Setup prices across Bristol run from a £35 electric service at New Cut Studios to £110 for a Floyd Rose job at Bristol Guitar Tech, whose refrets start at £185. Several workshops, including All About Guitar and George Pearson Guitar Repair, operate by appointment only, and the city also supports custom builders such as Waghorn Guitars and Alex Bishop Guitars.
Bristol 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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Bristol Guitar Tech
Pilning · Cross Hands Road, Pilning · Bristol BS35 4JBRun by Phil from a workshop in Pilning, Bristol Guitar Tech publishes setup prices from £48 for a basic guitar service up to £110 for a Floyd Rose full setup, with refrets starting at £185.
Setup £48-£110 -
All About Guitar
Distillery II Studios · 9 Furber Ridge · Bristol BS5 8PYOperating from Distillery II Studios by appointment, All About Guitar offers setups from a £40 basic tune-up to a £100 deep-dive repair, with Floyd Rose and floating-tremolo setups from £105.
Setup £40-£105 -
George Pearson Guitar Repair
St Jude's · Unit B7, Central Creation, 30 Pennywell Road · Bristol BS5 0THGeorge Pearson began his repair career through a two-year apprenticeship in Yorkshire before studying Luthiery at Merton College, and now runs an appointment-only workshop in St Jude's offering free estimates.
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Waghorn Guitars
Bristol City Centre · 1 Mill Avenue · Bristol BS1 4AQFounded in 1996 by Tom Waghorn under the tuition of luthier Phil Davidson, this central Bristol workshop builds custom acoustic, electric, and bass guitars alongside repair and setup work.
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New Cut Studios
Albert Road · Unit 5, Ferry Steps Trading Estate, Albert Road · Bristol BS2 0XWRun by technicians with nearly 30 years of touring experience, New Cut Studios offers standard electric guitar setups from £35 plus strings and also provides an on-site mobile repair service.
Setup £35+ (plus strings) -
Hawker Repairs Guitar Workshop
King Square · Unit 8, New Square Units, 14 King Square · Bristol BS2 8JHHawker Repairs is a King Square workshop offering general setups and maintenance for acoustic, electric, and bass guitars, along with restorations and customisations, with free quotations provided.
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Alex Bishop Guitars
Easton · Unit 11, 32 Easton Road · Bristol BS5 0DBAlex Bishop Guitars is a handmade-guitar workshop on Easton Road offering custom builds, repairs, and restoration services, alongside an affiliated lutherie school.
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What a guitar setup costs in Bristol
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 Bristol 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 Bristol: common questions
How much does a guitar setup cost in Bristol?
Bristol setup prices span a wide range: New Cut Studios starts electric setups from £35 plus strings, All About Guitar runs £40 to £105, and Bristol Guitar Tech lists £48 for a basic service up to £110 for a Floyd Rose setup, with refrets from £185. 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 Bristol shop is best for fretwork or a refret?
Bristol Guitar Tech handles refrets from £185 alongside fret levelling, and George Pearson Guitar Repair, who studied Luthiery at Merton College, offers fret levelling and refretting by appointment. Custom builders such as Waghorn Guitars and Alex Bishop Guitars also take on fretwork as part of their repair and building services.
How long does a guitar setup take in Bristol?
A basic setup generally needs two to three days of workshop time, but demand means appointment-only shops like All About Guitar and George Pearson Guitar Repair can carry one to two week waiting lists. Reserving fretwork or a refret in advance is sensible, as that work usually adds a further one to two weeks.
Do I need an appointment for a guitar setup?
Several Bristol workshops operate strictly by appointment, including All About Guitar at Distillery II Studios and George Pearson Guitar Repair in St Jude's, so book ahead rather than turning up. New Cut Studios additionally runs an on-site mobile repair service, while retail-style setups can sometimes be arranged more quickly.
Can I do a guitar setup myself instead?
A basic setup is achievable at home. The essential 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 correct figures. Fret levelling and refretting, which Bristol Guitar Tech prices from £185, are better left to a professional given the risk of costly errors.
