Just had an early 2000s Tacoma acoustic bass repaired there that we picked up for a screaming deal at a local pawn shop. The top was lifting and the action was in desperate need of a setup (to the point where they had to shim both the neck and saddle a bit). I can't say the repair was blazing fast or i'd be misleading (around 3 weeks turn around), but frankly I would rather the repair be done well than fast. You cannot even see the seam where the top was lifting, the action is phenomenal, and the interactions with the employees were always jovial and pleasant. You can tell the techs working there absolutely love what they do, and that's always refreshing to see in artisanal jobs like luthier work. read more

Have had 3 of my guitars worked on by Geoff and his crew and have been very happy with how my guitars have played afterwards. I like that they offer classes on how to work on your guitar and they are all friendly and ready to help. Thanks, guys. read more

If I had more than five stars to give Geoff and Sonoma County Guitarworks, I would! My son and I drove up to Petaluma in May to build electric guitars together with Geoff. It was an awesome experience - Geoff's knowledge as a master guitar tech/luthier and patience as a teacher made the weekend an enjoyable and exciting time and we left with two amazing guitars we built ourselves - soldering all the internal parts - pots, switch, pickups, etc, assembling it all, then going through Geoff's full setup process. I haven't wanted to stop playing since I got home! read more

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Once again Geoff and the guys come thru. Hats off to Alex. Brought my Fernandes in w. 2 dead pu's one of those one of those mis-loved sustainer pu. Budgeted in case the sustainer pu was fried. Nope. just an adjustment to the battery connection to the pu. Works GREAT! And A LOT less bill than I was expecting. Huzzahs kudos to SCGW! ps: I've got another Fernandes that needs a tweak. See you soon. read more

I would give Geoff and Sonoma County Guitarworks 6 stars for the custom guitar building experience if I could. I took this course and built a 60's stratocaster in a tahitian coral relicqued finish. You aficionados out there know how daunting building a guitar (even a partscaster) can be from scratch. This course had 3 other students. Geoff dedicated equal amount of time to all of us. Geoff expertise was so great that we even had enough time to chat about non-course related stuff Geoff is legit the best to handhold you from picking up parts til setting up pickup heights for your guitar. Probably one of the most knowledgeable people in the Bay for this. Here are some of the things I learned during this course - Finding the best suppliers for body, necks, parts and pickups while understanding nuances caused by my specific tastes - Soldering jacks, lugs, pots and pickups. I basically learned this from scratch - Back tracing faulty soldering lol and fixing it ofc - Guitar Setup: Intonation, string height, neck relief and more - tons of tricks when working with specific tools - all the measurement tips and tricks needed to make everything above work Bonus: The shop is located in a beautiful part of Petaluma quite peaceful Bonus2: Geoff and Helen went the extra mile to make everyone feel safe during this covid omi days. Tests offered and mask indoor ensured. read more

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I just took a Guitar Electronics class with Sonoma County Guitar Works. Geoff Lutrell is the owner and teacher. Great class and Geoff is wonderful to work with. I highly recommend them. They usually list their classes on Eventbrite. They have a link on the website. They also have a wonderful guitar repair shop. Great people and wonderful customer service. read more

What a great place to get my guitar serviced. Reasonably priced and wonderful customer service. Totally recommend this business.

Geoff and the crew are true professionals. The quality of the work they do is of the highest level. As a luthier and technician myself, I can attest to this. They have serviced several instruments of mine now, across a variety of issues including finishing, Plek setup, modifications, and parts installs, and it's all been done in a reasonable amount of time and at a reasonable cost. I always look forward to driving out to the shop! I recommend them without reservation. read more

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I took Geoff's Guitar setup course yesterday and had a great time! I also learned quite a bit. I highly recommend his courses. Geoff is an awesome human being who fosters a warm and informed learning environment! Geoff has worked on many of my guitars over the years and there is no one in the SF Bay Area that I would trust with my guitars! Regards, Michael B read more

These guys are excellent. I've taken 3 guitars to them for various issues. They have all come back exactly as requested. The most extensive project included scraping a neck on a vintage Taylor, removing the nicks, and refinishing in satin. It was a guitar my dad gave me 30 years ago, which meant a lot. They replaced a few frets, plek'd it, set it up and the guitar was returned with a perfect satin neck, perfectly set up as requested. I could not have asked for higher quality work and you get what you pay for here. read more

