South Austin Guitar Repair

My daughter and I came in looking for a case for an acoustic guitar. We interacted with several of…read morethe staff and they were all helpful and great people, but they noticed that the acoustic we had was very large for my daughter and showed us some smaller options. We came in looking for a case, but Rodrigo recommended the South store that had a better selection of smaller acoustics and we bought one the next day. Good call, Rodrigo! She is having a much easier time playing now.

This was one of the most frustrating customer experiences I've had. My credit was not the issue,…read moreyet this company still acted like I was unworthy of basic service and tried to force a $600 deposit on top of monthly rental charges. I had already been a customer for a year, paid every bill on time, paid a deposit at the very beginning of my account with them although my credit was GOOD. Not fair, not poor, GOOD, and still got a nonsense explanation that made it clear they either don't value repeat customers or don't know how to apply their own policies consistently. I walked away and found another company (Blackerby) with far better service, better rates, a $125 deposit, and no credit check. The difference was night and day. This company's deposit policy feels arbitrary, their pricing is excessive, and their treatment of customers is flat-out poor. I would not recommend them to anyone. By the way I paid for an entire year of rental upfront with the other company and still paid less than the $600 deposit fee that Strait Music tried to play in my face with.

Dr. Jon's Guitar Repair

4.9

(28 reviews)

The downright best luthier/repair artist I've ever had. He's usually got a bit of a backlog (I…read moremean, the secret is out at this point) but it's worth every week you need to wait. Other's have already said it, I'm just here to concur. Jon always goes above and beyond. Had an 80's explorer that needed an overhaul on the neck and a refret job, as well as wiring replaced for some new pickups. He did it all and threw in some new switches and tuners for free b/c he noticed the old ones were jank. Next time I took my new 7 string to get the guts removed and install some BareKnuckles, which he needed to carve some space in the body in order for them to fit (you'd never know, it looks like it was built for them) and then custom rigged the pickups to make use of the push/pull tone knob to use the previous pickup's passive battery as a gain boost, a la tubescreamer, but built right into the guitar itself! Cannot recommend Jon enough.

Just completed my 15th job or so with Dr. Jon over the last several years. I've been playing for…read moredecades, and Dr. Jon is without a the top guy in the Austin area. Deeply skilled, creative when needed, and frankly a down to earth guy. My highest recommendation.

Austin Strings

4.6

(29 reviews)

I came to this spot yesterday to buy yet another instrument for Thing One. This is now his third…read moreinstrument. He plays the guitar, tuba and now the doublebass. If he doesn't turn out to be some type of someone in the music industry when he's older, lawd help me..he's gonna be disowned! However, I have been communicating with this business via text for about a month now to get a doublebass ready for Thing One. In the communications, we have discussed the required height, type of bow, and type of use this instrument would get to determine which base would be the right fit. When we arrived to pick up the bass, we were greeted warmly and given a quick lesson on the proper care of the instrument. This process took no longer than 30 minutes from arrival to signing the paperwork. I am looking forward to hearing the tones of this beautiful instrument in my home.

I came here to get a violin restrung and bow rehaired after my parents found my old childhood…read moreviolin. I had no idea what to expect since I stopped playing a long time ago, but Russell and Derek were so helpful! I was completely out of my element, but they explained everything patiently and I felt so welcomed and at ease after talking to them. When I said that a friend was going to use the violin to help her little sister practice, Russell mentioned that they have bright colors for bow hair! I chose purple hair and was so excited even though I'm not even the one playing the violin. I wish it had been an option back when I played!

Northwest School of Music

4.3

(12 reviews)

•$$$

I signed my daughter up for violin lessons after a trial lesson that seemed promising. Then, had…read moreanother two lessons where the majority of the half hour was eaten up by tuning the violin (although my daughter didn't take the violin out of the case in between lessons). We registered on the 12th, and on the 30th of the same month, I let them know I wanted to cancel. They are now charging me for another month of lessons, despite my cancellation request. Beware that if you sign up mid-month, you'll be on the hook for another 4 lessons, despite no services rendered.

