Rex has been working on my guitars for over 30 years. He is the absolute best! He is very honest and detail oriented. He will explain exactly what he will do, step by step, to make your instrument the best it can be. Rex is extremely knowledgeable with all kinds of guitars, and I would trust him wih any guitar. read more

I feel like everyone knows Rex. Rex is the guitar guy in the Bay Area. He's done work on 3 guitars of mine over the last 20 years, and his work is top-notch. He really works with you to help identify what you're after, and offers creative solutions you might not have thought of. Recently he swapped pickups (stock pups for Air Norton + Tone Zone) on an Ibanez RG 7-string, and when I explained I was after tonal options, he suggested we throw in a half-out-of-phase push/pull pot. The end results just sounds perfect. He got his start doing military-grade electronics in the Navy. His work is clean, and it lasts. I have an RG 570 he swapped pickups on, and a Fender Strat, and both still just play and sound like a dream. He's busy, but it's worth it, especially if you need any work that's out of the ordinary. Rex's breadth of ability is pro-level. read more

Rex is busy. With good reason. The work done is top notch. I had a 1982 Telecaster that needed new frets. It's not an easy task due to the way Fender prepared and coated the fret-board. If you get someone who does NOT know what they are doing (or you try to YouTube-special it on your own) you can get back a fret-board with chunks of wood missing. Anyway, I got back a guitar with a perfect fret job and, more incredibly, a full set up that made the guitar sound better than I can remember since I bought it decades ago. Seriously. I had no idea how such small tweaks can produce such big results. Anyway, Rex knows guitars inside and out; the price is very reasonable for his level of expertise; and he will give you tips that will make a difference in your sound. read more

My fiancé has a Stratocaster that needed a tuneup. This place had great reviews, so I called Rex and told him what I needed over the phone. We dropped the guitar off a few days later, and man, Rex knows everything about guitars! It's clear that he has a passion for guitars and knows what he's talking about. He gave us a great price and a reasonable time frame. We got the guitar back a few weeks ago and my fiancé can't stop playing! Thanks, Rex! read more

I handed him a Les Paul Bass with the inevitable headstock break. The crack had been left open for some time, and the break didn't fit back together smoothly. Rex handed me back a carbon fiber reinforced neck that hasn't had an issue since. I'm stoked to bring him more projects in the future. read more

I thought my guitar may have had some need of adjustment or something going on, so I called Rex up. He said he was super swamped, but gave me a test I could do on my own. When I wasn't sure, he said to bring the guitar by, the same day. I brought it by, he took a look, nothing was wrong except for some not so great strings (showing my amateurness a bit here!). But he took time to check the guitar, gave me some great advice, taught me about the string industry, and was overall absolutely lovely and kind. Despite being so busy, he agreed to help me out, and it was a fantastic, even fun, experience! I have a new go to guy for any guitar needs!! Seriously, cannot recommend many people or businesses as much as I would Rex!! Rex: Thank you so much! I almost can't wait for my next guitar need, now ;p read more

Rex is the best. Brought in my P-Bass/Life Partner that had a grounding issue I couldn't fix with my own bad soldering skills. I play with tons of distortion and the buzz was louder than the signal. Rex fixed the buzz, brought the volume and tone pots back to life, and put some old cool knobs to replace the ones that had fallen off somewhere along the line. Very reasonable rates. Couldn't be happier. read more

Rex knows his guitars!! This is an awesome place to bring your cherished instrument - all of my musician friends, myself included, come to this guy. He's extremely knowledgeable and fun to talk to when you come in to get your stuff worked on. I bring my guitars here when they need a professional setup and playing them once they've been in Rex's hands is like they're new again but even better! I think he's actually worked on every single one of my guitars, all the way back to my Squire Strat when I first started 8 or 9 years ago. My brother had an acoustic pickup installed in his Martin and was very pleased with that as well. It also feels good to be supporting a cool dude working out of his house rather than a big corporate place. Highly recommended!! read more