Found an average sounding beat up old Collins 290 and took it in to Sonoma guitar works. Geoff Luttrell and his team, took my suggestion, and offered new ideas, then transformed this average guitar into my new favorite instrument. I knew there was magic in the guitar, it just needed to be brought out of it. Under Geoff's guidance, they added beautiful gold EVO frets to a tight & accurate re-fret, gold tuners and bridge, perfect intonation, and amped electronics. Loved it when I can drive hard on the guitar and it transforms its brilliance then.... light as a feather....it still holds tonality solid consistency up and down the fret board. Its a amazing feeling, when your fear become confidence in your instruments ability - from the 1st position up into 17th... 19th 21st WTF 24th Fret sounds awesome Okay.... If this is what I can expect, I'll travel cross country to have my instruments worked on by Sonoma Guitar Works read more

Sonoma County Guitarworks - Musical Instruments & Teachers Near Me - Petaluma, California

It's such a pleasure to do business with people who love what they do and deliver amazing results. I brought my 79 Fender American Stratocaster in that I bought recently at the great Rudy's music in NYC. She needed new frets, setup, the whole works and Geoff, Ross and team absolutely nailed it. She plays like a dream. The country around the shop is beautiful to visit too. Highest recommendation. Thank you Sonoma County Guitarworks! read more

Brought in two guitars for a fret level and setup. A Martin D-35 and a Fender acoustic. Both guitars play amazing now! Thanks Geoff!

I've been relying on Geoff & his team for nearly all of my repair & luthier needs for the last 15 years. The few times I've taken my basses & guitars to other guys in the bay area I've ended up regretting it immensely (and would subsequently take the mangled corpse of my instruments back to Geoff for repair-repair). Sonoma County Guitarworks (and by extension, SF Guitarworks) is a serious gem in the bay area music community and rivals the top repair shops in the country (I've been touring damn near non-stop for the past 12 years so I've been around) Not only are these guys super talented and intuitive when it comes to instrument/player needs, but they are also incredibly kind and patient. I've benefited immensely from these dudes' work. read more

I don't even know where to begin... Over the last many years, Geoff and his amazing crew have worked on over 40 guitars in my collection. From basic setups and pickup installs thru Plek; fretboard planing; complete fret jobs; neck re-sets; crack repair (some serious); and more things than I can remember... They have been extremely professional and competent, not to mention kind and VERY easy to work with. Great communication! Excellent value for the incredible level of work performed. No BS, just great work in a timely fashion. Any work you need done is worth having a conversation with them about. They're the real deal. And that's what I have to say about that! read more

Geoff and company did a ton of work to my 1921 Gibson A mandolin. They radiused the fretboard, and added new frets. A bridge pickup was installed, and a light buff to the top face that makes the instrument really shine. What can I say, they took great attention to the small details, and that is extremely important on a vintage mandolin. The instrument is just amazing to play now. Tone and intonation improved. Great shop, great team. Happy customer, I highly recommend. read more

Sonoma County Guitarworks - Musical Instruments & Teachers Near Me - Petaluma, California

What can I say that hasn't already been said? Geoff and Co are simply the best luthiers in Sonoma County - hell, in the whole Bay Area! While you have to plan to wait - both for getting your instrument triaged - to the repairs actually happening - mine took 3+ months from initial intake to completion - you simply can't argue the results. I've had acoustics worked on there to great affect and most recently added a tremolo system to my war horse electric guitar. The work in all cases is first rate - lovingly planned and flawlessly executed. I almost hate putting yet another glowing review out there as it will likely drive even more people to them - adding more time to repairs, etc., but they are that good and deserve every superlative directed at them. Thanks Geoff - the guitar is everything I hoped it would be - sounds great - plays great - and the work was perfect!! As always....Thanks Again! read more