I admit I haven't been a student here very long, but if anything changes, I'll edit my review…read moreaccordingly. Here's what I have to say about the experience I've had: I have David Price as my teacher, and I am utterly grateful for his instruction. He is fantastic--always involved in every step of the lesson, playing along with me, giving me directions as well as examples of what to do, and he's just a down-to-earth guy who's friendly and kind. The owner, Kath, is sweet as can be, and every single person I've met from that school has been helpful, friendly and polite. The school is clean; the environment is welcoming; the instruction from my teacher is second to none, and I've had four teachers, counting him. I am very happy with everything I've experienced so far. I am excited to see how I grow as a violinist over the coming months and years.

Better Than New Band Repair

4.8

(61 reviews)

•$

I took my sax in to get it serviced and Micaiah Navarrete did an amazing job on my Alto Sax! I…read morewasn't sure if it was beyond repair, but he made this thing sound amazing!! I definitely recommend him to anyone needing work on their wind instrument!!

These guys are great! I was in a time crunch to get my son's cornet fixed before school started…read more Every other shop had long wait times. Better Than New got the repair done in less than 24 hours! They were quick, friendly and reasonably priced.

CS Custom Shop

Honest work and great prices. This guy is a real straight shooter. I highly recommend him if it's…read morea partscaster, repair, or custom build. He does it all.

All star. The dude is humble and gets everything done for a good price and in a short period of…read moretime. He was EXCELLENT

Mythic Guitar Company

My dad gave me his old custom guitar he hadn't touched in 20 years. I called ahead and, I think his…read morename was Alex, answered the phone and helped me when I got there. I got some strings changed and got the tuning serviced all same day and when I went back to check it there was a problem with the jack. Alex helped me once again, ordered a new jack and replaced it all within 3 days. Everyone at the shop was super kind and my guitar sounds great. HIGHLY RECOMMEND

The team at Mythic have helped me out with guitar upgrades and repair on a couple of occasions now…read more They've never been anything other than kind, helpful and friendly. I recommend them for anyone looking to get their gear worked on!

TSG Music

(1 review)

Best rental of band instruments in Central Texas! Customer service is the best. Repairs also…read moreavailable on site, which are second to none. You won't regret doing business with TSG.

The Musicians Woodshed

(1 review)

I contacted The Musicians Woodshed via e-mail on 05/27/2020 regarding a gift certificate I won in a…read moreschool auction for music lessons at this location. I received a response from the store manager; Mr. Don Denham (of the band American Revival)! Don and I exchanged a few communications regrading the type of lessons that I required for my son. When my son and I came to the lesson today, we were greeted by Don and advised on guitars and the type of lessons that are provided at the establishment. My son not only got a music lesson with his new guitar instructor Ethan, but I also bought my son a new guitar. I appreciate the professionalism, knowledge of music theory, safety precautions taken by the staff during the pandemic AND that I got to meet the guy (Don) in the band all in one visit. Great experience all the way around.

From the owner: We are a locally owned and operated specialty music store offering guitar and music retail, music…read morelessons, and recording studio services. Our music instructors come from all walks of life and offer a tailored learning experience for each individual.

South Austin Music

4.3

(132 reviews)

Amazing place. If you're in Austin, go here--spend some time, spend some money, and enjoy checking…read moreout the incredible pieces they have on hand. We stopped in while visiting family and had a group of four adults along with my 12‑year‑old daughter. The staff was exceptional: friendly, knowledgeable, and genuinely accommodating. Their inventory is impressive, with options across a wide range of price points, so there's truly something for everyone. They've built something special here. Highly recommended.

Neat small guitar shop with a nice dog that roams the place…read more The stock is mostly classic and vintage guitars and amps. No Vs in sight though.

Strait Music Company

3.8

(99 reviews)

See more unrecommended reviews

My daughter and I came in looking for a case for an acoustic guitar. We interacted with several of…read morethe staff and they were all helpful and great people, but they noticed that the acoustic we had was very large for my daughter and showed us some smaller options. We came in looking for a case, but Rodrigo recommended the South store that had a better selection of smaller acoustics and we bought one the next day. Good call, Rodrigo! She is having a much easier time playing now.

