Sadly, this last Reno winter helped me understand why humidity control is necessary for solid wood instruments in places with large temperature shifts. My ukulele developed a small crack, and needed repair. At the same time, how lucky to be in a town where a skilled luthier is on hand! Wesley at Strings of Reno (new name of the business) offers free estimates, and when I explained the problem, he gave a very detailed explanation of why humidity control is important and some immediate suggestions on how to manage it in a practical way. His estimate for repair was reasonable, and turnaround time was 3 weeks. Great to know if I need a new setup or adjustment he's nearby! His workshop, by the way, is pretty cool. You can see his tools and an array of instruments and some retail from the customer counter. TIP: From the street, go down the shared driveway/alley and park in the center when you see the "Strings of Reno" sign. read more

Reno Guitar Repair - Renamed Strings of Reno - Musical Instrument Services Near Me - Reno, Nevada

Really impressed with Wesley's knowledge and demeanor. Very friendly and helpful, and his shop (now called Strings of Reno) is stocked with all kinds of useful stuff for musicians. His pricing for our ukulele repair was very reasonable and he didn't try to upsell us on anything. Also provide fantastic advice regarding proper humidification. The location itself is a little out of the way, but worth the drive for top-notch service that you can trust. read more

See all

World class luthier! He restored my Les Paul with a broken neck snapped off his head stock to a perfectly restored Les Paul standard! In for a very reasonable price! You can always tell that Wesley enjoys his work immensely and that's what makes him world class read more

We just want to give a Shout Out to Wesley, owner/operator of his own Repair shop, Reno Guitar Repair. Since he first moved into Reno and stopped into Mountain Music Parlor to introduce himself, we liked the kid. Not only did we find him respectful and ambitious, he told us of his specialized professional training and spoke with authority about his craft and intent to give Reno musicians' instruments the very best care and work he possibly could. We happily support Wesley by often sending him customers with confidence and appreciation, knowing we'll always get good news back of his great work. When it comes to major cracks and damage, neck resets, electric guitars, fret and pickup installs, Wesley is our 'go to guy' that we rely and trust. So glad he moved to Reno!! read more

I brought my ukulele here to get 2 buttons put on for a strap. Wesley was quick! He also gave me advice on how to keep my ukulele in the best shape possible in the dry climate. read more

Westley did a fabulous job troubleshooting my vintage Strat and quickly resolving the issue, all in an afternoon. I'll be bringing all my stringed instruments to Reno Guitar Repair from now on! read more

Today I picked up two instruments from The Strings of Reno. Wesley Wilkerson, Luther Extraordinaire, installed a piezo pickup on my open- back 5-string banjo and made badly needed adjustments to the drum skin and bridge. He also put on new Strings that are compatible with the new piezo. The banjo now sounds far, far better. And now I have amplification. The other instrument is a used Taylor 712ce-N I bought recently. Wesley gave it a thorough inspection, made a couple of adjustments and replaced the Strings with Sevillas, my preferred nylon strings. Wow! It now plays and sounds spectacular. I believe Wesley has cared for 6 or 7 of my instruments and has noticeably improved each one. He does exceptional work! Northern Nevada is blessed to have Wesley and The Strings of Reno!!! read more

I think I have the right place, it's called Strings of Reno everywhere else. This is what came up when I checked in... This is a one man show shop but Wesley's knowledge and expertise is wide. It's located in a small business park close to the GSR. Wesley is the owner and does all the work and repairs. His shop is mainly just his workshop, a sales counter, and a wall of guitar supplies like strings and such for sale. I went in for a tune up and minor adjustments. I'm in between novice and intermediate and have never done any fixes to my guitar. Wesley was helpful in answering my questions and giving me tips. He shared his wisdom freely and gave me tips for how to make some adjustments in the future. He kept the guitar and I got it back in about two weeks, as I told him I was in no hurry. He called when it was ready and cost me like $40 for new strings, replacing them, and some other minor repairs/adjustments. I thought it was very fair and I will most definitely go back to him in the future. read more

See all

I brought my Telecaster and Stratocaster to Wesley for set up and on the Stratocaster new pickups, pots and electronics. I couldn't be more pleased with the work that Wesley did for me. read more

I have been looking for a guitar shop for a couple of years now! Not really looking that hard, just looking. I prefer a smaller shop, backed up by word-of-mouth. Well, thanks to Susan M., I have found my guitar shop! I have allowed Wesley to work on three of my bass guitars. I left a four string and a five string bass with him just to make an attempt at dialing them in. I brought my six string bass in to be restrung. Wesley restrung it while I waited. He also taught me a few things about stringing a base properly. I have been playing the bass guitar for over 50 years, but I learned some things that I had no clue about! Wesley is a wizard! His prices are very reasonable, he is a very talented luthier, and has a wealth of knowledge about guitars! That's my kind of guy! If you have a stringed instrument that needs some loving, I would highly recommend you take it to Wesley! Wes don't mess! He will tell you straight up what can and should be done, then give you a fair price for all the work he does. Thank you Susan M! My guitars are starting to sound as good as they look again! Thank you Wesley for all you're doing to make me sound and look good! read more