I have an old Santa Cruz with a screwy neck, wheezing notes, and lousy intonation. She needed help. After reading about Plek machines, and finding out that Geoff offered the service, I got in touch. Geoff really knows his stuff. He made me very comfortable with his approach from the first conversation, so I drove out to Petaluma, dropped the guitar off and a few weeks later, after a Plek, refret and few other things, got a guitar back that looked identical, but was completely different. The intonation is perfect. The fretwork is immaculate - better even than the original. The guitar plays beautifully everywhere. And most surprising, the sound has improved incredibly (and it sounded good before). There are harmonics all over this guitar that weren't there before. I've never experienced guitar work like this and as a result, I fell madly in love even more with this guitar. Geoff is highly communicative, he is brilliant, and he's a nice guy, too. I'm sure he does great work that isn't as involved, but if your guitar needs major attention, this is THE place. Thanks, Geoff! read more

Really happy with my experience at Sonoma County Guitarworks. I brought my new bass to Geoff after I got a totally subpar setup done at my local music shop. He was able to get my bass sounding great and for a totally reasonable price--he even did a beautiful job with fixing damage done to my pick guard by the last "tech" who worked on it. This place is a hidden gem and I recommend Geoff's work to anyone who needs assistance with their guitar. read more

Took my Epiphone '66 Wilshire reissue (set neck) to Geoff and Sonoma County Guitarworks after a fall from my guitar stand left an inch-long split in the neck. Not only did they do a fantastic job fixing the damage, but they also did a near-perfect job matching the paper-thin matte black nitro finish. And to top it off, they did it all at a really reasonable price - I was expecting it to be a lot steeper. Will definitely be returning to them in the future for any work I can't do myself! Addendum: The above review was by the guitar owner. I would like to add that Geoff was very available (!) for progress reports during the repair process, and when he was unavailable I spoke with the knowledge and friendly staff in S.F., mostly Monique. Thanks to all for a splendid job (as mentioned above), and the patience that comes with knowing that everyone's guitar is a very special guitar. That's a good feeling. read more

I'm so grateful for Geoff & company over at SF Guitarworks because now they've opened up a second shop now in Petaluma! I was seeing him when we still lived in Daly City and now living in Sonoma my disability makes it difficult to make long trips so unless it's absolutely necessary I won't go back to SF. I have this beautiful custom made acoustic guitar that has lovely inlay work all around plus these interesting symbols on the fingerboard taking the place of the usual suspects and when this guitar was made available the stars had shown brightly upon me this lovely one of a kind named Mary. Long story on how this happened and isn't relevant to the review so maybe another time? This split happened from the bridge to the bottom of the guitar right down the middle and thankfully I managed to have the split stop from making any worse damage than was occurring and I just hated pulling it out of the case for fear of it really going south with unrepairable damage and this isn't a cheaply made guitar by any means. Once I learned Geoff had added the second shop we connected and man, Geoff is something else! Dude is freaking awesome! He's so cool, he explained some possible options and what he suggested would be the best choice and we went with it. A few weeks & phone calls later low & behold ... this baby was already a stunner with this sound thats heavenly sweet, robust with clarity and sustain. The finish was almost satin to a matt type of finish, very light and didn't look like it had any but with what we had going for us Geoff suggested giving it a semi gloss finish, not to expose a shift in color due to the work that was necessary, not too heavy and it looks like it could be a Taylor! Very affordable and Geoff doesn't talk down to you. I've been going to him since he first opened shop in SF quite a few years ago. Next was the Gretsch (it was originally a) 6120 DSW The classic orange with branded G and south western motifs cut into the inlays. The pups (pickups you novices!) Were switched out to a pair of TV Jones Classics the original owner was quite the Setzer fan, so now it would actually be qualified to be called a 6120TVJ-CLW! LOL! Anyway, thats for the sticklers! Well, I'm notoriously hard or heavy palmed where I get percussive with my strumming and the Gretsch Bar bridge was always out of whack! A little sharp here or flat there never quite right even though I rely on a tuner. Geoff suggested a technique he & his boys at SF Guitarworks came up with where they pin down the bridge and can do it without any extra stresses added to the wooden part of the bridge and where the post holes already are, they drill into there just under the posts and there it is! My Gretsch who I've named Lilith is now even more of what she can be! Thank you Geoff! read more

Geoff and crew are the best in the SF bay area, at least. Every guitar I have sent to Geoff comes back perfect. Literally. Guitars I thought were dead, come back perfect. Trust Geoff, he is the best. read more