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Okay, so I am going to start this off by saying I have been going to Rex to fix and upgrade my guitars for over 15 years now. For many years I have traveled the country and played on numerous tours such as Warped Tour and opened for many national acts. As a touring musician these instruments take a beating and there is literally and I am not kidding, not a single person I would give my guitars to for repair than Rex. The level of detail and knowledge this guy has on guitars is out of this world. I remember when I was 15 years old, we soup'd up my 100 dollar Fender Squire Strat with some new pickups , hardware, graphite saddles.. etc. It was what I could afford at the time. Took that guitar on tour with Yellowcard, smashed it on stage, brought it back to Rex, put it back together and it plays better than when it was it its original state..lol. Another time, my drummer dropped my acoustic guitar split bottom of the guitar , Rex Put it back together seamlessly again. Another time, my bassist and I smacked head stocks on stage. My Gibson SG literally split off the neck. It was pretty gruesome. Rex, once again, put the guitar back together so well, that I often tell people. This guitar used to be in 2 pieces. Ill give you 5 bucks if you can find where it was detached! Guess what.. ive never lost a single dollar! I could go on and on about how many times Rex has fixed or upgraded my guitars while I was on the road or at home in the studio. If you are expecting to drop off you guitar and get it back the next day , thats not gonna happen. WHY? Because Rex makes sure that he does the job right the first time. I see a few random reviews here of people talking about Rex in a way that does not reflect him. This guy is absolute TOP NOTCH the best of the best. The Master of his craft. Whether its intonation, guitar setups, new hardware, crazy cracks.. whatever. This guy can do it. Do not even hesitate for one second to know that you stuff is safe with him. I can almost promise you. Your guitars will come back to you better than when they were healthy in the first place. P.S If anyone is getting ready to go into the Studio and you want your guitar to sound and play perfectly so it reflects nicely on the recording. I highly suggest doing a SETUP with him on your guitar. Imagine its like taking you guitar to the SPA. Better yet.. imagine the Tin Man from Wizard of OZ when he went to Emerald City to get shinned up to see the Wizard.. did i really just make the analogy?! Bottom line. This guy ROCKS!! read more

So I used to have a repair shop in Sunnyvale until I moved to LA. Rex is where is send all my former customers. Like me he is an independent repair shop. He cares about your instrument like it's his own and charges a fair price. By far the best place to go! read more

My boyfriend has been a loyal client of Rex's since he was a teenager. I've tagged along with my boyfriend whenever he drops his guitar off at Rex's or picks it up after a finished job, so I can say that I've known Rex for almost 9 years. This past Christmas my boyfriend gifted to me my first Fender Telecaster, which was also the first electric guitar I've ever owned. I can now say that I'm a client of Rex's! I was already familiar with the quality work that Rex did on my boyfriend's guitars, so I totally trusted in Rex's skills and expected no less. Rex did the setup on my guitar and got it in excellent working order - great action, play-ability, intonation, etc. I admittedly feel spoiled by how good my guitar sounds compared to others. Lastly, I've always thought that he was such a nice guy and appreciated how passionate and knowledgeable he is of his craft. Definitely one of the best Luthiers/Guitar Technicians around. read more

Rex is fantastic! Had him do a full refret with SS frets on my Clapton Strat. He makes sure you are fully satisfied with the repair/setup. I'll be having him do all my guitar work in the future. Thanks Rex! read more

Rex is great guy and friend who stands by his work. Some guitar techs have a "one size fits all" mentality, but not him. He takes the time to understand what's really needed instead of allowing prior projects to dictate what he does. I also like how I always learn something new and cool whenever I stop by. Definitely one of the best in the Bay Area. His prices are also very reasonable. For reference, he has worked on the following guitars for me and done outstanding work each time: Gibson ES-125, ES-335, and Howard Roberts; Fender Telecaster and Jaguar. read more

Rex did a setup years ago for my Martin OM. I brought several PRS electric guitars to him for a setup this time around. He is friendly, super knowledgeable and enthusiastic. The quality of work is amazing. I highly recommend his services! read more

Fantastic service. Very knowledgeable and quick turnaround with a good conversation in the meantime. Would definitely come back and would recommend to others. read more

Amazing person, very knowledgable, very fair. Always in great spirits. Will service your musical instrument for a fair price and tell you much about it that you didn't know. The man is genuinely passionate about guitars and how they work. I'll definitely keep coming back ! read more

