work for a minimum of $1200+ dollars. I spoke with paul and after i described the symptoms he said the guitar most likely just needed to be re-humidified and possibly get a neck press. he performed same, which cost ONE THIRD the price for services i was asked to do above -- in other words, literally talking me out of $900 of repairs that he could have easily insisted needed to be done -- and the guitar is now playing the best it ever has. ONE THIRD the price and i avoided have the neck re-set. action is great, intonation is great, neck is straight, guitar is humidified. I am happy. he even took the time to show me work that i will need to be doing in the near future -- for example, to correct fret wear. i will be visiting paul in the future and i suggest you consider doing the same. read more

I've had 2 guitars set up here. I really could not expect anymore from a gtr shop. Very nice/friendly staff. Very knowledgeable. And willing to share their knowledge so that you can take better care of your guitar. If you've ever experienced the creepy feeling of getting work done at Sam Ash or Guitar Center then this place will be like a breath of fresh air. And the price is certainly a fair one. I would recommend these guys to anyone. Support the local guys! read more

This is the worst guitar store to exist in NYC. As other reviews have stated, the owner Paul Nieto has to be the most unprofessional, childish, condescending and out right gaslighting individual because for every person that has written an actual review about how poorly he treats paying customers, he attacks them and attempts to make himself seem like the victim. He's damaged quite a bit of customers instruments and for every one that he's damaged, he has never taken accountability for repairing them, nor has he compensated anyone for the mistakes he has caused. Regardless of how hard he denies this, he has been dropped by large name guitar companies for extremely poor tech service. I had an expensive guitar that cost me $3,000 damaged by Paul Nieto and his other tech Joe Belle. The damaged the finish on my guitar body knowing full well what they did. Like other reviews have warned not to go to his shop and I still went. It cost me a lot more to fix and they're sadly still in Business ripping people off, smh. read more

Definitely THE best place to get any kind of repair/tune-up/advice. Paul Nieto is simply one of the very best luthiers in town! Known them for years and always the best quality service. Not to mention that they are all super friendly. read more

Shady and unprofessional. Brought my guitar in for an intonation adjustment, they fixed the intonation but added a buzz, which they admitted, still charged me and refused to fix it. read more

Good vibes, super effective with maintance on my problem-child Telecaster, where others have been much less successful. All my experiences with Paul have been great, chill, honest and unpretentious. Writing this because I'm going back tomorrow for work on a different guitar. Never considered going anywhere else. read more

There is a moment in every guitar player's life: a before and after moment. The first time I went to Paul Nieto and the guys at Guitartech was such a moment. Before, I was just a professional guitar player annoying every person I played with because my axes were poorly set up - no dangerous distortion or sexy sustain (let alone the holy grail of being in tune). But not any more! Guitartech is the best guitar repair shop in NYC. They are always on point. I've taken two of my almost (I thought) beyond repair axes there. Enter Guitartech's secret sauce and they now sound better than before! Cheers to Guitartech for keeping my peace of mind. read more

Had work done over the years....recently brought in an expensive Martin that I thought needed a pricey neck reset. I was told it wasn't necessary...It was in PR for 6 months & just needed a dehumidification. Took care of that & a fret job for $100s lest that I thought i was in for. Plus I purchased one of his excellent custom guitars.......I'm a fan. read more

went at 12:23pm. yelp, site, and door says opens at 12pm. rang bell, no answer, someone from building let me in. knocked on door and rang bell, no answer. called, no answer. waited 20 minutes, im not a patient person. NYC is a fast paced city. if you cannot hire employees to arrive on time, you fire them. simple. went up to 23rd st to dans guitar shop. much better outside and inside. peace out guitartech. read more

I agree with the other two negative reviews here. The sets ups are really good but the other work I have had done has been expensive and my collectors Martin Ukulele that I took in for a $250 pick up install came back with scratches on the bottom. I politely asked Paul if he could fix it and all I got back was a childish and aggressive email. A real shame. read more

I have to agree with the other unfavorable review below. On two separate occasions I brought guitars to be set up here. They do a great set up, though they set up every guitar like a rock guitar, so careful people who like a higher action, and each time there were always "extra" costs not discussed previously. The second time I confronted the owner about my unhappiness with this added, not agreed upon cost, and he became defensive, stated he never does that, and walked away. My close friend also had a similar experience to yelper Louie P. There are better shops in NYC. read more

