Dan and team have worked on many of my guitars and they are the best luthiers around! Highly recommend read more

Lays Guitar - Complete makeover by Lays. Brazilian FB, Stephens Design PUP wow - Guitar Stores Near Me - Akron, Ohio

I had Vintage L-OO refinished here a few years back. Theyre not the same as they once were when Virgil Lay was there. I would take another vintage or valuable acoustic there again. read more

Been here two times for work, needless to say I'm waiting for Auburn Guitars to start taking work again First time they estimated 2-3 weeks, checked in after a month and they hadn't done it but completed it while I was there and waited in shop, no big deal it happens and guitar played great. Second time they call me and inform me my 2 guitars are done. Arrive and only my one guitar is done and I have to wait again upstairs (~45 minutes) while they complete work on other guitar. On the one guitar I specifically told them they can mess with the bridge pickup height (but not the pole pieces on bridge filtetron), they still adjusted pole pieces on bridge pickup. Not a huge deal because it's fairly simple to adjust however I do wish they would've listened to my requests. I believe they did not bother to play the guitar either. When you plug it in, they set the bridge pickup so high that the strings smacked into the pole pieces. Again easy fix but this is simple stuff that I could've done at home if I knew it would be like this. Not a huge deal but even the restrings were quite sloppy, wrapped around tons of times. Do I care, no, but looks wise it could've probably been done with a bit more care and attention and again something I could've done better in 5 minutes. Ended up being black residue on the inlays and fretboard of guitar, easy clean up for me however it did leave small permanent specks in some areas. It appeared to be some sort of fretboard cleaner but I ended up using my own after I got it back. Again I should not be paying for my guitar to look worse, I can do that for free. I don't ask for much truthfully but I do think they should have a better tracking system for work orders and listen to requests/customers. I am paying for a service (and a premium because of the name so you expect expert service and repairs). Not super fond of waiting for my guitars if I get a call saying they are done. Overall sloppy work for a company with high reputation. read more

I bought my first guitar from Lay's in 1963. My last purchase from them was in 2022. I had recently been injured and could not pick it up so the owner's daughter brought the guitar 20 miles to my home at no charge. I have also had them repair a few... always perfect! They are legendary in NE Ohio. read more

The worst refret job I've ever had in my life. I took a mid '60s 175 in for a refret and they pretty much ruined it. After the refret, It buzzed so bad it was like playing a sitar and on top of that the nut had been shimmed with very thin strips of wood but not reglued or anything and was very sloppy for a $275 fret job. When they handed me the instrument to check out and I told them that it was so bad that I was virtually speechless, they told me that nobody would be able to hear it over the blender and the noises in a bar and that it would only be noticeable in the bedroom. They told me to take it home and that it would settle and and for me to call them back if it didn't sound and feel better in a week. Of course nothing changed in a week. It was the same crappy fretjob a week later. It honestly sounded and played better prior to the fretjob. To be fair, when I called them back, they said to bring it in and they'd make it right but I realized that they just weren't capable of doing a proper fret level and worse, they tried to pull a fast one by saying it wouldn't be noticeable in a live situation. I've been playing clubs and concerts for 40+ years and told them that and that they should know better than to try to talk their way out of a horrible repair and that the fact that they handed the instrument to a professional musician in that shape spoke volumes. Needless to say, I did not return it to them to fix again. read more

Greetings, I am new to the area and asked about as to who did the best work with regards to restorations on guitars. Luckily for me, the answer repeatedly came up as "Lay's". I brought an SG Classic to them that I had recently purchased that had a terrible homemade paint job on the headstock that I wanted removed and the guitar brought back to its original look and finish. While I was there, I also had them crown and polish the frets. I like that the work wasn't too over the top and matches the fit & finish of the rest of the guitar. I also found their prices to be very competitive. I plan to return and pick up one or two of the guitars that they have up in their loft. I was very impressed by their selection of professional guitars and not the typical Student Edition and low budget models that everyone else wants to carry in this area. Clearly, I found the place that the pro's go. read more