Add me to the list of Rex's fans. I brought in an Ibanez Mikro bass for a setup. For those that don't know, the Ibanez Mikro is an entry level, short scale bass, which is perfect for me, because I'm an entry level, short (aspiring) bass player. Right off the bat, Rex got major points from me because he never gave me the impression that my bass was a POS and waste of his time. And this is a guy that routinely works on rare (and expensive) Fender guitars. Rex asked me what issues I had with my bass, and after listening to my description of what I wasn't sure of, he said he thought it could use a setup. He looked at the neck, saw a slight curve that he'd fix by adjusting the truss rod, decided to change out the strings with some new ones I brought, and set the string height and intonation. All the while, our conversation was peppered with fascinating tidbits about various musicians, how Fender installed the frets in the early Strats, PLEKING machines used to adjust frets on guitars. I could have stayed all afternoon and have gotten quite the education. I got my bass back, and it's fantastic! The fretboard is oiled and looks so much nicer than when I'd brought it in. The tone is so much more even on all the strings, the intonation is dialed in so I'm not constantly wondering if my bass is out of tune, and I don't get nearly as much fret buzz as I did before Rex set it up. If you want your guitar worked on by a nice guy who does excellent work, give Rex a call! read more

Rex is one of the best guitar techs in the area. He has a ton of experience and has the capacity to tackle any problem you have with your guitar. I took my guitar in to help with a feedback problem I had. He was able to wax my pickup covers to reduce the microphonics and readjust my bigsby to enhance my sustain. He also fabricated some shims in like 30 minutes that sit underneath my pickups. They look great and he did it in under 30 minutes. Incredible! If you have a problem with your guitar or want a simple set up, go to Rex. Some techs may be cheaper, but none as knowledgeable, fast and professional as Rex. Be forewarned, that he does business out of his garage. But, it is totally legit. He has been helping local musicians for years out of this location and does work for several of the custom shops in the area. read more

I wish I could give Rex 6...7...maybe up to 11 stars? I am giving my brother a special guitar as a gift, and someone recommended I get the guitar Intonated. Not being a guitar player, I had no idea what that was or meant. I called the local chain music retailer and they quoted me over $100 and they would need the guitar for 2 weeks. Under normal circumstances, fine and reasonable, but me being the procrastinator that I am...it wouldn't work, I needed the guitar for THIS Saturday. I messaged Rex on FB, and he said to call him up. I explained the dire circumstance and predicament I had painted myself into...Rex says, "Can you bring it by today? I will take a look at it." I hoped in the car, sped down to San Jose from Martinez. Rex was awesome!! We talked music while he fiddled around, and after a few strokes he gave me a great prognosis....that he could Intonate it while I waited!!! Within 30 minutes or so...he fired it up..tested it out...beautiful sounds came out...and he was done. When he told me the charges...my jaw almost hit the floor. A fraction of what the chain store was going to charge. I would have gladly paid ANY price, his honesty, professionalism, and sheer talent and love for what he does shone through. Thank you Rex!! You have saved the Birthday and the gift!! You rock! read more

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Top line: I've been taking my axes to Rex for 20 years or so now, since the days when he worked for Torres Guitars. I've always loved how he manages to make any given axe I hand over to him many times sharper than it was by the time it's in my hands again. He always pays attention to fine measurements and details of repairing/customizing guitars - taking from his huge knowledge,experience and intuition to make the customer happy - me? I'm happy everytime. It's like Christmas when I get back an axe from Rex's laboratory!! Also I always learn something new related to guitar tech from him - gotta pick his brain! Plus he's a great guy and a friend too . Rex( Guitarworks) does great work - why change? Bottom Line: Rex is da man . read more

I came in to get a used guitar some new strings since Im planning to learn guitar this summer. Rex replace the strings on my new guitar. But on top of that, he also tuned it AND also worked on any imperfections (loose frets, string tension, screws on the sadle, etc.) he found on my guitar that any beginner would've most likely missed. Rex's a craftsman. He made my used beat up guitar really feel like it's brand new. and Im now enjoying a whole lot. I think the best part about Rex's guitar works is that they're very friendly which I think is very improtant for a beginner like me. Unlike going to a random music store where employees can sometimes act pretentious to someone new. Rex will give advice on the kind of things you should and need to learn when you're starting out. That just motivates me to play more. He's turn around time is about a week. And his prices are very reasonable. HIGHLY RECOMMEND THIS PLACE. read more

Rax is a really nice guy, located the problem why my guitar fret buzz and fixed it in 5 minutes free of charge. thumbs up if you are looking for a guitar tech, hes the guy! read more

Rex has a lot of skills in fretboards and electronics. He's an Authorized Fishman matrix infinity installation expert. You can trust him to do only the very best workmanship and materials. His experience really helped make my guitars top quality. read more

