Birmingham's repair trade centres on Fair Deal Music, the city's largest independent retailer since 1987, which runs an in-house workshop with setups from £65 plus strings and full refrets from £180. Kirby Guitars lists basic setups at £60 and fret-levelling setups at £120, and guitarguitar's Edgbaston branch offers 30-minute in-store sessions as the Midlands' largest store.
Birmingham guitar shops that do setups
Every listing below was checked against the shop's own website or a current public source. Call ahead for exact pricing and turnaround.
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The Little Guitar Shop
Jewellery Quarter · 82 Vyse Street, Jewellery Quarter · Birmingham B18 6HABased in Birmingham's Jewellery Quarter, this workshop offers basic guitar setups from £65 to £75 plus strings and also hand-winds its own pickups in house, with rewinds priced from £50.
Setup £65-£75 (basic setup, plus strings) -
Bob Barry Guitar Repairs
Small Heath · 70 Fosbrooke Road, Small Heath · Birmingham B10 9JXOperating since 1977, Bob Barry is a trained Seymour Duncan Toneologist who restores and customises guitars using period-correct materials and lacquers, with visits strictly by appointment only.
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Kirby Guitars
Sutton Coldfield · 43 Maxstoke Road, Sutton Coldfield · Birmingham B73 5DRRun by luthier Zac from a small Sutton Coldfield workshop, offering basic setups from £60 and setups with fret levelling at £120, alongside handmade guitars built from air-dried tonewoods with dovetail neck joints.
Setup £60 (basic); £120 (with fret levelling) -
Fair Deal Music
Birmingham City Centre · 79-83 Holloway Head · Birmingham B1 1QPBirmingham's largest independent music retailer, founded in 1987, runs an in-house guitar repair workshop at its Holloway Head store offering setups from £65 plus strings and full refrets from £180.
Setup £65-£75 (plus strings, depending on bridge type) -
guitarguitar Birmingham
Edgbaston · 104 Hagley Road, Edgbaston · Birmingham B16 8LTThis is a guitarguitar chain location, described as the Midlands' largest guitar store, offering 30-minute in-store repair and setup sessions with professional staff alongside a large guitar and amp inventory.
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Andy Charles Guitars
Halesowen (West Midlands) · Unit 8M/5 Halas Industrial Estate, Forge Lane, Halesowen · Birmingham B62 8EBEstablished in 2015 by a technician with over 20 years of experience, this appointment-only workshop on the western edge of Birmingham handles setups, fretwork, and modifications for all manner of fretted instruments.
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What a guitar setup costs in Birmingham
UK benchmarks, checked July 2026. A full setup with fret level and dress runs £100-£130, a restring alone £15-£25 plus strings.
| Provider | Standard setup | Turnaround | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Independent shop or luthier | £48-£110 | 2-3 days, often 1-2 weeks waitlist | Basic setup around £48, full setup with fret dress £100-£130. Strings extra. |
| guitarguitar (chain) | Quote in store | Not published | No published prices; service booked as a 30-minute in-store appointment. |
| Andertons (Guildford) | £70/hour | 7-10 working days | Labour rate after assessment. Plek full service from £170. |
| DIY with proper tools | One-time tool cost | About an evening | Tools pay for themselves after 1-2 setups and last for decades. |
Or set it up yourself in an evening
A pro setup in Birmingham costs £48-£110 and most players need two per year. With precision tools you do the same three adjustments (neck relief, action, intonation) on your own bench, whenever your guitar needs it. FRTLZR precision tools pay for themselves after the first setup.
FRTLZR® Checkcard String Action GaugeMeasure and dial in your string action
Precision Feeler Gauges SetCheck neck relief at the truss rod stage
FRTLZR® Radius GaugeMatch saddle heights to your fretboard radius
FRTLZR® Fret Polishing Kit PREMIUMBring dull frets back to a mirror shine
Guitar setup in Birmingham: common questions
How much does a guitar setup cost in Birmingham?
Full-setup prices in Birmingham sit around £60 to £75: Fair Deal Music lists setups from £65 plus strings with full refrets from £180, The Little Guitar Shop charges £65 to £75 plus strings, and Kirby Guitars offers basic setups from £60 (£120 with fret levelling). Across the UK, independents charge about £48 for a basic setup and £100-130 for a full setup with fret dress; guitarguitar quotes in store, Andertons charges £70 per hour with Plek from £170, and a restring alone runs £15-25 plus strings.
Which Birmingham shop is best for fretwork or a refret?
Bob Barry Guitar Repairs, a trained Seymour Duncan Toneologist working since 1977, handles refrets and fret dressing by appointment, and Fair Deal Music offers full refrets from £180. Kirby Guitars and The Little Guitar Shop also carry out fretwork, the latter alongside hand-wound pickups made on site.
How long does a guitar setup take in Birmingham?
A basic setup usually takes two to three days of actual workshop time, though appointment-only workshops such as Bob Barry Guitar Repairs and Andy Charles Guitars may have one to two week waiting lists. For a quick turnaround, guitarguitar's Edgbaston branch offers 30-minute in-store sessions, while a refret typically adds one to two weeks.
Do I need an appointment for a guitar setup?
Several Birmingham workshops are strictly appointment only, including Bob Barry Guitar Repairs in Small Heath and Andy Charles Guitars in Halesowen, so book before visiting. Retailers such as Fair Deal Music and guitarguitar's Edgbaston store can usually handle restrings or shorter in-store setups without a prior booking.
Can I do a guitar setup myself instead?
A basic setup is well within reach at home. The core tools are a string action gauge, feeler gauges and a radius gauge, because neck relief, action and intonation can all be measured and repeated once you know the target figures. Fret levelling and refretting, offered by Birmingham specialists like Bob Barry Guitar Repairs, are best left to a professional to avoid costly mistakes.