This was one of the most frustrating customer experiences I've had. My credit was not the issue,…read moreyet this company still acted like I was unworthy of basic service and tried to force a $600 deposit on top of monthly rental charges. I had already been a customer for a year, paid every bill on time, paid a deposit at the very beginning of my account with them although my credit was GOOD. Not fair, not poor, GOOD, and still got a nonsense explanation that made it clear they either don't value repeat customers or don't know how to apply their own policies consistently. I walked away and found another company (Blackerby) with far better service, better rates, a $125 deposit, and no credit check. The difference was night and day. This company's deposit policy feels arbitrary, their pricing is excessive, and their treatment of customers is flat-out poor. I would not recommend them to anyone. By the way I paid for an entire year of rental upfront with the other company and still paid less than the $600 deposit fee that Strait Music tried to play in my face with.

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28 reviews that are not currently recommended

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John C.

0

1

0

14 years ago

I grew up kind of poor and resultantly learned how to set up and perform most repairs on my own instruments. I've actually never had to take an instrument into the shop for a repair or modification I couldn't perform. Recently, one of my guitars, a neck through (harder to work on), developed an issue with its nut; mainly because it was one of the cheap, plastic nuts that Ibanez seems to use on all but their super high end guitars. The issue was causing 1st fret buzz on the low E string regardless of how much relief was put in the neck. I was also having an issue with the D string slot being lower than all the others. The nut itself was also deeper than most. I didn't have the tools, the time, or the knowledge to fix it, so I started looking around Austin for shops and found Andrew. Andrew looked the instrument over for a few minutes and quoted me the repair price to cut a new nut from brass. (I change strings and tunings a lot and bend quite a bit and was worried about wearing out a bone nut like I had the plastic one.) It turns out the nut was too deep for Andrew to use standard nut stock. He informed me that he'd have to source some other brass stock and that it would likely add an additional day to the repair. I said no problem and went on my way. Imagine my surprise, then, when I received a call almost exactly 48 hours later from the time of drop-off that my instrument was ready. The repair job was seamless despite Andrew having to cut through the clear coat of the neck to remove the old nut (Ibanez and their overspray.) The nut was perfect, requiring no adjustments after its installation and will likely never need to be replaced again unless/until a refret is required. Total charge, even with having to source different brass stock, $75. I have absolutely no complaints. read more

Richard M.

5

1

0

15 years ago

I am forever indebted to Andrew for my reunion with my old friend, a Harmony arch top that was made in the late 50s or early 60s. I had been playing it since 1966. The neck had started to become dislodged from the body and I had taken it to a few places that basically wouldn't even touch it. I called Andrew and he told me to bring it on by and he had it fixed in a few days for a price lower than the other places quoted, if they would have "had the time to work on it." He did a great job with the repair and did not charge too much and I am extremely happy with what he did and the way he did it as well. He is an extremely nice guy, who has an extensive knowledge about guitars and I would recommend to anybody to give him a call, especially when you get tired of trying all the places listed under guitar repair, only to be told they can't fix your guitar. read more

Tony F.

0

3

0

14 years ago

I found Andrew based on the Yelp reviews. I had purchased all the parts for a custom Fender strat job. I just needed a professional to put it all together for me. Andrew was great. He was very communicative and friendly (which is rare in the music business). He works out of his home, but I was reassured when I saw some of his personal custom jobs. He really knows his stuff and has been doing this professionally for years. It only took him two days to complete the job, even though he had to do some extra work to get all the parts to fit properly. The bridge I bought didn't fit quite right and he needed to make a few other modifications. You can't even tell he had to modify the body. The guitar looks great and sounds even better. I'm definitely going to be a repeat customer. read more

Ryan B.

66

9

1

12 years ago

Any decent hearted musician will find Andrew to be a fast friend. A good guy who does great work. I took my Ibanez acoustic in and he diagnosed the problem before I told him (high action / truss rod issues). He also hunted down a relatively obscure part to get the pickup working again. The shipment of the part is what took the longest - but he let me know about this ahead of time. Now the thing plays better than when I bought it - I'm bloodying the keyboard as I type this! Ha ha... Andrew, if you're reading this, thanks again, man. read more

Sarunas J.

19

3

0

15 years ago

I needed some work to be done on a hollowbody guitar - swapping pickups, adding a new bone nut and giving it a setup. I found Andrew after researching reviews here. He did a terrific job on all of it and finished it on the same day - action and intonation was just right and the nut was cut out perfectly. Andrew has thorough answers to all questions about guitar or bass repairs and equipment. Quality, great communication, unbeatable price. Highly recommended. read more

Rob B.