It's not easy to describe the experience of visiting Geoff's shop. Besides the beautiful drive and the incredibly peaceful scene, the care, expertise, honesty and efficiency of their approach is really fantastic. Geoff is a master luthier with years of experience and has walked me through many challenging problems and I have never had to bring a guitar back in to be retweaked, although they make it clear that that is always okay. Geoff and the other repair people will answer as many questions as you can come up with. Great place!!! read more

Another 5-star shout out to Geoff and the most expertly expert crew at Sonoma Co. Guitarworks and SF Guitarworks. I bought a gorgeous 1951 Gibson L48 acoustic arch top, all mahogany ... but the neck was unplayable due to severe fretboard wear-depression and an equally severe hump at about the 15th fret - so it buzzed badly from frets 3-4 all the way up to the hump at the 15th fret, across all strings. All this was revealed on the PLEK - the profile of the neck looked like the grand canyon! Geoff's team planed the fretboard, refretted with period-correct size fret wire them shimmed and recut the nut to finish the adjustments off. NOW .... it plays like it just came out of the Gibson build shop - better. Great low action, precise and crystal clear tone. Night and day. Thank you guys - you created a master arch top from an old rusty, bolt-bucket Nash Rambler impersonator. read more

SF Guitarworks is my new goto shop -- which says a lot as I consider myself fairly OCD when it comes to people touching my guitars. In fact, I can't remember the last time I didn't go home and redo something or re-adjust something that wasn't done quite right. That said, I just got a pre-CBS Fender back from Geoff for a re-fret, plek, new nut, setup and electronics R&R.... a lot of stuff. I was seriously nervous, however, it came back absolutely flawless and just how I wanted it. Geoff is an artist! Prices are reasonable (it is the bay area!) and commensurate with the quality of the work. Communication is excellent and the turnaround time is outstanding. When you drop off a guitar they ask questions, takes notes, etc... I have a handful of vintage guitars that I will be dropping off at their Petaluma location in the near future. Geoff not only runs an expert repair shop, he also knows how to run a business! read more

I have a custom built electric guitar that has been grossly mistreated for about 20 years. The action was terrible, it couldn't stay in tune...frankly I didn't really enjoy playing it very much. A buddy gave me Geoff's number and told me he'd take care of me. We set up a weekend drop-off and Geoff's expertise was apparent from the minute I walked in. He's incredibly knowledgeable and walked me through the options in great detail with a very clear and sensible repair recommendation. I just got it back last week and couldn't be more thrilled. Seriously, it's like it's not even the same instrument. I was expecting just the playability to improve, but the tone was terrific as well. Now I'm just bummed I didn't meet Geoff sooner. Thanks Sonoma County Guitarworks! read more

I've been bringing my guitars to Geoff and his team for years now. Masters of their craft without question. In this most recent installment, I bought a 93 strat plus on Reverb that was in a state of neglect. I decided it was due for some TLC and that I was going to turn this puppy into a hot rod. With the team's help, I had the following done to the guitar: Plek'd, sanded the finish on the neck and rubbed down with tung oil, replaced the worn electronics, updated the pots too 500k, updated the switches, swapped out the rusty trem system, installed fu-tone noiseless springs in the back, and installed three absolutely killer DiMarzio pickups to replace the lace sensors (I have the lace sensors on another strat already). The first chord I strummed on this guitar after bringing it home made me feel like Marty McFly at the beginning of Back to the Future. It was awesome. Called the team to thank them for turning a guitar about whose potential I was skeptical, into arguably one of the best sounding instruments I own! Thank you so much again, team! Keep up the great work! read more

Any guitar repairer that can take a badly working\playing guitar and turn it into excellence, that is the guy that gets 5 stars !!!! I care very deeply what happens to my guitars and I want a guitar repairer to care as well. After the repair I am home playing my Fender Strat. The tones are so pure. This is the first guitar I ever played that was working properly all thanks to the hard work of Geoff, owner of SC Guitarworks. I own several guitars and when they need repair I will definitely be contacting Geoff for an appointment. Geoff is a busy guy so it took 2 weeks to get my gits back. read more