Fantastic service, would recommend to anyone. Got a new pick-up installed a d a setup done for a very reasonable price. Guitar plays and sounds great. Rex himself is a joy to deal with. read more

Rex significantly improved the playability of my Strat and an Ibanez bass; he's really very good. He reminds me of the master craftsman of yesteryear that you can hardly find anymore, and he definitely stands by his work. He was recommended independently by the guitar teacher of my children, who has been using his services for years. I highly recommend him! read more

Rex's Guitar Works - Tweaking my Strat - Musical Instruments & Teachers Near Me - San Jose, California

Do you have a ukulele that needs work? I broke my Kala travel Ukulele on accident by stepping on it (stupid me!) and I was crushed. The neck was almost fully detached from the body, but was not broken off entirely. I found Rex's Guitar Works on Yelp! and the reviews were outstanding. I called him and made an appointment that week and he made sure my uke wasn't a cheap one so I wouldn't waste my money fixing it (though I'm sure he'd still fix a less expensive uke if the customer wanted him to). I brought it in and he told me the process it would take to attach the neck back to the body. The price was reasonable and a couple of weeks later I picked it up and it looked close to perfect! He told me the steps it took for him to fix it. He's a very nice and friendly guy. Also, it was his birthday the day I picked it up so that showed to me he's very dedicated to his work. It's been a couple of days since I've gotten my ukulele back and it works just great. I need to tune it every time I play but I think that's normal. I think it'll even out over time. He also gives a 30 day warranty which is nice! I highly recommend Rex's Guitar Works! read more

Guitar: Takamine TH5C Hirade Classical Guitar Services rendered: - Acrylic, custom-designed tap-plate (ie. pick guard) - Fretboard nut work, string balance, intonation - Strap button + strap-lock install Rex is incredibly passionate and precise in his guitar-tech services. He was extremely easy to work with, passionate, insightful, timely, and beyond accommodating. As a first-time customer, I was initially leery to have custom work done to my brand-new, factory, virgin Takamine guitar, but Rex quickly eased my mind and ensured the utmost care (for 'my new baby'). His professional recommendations were backed by a life-time of industry experience and I'm convinced that his attention to detail is unsurpassed. As an extremely meticulous person myself, I was comforted to meet someone even more obsessive than I. Couldn't be happier with the results! Thanks so much Rex! -Shane read more

Rex Guitarworks was a recommendation from a friend of mine. And THANK YOU Kurt for this recommendation. I needed to have the standard pickups changed that came with my 05 American Hard tail strat to some Fender Hot Noiseless ones I've bought and heard good things about um. Oh, and also change the pickguard from the plain white one to a white pearloid one. Rex does it all!!!! This was Nothing to him. I dropped my guitar off Tues and he said to call him back in a week if I don't hear from him. Two days later (Thurs.) I get a call from Rex. "Your guitar is done dude!!" NICE!! My guitar rocks even harder now. And it looks pretty sick too! Very nice, neat, and flawless work done by Rex. Oh, the best part, Rex does all his business at home, and he also makes you feel "at home" when you see him about repairs for your guitar. Rex loves to talk guitars so stay a little, maybe even learn a little from him. Super nice guy who knows his sh**! Rex is very patient, you can tell he's been fixing guitars forever. I'll probably have him do my 04 American Tele as well. Wish I had a "before" picture of my strat, but here's an after one. Overall 5 stars all the way for my first experience here. read more

Rex's Guitar Works - 05 Fender American Hard Tail w/ New Fender Noiseless pickups and pearloid pickgard. Thx Rex!! - Musical Instruments & Teachers Near Me - San Jose, California

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Since I was introduced to Rex last year, I've had 5 guitars fixed by him. His knowledge and professionalism has brought me back time and time again, not to mention the recommendations that I have made to my musician friends. Just recently, he worked on my Takamine (jack replacement, neck adjustment), my Dean Keylargo (neck adjustment, fret filing, and jack repair), and my Taylor 12-string (neck reset). This latest work performed on my Taylor has sparked his interest in working directly with Taylor Guitars, along with all of the other fine jobs he does. I hope he pursues this quest...and I know that I will be revisiting him in the future for more quality work. Great job, Rex!! read more

