San Antonio's repair scene clusters along McCullough Avenue, where Guitar Tex has worked since 1999 with techs trained at Bryan Galloup's lutherie school and setups starting at $75. Roughly eleven shops serve the metro, from the century-old Alamo Music Center (founded 1929) to boutique benches like Lark Guitars and vintage specialists such as Spacetone Music.
San Antonio 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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Guitar Tex
4330 McCullough Ave · San Antonio, TX 78212Operating on McCullough Ave since 1999, owner Mark Waldrop and luthier Logan Mask both trained at Bryan Galloup's guitar building & repair school in Michigan.
Setup $75 and up -
Lark Guitars
5103 McCullough Ave, Suite 101 · San Antonio, TX 78212An independent boutique guitar shop on McCullough Avenue, open Tuesday through Saturday.
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Robot-Monster Guitars and Collectables
609 E Dewey Pl, Ste 101 · San Antonio, TX 78212Co-owned by Joe Cutthroat and Chris Smart, the shop has bought, sold, traded, and repaired guitars since 2008, moving into its brick-and-mortar location in 2013.
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Puretone Guitars
1023 Rittiman Rd, Ste 114 · San Antonio, TX 78209Sister store to Robot-Monster Guitars, Puretone buys, sells, and trades guitars and offers repair and setup services, and is the only G&L and AMI dealer in San Antonio.
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Spacetone Music
416 Austin Hwy · San Antonio, TX 78209Supplying vintage, used, and new guitars since 2001, Spacetone is known for vintage Fender, Gibson, and Gretsch stock alongside guitar repair services.
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Hillje Music Center
11654 Bandera Rd #109 · San Antonio, TX 78250Staffed by on-site luthier Richard Armstrong, Hillje offers free repair estimates and also runs a school-instrument pickup/return service across South Texas.
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JD's Southside Music
4379 SE Military Dr, Unit B · San Antonio, TX 78222A Southside San Antonio shop offering guitar and bass setup, restringing, pickup changes, and intonation checks alongside instrument sales.
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Century Music Systems
214 W Rhapsody Dr · San Antonio, TX 78216Operating since 1985, Century Music offers fret leveling/crowning and electronics work, and has provided emergency on-site repairs for touring bands.
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Saint Cloud Music
146 Gazel Dr · San Antonio, TX 78213A custom fretted-instrument repair shop in business since 2001, run by luthier Clay.
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Alamo Music Center
425 N Main Ave · San Antonio, TX 78205Family-run since 1929, Alamo Music Center's string shop offers free estimates for guitar setup, restringing, and electronics work.
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Guitar Center San Antonio
7325 San Pedro Ave, Suite 105 · San Antonio, TX 78216A Guitar Center chain location (national retailer) offering a 22-point 'Signature Setup' plus a premium 'Platinum Setup' that adds deep cleaning and polishing.
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What a guitar setup costs in San Antonio
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 San Antonio 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 San Antonio: common questions
How much does a guitar setup cost in San Antonio?
Guitar Tex lists setups starting at $75 and up, depending on the instrument and work needed. 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. Guitar Center San Antonio offers a 22-point Signature Setup and a premium Platinum package.
Which San Antonio shop is best for fretwork or a refret?
Guitar Tex handles fretwork and full refrets, with its owner and luthier both trained at Bryan Galloup's building and repair school in Michigan. Century Music Systems, in business since 1985, offers fret leveling and crowning along with electronics work. Hillje Music Center and Saint Cloud Music also take on fretwork and structural repairs.
What is included in a professional guitar setup?
A standard setup covers truss-rod adjustment for neck relief, string action, nut slot height, intonation, and fresh strings, plus a check of the tuners and electronics. Guitar Tex's service list spans setup, restringing, and fretwork through structural repairs. Guitar Center San Antonio bills its Signature Setup as a 22-point service covering the truss rod, nut, saddle, action, and intonation.
Do I need an appointment for a guitar setup?
Some shops take walk-ins and some prefer scheduling. Hillje Music Center and Alamo Music Center both offer free repair estimates, and full-line stores generally accept drop-offs during business hours. Smaller benches like Saint Cloud Music are worth calling first, since one-person shops keep limited hours.
Can I do a guitar setup myself instead?
Yes. Neck relief, action, and intonation are all 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 saddle curvature to the fretboard. Fret leveling, refrets, and nut slotting are where San Antonio's trained luthiers, like the Galloup-schooled team at Guitar Tex, are worth the fee.
