On a mobile device? Try our mobile site, optimized for faster browsing.

San Francisco Guitarworks

5 star rating
based on 36 reviews

Category: Musical Instruments & Teachers  [Edit]

Neighborhoods: Potrero Hill, Mission
331 Potrero Ave
San Francisco, CA 94101
(415) 865-5424
  • Hours:
    Tue-Fri 12:00 p.m.-6:00 p.m.
    Sat 11:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m.
  • Price Range: $$
  • Accepts Credit Cards: Yes
  • Parking: Street
  • Wheelchair Accessible: Yes
Sponsored Result You Might Also Consider

Neighborhood: Marina/Cow Hollow

"I am an aspiring guitarist with no previous musical experience (I don't think playing the radio counts) and a serious rhythm deficiency.…" read more »

36 Reviews for San Francisco Guitarworks

Photo of Matt K.

 

3

3

Matt K.

Oakland, CA

5 star rating
10/02/2008

After years of non playing....i picked up my guitars and thought, wow, this doesnt feel right. After taking my guitars in for setup, Rob got my instruments feeling better than ever before, and I was truly inspired to start playing again. Thanks to the exposure to Reverend guitars, I now have a 3rd. Brilliant guitar, brilliant setup. Brilliant shop and exactly what this city needs and true musicians need. Truth, great service, great talent and good people. Thanks.

Bookmark   Send to a Friend Link to This Review

Photo of Rich P.

 

0

1

Rich P.

Pleasanton, CA

5 star rating
09/18/2008

Thanks to Geoff and Rob my guitars play like butter. I`ve been to the shop more than a few times over the last 2 years and I`m treated like an old friend when I arrive. They`ve done fret dress and level on 2 of my guitars, pickup install and with my latest guitar they pretty much assembled the whole thing and did outstanding work on the neck install including rolling the fingerboard edges. They will continue to get my business.

Bookmark   Send to a Friend Link to This Review

Photo of Alee K.

 

2

6

Alee K.

Oakland, CA

5 star rating
08/23/2008

I just got back my resonator (Thanks Rob!) and I have to say, it's really as good as everyone says it is here. They did some really nice fretwork on this guitar which I bought warts and all from Subway a year ago. The setup is fantastic and I just wanted to play the thing all night when I got it back! Seriously, it's like they found the glory of this guitar buried beneath some shoddy craftsmanship and now it's on my top tier making my electric jealous. I had never had a bad experience at Gary B's but I don't see the need to go there anymore when SF Guitarworks is so above and beyond the call of duty. The next time you need work done, just give these guys a shot and they'll impress the hell out of you. Thanks again, Geoff and Rob!!!

Bookmark   Send to a Friend Link to This Review

Photo of dannebrog ..

 

6

42

dannebrog ..

San Francisco, CA

5 star rating
08/15/2008

As others have said, Rob and Geoff are very cool. Rob did excellent work on my p-bass. Worked according to the schedule he quoted, called with updates. High rec for every aspect of the experience.

Bookmark   Send to a Friend Link to This Review

Photo of Edward H.

 

0

1

Edward H.

Alameda, CA

5 star rating
09/28/2008

I had the pleasure of taking 3 favorite guitars to Geoff and Robb for pickup exchange and set up , a fret crowning and re-dress, a new nut made...My guitars sound feel and look better than ever ...In addition to outstanding work , I made 2 new friends whom I am honored to now know....Artisans of quality, and men of respect....Thank you both ,Eddie!

Bookmark   Send to a Friend Link to This Review

Photo of Jim S.

 

0

5

Jim S.

San Francisco, CA

5 star rating
08/23/2008

Geoff is the man.  He did a great job setting up my PRS CE22 and did some tweaks after the fact to make sure I was happy with it.  He's also a friendly fellow, even if he's a little too into karaoke for his own good (joking, of course).  Oh, and the stories in the email newsletter are very interesting.

Bookmark   Send to a Friend Link to This Review

Photo of bad k.

 

5

12

bad k.

