Few American cities pack in live music like New Orleans, and its jazz and blues stages keep a compact set of about eight repair shops steady. Strange Guitarworks, the city's premier full-service bench, cuts all fretwork on an in-house PLEK machine and takes walk-ins with no appointment. Over in the Marigny, The Peculiar Note runs a $25 Saturday guitar tune-up.
New Orleans 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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Strange Guitarworks
Carrollton (Uptown) · 1122 Dublin St · New Orleans, LA 70118New Orleans' premier full-service guitar repair shop, owned and operated by Benjamin Strange and Aaron Younce; all fretwork is measured and cut on their PLEK machine rather than by feel. No appointment needed for walk-in service.
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Webb's Bywater Music
Bywater · 3217 Burgundy St · New Orleans, LA 70117A Bywater neighborhood shop specializing in vintage amps and guitars; owner Paul does the repair work in-house and is frequently singled out by customers for attention to detail on setups and amp repairs.
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The Peculiar Note
Marigny · 912 Elysian Fields Ave · New Orleans, LA 70117A general instrument shop on Elysian Fields Avenue selling new, used, and vintage guitars and other instruments; offers a $25 guitar tune-up in-house on Saturdays and partners with outside repair technicians for other instrument work.
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Stringed Instruments Restoration & Making (Salvador Giardina)
Old Metairie · 101 Focis St · Metairie, LA 70005Run by luthier Salvador Giardina, who trained under master violin maker Manfred Trautmann on Magazine Street starting in the 1960s and has operated his own atelier for over 27 years, working on everything from electric guitars and basses to violins and upright basses.
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Todd's Music Express
Metairie · 3411 Metairie Rd · Metairie, LA 70001An independently owned music shop serving the greater New Orleans area for more than three decades, selling new, used, and vintage guitars and amps alongside expert instrument repair and setup work.
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C & M Music Center
Kenner · 2515 Williams Blvd · Kenner, LA 70062A Louisiana- and Mississippi-based music retailer founded in 1996 by two local musicians, with locations across the region including this Kenner store; offers guitar repair and complimentary Plek/setup service on qualifying instruments. This is a small multi-location regional retailer rather than a single independent shop.
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Guitar Center Harahan
Harahan · 1000 S Clearview Pkwy, Suite 1040 · Harahan, LA 70123This is a Guitar Center chain location (part of the national Guitar Center retail chain) serving the greater New Orleans area from Harahan; its in-house repair techs offer guitar setups, maintenance, and modifications alongside new gear sales and lessons.
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Rock 'n' Roll Vintage Guitar Repair by NOLA Guitar Shop
Algiers · 3920 General De Gaulle Dr · New Orleans, LA 70114A small by-appointment and online guitar/bass/eurorack accessories shop on the West Bank in Algiers; primarily a retailer rather than a dedicated setup shop, included here for West Bank coverage.
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What a guitar setup costs in New Orleans
US benchmarks, checked July 2026. A fret level and crown adds $85-$150, a restring alone runs about $25.
| Provider | Standard setup | Turnaround | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Independent local shop | $45-$90 | 2-3 days typical | Often the best value. Prices vary by shop and city. |
| Guitar Center | $60-$75 | Up to 1 week | Signature Setup with restring. Platinum tier runs $150+. |
| Sweetwater | $99 | Ship-in service | Plek Pro setup from $200. Parts and strings extra. |
| 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 New Orleans costs $45-$99 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 New Orleans: common questions
How much does a guitar setup cost in New Orleans?
Published local pricing is limited: The Peculiar Note offers a $25 Premium Guitar Tune-Up (strings, restring, and tuning) on Saturdays, though that is lighter than a full setup. Most benches, including Strange Guitarworks, quote by the instrument. National benchmarks put a Guitar Center setup around $60 to $75 and Sweetwater at $99, a fret level and crown adds roughly $85 to $150, and a restring alone is about $25.
Which New Orleans shop is best for fretwork or a refret?
Strange Guitarworks is the standout for fretwork, measuring and cutting every fret job on its in-house PLEK machine rather than by feel, and it also does refrets and neck resets. C & M Music Center in Kenner offers Plek and setup service, complimentary on qualifying purchases. For restoration-grade work, master luthier Salvador Giardina in Metairie handles guitars, basses, and orchestral strings.
Do I need an appointment for a guitar setup?
Strange Guitarworks takes walk-in service with no appointment needed, which is unusual for a full-service shop. The Peculiar Note runs its $25 tune-up in-house on Saturdays only and sends deeper repairs to outside technicians via drop-off. Smaller benches and Metairie's Salvador Giardina are worth calling first, since hours and turnaround vary.
What is included in a professional guitar setup?
A professional setup adjusts truss-rod relief, string action, nut slot height, and intonation, plus fresh strings and an electronics check. Shops with a PLEK, like Strange Guitarworks and C & M Music Center, add machine-measured fret leveling for more consistent action across the neck. A basic tune-up, such as The Peculiar Note's $25 Saturday service, covers strings and tuning only, not the full adjustment.
Can I do a guitar setup myself instead?
Yes. Neck relief, action, and intonation are measurable and repeatable, so a home setup is realistic with a string action gauge for 12th-fret height, feeler gauges for truss-rod relief, and a radius gauge to match the fretboard curve. New Orleans humidity swells necks and shifts action seasonally, so a hygrometer helps; PLEK-grade fret leveling, though, belongs at a shop like Strange Guitarworks.