1

0

15 years ago

I recently picked up a used Jackson DK2 that needed a fair bit of TLC. I usually do my own setups but I just could not get this one exactly where I wanted it. So I got in contact with Andrew based on the reviews here. He got that extra little bit I was looking for. He's professional, honest, and quick. Highly recommended. If I ever need someone else to do a setup for me, I won't hesitate to call him again. read more

Eric S.

0

1

0

13 years ago

Andrew at South Austin Guitar Repair is a pro. The work he did for me was top notch and it didn't take 2 to 3 weeks like some other shops. He is also much more affordable. So if your tired of waiting for forever to get a repair or upgrade done only to find out it's not what you wanted, do yourself a favor and go see Andrew. He is the ONLY person I will ever go to as long as I'm in Austin. read more

Joseph C.

0

1

0

10 years ago

I was having a lot of trouble setting up my bass how I like it. I assumed because its fairly cheap that I wasn't going to be able to get it close to my old bass. Andrew got it feeling liek a totally new instrument, and his price was more than fair. He was more than happy to answer questions I had about things unrelated to the setup as well. I don't think I'd go to anyone else in Austin. read more

Eric B.

0

1

0

10 years ago

Andrew is a good dude and does excellent work. I think he puts the attention to detail that you just don't get from large music stores. His prices are very competitive too! I've had him setup a bass and a semi hollow body guitar with a Bigsby and both play better than they ever have. He also gave me advice on getting another guitar of mine to sound better and the advice was spot on. read more

Miguel O.

0

2

0

15 years ago

I had Andrew install 2 custom pups in my les paul. Andrew was honest and the best price around (I checked with about 5 places in Austin). He works out of his home. You just drop off the gear and he calls you when it's finished. The work was quality. Also.. he had a quick turnaround time and while I was picking up my guitar another guy showed up to drop off about 3 more. read more

Cole T.

0

1

0

12 years ago

I heard about South Austin Guitar Repair first from a buddy when I broke the head on my Explorer. Andrew was able to fix it no problem in just a couple days for a cheap price. He has since then worked on other guitars of mine from small tune ups to breaks and it always works out great. I have referred him to friends and they as well have been pleased with Andrew's work. read more

Kelly K.

0

4

0

14 years ago

I am happy to continue the string of stellar reviews for Andrew's work. I had him set-up and replace the pick-guard on my G&L Legacy and cannot be happier with the results. The price was more than fair and the turn around time was quicker than I expected. I will not hesitate to have my guitars repaired at South Austin Guitar Repair in the future. read more

Sam J.

0

1

0

12 years ago

I took recently purchased used guitar for a setup. Everthing was done beautifully and to my liking. Quick turn around and picked my instrument next day.Up on closer inspection and after playing for a bit I could not be happier with quality, attention to detail and over feel of the setup. Will be bringing another guitar for a tune up. Thank you. read more

Noah B.

0

1

0

11 years ago

Knowledgable, fast and cheap. Got worried when I found out he worked out of his home, but I was in a hurry and took it anyway; immediately realized he knew what he was talking about. Fixed the action to perfection in about 8 minutes then I sped off to my performance. Definitely will go to this guy from now on, no question. read more

Julian R.

0

1

0

14 years ago

EXCELLENT WORK! Before he set up my Les Paul, I was actually considering selling it because it wasn't quite as comfortable as I thought it should be. After taking it to Andrew, it's like a completely different guitar! Awesome work for absurdly little money! Whenever I have some work I need done, he's my guy! read more

Alan H.

12

1

0

14 years ago

Andrew was great. He was able to set my guitar straight in no time at all. He diagnosed and corrected the issue while I waited. If you have a guitar issue, I recommend South Austin Guitar Repair. I know I'll be going back with any future guitar problems I may have. read more

Eric S.

3

0

11 years ago

Andrew is great. I needed a setup done immediately, I called him and was able to take my bass to him right after I hung up, got the setup done in 2 hours, and picked it back up. Quality work, excellent communication, nice guy. Would recommend to anyone. read more

Kay R.