Oakland, CA

3 star rating
07/26/2008

ummm, great repair, horrible communication.

i hesitate with this review. on the one hand, work done on my completely f'ed up and notoriously hard to work on guitar was outstanding. Geoff was even concerned that the intonation might have ended up a bit higher than what it was before the neck cracked. in fact, the guitar actually came back in far better condition than when it went in. hands down outstanding luthier work that revived an instrument some might have consigned to the trash heap (well, probably not considering its vintage, but you get the point).

nevertheless, i have to take away marks for their customer service skills. don't get me wrong, the Geoff and the other guy at the shop were both quite friendly and engaging. Geoff gave me an estimate that i thought was a good deal and he stuck to it. i felt that i left my baby in good hands. BUT, they were completely incommunicative the whole time they had my guitar.

the two week estimate on the repair actually stretched into almost 4 months. not a big deal since i didn't actually need the instrument at the time, but NOT ONCE during the entire ordeal did they call me about my guitar. after not getting a call for a whole month, every time I CALLED THEM they told me 2 weeks. the same answer i got EVERY TWO WEEKS until they finally finished my guitar.

at one point, Geoff told me he was waiting on some hard to find lacquer because he didn't feel comfortable leaving the crack visible even though i had initially told him aesthetics were not as important as having the guitar fixed. in the end, i appreciate his attention to detail, but felt that during 4 months, they could have called me at least once. even when my guitar was finally fixed (and yes, it was fixed BEAUTIFULLY), they didn't call me. i called them and they said: "oh yeah, you're guitar's ready to be picked up."

on the plus side, he did cut me a bit of a break for taking so long, but i still have to ask, how hard would it have been to call?

Bookmark   Send to a Friend Link to This Review

Photo of Oliver C.

 

12

9

Oliver C.

San Francisco, CA

5 star rating
03/22/2008

My Epiphone acoustic guitar (which I'm quite fond of) had horrible intonation for the longest time and I finally decided it needed fixing.  So I came upon this place after reading all the glorious yelp reviews.

They did a fabulous job with my guitar.  The frets were redone and they look great. Sound is spot-on.  It makes me so happy that my acoustic is back to its best days. I also brought in my Fender Strat and that's sounding better than ever. The best part was that they finished the jobs when they say they would.

Geoff and Rob are very cool people who will take good care of your instruments.  Check out the guitars they have there too.  Lesser known brands like the Reverends look sweet.

Bookmark   Send to a Friend Link to This Review

Photo of emile t.

 

0

1

emile t.

San Francisco, CA

5 star rating
09/04/2008

Holy shit....where do I start. First off I dropped off my brand new Ibanez ORM1 to get it set up. The thing played decent when I picked it up from the shop but it had a little buzz. Keep in mind that the shop that I bought it from had it set up  (I'm not gonna say names cause that talking negative). When I got my guitar back it played like a dream. The height of the strings was just perfect making the guitar comfortable and player friendly without any buzzing of the strings. These guys had an extensive checklist marked down to the decimal. They treat every guitar like it's one of there own and nothing was over looked. I can't get over how amazing the improvements were to my guitar making it extremely enjoyable to play. Geoff and Rob are very talented techs and are pros at the top of there game so why would you gamble and take a guitar somewhere else, even if I lived out of the city I would make the drive. Very fast turnaround and super nice guys as well....I can't say enough good things about SF Guitarworks so thanks for the great work!

Bookmark   Send to a Friend Link to This Review

Photo of John A.

 

1

1

John A.

San Francisco, CA

5 star rating
03/30/2008

Geoff is the guy in the SF Bay area to take guitars and basses to. I recently had him work on my Epiphone Casino, and Dot and they both play and sound much, much, much, much better than before.

Whatever you bring in, he can make it play better, and make it stay that way.

If you have any guitar luthier needs, SF Guitarworks is the only place to go.

Geoff also is upfront about when he can get your instrument done. None of this, "yeah drop it off" only to find that it hasn't been worked on in the past 3 weeks and that they'll eventually get to it, which is the experience I've had at another well known guitar luthiers in town... (OK Gary Brawers). Geoff will say when to bring it in, and then you get it back in a timely manner.

Bookmark   Send to a Friend Link to This Review

Photo of Chris M.

 

0

1

Chris M.