I rarely write reviews, but my experience has consistently been so good at GuitarTech that I just had to share. Guitar Shops and even more those who specialize in repairs are not usually the friendliest of places. Regardless of playing for nearly 30 years now, they seem competitive, jaded, seen-it-all folks usually cramped into tiny places with no patience for those who don't know as much as they do. Guitar Tech is the exact opposite of all of that. It's kind of amazing. They have fixed my beater guitars with the same care and precision/knowledge that they fixed my expensive guitars. What I didn't know they enthusiastically taught in a way that empowered and drove my interest instead of making me feel like it was my fault for not knowing something. The space is large and inviting allowing you feel at home and also giving you time to talk through the work you might need, and then check it out once it's finished. The staff is friendly and encouraging and enjoyable to talk to. They all seem to really love what they are doing, and it shows in their attitudes and their work, which they stand by. Impressively so. But I think one of the best examples of why I have started taking my guitars there is that I brought in a beater guitar from Morocco, a really weird guitar that no other shop wanted to touch due the complexity of the sound holes. I brought it in saying I thought a brace had fallen. I was braced for a costly repair, especially knowing the complexity of the sound holes. Instead I received a call saying that it was merely a problem with the pick card being loose. And that there was no charge for the new glue. Honestly they could have "fixed" the brace that I thought was fallen and charged me a couple hundred bucks for the complexity of this particular guitar. But they didn't, they acted like they always have acted towards me before and since, with integrity and interest in doing their work in the best way possible for my budget. Awesome place, couldn't recommend it more! read more

Found on web and finaly found a good place for setting up my acoustic electric guitar. Prices also bellow competitors didn't mention a quality service and advise from the Justin. Totaly satisfy and will come again!!! read more

I definitely recommend Guitartech. I had a new guitar that needed a setup and Paul Nieto (the Owner) did a great job. He was very knowledgeable, professional, kind, as well as very patient to explain what was needed and done. Highly recommended!!! read more

I've been a customer of Guitartech for 7 years, and i have to say their work has always been impeccable! Paul is literally the only luthier out there that I completely trust: his knowledge and his craftsmanship are top-notch. He's built two custom basses for me as well: a fretted and a fretless 5 strings. Both of them are amazing: the perfect combination of a killer tone and playability, in fact the fretted 5 has become my go to bass since he built it in 2011. I highly recommend Guitartech to anyone who's looking for a great setup, a proper fix or where to get their next axe. read more

I got a setup done and it was good; nothing amazing. Paul is generous with his time and answers questions, offers advice, and is a good collaborator. My issue with this place is that the rates are a bit exorbitant. The setup was relatively expensive when compared with others in the area. The work wasn't that much better than the others but was at least 30% higher in cost. The other issue I have is extra charges. For instance, getting a new nut is one fee but the setup (which is needed, IMO, is not included). That's an additional fee. No break is offered. All other techs/luthiers I've worked with have included the setup as part of the fee and process for replacing a nut. Guitartech definitely does quality work and has a knowledgable team. I know the rent has to be paid but one customer shouldn't be held responsible for all of it. I'd still recommend their work, if you're in a bind. read more

There are few places, I can trust to fix my guitars ,Paul Nieto is by far the best to date that I has come across. I wont go anywhere else! his work speaks for its self.... read more

Paul's an amazing technician. I've brought him numerous guitars over the years and he's done an excellent job on every single one. He is a professional through and through. With his talent, he could easily be aloof or arrogant, but he is so far from that. He is extremely friendly, easy going and helpful. Other techs I have met in the past don't have anywhere near the caliber of repair experience that Paul has, and they thought they were the best thing since sliced bread! There is no need to go anywhere else but Guitartech to see Paul. Highly recommended! read more

l is one of the most talented builders and technicians I have ever met. The guitar he built me is the only instrument I use now. Studio, live, it does everything I could ever hope a guitar would do for me. His craftsmanship exceeds many of the top tier guitar makers today, and being a musician himself insures that you're getting something that you're not only going to love aesthetically, but also love to PLAY. Repairs, custom instruments, amps, he does it all. Go to Guitartech!!! read more

I had a setup done on my guitar but for $170 not only was the price high compared to other techs but Paul the owner refused to adjust it after he did a poor job ... He talked over me and cut me off while I spoke and said my guitar can't be intonated properly with 9 gauge - he then played the guitar which was clearly out of tune when comparing open chords to Barr chords and said its fine as the off key notes rang out - I have gone to him for over $2000 of work from fret jobs to pickup installs and set ups but After his nasty attitude and indifference I won't be a return client something he clearly doesn't appreciate - thankfully another notable tech he fixed it perfectly and made good on his poor craftsmanship read more

This is a great repair shop which I found searching around online looking for an alternative to Guitar Center and the like. I had read some bad reviews of various places and saw zero complaints about this one. Paul Nieto is certified for repair by all the major guitar makers. It seems like a busy place, but Paul takes his time with you to explain what he sees and what is needed in terms of repairs. I had emailed him before coming into the shop and feared the worst based on what I had described in terms of the Martin D-15 that I had done some work on myself (filing down the nut and saddle to lower the action), but when he looked at it, the work required was less than the worst case scenario. He humidified the guitar for a week, then adjusted the neck, and in order to get the action lower, he called me and got my OK to shave down the bridge (which involves removing it, planing it down and then regluing it) -- just $50. Total repair was under $200 and now the guitar plays and sounds like a drieam. When I picked up the guitar there was still a slight intonation/buzzing problem on a couple of strings at the 14th fret, but in about 15 minutes he had adjusted the fret height and the setup was perfect--further proof this guy is a pro. read more