top dogs in town Always go the extra mile. Tom S. A lot of knowledge between Jeff and Marshall. I recommend Top Shelf over anyone in the city. ***** five star rating Tom S. read more

This place destroyed the sides of my frets and fretboard doing a fret sprout repair. When I emailed the owner, Jeff, to inquire about why they did this to my guitar, he tried to justify his shop's poor work based on the quality of my guitar. He said this instrument as well as all the other instruments I brought into his shop to have work done were "Chinese made junk that weren't of any quality to begin with". I guess that justifies doing a poor repair job according to Jeffrey Benske, owner of Top Shelf Guitar Shop. He also said I constantly badgered him about spending too much money on repairs, which is a complete lie. I was just trying to spend within my budget, that's all. I was never super aggressive toward anyone at this business at any point. But, according to Jeff, I'm in the wrong since I brought cheap guitars into his shop. How dare I not bring in a 2,000-dollar Gibson or something of that sort and instead bring in a 200-dollar cheapo! It's my fault for having the audacity to bring in a cheap guitar, hence the cheap repair work! I guess I deserved it! Yeah... Right. Get out of here with that attitude. Honestly, I could say a lot more about this place because their poor work on most of the guitars I brought in over the year and a half I came here for repairs has caused me great distress as well as set me back in terms of repair work on my guitars. However, to save me from going insane, I will just post the pictures of my guitar with this review and the screenshot of the email I received after I inquired about why my guitar was ruined. I think the pictures and email speak volumes about the type of people you will be dealing with when coming into this shop for repairs. There is nothing that justifies this type of low-quality, low-effort repair work, no matter how inexpensive your guitar may be. If the sides of your frets not getting destroyed matters to you along with not dealing with arrogant, elitist business owners, I would stay far, far away from this place. I truly believe Jeff is unfit to own a guitar repair business based on my interactions with him and based on his shop's unfortunately poor work on my guitars. read more

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Excellent repair and set up guys...fair prices on vintage equipment..mostly guitars and amps....5 stars

They came highly recommended from several local musicians so I gave them a shot. I dropped off my brand new Takamine GN93 to be set up. I tried, couldn't get the neck adjustment just right. It was done ahead of schedule, new strings and plays great. The action they set up makes it effortless to play. It's a bit of a haul for me to get there, but they have earned my business. I wouldn't hesitate to use these guys again. read more

Took my Epiphone Nighthawk Custom Reissue to get a setup and string replacement. Was quoted $45 and when called to be picked up I discovered the price had grown to over$70 due to UNAUTHORIZED additional charges for work. A reputable business would call for authorization for any additional work resulting in additional charges.The guy was arrogant and actually bad mouthed another business with accusations of theft. I would not recommend this place for anything guitar related. I have been playing guitar for over 35 years and some people actually respect my opinion . P.S. the neck still has deadspots and fretbuzz EVEN WHEN PLUGGED IN AND AMPLIFIED,as the store employee said it would not do. DO NOT PATRONIZE THIS ESTABLISHMENT. I threw away$70 bucks. A musician during covid lost $70 in this place read more

Great helpful service for beginners. Marshall is top of the line and knows exactly how to get you right!

There is simply no comparable guitar store for unfailing repairs. And the bonus is their prices are very reasonable. The ownership is friendly, knowledgeable and very helpful. There are no attitudes at this store. Every one plays at different skill level as they progress. Definitely no funny looks or judgement. Give it a try. If you don't, you're missing out on getting your guitar or amp into top shape, and most likely you'll also miss out on the awesome customer service. read more

One of my guitar strings broke, so after searching good repair shops I found this place! I brought it in, he fixed it within minutes right there on the spot, and then charged my $3. I didn't have cash, so he suggested I get him back next time!!! Instead I bought extra strings so I could use my card. :-) I'll be coming back here for sure! read more

Great local shop. Jeff and Marshall are patient, no b.s. guys and will go above and beyond to please their customers. Being musicians themselves, they understand what it takes and can help with whatever you might need. If you're a beginner or a pro, you should stop by and check 'em out! read more

Very accomodating -- was able to setup my guitar quickly. Ran into some issues/delay in picking up the guitar -- but it was not their fault. Work was done well and very affordably. read more

Great place for guitars - the owner is very knowledgable about guitars!

Decent place to pick up accessories in a pinch, but the prices are high, the selection is limited, and the instruments are objectively miles away from top shelf. The good feeling I had about supporting a local shop was lost when, after my second visit, I again received off-putting customer service. My questions seemed to inconvenience the owner, who did not look me in the eye, did not say hello, goodbye, or even thanks for purchasing. Considering that one can find higher quality gear with greater selection for a better price at another shop, I was surprised to feel like a nuisance for being a patron at Top Shelf Guitars. I rate my experience as 1 star, give 1 star for being local, and 1 more star for the unknown factor, that being their guitar and amp repairs, which I will never utilize, so they get the benefit of the doubt. The quality, selection and price leaves a lot to be desired. As a discerning guitarist leaving an honest and informed review, I feel obligated to mention that this shop exists near the bottom rung of music stores within the Greater Milwaukee Area. You'd do well to look elsewhere. 3 stars is a very generous rating. Best wishes to this local shop, but I won't be supporting them or referring any business their way in the future. read more

Jeff is patient and knowledgable. He prices things in the very affordable range and is a remarkably talented luthier. I've just taken my third issue to him to repair. He offers a quick turnaround too! My acoustics are precious and delicate and he has become my go to guy for all such work. I highly recommend! read more

Excellent place to have work done on your guitars including setups,repairs and replacement parts. I have had service on at least six guitars,acoustic and electric, and have been consistently satisfied. read more