San Francisco, CA

5 star rating
08/29/2008

I had to write another review of SF Guitarworks. I have now taken at least 10 guitars to them over the years, for everything from a basic set-up, to full on reconstructive work. These guys are the best. Whether it's Geof or Rob working on my guitar, everything is always perfect when I get my instrument back.

They remember me beyond the normal face recognition, to the point where I need only to quickly name any one of the many different and particular setups/actions I prefer, depending on which instrument it happens to be, and the guitar comes back spot-on every time. They make me feel like I'm important, like they are "my techs," and not like
I'm just another guy with a guitar.  

I think perhaps this recent experience I had with SF Guitarworks will convey what I'm trying to relate to you Yelp readers. Some months back, I asked Rob to order some boutique pickups from a builder they were as yet unfamiliar with. When one of the PuP's arrived in an incorrect configuration, Rob caught the mistake and promptly returned it with a polite request for another "appropriately-spaced" pickup. The builder, after a particularly long wait, sent back the EXACT SAME PICK-UP! The guys at SF Guitarworks contacted me immediately to ask me how I wished them to proceed. I was determined to have this particular pickup in this guitar, so I requested they try again. Which they gladly did. Same thing! The Builder, after an obscene amount of time went by, sent back the exact same pickup. Rob and Geof went through this farce on my behalf for MONTHS! They constantly kept me updated, they communicated with me regularly, and basically kept working at it far past the point when any other shop would have quit in frustration. They, like always, went above and beyond what was expected.

I hope I got across my sincere satisfaction
with the way I have been treated. Thanks
again, Guys. Your-customer-for-life, Chris Kendrick

Bookmark   Send to a Friend Link to This Review

Photo of Keane L.

Elite '08

1680

739

Keane L.

San Francisco, CA

5 star rating
09/25/2007

Chode Guitarman vs. SF Guitarworks

---

(Chode Guitarman)

Keane: Can I get these tuners installed?

Chode: Dude, did you hear the new Papa Roach album?!

Keane: Huh? Uh, no... I just wanted to get these tuners installed?

Chode: They wrote another song about how tough it was growing up in Vacaville!

Keane: Yeah... They have a lot of outlets there... Look, I just want to get these tune-

Chode: My girlfriend legally changed her name to "X-tina."

---

(SF Guitarworks)

Keane: Can I get these tuners installed?

Geoff: Sure.

People thought this was:

Useful  (20)

Funny  (42)

Cool  (27)

Bookmark   Send to a Friend Link to This Review

Photo of Jane T.

 

0

8

Jane T.

San Francisco, CA

5 star rating
01/10/2008

Hmmm... Am I the first lady to review SF Guitarworks? Go lady guitarists, go to SF Guitarworks - much kinder environment than you will find elsewhere.

I've had a load of great work done here on a variety of guitars - set-ups, pickup installation for acoustic guitar, replacement pickups for electric and even just strap button installation. You get a quick turnaround, a phone call when the work's done (not the case some other places) and a thorough explanation of the work that was done and how to maintain it.

I don't own the most fabulous guitars because I am a pauper, but each instrument I've brought in leaves the place sounding and feeling fantastic. I get all my guitar related queries answered, and it's a real treat to talk to guys who respect the instrument so much. It's very soothing in there, like a massage parlor for guitars. I've got a batch of guitars waiting to go get healed at SF Guitarworks as funds become available. Go go go to Geoff! Buy your strings from him too!

Hi Igliashon!

Bookmark   Send to a Friend Link to This Review

Photo of Po L.

Elite '08

41

304

Po L.

San Francisco, CA

5 star rating
10/29/2007

Geoff is passionate about guitars.  If you are looking for a guitar or need one fixed he's your guy.

People thought this was:

Useful  (1)

Bookmark   Send to a Friend Link to This Review

Photo of Tom Y.

 

3

21

Tom Y.

San Francisco, CA

5 star rating
11/02/2007

So , I "discovered" this place here on Yelp despite the fact that I lived about 5 blocks from here for 4 years.  Oh well, I took my $279 Takamine in here to see if they could help make it more playable.  I am trying to learn to play the guitar and I stink (see my profile where I claim, I stink).

Geoff was very helpful, extremely non-judgmental all around great.  He played my guitar for a minute and said he could definitely help me.

