Many of Liverpool's guitar repairers are independent luthiers who build custom instruments as well as service existing ones, a fitting trade in a city with such a musical history. RLP Guitars in Aigburth offers tiered setups from £60 to £100 including fret leveling and recrowning, while Lothario Guitars in Bootle runs a £40 setup with walk-in restrings.
Liverpool 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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RLP Guitars
Aigburth · 8 Linnet Lane · Liverpool L17 3BGRun by luthier Rob Parry since 2014, RLP Guitars offers tiered setup packages from a 60 pound basic service to a 100 pound package including fret leveling and recrowning, with a 30 pound minimum bench fee.
Setup £60-£100 -
Lothario Guitars
Bootle · 55 Cedar Street · Liverpool L20 3HELothario Guitars runs a Bootle workshop offering a 40 pound setup covering nut slot height, truss rod, action and intonation, plus a 70 pound fret dress and setup package, with restrings available on a drop-in basis.
Setup £40 (£70 with fret dress) -
Palfray Guitars
Toxteth · 9 Mann Street, Cains Brewery Village · Liverpool L8 5AFRun by maker Ray Palfray from a workshop at SORT Rehearsal Rooms in Cains Brewery Village, Palfray Guitars builds a standard range of custom electric guitars and also offers setup, repair, and pickup installation for existing instruments.
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Austin Guitars Liverpool
Kirkby · The Barn, Shevington's Lane · Liverpool L33 1XAOwned by Reg Clappison and open since around 2019, Austin Guitars Liverpool combines a stock ranging from beginner guitars to high-end Les Pauls and Fenders with an in-house setup and repair bench, quoting each job after inspecting the instrument.
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Nando's Guitars
Bootle · The Big Onion, Strand Shopping Centre, 43-45 Medway · Liverpool L20 4SRBased in the Strand Shopping Centre, Nando's Guitars primarily trades pre-loved guitars and offers setup and repair work quoted on request via its dedicated services page.
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Ultimate Guitars Service and Repairs
Aintree · Unit 3B, Long Lane · Liverpool L9 7BNUltimate Guitars Service and Repairs operates an appointment-only workshop in Aintree offering fully insured setups, electrics, fretwork, and modification work.
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What a guitar setup costs in Liverpool
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 Liverpool 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 Liverpool: common questions
How much does a guitar setup cost in Liverpool?
Setup prices in Liverpool typically run from around £40 to £100. Lothario Guitars in Bootle charges £40 for a setup and £70 with a fret dress, while RLP Guitars in Aigburth offers packages from £60 to £100 including fret leveling and recrowning, with a £30 minimum bench fee. UK-wide, independents charge roughly £48 for a basic setup and £100 to £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 to £25 plus strings.
Which Liverpool shop is best for fretwork or a refret?
RLP Guitars in Aigburth handles fret leveling, recrowning and full refrets alongside its setup work. Lothario Guitars in Bootle offers fret dressing and refrets, and Ultimate Guitars in Aintree covers fretwork on an appointment-only basis. For a straightforward fret dress, Lothario's £70 fret dress and setup package is a clear starting point.
Do I need an appointment for a guitar setup?
Several Liverpool workshops are appointment-only, including Ultimate Guitars in Aintree, so booking ahead is sensible. Lothario Guitars accepts restrings on a drop-in basis without an appointment, and shop-counter businesses such as Nando's Guitars and Austin Guitars can take instruments in during opening hours before quoting the work.
How long does a guitar setup take in Liverpool?
A standard setup usually needs a few hours on the bench, but turnaround varies with the shop's queue and whether fretwork or parts are involved. Austin Guitars in Kirkby quotes each job only after inspecting the instrument, so lead times are confirmed case by case. Refrets and structural repairs take significantly longer than a basic setup.
Can I do a guitar setup myself instead?
You can carry out a basic setup yourself with a few inexpensive tools: a string action gauge, feeler gauges and a radius gauge. These let you measure neck relief, action and intonation precisely, so your changes are repeatable rather than trial and error. That said, fretwork and structural repairs call for specialist skills and tools, which is why most players still use a local workshop for those.