See all

Took my Beast here for a major overhaul on the hardware/evertune install and a bit of paint work. read more

See all

Wes does good work. On time and honest, can't ask for more. He's worked on my guitars for 5 years. Professional and capable. Thanks Wes! read more

Wesley rocks! No matter the guitar I bring to him, he knows how to handle it. He's provided expert setups on a Jazzmaster and a Jazz bass of mine, and soon, I'll be bringing a Rickenbacker 4003W in for him. He always has a solution to any issue that may arise, and he doesn't immediately offer an expensive fix; in fact, sometimes he'll recommend something that's completely free. I really appreciate that in a business. Don't waste your time and money anywhere else... go to Wesley with all your stringed needs! read more

Wesley is no ordinary guitar tech. He's incredibly skilled. I was devastated when my Les Paul was knocked off of a guitar stand and the headstock broke. Wesley did an awesome job of repairing the break. I'm unable to see any evidence that it was ever broken. Worth mentioning that a different tech told me he couldn't repair it but knew someone who could and wanted to charge me $200 more than Wesley did to get it repaired. I'm pretty sure he was going to take the guitar to Wesley for the repair. I now go to Reno Guitar Repair for any work on all my guitars. I trust no one else. read more

After I found Wesley, I will not take my guitars anywhere else. I have brought three in over the last couple of years and each came back fixed and sounding better than ever. We need to cherish this shop. read more

Wesley is a brilliant luthier. His work is not only effective but also preserve the aesthetic of the guitar as much as possible. I appreciate his effort of healing my "Leone" read more

I have an old guitar that I had restrung somewhere else. The high E string was loose and I thought my guitar was broken. I took it to Reno Guitar Repair. He looked at it, tightened something and it was fixed! He is a guitar genius!! read more

Walked in to get a quote on fixing a minor nut slotting error. Walked out with my guitar fixed for $20 about 10 minutes later. Best service ever. My guitar no longer creaks when I'm getting all bendy with my fingers. Their luthier is pretty awesome. I will definitely give them a bunch of business. I have a refret job coming up, and these guys sound like they really know what they are doing, so it'll be done there. Also: they carry fun little cigar box instruments. read more

I never use this app but my names connor I've been going to Wesley now for a couple of guitar fixes and his work continues to blow me away every time he cares and makes a effort to get to know his customers we chat everytime I visit and I learn something everytime I visit. I wanted to leave this review just cause how remarkable he is and he really is the best luthier I've ever met by far! read more

Wesley runs a great shop! He is so knowledgeable, and turned my old gibson special into a masterpiece! He did more than expected for such a nominal price. One encounter with this gentleman and you will know you went to the right place! read more

Very first review. Thought it was necessary for others to know about my experience here. Result: - Scratched my vintage acoustic in two places - Super shoddy workmanship Backstory below: I walked in to his shop on Matley in Mid-January to have him take a look at a 1970s acoustic that I had just purchased. It was in fantastic shape cosmetically (no major scratches or damage) but needed a little adjustment to the saddle because it had some fret buzz. He recommended a new bone saddle for $95 that would be the same color as the bridge pins and he would custom fit to raise the action and eliminate the problem. He preached about his quality of work and his experience in the industry....and even went as far to show me an electric guitar of a customers that he had just finished a full fret job on. It looked great. I was impressed and decided to schedule the appointment. 2 weeks pass and I drop off the guitar - in its original hard shell case - in the morning of my scheduled appointment along with a package of fresh strings. We go through the run down one more time and he explains how much he'll raise the saddle and what the result will be. Everything sounds great so far. He said it would only take a few hours and he'd call when it was finished. 2 hours pass and he calls. I head back down to the shop and when I get there...he opens the case and this "custom" fit saddle had gaps all over.....it was uneven....and it was the wrong color. It was literally everything I didn't want. We discuss my displeasure and my options....and I reluctantly take the guitar home to think about my decision. He said he'd give me a month to decide. Oh....it gets better! Once I'm home and I remove the guitar from its case to inspect it further.....I find two good size scratches on the neck. Now....before you go and say "those were probably already there".....I took pictures of the guitar before dropping it off to him and guess what.....they weren't there before. So I immediately call him to explain that I found two scratches and what does he do....he hangs up on me. The guy literally hung up the phone mid sentence. Unbelievable. Wesley is no Luthier and he certainly doesn't care about his quality of work nor his customer's instruments. Go somewhere else!!! read more

Amazing shop! Wes is fantastic and I highly recommend his work. Goes above and beyond for sure.