I got the guitar about 5 days later and it has been much easier to play.  When I actually get proficient on the guitar I am going to buy a better one and if it also needs work I will bring it here.

People thought this was:

Useful  (1)

Bookmark   Send to a Friend Link to This Review

Photo of Vic T.

 

3

8

Vic T.

San Francisco, CA

5 star rating
01/30/2008

This place is the real deal. Geoff and Rob are exceptional at providing great service and understanding exactly what you want. Along with that they really take guitar repairing to the next level with their expert diagnosis of all your issues.

I brought in my Stingray 4-string to them. I had some resistance issues, needed new strings, and needed my action and pickups raised slightly. (Name/place won't be mentioned but they lowered my action to the point that it would fret buzz if I brushed across the string, and then killed the punch and tone to my beast by dropping the pickups). Geoff and Rob fixed all that for me and my bass has been brought back to dominance and life.

When you come here, you don't get a guitar repairman. You get a scientist, a doctor, a consultant, and a magician. I can't commend them enough for the craftsmanship they did, managed to do it in a tight time line as well because I had to take my baby into studio for a demo recording the day after, and everything worked well. Thank you Geoff and Rob, I will be singing your graces when I have any friends that need guitar work, or if I need work on my future basses. Def-Rec.

Bookmark   Send to a Friend Link to This Review

Photo of John B.

 

0

2

John B.

San Francisco, CA

5 star rating
11/29/2007

Okay, This Is the "CHET ATKINS" of GUITAR REPAIR "GENTLEMEN!"  Shortly, I went into the Shop last Spring, being at that time, a HOBO from MUSKOGEE. He let me in, Found a Friend, & does Great SET UP on my EPIPHONE EMPEROR REGENT. He IS, Simply,unassuming, open, MIDWESTERN FRIENDLY, & EXTREMELY GOOD at what he LOVES! He Works On Others "Babies" as if it were His Own. (I am a ELDER WIDOWER, & my Guitar is my Baby!)  The Price is RIGHTEOUS, the Place is RIGHTEOUS, Geoff "Ditto" EVEN MET his DAD! Totally RAD! (Did I do that right?) Shalom from the HEBREW HOBO! If you NEVER TRY GEOFF, you will NEVER EXPERIENCE TRUE OKLAHOMA MUSKOGEE STYLE! "I TAKE A LOT OF PRIDE IN WHAT I AM....to quote Merele Haggard.)

Thank You & Good Day!

Bookmark   Send to a Friend Link to This Review

Photo of Andre T.

 

7

1

Andre T.

San Francisco, CA

5 star rating
08/29/2007

I've taken a few guitars to Geoff. He's fast, thorough, and deserves all the stars people give him. I could not be happier.

Bookmark   Send to a Friend Link to This Review

Photo of Y'shua B.

 

2

24

Y'shua B.

Alameda, CA

5 star rating
03/27/2007

5-stars is not nearly enough.  I've taken quite a few guitars to Geoff over the last 2 years....everytime I get impecable work done quickly for the right price.  I've thrown Geoff a few curve balls like routing a Lollar Charlie Christian pickup in the neck position of my Tele and his work is perfect.  I think his best work though is with nut jobs.  The details in the angling of the slots and the curves of the shaping is just artful I recommend this place to everyone I know that needs work.  My only concern is this place getting too popular and slowing things down or taking Geoff away from his work.

People thought this was:

Useful  (1)

Cool  (1)

Bookmark   Send to a Friend Link to This Review

Photo of EJ K.

 

3

6

EJ K.

San Francisco, CA

5 star rating
05/25/2007

Awesome service!

So I want to give my ole' beaten down Harmony the love it needs (although it's my back up gitar) and I take it to Geoff and San Francisco Guitarworks for the first time, based upon my friends at Digidesign's recommendation.

It came back in great shape, plugged it in and signed off,  I go to practice. But  I forgot that I tune down my top E down to a D in some songs, and so there was an issue with a buzz, when I played chords in the different tuning.

I go back to the shop (and he happened to serving a customer who is Sonic Youth's guitar tech, and had this AMAZING Jag....yeah Geoff sets up Thurston's guitars...) and let him know that I forgot to tell him that I play with a drop D sometimes, and that there was a buzz.  He then tooled around with my guitar until it was virtually gone, while I was there!

