Home to the densest concentration of session and touring players in the country, LA supports around eleven dedicated repair benches, from Modern Guitar Tech (whose roster includes Olivia Rodrigo and John Frusciante) to owner-operated shops like Roady Repair, where every setup runs a flat $100. Options span appointment-only luthiers, Fender-authorized centers, and walk-in chain counters.
Los Angeles 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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Modern Guitar Tech
Boyle Heights · 507 Echandia St · Los Angeles, CA 90033Run by luthier Luis Munoz, this by-appointment shop lists a client roster including Olivia Rodrigo, John Frusciante, Post Malone, Scott Ian, and Johnny Depp (Hollywood Vampires), and offers local, house-call, and studio-call service.
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L.A. Guitar Repair
Sherman Oaks · 13904 Ventura Blvd · Sherman Oaks, CA 91423Founded in 2014 by Ryan Schuermann, a former Fender and Grosh employee, this Fender authorized service center is open Tuesday-Saturday and focuses on high-end repair, restoration, and custom build work.
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Neely Guitars
Hollywood · 7424 1/2 Sunset Blvd #1 · Los Angeles, CA 90046Founded by David Neely, who has over 40 years of experience, the shop holds Factory Authorized Gold Level Service status for Martin, Gibson, Fender, Taylor, Gretsch, Guild, and Epiphone, and lists a client history including Paul McCartney, The Rolling Stones, and U2.
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John Wescott Guitar Repair
North Hollywood · North Hollywood · North Hollywood, CA 91602Operating for more than 35 years, John Wescott personally performs all work in his home-based, appointment-only shop and trained under master builders Jim Kaufman and Jim Demeter; the shop's own site does not publish a street address, only the North Hollywood service area and ZIP.
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Roady Repair
West Los Angeles · 3723 S Sepulveda Blvd · Los Angeles, CA 90034Founded in 2021 by Steven Tuminello, a musician and former guitar-retail repair tech who personally handles every job at a flat $100 setup rate.
Setup $100 -
Nomadic Guitar Repair
Atwater Village / Glassell Park · 2471 Fletcher Dr · Los Angeles, CA 90039Run by Steve, an Authorized Fender Electric and Acoustic Guitar Technician with over 15 years of experience who also serves as a Google staff music instructor; the shop also operates from a San Fernando Rd location and by appointment in Venice Beach and Idyllwild.
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Westlake Guitar
Westlake · 511 S Park View St · Los Angeles, CA 90057A neighborhood repair shop open seven days a week (12PM-10PM) that also offers custom relic/aging work on top of standard setup and electronics services.
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Boulevard Music
Culver City · 4316 Sepulveda Blvd · Culver City, CA 90230An authorized warranty repair center for Martin, Fender, Guild, Cordoba, and Deering, with in-house luthiers including Mitch Rice (acoustic/electric restoration) offering free estimates by appointment.
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Ballona Creek Lutherie
Culver City · 4244 Jackson Ave Ste 3 · Culver City, CA 90232Owned by Doug Graham, a master woodworker and custom guitar/ukulele builder who has operated the Culver City shop since 2009 and is an authorized installer for the Buzz Feiten Tuning System.
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Old Style Guitar Shop
Silver Lake / Virgil Village · 510 N Hoover St · Los Angeles, CA 90004Founded in 2010 by photographer and luthier Reuben Cox, this shop on the edge of Silver Lake hand-refurbishes and stocks vintage, rare, and specialty guitars alongside strings, amps, and pedals.
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Guitar Center Hollywood
Hollywood · 7425 Sunset Blvd · Hollywood, CA 90046Guitar Center's in-house repair chain location on Sunset Blvd offers tiered service packages (Signature Setup, Platinum Setup, Premium Detail) rather than a single independent luthier's personal work.
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What a guitar setup costs in Los Angeles
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 Los Angeles 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 Los Angeles: common questions
How much does a guitar setup cost in Los Angeles?
Published rates run from Roady Repair's flat $100 setup to the tiered Signature and Platinum packages at Guitar Center Hollywood. For comparison, 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 runs about $25. Appointment-only specialists like Modern Guitar Tech price by the job.
Which Los Angeles shop is best for fretwork or a refret?
For fret leveling, refretting, and neck resets, Ballona Creek Lutherie in Culver City handles the full range and installs the Buzz Feiten system. Boulevard Music, an authorized warranty center for Martin and Fender, keeps in-house luthiers for refret and fret work. Modern Guitar Tech also offers fretwork for high-end and touring instruments by appointment.
How long does a guitar setup take in Los Angeles?
Turnaround depends on the shop and its queue. A standard setup is a few hours of bench work, but many LA luthiers run by appointment and quote several days to a week during busy periods. Nomadic Guitar Repair advertises fast-turnaround setups, while Modern Guitar Tech and John Wescott work by appointment, so booking ahead is the norm.
What is included in a professional guitar setup?
A standard setup covers truss rod adjustment for neck relief, string action at the saddle or bridge, nut slot height, intonation at the bridge, and a fresh set of strings. Techs also check the tuners, electronics, and fret condition. Guitar Center's Signature Setup, for example, is billed as a 22-point service covering the truss rod, nut, saddle, action, and intonation.
Can I do a guitar setup myself instead?
You can, and the core measurements are repeatable if you own the right tools: a string action gauge for height at the 12th fret, feeler gauges for neck relief at the truss rod, and a radius gauge to match saddle curvature to the fretboard. Neck relief, action, and intonation are all measurable numbers, so results stay consistent once dialed in. Complex fretwork and nut slotting, though, are where LA's specialists earn their rate.