Rex is a fantastic guy and a phenomenal luthier ! His dedication, craftsmanship and attention to details are rivaled only by his open, congenial nature and the utmost respect he shows to each of his clients. He worked on 3 of my guitars - building a Warmoth Strat, repairing a truss rod nut on a Fender Strat, and doing a custom wiring for my Ibanez - and the results were truly spectacular ! I feel fortunate and privileged to have an access to such a master in close proximity and I am thankful for having had an opportunity to benefit from his superior skills and workmanship. I wholeheartedly recommend his business to anyone ! He is a true joy to work with and talk to, especially if you are looking to learn more about setting up a guitar. read more

Exceeded my expectations. Rex recommended a less expensive repair over replacement of the bridge. I had an overactive high e string that he balanced. Gave a new and better bone saddle and carved a new nut bringing the strings in a little closer with the outside strings not coming off the fretboard as before. The overall playability is improved. The guitar sounds awesome and has way more sustain than before. I'm very pleased with the end result of his repair and set up and it all cost less than i expected. read more

Frankly, Rex is one of the best luthiers in the entire Bay Area. I've been seeking his help for the past three years and he has never once disappointed - so this review has been long overdue. Honestly makes an effort to help you out, hear your story/what you want and then gives his opinion. You know your guitar is in good hands when you can hear their passion and excitement in their tone - Rex is such guy. Absolutely fantastic work and genuinely experienced. Very knowledgeable and I have a great time listening to some of his stories when I visit him. You do need to get an appointment from him though which at times feel like forever but it's always been worth the wait. Can't recommend him enough. read more

4/5 only because there has to be some motivation. Rex has been my guitar guy since 1991. He is totally professional in all aspects. read more

I'm an electric bassist and I took two basses to Rex, a Fender Jazz Bass (1977) and a custom Ken Smith 6 string bass. He did good work on the Jazz Bass but he did nothing to help get my Smith bass intonated properly. I left both basses with him for a week and when I went to pick them up I had to wait more than an hour after driving from Santa Cruz while he finished up the work. My Smith bass hadn't been worked on at all yet he still charged me for working on it which was unprofessional at best and just plain greedy at worst. If you have Fender instruments I guess Rex is OK, but he knows very little about custom neck through the body basses like Smith, Fodera, etc. So if you're a bass player with a custom axe, go somewhere else. read more

too bad i gave this guy a good review just because i thought he was nice, well, unfortunately nice doesnt make up for shitty work. 6 weeks later, my guitars were returned to me playing shittier than ever ! do yourself a favor, take your instrument somewhere else, this guy sucks. read more

Super friendly, immensely knowledgeable, and his work speaks for itself. Until I get really handy with a soldering gun and sharpen my setup skills, I will be getting my guitars serviced at Rex's. read more

Rex did a great job fixing up my acoustic guitar. It sounds like a dream and I am so happy to play it now. He's also really fun to talk to and has great stories. I will definitely come back to him with any other guitar issues I have. Thanks Rex! read more

unmistakebly the highest quality guitar tech in the southbay.... professional, affordable, and understanding to the customers needs.... Ive left my bass in his possession for an extended period of time due to relacation issues and he has shown care and patience despite any obstacle ... thank you Rex... next time I wont leave with out my instrument... read more

Brought a new Ibanez SR bass to Rex this afternoon for a set up. Rex's work log was pretty full, but he was kind enough to work on my bass while I waited. He was able to dial in the tress rod, bridge and nut work and intonation and I left a very happy camper. read more

If you want high quality work, Rex is the guy to go to. My Kramer was dead in the water when it arrived at guitar work's. It was used, abused and then some. It had no pickups or electronics of any kind, one of the floyd rose mount studs was cracked, and I felt that the floyd pocket itself was too shallow. Rex fixed all of these things. New floyd, new studs, and routed the cavity deeper for me. If you're familiar with what a pain it is to adjust a floyd rose to any non standard tuning then fear thee not. Rex has you covered. He set the guitar up in D tuning(DGCFAD) for me and it was about as close to perfect you can get. As far as the electronics are concerned the work was A+++. The guitar has single coil - single coil - humbucker pickup routing. The pickups I wanted installed were dropped off with the guitar. He coil tapped my bridge and neck pickups as well as added an extra toggle. Rex even lined each pickup routing with copper shielding! The guitar I left with Rex sounded like a wet fart. The guitar that left Rex's guitar works with me sounds like, and I quote, "a Sledgehammer in a Velvet Sheath"! Rex is very knowledgable and will take time with your instrument to make sure it sounds as good as possible. He'll even shoot the breeze with you about guitar and music! Cool dude and great luthier! read more