I mean that is triple A service!

People thought this was:

Useful  (1)

Bookmark   Send to a Friend Link to This Review

Photo of Sean R.

 

1

6

Sean R.

San Francisco, CA

5 star rating
09/03/2007

I really can't add much else to the spot-on reviews that are already posted here. Geoff is truly a one-of-a-kind business owner, and a complete pro at what he does. He makes you feel right at home in his shop, and as others have pointed out, he really takes his time to get your axe just right for you. The world would be a much kinder and gentler place if there were more people like Geoff in it, running their businesses with the same Little House on the Prairie honest to goodness love of their craft. Bay Area Guitar players are too lucky.

Bookmark   Send to a Friend Link to This Review

Photo of chris r.

 

2

6

chris r.

San Francisco, CA

5 star rating
11/10/2007

I discovered this place because it is a Reverend dealer here in the city.  I went there with a friend on a Saturday to check the place out.  This is what  all shops should be about.  Friendly staff, they let me check out all that I wanted, and no pressure whatsoever.  While I was there a few people came in to pick up repairs, and they seemed really pleased with the quality of the work.  I cannot comment on that, but listening to some of the tech talk they were doing, it seems as if they are proficient.  I came back a week later and bought a Reverend Charger 290, which is an awesome guitar at a great price.  The owner of the place is a cool guy, very professional.  I recommend this shop if you are looking for Reverend guitars or Eastwood guitars.   Like I said earlier, never had any set-up done, but I would not hesitate to take my gear there in the future.  Check out their web site and look under the case studies.  Its very interesting and quite informative

People thought this was:

Useful  (3)

Bookmark   Send to a Friend Link to This Review

Photo of Peter G.

 

0

1

Peter G.

San Francisco, CA

5 star rating
03/18/2008

A truly great place.  

Geoff and his staff treats everyone with same respect and attention, regardless of your skill level.  Most of the other area guitar shops seem to be staffed by the "Comic Book Guy" from the Simpsons and look down on you if you aren't actually gigging this weekend or can't shred.

I've purchased a guitar at San Francisco Guitarworks and had setups done on guitars purchased elsewhere.  Once, at a nearby shop (who will remain nameless), I waited 5 weeks to have only a mediocre setup completed.  When I pointed out the problems, they tried to up-sell me a complete re-fretting and told me: "Look, man, this guitar can only be so good."  

So, I took the guitar to Geoff to salvage it.  He made it completely playable and finished the job when he said he would.

Bookmark   Send to a Friend Link to This Review

Photo of Brandon B.

Elite '08

42

159

Brandon B.

San Francisco, CA

5 star rating
05/15/2006

Ooh, I'm stoked to be the first one to review SF Guitarworks. As a guitar player of 15 years and someone who is REALLY picky about how their instrument feels, I brought my main two guitars--an Ibanez Jem and a Schecter C-Series Custom--to them before I was going into the studio to record. Both of them needed quite a bit of set-up work, and I gave him some pretty tough guidelines to work within. He told me it would be a few days, and he called me within two.

I tried them out in the shop, and wasn't really happy with one of them so he gladly said he would work on it till I was happy for no extra charge. I got a call within a day, and the guitar was indeed in fine shape.

I haven't needed any major work since then, but I will certainly only go to Geoff when I need anything done. He's a really friendly guy and from what I gather, he works on all the guitars personally and by himself. He's gotten some 'Best of the Bay' awards from the Guardian, too, so I know I'm not the only one who thinks that he's rad.

People thought this was:

Useful  (4)

Funny  (1)

Bookmark   Send to a Friend Link to This Review

Photo of Abendigo R.

 

214

177

Abendigo R.

San Francisco, CA

5 star rating
09/28/2006

Best guitar repair shop in SF!

Geoffrey rocks -- it's clear he's an expert and knows exactly what the heck he's doing.  He's there to service your guitar and that's his prime motive -- it's not about taking your money.  He'll tell you exactly what you need, nothing more and nothing less.  

If you or anyone needs guitar repair, this is THE PLACE to go in San Francisco.  Geoffrey is personable and professional.  Forget about Guitar World or whatever.  GO TO GUITARWORKS and give Geoffrey your business.

