Near Berklee and the dense student music community, Boston-area setup work clusters in Cambridge and Somerville as much as the city proper. This guide lists ten verified shops, including Guitar Stop, a Cambridge fixture family-owned since 1962, and Third Floor Guitars in Malden, a Fender and Taylor certified bench. Same-day turnaround is available at Boston Guitar Repair Center in the South End.
Boston 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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Boston Guitar Repair Center
South End · 131 W Concord St, Ste 1 · Boston, MA 02118Founded in 2007 to serve Boston- and Cambridge-area guitarists needing quick repairs; many jobs are completed the same day they're brought in.
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Equilibrium Guitar Repair
Charlestown · 50 Terminal St, Building 2, Suite 315 · Charlestown, MA 02129Operates both a custom-build shop for handmade guitars and basses and a separate repair-shop line, based in the Charlestown Navy Yard; visits are by appointment only.
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Guitar Stop
1760 Massachusetts Ave, Ste B · Cambridge, MA 02140Family-owned Cambridge music store operating since 1962; offers walk-in minor setups (restring, intonation, action/truss rod) and major repairs like electronics, nut/saddle replacement, fret dressing, and bridge resets.
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Mike's Monster Guitar
Central Square · 896 Massachusetts Ave · Cambridge, MA 02139Owner Mike has repaired stringed instruments for nearly 20 years, having studied under noted repairman/builder Bryan Galloup and spent 18 years as lead repairman for Sandy's Music.
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Axe Grinder Guitar Repair
45 Franklin St · Somerville, MA 02145Full-service repair center run by Dave and Karen offering complete setups, refrets/fret dressing, electronics, and nut/saddle work, backed by a 30-day warranty.
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Stubblebine Lutherie
487 Somerville Ave · Somerville, MA 02143By-appointment lutherie shop specializing in expert repair and restoration of guitars, mandolins, and banjos.
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Third Floor Guitars
103 Hancock St · Malden, MA 02148Owner has 20+ years of experience, including time as a touring guitar tech, and trained under Les Paul's personal repairman; the shop is Fender and Taylor certified.
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Chubbuck Guitars
271 Western Ave, Suite 406 · Lynn, MA 01904Kevin Chubbuck builds custom steel-string acoustic (Rogue, Kalliope) and hollowbody electric (Mousa) models under the motto "Made in Mass, not mass made," alongside general repair and restoration work.
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Bay State Vintage Guitars
481 Washington St · Norwood, MA 02062Founded in 1982 by Craig Jones and now run by his son Aaron, Bay State Vintage Guitars has operated as a Greater Boston vintage-instrument specialist for over four decades, offering setups and repairs alongside vintage sales.
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Guitar Center Boston
Fenway · 1255 Boylston St · Boston, MA 02215This is a Guitar Center chain location (not an independent luthier) offering tiered Signature and Platinum setup packages, restringing, and electronics work at its Fenway store.
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What a guitar setup costs in Boston
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 Boston 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 Boston: common questions
How much does a guitar setup cost in Boston?
Most independent Boston-area shops quote setups per instrument after inspection rather than publishing flat rates. Guitar Center Boston in Fenway offers tiered Signature and Platinum setup packages as a reference point. As industry benchmarks, Guitar Center runs about $60 to $75, Sweetwater about $99, a fret level and crown adds $85 to $150, and a restring alone is about $25. Independent luthiers like Guitar Stop or Axe Grinder typically fall in a comparable range.
Which Boston shop is best for fretwork or a refret?
Several Greater Boston benches focus on fretwork. Axe Grinder in Somerville handles refrets and fret dressing with a 30-day warranty, and Third Floor Guitars in Malden, a Fender and Taylor certified shop, is run by a tech trained under Les Paul's personal repairman. Mike's Monster Guitar in Central Square is led by a tech who studied under builder Bryan Galloup. Refrets are multi-day jobs.
How long does a guitar setup take in Boston?
Boston Guitar Repair Center in the South End completes many jobs the same day they are dropped off. Elsewhere a standard setup usually takes two to three days depending on the shop's backlog, and appointment-only benches may schedule further out. Fretwork and electronics add time.
Do I need an appointment for a guitar setup in Boston?
It depends on the shop. Guitar Stop in Cambridge handles minor setups first-come, first-served, and Guitar Center Boston takes walk-ins. Others, including Equilibrium Guitar Repair in the Charlestown Navy Yard and Stubblebine Lutherie in Somerville, work by appointment only, so call before visiting.
Can I do a guitar setup myself instead?
You can, if you buy a few core tools and work slowly. A string action gauge, a set of feeler gauges, and a radius gauge let you measure the key specs: neck relief, action height, and intonation are all measurable and repeatable. The main hazard is the truss rod, where over-tightening can damage the neck, so many Boston players still hand refrets and fretwork to shops like Axe Grinder or Third Floor Guitars.
