Home to Gruhn Guitars and the legendary bench of Joe Glaser at Glaser Instruments, Music City backs up its session-player reputation with roughly ten setup shops. Published rates run from $60 at Corner Music to $125 and up at Carter Vintage Guitar, so players can match budget to the vintage-correct or Plek-precise work each instrument needs.
Nashville 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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Gruhn Guitars
Berry Hill · 2120 8th Ave S · Nashville, TN 37204Gruhn Guitars keeps a staff of full-time luthiers on the third floor of its Nashville store, focusing on vintage-correct restoration and setup work done largely by hand. Instruments originally purchased from Gruhn move to the front of the repair queue at a discounted labor rate.
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Carter Vintage Guitar
606 8th Ave S, Suite 201 · Nashville, TN 37203Carter Vintage Guitar's in-house repair team specializes in pre-1980 vintage instruments, using era-correct materials and methods for fretwork, neck resets, and structural repairs in addition to routine setups starting at $125.
Setup $125-$200 -
Corner Music
3048 Dickerson Pike · Nashville, TN 37207Corner Music's repair shop is run by Jeff Marple, a guitar tech with 35 years of experience whose past clientele spans rock, country, and bluegrass artists. Basic setups are priced at $60 with a typical turnaround of 10-14 business days.
Setup $60 -
Acreman Guitars
Germantown · 1606 4th Ave N · Nashville, TN 37208Acreman Guitars is run by Lance Acreman, a touring guitar technician who has worked with acts including Reba McEntire, Alabama, and The Avett Brothers, and operates out of the Guitar Build Workshop space in Germantown.
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Fanny's House of Music
Five Points, East Nashville · 1101 Holly Street · Nashville, TN 37206Fanny's House of Music, in East Nashville's Five Points, offers guitar setups starting at $80 ($100 for Floyd Rose or 12-string) alongside vintage-instrument repairs such as neck resets and acoustic bridge regluing, billed at $60/hour for general work.
Setup $80-$100 -
Glaser Instruments
Berry Hill · 434 E Iris Drive · Nashville, TN 37204Glaser Instruments is the shop of Joe Glaser, considered one of the most respected guitar repairmen in the country and Plek's U.S. representative, known for neck adjustments, fret leveling, and Plek-station setups, many completed in just a few hours.
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The Classic Ax
Donelson · 211 Donelson Pike, Suite 4 · Nashville, TN 37214Founded by Greg Krochman in 1982 and based on Music Row for three decades before relocating to Donelson, The Classic Ax publishes itemized repair pricing ranging from a $79.50 minor setup to full refrets and neck resets.
Setup $79.50-$99.50 -
ModMan Guitar
The Nations · 1319 B 51st Ave N · Nashville, TN 37209ModMan Guitar, in Nashville's The Nations neighborhood, handles setups (from $185), refrets, and pickup installs alongside amplifier re-tubing and re-biasing, plus custom modification work through its in-house "Lab."
Setup $185-$225 -
Delgado Guitars
East Nashville · 919 Gallatin Avenue, Suite #10 · Nashville, TN 37206Delgado Guitars is run by Manuel A. Delgado, a third-generation luthier continuing a family tradition dating to 1928, offering setup and repair services alongside handmade classical, flamenco, and traditional Mexican stringed instruments.
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Guitar Center Nashville
721 Thompson Lane · Nashville, TN 37204This is a Guitar Center chain location offering a standardized 22-point "Signature Setup," an upgraded "Platinum Setup" with deep cleaning, and vendor/Pro Coverage warranty service.
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What a guitar setup costs in Nashville
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 Nashville 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 Nashville: common questions
How much does a guitar setup cost in Nashville?
Published Nashville rates cover a wide range: Corner Music charges $60 for a basic setup, The Classic Ax starts at $79.50, and Fanny's House of Music runs $80 to $100. Vintage specialists sit higher, with Carter Vintage Guitar at $125 to $200 and ModMan Guitar at $185 to $225. For comparison, Guitar Center charges $60 to $75 and Sweetwater about $99. A fret level and crown typically adds $85 to $150, and a restring alone is around $25.
Which Nashville shop is best for fretwork or a refret?
Glaser Instruments, run by Joe Glaser and the U.S. representative for Plek, is widely regarded for fret leveling and Plek-station setups, many finished in just a few hours. For vintage instruments, Carter Vintage Guitar performs refrets and neck work with era-correct materials, and Gruhn Guitars keeps full-time luthiers on hand for restoration-grade fretwork. The Classic Ax and ModMan Guitar also publish refret pricing.
How long does a guitar setup take in Nashville?
Turnaround varies by shop and workload. Corner Music quotes a typical 10 to 14 business days for basic setups, while Glaser Instruments can complete many neck adjustments and Plek setups in just a few hours. Across most shops, a straightforward setup runs two to three days, though busy periods or added fretwork extend that.
What is included in a professional guitar setup?
A standard setup covers truss rod adjustment for neck relief, string action at the nut and saddle, and intonation, usually with a fresh set of strings and a fret and fingerboard cleaning. Guitar Center Nashville frames this as a 22-point Signature Setup covering truss rod, nut, saddle, action, and intonation. Independent shops like The Classic Ax add a buff and polish and adjust to your preferred string gauge and playing style.
Can I do a guitar setup myself instead?
You can, and the three core adjustments (neck relief, action, and intonation) are measurable and repeatable once you have the right tools. A string action gauge, feeler gauges, and a radius gauge are the core tools for taking accurate readings. That said, fret leveling, nut slotting, and structural work are best left to a shop like Glaser Instruments or Carter Vintage Guitar, where mistakes on vintage instruments are costly.