People thought this was:

Useful  (2)

Cool  (2)

Bookmark   Send to a Friend Link to This Review

Photo of joel h.

 

9

14

joel h.

San Francisco, CA

5 star rating
07/16/2005

Geoff Rocks!!!

Great little shop I'd past by a few times.  I recently got two really nice instruments and wanted to get them set up, so I stopped by and gave it a shot.  Geoff handled them both with great care and respect.  He even found a few things wrong that I wasn't aware of and fixed them.  They both play great!  I'd recommend his work to every one!

People thought this was:

Useful  (1)

Bookmark   Send to a Friend Link to This Review

Photo of Sung P.

 

0

17

Sung P.

San Francisco, CA

5 star rating
07/22/2007

Dropped my guitar off to fix my bridge pickup cutting out intermittently. Ended up being a pretty straight-forward fix, Geoff ended up getting the work done the next day which kicked ass and price was very reasonable. I like the fact that he seemed honest and knew his stuff. Would def go back for other work.

People thought this was:

Useful  (1)

Bookmark   Send to a Friend Link to This Review

Photo of phil m.

 

65

20

phil m.

San Francisco, CA

5 star rating
06/24/2007

Update:  10/30/07------------------------------------------ ------------------------

I had a big gig, Geoff made sure to get me the guitar back a few days before the gig - on short notice.  Class act.  Also, when I showed up they were closed.  One of SF Guitarworks' neighbors told me to knock, I did.  Geoff took my guitar and order even though they weren't open for almost an hour.

What a great guitar shop.
-------------------------------------------------- ------------------------------------------

This place is the best.  I found it on Yelp, after another local guitar guy did some not-so-awesome-work on the guitar that I wound-up taking to Geoff at SF Guitar works.

Geoff is the man, you get the impression that he is the owner / only employee at SF Guitarworks, but that is the way it should be.  A guitar shop should be like a local deli or bakery.  They know you, what you like, and keep shit in stock just for you.

SF Guitarworks is the best in San Fran.

FOR SERIOUS PLAYERS
---BEGIN "GUITAR SPEAK"---

Geoff really did a number on my guitar, in a good way.  1st off, we are talking about and all white Japanese '69 Strat re-issue (early nineties) that I haven't played in years.  All of the electronics were shot, so I tried to replace the pickups with EMGs myself.  Bad idea.  I had to route-out a good amount of wood to make space for active humbckers (not passive single coils) and wound-up leaving myself no diagram to work from for the toggle switch; which I needed set up like a Les Paul or a Tele (not your classic Strat 5-way).  
Working with active pickups is a nightmare.  If you haven't done it don't try.  Take it to a pro or ask your bass player (he may have a clue).  My band gigs a lot, so having a 2nd guitar on hand became a priority quicker than expected.  I needed pro work and fast.  I took the guitar to a different guitar place (I won't hate) and he totally jacked it up.  Nothing worked right.  That was a $77 lesson.

I found SF Guitarworks on both Yelp and Google for "guitar repair San Fran" -- a good sign of quality.
I had a friend take the guitar to Geoff (he lives near by) and left explicit instructions on how to set  up my guitar.  Geoff called me any way to ask a few really specific questions about set up, string weight, and playing style.  He gave me an estimate that was with in $20 of the actual cost.  The guitar took him 5 days to get done, which was the exact day that he said it would be done; the sign of a true pro.  Geoff even took the liberty of inverting the "push pull" / active to passive knob on the bridge pick-up.  There was a significant volume change from the active to passive pick up setting and making the louder, "active" sound, the "down" / "unclicked" position was more pragmatic.  Great work Geoff.

People thought this was:

Useful  (1)

Bookmark   Send to a Friend Link to This Review

Photo of O L.

 

4

2

O L.

San Francisco, CA

5 star rating
09/10/2007

Five stars is not enough. Geoff is beyond awesome. Very accommodating, happy to offer up a patient explanation or a helpful tip, and, best of all, does fantastic work.

Bookmark   Send to a Friend Link to This Review

Photo of Matt M.

 

8

6

Matt M.

San Francisco, CA

5 star rating
08/01/2007

Well, it look like Geoff's got himself all 5-star reviews and here comes another one.