I have to say, I do not give out 5 stars easily, But Jeff at Sonoma Guitar Works Rules! I drove in from out of town touring the Marin , SF and some part of San Mateo counties. Met with Heather in Petaluma and in a Day and a half Met Jeff in SF...Totally took care of me, guitars all dialed in...so sweet! The Best! read more

I've now used SF Guitars works twice, on three Guitars. The first was to 'cure' a problem on a beautiful Custom Les Paul including getting it Plecked. SF Guitar Works have been the ONLY entity that have actually identified AND solved the problem. The most recent visit was for my Strat and a Tele. Both were causing problems with the single coil hum when on stage. Finding the quite spot and standing there all night was a pain in the rear. SF Guitar Works have insulated both guitars. The hum is minimal (including Channel 3 on my Mark V). Neither Guitar shows any sign of the work performed. Wonderful. Whilst the cost on the Les Paul was on the higher side (worth it), the cost of insulation on the Fenders was more than reasonable. The ease of dropping off, and picking up my guitars in Petaluma is such a benefit and no time off to drive into SF. Great outfit, great job. read more

The best place to take a guitar that needs some work in the bay area, Sonoma county hands down.

If it were possible to give Geoff and Sonoma Co. Guitarworks six stars, that would be the appropriate rating. I don't know where to start... so suffice it to say that my relationship with SF Guitarworks (the original shop in Potrero Hill) goes back to 2004, when I first lived and worked in San Francisco. I had setup work done by Geoff and his team on several different guitars back then, including a Parker Supreme and original Newburgh Steinberger that I still own to this day. Over the years, I've had work done by other shops, including fretwork by Gary Brawer's, when he was the only game in town with the Plek. No real complaints against Gary and his team, other than expecting your guitar to spend a few months sitting at his shop, if Gary himself has to do the work. So, hopefully you have a few backup instruments to use in the meantime. What really floors me about Geoff's work, is his keen attention to detail that most other [often top-end repair places] miss, including Brawer's. A fine example is an Ernie Ball Luke that was re-fretted by GB's place a number of years ago... while the fretwork was flawless, the guitar never had that amazing "chime" that the finest electrics have; that sort of acoustic magic that makes you just want to play the guitar unplugged, as much as you can. Well, a few months ago, I brought the Luke in for a setup, and Geoff discovered that the neck bolts were stripped, and therefore the "set" was never as ideal as it could have been.... he re-bored the neck joint, and got the neck totally flush with the body... it was as if I had been given a new and upgraded instrument. It was that feeling of falling in love with a guitar, that now becomes an extension of your soul; an organic instrument that you didn't know had that kind of potential. I could re-tell many other stories of how Geoff's attention to detail, and his ability to accurately apprise and diagnose what's going on with your guitar, that makes him very much like a top-notch cardiothoracic surgeon. Part of this is that he has exceptionally good listening skills, and will apply that to making sure your guitar has every chance of being the instrument you hope it can be. Supposedly the one guy who was referred to Steve Vai as the top Bay Area guitar tech to have on-hand for some studio work he was doing in Oakland, was Geoff Luttrell. This doesn't surprise me at all. Geoff is the Master. And yet, his prices are ridiculously fair for the caliber of work done. Don't hesistate to plan your next guitar or bass tune-up or repair job, with Geoff; not likely you will be disappointed. Now dammit, why won't Yelp let me give him six stars..?? 'Cuz that would be fair and appropriate... read more

Jeff took me in on a Sunday morning to do do a solder related repair. He did it while I waited and he was cordial, thorough, and his fee was beyond reasonable. I'm a keyboardist but if I played guitar he'd be my "go to" guy. read more

Geoff is by far the best luthier that I've encountered in Sonoma County. He is very responsive, quick, friendly and does great work. He always explains the things he does very thoroughly so you understand how he's going to better your instrument, which is something that I really appreciate in a luthier. If you want a great guy to do great work on your instrument at a reasonable price, give Geoff a call! read more

I've been to a few guitar repair people throughout the years and I've never been 100% satisfied until now. Geoff is the best, nobody comes close. If you care about your guitar and want things done the right way go to Sonoma guitarworks. I'm 100% satisfied. :) read more