0

1

0

14 years ago

I highly recommend South Austin Guitar Repair. Andrew took care of my guitar's problem for a very reasonable price. After his adjustment, the guitar sounds great! Service was excellent and the job was finished much faster than I expected. read more

Kevin R.

0

2

0

14 years ago

Andrew brought my 30-year-old dreadnaught back to life at an incredibly reasonable price. He'll be my go-to guitar tech for years to come as a result of his great service and super fast responses to my many emailed questions. Thanks! read more

John S.

0

6

1

9 years ago

I had Andrew do some fret dressing on my bass and now it plays like a million bucks. I'm relieved to know that there's a great guitar repair person available that can keep my instruments in the best playing condition possible. read more

South Austin Guitar Repair - musicinstrumentservices - Updated August 2026

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Dr. Jon's Guitar Repair

4.9

(28 reviews)

The downright best luthier/repair artist I've ever had. He's usually got a bit of a backlog (I…read moremean, the secret is out at this point) but it's worth every week you need to wait. Other's have already said it, I'm just here to concur. Jon always goes above and beyond. Had an 80's explorer that needed an overhaul on the neck and a refret job, as well as wiring replaced for some new pickups. He did it all and threw in some new switches and tuners for free b/c he noticed the old ones were jank. Next time I took my new 7 string to get the guts removed and install some BareKnuckles, which he needed to carve some space in the body in order for them to fit (you'd never know, it looks like it was built for them) and then custom rigged the pickups to make use of the push/pull tone knob to use the previous pickup's passive battery as a gain boost, a la tubescreamer, but built right into the guitar itself! Cannot recommend Jon enough.

Just completed my 15th job or so with Dr. Jon over the last several years. I've been playing for…read moredecades, and Dr. Jon is without a the top guy in the Austin area. Deeply skilled, creative when needed, and frankly a down to earth guy. My highest recommendation.

Atx Guitar Repair

(13 reviews)

Been a while since I've come to see Chris. And I regret it. He is so easy to work with and will not…read morestop until he figures out how to make your guitar sound like heaven. Super nice and responds quick. This is like the 5th or 6th guitar he's worked on and each one comes out perfect and in a timely fashion. Prices are super reasonable. Go see this guy now

You can definitely read what everyone else has said, and all I can add is that I found my guy…read more From the way he has RELENTLESSLY hounded down an annoying buzzing, to how he fixed my own attempt to do some work, to the overall quality of his own craft and above all how nice and fun he is to be around. I found my guy. Is there a sixth star?

Theriot Guitar

(3 reviews)

Howard was friendly, knowledgeable, and refreshingly honest. I brought him my 1982 Les Paul for a…read morecracked headstock. He did a comprehensive inspection of the guitar and gave me a clear estimate upfront with no suprises later -- headstock repair, fret level and setup with new strings. And he sent a mid-project update as a courtesy to let me know how things were going. Communication like that is rare. Two weeks out, my guitar played like new. Action was perfect, fretwork clean, yet it still had it soul. Small shop, big talent. If you're north of Austin and your guitar needs love, Howard is the man.

i'm always a little apprehensive dropping off a guitar to get work done, especially one i care…read moreabout. in this case it was a 15-year-old Taylor acoustic that was passed down to me by a friend, so i didn't want to hand it over to just anyone. booking was easy, and when i showed up Howard greeted me warmly and we talked shop for a few minutes while i checked out the studio. the room is full of instruments and art, and i felt comfortable pretty much immediately. about an hour after i dropped it off, Howard sent over a detailed PDF diagnostic and an email explaining what he found, what he recommended doing now, and what could wait until later. i appreciated that there was no pressure to do extra work. i even brought my own strings and he adjusted the price accordingly, which i thought was a nice touch. turnaround was quick too. i dropped it off and picked it up the next day. when i came back, Howard spent some time with me making a final truss rod adjustment so the setup matched how i actually like to play. i prefer the strings a little closer to the frets, and while i probably wouldn't have noticed some of the finer details myself, having him explain what he was doing and why gave me a lot of confidence in the decisions we made. overall, i felt like i got way more than a standard setup. the work was great, communication was great, and the attention to detail was obvious the whole way through. i'll definitely be bringing my other instruments to him in the future and wouldn't hesitate to trust him with any guitar i own.