For my husbands 60th birthday, I purchased him a vintage guitar. We took it here to have it looked at and get it set up for him to play. Wesley, the luthier was very knowledgeable, took a lot of time with us, and did a great job setting the guitar up! We will be back if we have any other guitar needs! read more

As a professional musician, I need my guitars to be dialed in right. I found Wesley and brought him all my guitars, acoustic and electric. One by one he fixed all the little things that were bothering me. Awesome! Besides being a great luthier, Wesley is honest, fast, and his prices are reasonable. I can recommend Wesley without reservation. read more

Wesley makes my guitars play better than ever. It has actually increased my playing ability having them set up to play so wonderfully. This man truly knows guitars and exceeds my expectations every time. His knowledge is truly top level. He cares about his customers and treats everyone like a friend. Every time I get a guitar back it plays like magic! 5 stars all day long! read more

Wesley is an amazing tech! I bought an acoustic guitar for my mom from CME and when it arrived it was fretting out badly. The nut was cut wrong as was the saddle and the neck wasn't straight. Not only did he fix it but he did so in under two hours. I'm a full time player (since 02) and I would bring all my guitars to Wesley without hesitation. It's great to have a real repair shop in Reno now. read more

Wesley is great! Very knowledgeable and enthusiastic about his business. This shop is located inside the horn shop so it was a little hard to find, but I was glad I found it. Mine was an easy fix and he was able to fix it while I waited. I wouldnt hesitate to bring my guitars to this shop again in the future. read more

I was extremely happy with the cost and quality of Wesley's work. He's a super talented guy. I guarantee I will be back.

Amazing owner who is a real sage at the top of his craft. Knows what he is doing and is a perfectionist. Very easy going person who will always do the job right. read more

Got my acoustic playing perfect again. It plays super smooth and sounds better than it ever has. And it he finished it in the time he stated. I could not be happier. I will be bringing in the rest of my guitars to have them set up. Killer work!! Thanks a ton!! read more

WOW!! Wesley really knows what he is doing with your guitars. So far I have taken 4 guitars in for setups and each time I am delightfully surprised on how well they play afterward. Although I want him to fix all my guitar as quick as possible, his craft is worth the wait time. Don't rush him is my best advice, let him work his magic and you will be absolutely stoked. Okay, Cheers! read more

Just had my Martin guitar refretted by Wesley at Reno Guitar Repair, and man, he did a wonderful job. He also performed a complete set up with new tuners and nut & saddle . Couldn't be happier. Looks beautiful and more importantly, sounds better than new. It has a wonderful bright sound now. Wesley is a real craftsman!! read more

I took my stratocaster in for a new nut and set up. Wesley did an incredible job and fast! the guitar has never played so well. I will be coming back in the future when I need other repairs. read more

Wesley is an amazing guitar tech, and an even better dude. I checked out strings of Reno on a friend's recommendation and don't plan on going anywhere else for any of my setup or customization needs. He treated my guitar like it was his own, and was full of great suggestions when I wasn't exactly sure what I wanted to do. If you're looking for a guitar tech anywhere near Reno, this is THE place to go. read more

Wesley at The Strings of Reno is a rare commodity in today's world. I picked up my Gibson Les Paul today after he repaired the Cherry Sunburst finish I managed to damage with electronic cleaner I thought contained deoxit. Instead it had something that ate through the nitro down to the color and was a mess. He told me he could repair it and I'd be hard pressed to know it ever happened. It looks brand new. He also replaced the fretboard inlays and oiled the rosewood, it looks fantastic. Wesley is a skilled craftsman, does impeccable work, charges a very fair price for it, and treats his customers like family. I rate him ten stars! read more

I recently bought a new guitar (Schecter Hellraiser) from the big box shop here in Reno and was really happy...until I got it home and realized that despite all the glowing reviews of the company and its instruments, it was not completely impressing me. So, I took it back and had two guys tell me that the neck was great, action was awesome, and that's about as good as it gets. I still couldn't accept that. I followed up with tons of research on the model, intonation, action, and everything I could find regarding playability. One person out there in Internet land says, "If you want it done right, take it to a luthier." Now, a luthier is essentially a guitar mechanic/miracle worker. Being in Reno, I knew it was slim pickins...there just aren't that many people here to warrant a ton of these guys. But....let me tell you, I found the right guy. Wesley knows his stuff and is super talented. He was able to see me on a moments notice and charges some very fair prices for quality guitar work. I went from "kinda bummed" to totally stoked about my new axe. Wesley has a lot of good advice as well regrading guitar care as well and you can learn a lot just by watching him work! If you're on the fence, or just want to make your guitar play the best it can, see Wesley. 6 stars. Thanks Wesley - this baby screams now! read more

Just went in for a simple restring on my epiphone les Paul 100. I am very pleased with the new strings and overall sound. It was quick and enjoyable as I also gained quite a bit of knowledge from the luthier and owner, Wesley. By far the best customer service I've ever experienced. He actually cares about the customer and the product he sells more than "making a quick buck." Wesley really knows what he is doing and you can tell he is passionate about his work. read more