After some tuning and buzzing issues came up with my Gibson Nighthawk I decided to it was time to bring it to a tech for a set-up.  The last person I had touch my guitar was my gutair teacher back in Louisiana and he always made it perfect.  So naturally I was hesitant about who to bring it to now that I live in SF.  After some research I discovered Geoff at San Francisco Guitar Works.

A year later I've had Geoff work on all of my guitars.  Our latest project involved my new '66 Fender Mustang (well, I guess that it's technically not new but it's new to me).  This guitar has a bit of a story that shows how cool Geoff is.  The plan was to set it up and install a humbucker in the bridge.  Unfortunately Geoff discovered that the pickup that I bought was defective, so he called Semour Duncan and had them replace it with no extra charge for his trouble.  When I got it back it felt great and the pickup was perfect, but soon after I started having tuning troubles.  I was surprised because he's always done a good job.  I took it back so he could diagnose the problem.  Geoff (correctly) thought it was a problem with the nut so he sanded it down as well as stabalized the tremelo bridge (I hate tremelos so that was great).  He tuned it back up and sure enough, problem solved.  The cost to bring it back?  $0.

So there ya go.  Great deals, great service and great work.  100%.

- Maughtt.

Bookmark   Send to a Friend Link to This Review

Photo of Bob R.

 

0

3

Bob R.

San Francisco, CA

5 star rating
11/10/2007

It's been said a million times on here, but I'll say it again.  This place is fantastic!  The guys there are real nice and try to work with you so the end product is exactly how you want it.  I think I am gonna coin a new job line here, but even is these guys didn't install, they could work as guitar consultants.  They know their shtuff.  Overall, 100% perfect service.  Go check them out.

Bookmark   Send to a Friend Link to This Review

Photo of Matt C.

 

2

2

Matt C.

San Francisco, CA

5 star rating
07/23/2007

Firstly, how cool is Yelp and the internet in general to help sift through the good and bad service providers out there?  In my search for a guitar repair shop, the high marks Geoff received really singled him out as the go-to guy for guitar repair.  So I went with him.  And now that I have mine back from his shop, I can equally vouch that he is THE GO-TO guy bar-none.

I have an '85 strat that I always thought I was sub-standard, just a bad one off the presses that year.  But man was I wrong.  He is nothing short of a doctor for what he did for that axe.  To me it's a completely new, different, and better guitar.  He gave it a complete make over for a very reasonable price, and one strum of a chord let me know that he worked magic and gave it a dream sound.

On top of that, he is one cool mofo'.  Really nice to just chat with, clearly knows his trade, and loves guitars.  And he's not in it to simply gain your business.  I actually brought in 2 guitars and he fairly diagnosed one as in fine shape that I didn't need to spend money on.

I was nothing short of shocked and utterly impressed when I got my guitar back.  I highly recommend him.  So good, that should I ever leave town, I'd consider coming back to make a trip of it if I need any more work done.

Thanks Geoff - you are the man.

Bookmark   Send to a Friend Link to This Review

Photo of Brently P.

 

0

4

Brently P.

San Francisco, CA

5 star rating
01/28/2007

What a breath of fresh air in a city that has a reputation for months of waiting for something as simple as a guitar setup. Geoff Luttrell at SF Guitarworks has impressed me with each of 3 challenges I've thrown his way. #1 - I brought a Phin back from Thailand and he fully revamped it with new pickups, a pot to blend the acoustic and humbucker and set the action and bridge/nut to perfection. Scales work all the way up and down the neck on all three stings. And the turnaround time on that amazing project was under two weeks. I took the Phin to Europe and it played like a charm. #2 - I took in the bass of my friend for a set up, string change, lookover. Geoff gave it the award for filthiest instrument he'd ever seen yet he took it on, gave it life, replaced the damaged infrastructure and did it all within a few days, taking special care to keep the cost down for my pal!! #3 - took my '74 Stratocaster in for a setup. Got it back in 3 days! Needless to say, I have not needed to take anything back for adjustments. Geoff is honest, hardworking, dedicated and passionate about what he does. I have only the utmost respect and admiration for his business and I wish him well.