Tone I/O - Guitar Amplifier Repair And Sales

(13 reviews)

I have a 1980 Mesa Boogie MKIIB that was serviced and retubed by Adrian. It has never sounded…read morebetter. I added an extension cab with an EV speaker that he also loaded for me. My band mates were blown away. Adrian also did consignment work for a number of guitars and amps. He does a first rate job and I am very happy with his results.

Adrian is a great tech. He is also a very reliable and drama-free. Highly recommended!read more

Erlewine Guitars

4.2

(17 reviews)

Truthfully, I can't comment on Mark's work, but I want to express frustration that he had me pay…read more$75+tax before he would tell me that repairing the bridge on my acoustic guitar was going to be ~$800. I paid the fee because I would've been able to put it towards the overall repair cost and given how minimal the repair appeared to be, I never would have guessed an $800 quote. On top of this, it took him give or take 15 minutes to assess the damage and recommended via email after I had left the shop that I just replace my guitar with a used model for ~$400. I understand his advice I just wish he had been kind enough to know he was about to make me pay him $80 without having to do any work on the guitar. His tone supported that he knew it was unlikely I would move forward with the repair. Overall this just felt like a bait and switch, with me paying $80 for nothing. I recommend trying to find a quote elsewhere before going here just so you can ballpark if spending $80 is worthwhile.

I urge you not to buy guitars from the swindler. He sold me an instrument that was unplayable in an…read morearea and when I didn't feel comfortable owning his guitar that he advertises on his website is playable upon shipping. He's more than happy to charge you a 20% restocking fee, not just for the value of the guitar as well as as the shipping costs if he's willing to cut those corners to make a dollar what is he giving you as an instrument?

Mythic Guitar Company

My dad gave me his old custom guitar he hadn't touched in 20 years. I called ahead and, I think his…read morename was Alex, answered the phone and helped me when I got there. I got some strings changed and got the tuning serviced all same day and when I went back to check it there was a problem with the jack. Alex helped me once again, ordered a new jack and replaced it all within 3 days. Everyone at the shop was super kind and my guitar sounds great. HIGHLY RECOMMEND

The team at Mythic have helped me out with guitar upgrades and repair on a couple of occasions now…read more They've never been anything other than kind, helpful and friendly. I recommend them for anyone looking to get their gear worked on!

Austin Strings

4.6

(29 reviews)

I came to this spot yesterday to buy yet another instrument for Thing One. This is now his third…read moreinstrument. He plays the guitar, tuba and now the doublebass. If he doesn't turn out to be some type of someone in the music industry when he's older, lawd help me..he's gonna be disowned! However, I have been communicating with this business via text for about a month now to get a doublebass ready for Thing One. In the communications, we have discussed the required height, type of bow, and type of use this instrument would get to determine which base would be the right fit. When we arrived to pick up the bass, we were greeted warmly and given a quick lesson on the proper care of the instrument. This process took no longer than 30 minutes from arrival to signing the paperwork. I am looking forward to hearing the tones of this beautiful instrument in my home.

I came here to get a violin restrung and bow rehaired after my parents found my old childhood…read moreviolin. I had no idea what to expect since I stopped playing a long time ago, but Russell and Derek were so helpful! I was completely out of my element, but they explained everything patiently and I felt so welcomed and at ease after talking to them. When I said that a friend was going to use the violin to help her little sister practice, Russell mentioned that they have bright colors for bow hair! I chose purple hair and was so excited even though I'm not even the one playing the violin. I wish it had been an option back when I played!

Landis Guitars

4.7

(15 reviews)

I called and left messages and never got a return call. Had…read moreto find someone else to work on my guitar.

Truly the best experience I've ever had with a luthier. Very honest and knows his worth. I took my…read moreTaylor Big Baby here for a setup and string change and he ended up charging me less than what he originally quoted me, knowing full well I was willing to pay the full amount, because it didn't take as long as he thought. The honestly alone is worthy of commendation, but his work is absolutely fantastic. You could not ask for a better person to work on your guitar. Disregard ANY big name store you've thought of bringing your guitar to and take it to Mr. Landis. He is an absolute gem and he will transform your playing experience from a couple hours of work. Thank you Sam!

CS Custom Shop