Lays Guitar - Guitar Stores Near Me - Akron, Ohio

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While I am SO glad I heard about Lays Guitars, I am SO unhappy it didn't happen 40 years ago. When I read their origin story, learned about the current owners and met a number of their employees, it became crystal clear I've missed out on a ton of great repair work, very cool in-house built guitars, fantastic stories, and just outstanding living guitar history. Took my newest baby in (https://imgur.com/a/euQA1) for a set-up and enjoyed the entire process from start to finish. These guys know what's-up and it's obvious they LOVE what they do and do it exceptionally well. I couldn't be happier with the result. If you're looking for cheap, go elsewhere. You want top-notch, go to Lays Guitar. I will never, EVER again take my instruments anywhere else. read more

First had a strat worked on fall,1970. About 10 years later, Virgil fixed an SG with a broken head - worked and looked, like new. Virgil is no longer with us, but the reputation for quality work has been preserved. In the last year I had some Seymour Duncan Antiquities installed in a Gibson ES 175. Cost very fair - work professional. I have referred many guitarists over the years to Lays and, though there may be a better luthier out there, I am not aware of one. Very solid, reliable. read more

I'm writing this review while my Guitar is still being worked on, but I'm confident that my experience will only get better as I pick up my instrument. First off, the shop has some beautiful guitars if you're in the market for a nice high end instrument. Second of all, I received the best and friendliest customer service ever. The guys that helped me were up front and honest about what needed done and gave me several pricing options for the amount of modification I wanted done. In the end I will end up paying more than I wanted, only because I am getting EVERYTHING done to my Guitar that I wanted and then some so in the long run I believe the price I am paying - it is more than fair. I'm looking forward to continue working with Lay's. read more

I came to Lay's completely by accident and boy am I happy I did. They did outstanding work on my bass guitar, didn't charge me needlessly, and had a quick turnaround. I'm going to Lay's for setup and repairs forever. read more

Dan Shinn is the owner of Lay's guitar shop and he has diligently worked to continue keeping this place a proud hallmark of the musical world since it was first opened by Virgil Lay in 1962. Dan knows guitars like no other human on earth. If you could combine the brains of Les Paul, C.F. Martin, Paul Reed Smith and Albert Einstein you might begin to understand the level of knowledge Dan has about his craft. I brought Dan some wacky stuff, like an early 90s fretlight guitar with broken lights in it and not only did he repair everything that was wrong with it, he made the tone sound a heckuva lot better as well. He also took my first Washburn and cared for it like the baby it is and optimized it to perfection. You won't care that there might be a cat in the store, or that the storefont hasn't been updated in years, or that Dan is reading his Bible while your instrument is being brought up the counter - this place is not about the ambience but it is about the TOP-NOTCH QUALITY you will get for a VERY reasonable price. Do things right the first time. Go to Lay's for your guitar repair. read more

There is not better place to do your custom build, repair or anything else. I've been working with Joel and Dan for a couple years on projects and to say that their work is amazing and beautiful is an understatement. Not only some of the nicest people I've worked with, but their skills and craftsmanship is unmatched. Don't hesitate for a moment. They're the real deal. read more

These guys are the best. Dan fixed an intonation issue in a way I would have never considered. Really fair prices for such detailed work. Thanks! read more

I just had my beloved guitar fretboard replaced by Joel. And its a cocobolo one. They do an amazing job and its really worth the wait. mine took about 4 wks. but its big work to remove and make and replace a brand new fretboard and do all the adjustment and twitching. from scratch on top of the hundred works they have at any given time. They sent me pictures to see if I'm satisfied before sending my guitar back. Both Joel and Dan are great people, excellent customer service. they even sent my guitar back on a box and better secured than how I sent it to them. Service charge if very fair. I wont go anywhere else. read more