People thought this was:

Useful  (1)

Cool  (1)

Bookmark   Send to a Friend Link to This Review

Photo of Matt K.

 

0

1

Matt K.

San Francisco, CA

5 star rating
08/24/2007

I cannot be anymore pleased with Geoff's craftsmanship, hands down.  Not only does he know what he's doing, but he isn't one of those techie assholes that think they know more than you and show off their knowledge.  I went in there not really knowing much, aside from the basic vocab and I just point and grunted that things were broken or was making a buzzing noise.  And Geoff broke it down for me, took a look at it, pointed out all the things that needed to be done, what needed to be replaced, what could be fixed, and clearly walked me through all the steps to bring my guitars back up to top shape.

I walked in one day with two guitars, asking for one to be fixed for a recording session that was taking place a few days later.  After looking at his schedule, he guaranteed me he could do it and he did, with enough time to play with it in case it needed more work.  brilliant!  The other guitar was an old vintage hollowbody that is my baby given to me by my grandfather.  I cannot even begin to explain what emotional ties I have with this guitar.  It had fallen apart from excessive heat, warped a little, needed to be refurbished cosmetically... in a nutshell it needed lots of work.  Geoff talked me through every step he would need to take, how he'd fix certain parts, replace others and pretty much clean the hell out of it.  I just got it back and was floored by how great it looked and that he managed to get it back together, and then playing it... I couldn't believe after all the damage, Geoff was able to make it sound even better than before!

Not to mention, Geoff was also easy to get ahold of via email and would often give me updates on the status of my guitar.

I don't like writing reviews.  But I had to spread the word that SF Guitarworks is the place to go if you want quality work and quality service without all the pretentious bullshit.

Bookmark   Send to a Friend Link to This Review

Photo of Chris G.

 

0

6

Chris G.

San Francisco, CA

5 star rating
07/28/2007

I have a Takimine guitar that needed setting up and a Takamine Jasmine that had a broken headstock.

I am new to the city and found Guitarworks mostly by chance. I had looked around at other repair places and nothing felt right (they were either too cheap and led me to feel like the quality of work was relative to the price, gave too little info or were not friendly).Geoff at guitar works was friendly and really set to work on  quick and accurate diagnostic look as soon as he saw the guitars.

The work that Geoff did was way beyond my hopes in every way. Fantastic repair to a headstock- he explained the process of repair well. The set up he did with absolute accuracy and my guitar plays better than ever, in fact, they both do.

I will be taking another guitar to Geoff very soon!

Bookmark   Send to a Friend Link to This Review

Photo of Greg R.

 

0

1

Greg R.

San Francisco, CA

5 star rating
11/13/2006

I recently brought 2 guitars into SF Guitarworks. I knew they didn't need a lot of work, but they had nagging electrical problems that I'd been putting off for way too long. I contacted Geoff at the shop, and he got back to me right away. My schedule was crazy, so he agreed to meet me a little earlier than his regular store hours. To make a long story short, he not only took care of my nagging electrical problems, but he did it on the spot and gave me a VERY reasonable price as well. I'm one of those guys who hates letting strangers touch his guitars, but I felt very comfortable with Geoff right away. He treated me right and he treated my guitars right. When the time comes for getting more work done on my guitars I will definitely choose SF Guitarworks.

Bookmark   Send to a Friend Link to This Review

1 to 36 of 36  
Write a review

People Who Viewed This Also Viewed...

  • Photo of Robotspeak
    Robotspeak
    5 star rating 22 reviews
    Neighborhood: Lower Haight
    Category: Musical Instruments & Teachers
  • Photo of Sunset Music Company
    Sunset Music Company
    5 star rating 14 reviews
    Neighborhood: Outer Sunset
    Category: Musical Instruments & Teachers
  • Photo of Guitar Solo
    Guitar Solo
    4 star rating 14 reviews
    Neighborhood: SOMA
    Category: Musical Instruments & Teachers
  • business image
    Real Guitars
    4 star rating 15 reviews
    Neighborhood: SOMA
    Category: Musical Instruments & Teachers
  • business image
    Bass and Guitar Lessons…
    5 star rating 2 reviews
    Neighborhood: Outer Sunset
    Category: Musical Instruments & Teachers

More Related Lists

Hot and New