Szekely Guitar Repair Services

Szekely Guitar Repair offers the highest quality luthiery founded on years of experience and education. I use the latest tools and techniques, maintain a clean and properly humidified shop, charge competitive prices and offer a 30-day guarantee on all my work. I’m fully insured and treat every instrument like it’s my own so you can rest assured that your baby will be well cared for while at SGR. Whether you need a setup, pickups installed, an appraisal or your instrument is in need of serious structural repair, I got you covered. Below are some of the services I offer.

Contact me for pricing or to set up an appointment to have your instrument evaluated or to see what I can do for you.



Setups

Person repairing a red electric guitar on a workbench, with various tools and guitar parts scattered around.

Maybe it’s been awhile since you pulled out your Tele. When you did, you discovered the strings were way too high off the fretboard, making it hard to play. “Hmm. It wasn’t like that when I played it last.” Sounds like your Tele needs a setup.

All stringed instruments should have setups done on a regular basis, even if its brand new. Changes in temperature and humidity and regular use can have a significant impact on its playability. At Szekely Guitar Repair, I’ll pore over every detail of your instrument to make sure it performs at its highest level the way YOU want it to.

Standard Setup – $65 (4- to 6-string fixed bridge) – I’ll check all the electronics, hardware, frets, neck joint and braces to make sure everything functions properly; polish the frets; clean/condition the fretboard (where appropriate); check/adjust neck relief; install a fresh set of strings; check/adjust string action, nut action, pickup height and intonation; then I’ll clean and polish the finish and hardware before sending it back out the door.

Deluxe Setup – $90 (4- to 6-string fixed bridge) – If your hardware is exceptionally grimy, tarnished or rusty, you can opt for a Deluxe Setup where I’ll perform a Standard Setup plus I’ll uninstall, take apart, deep clean and lubricate and reinstall all the hardware.

Contact me for pricing for 7- to 12-stringed instruments or instruments with Floyd Rose-style locking tremolos or Evertune systems and for pricing of any of the following additional work I offer related to setups:

  • Custom-cut nuts and saddles from bone blanks

  • Installation of pre-cut synthetic nuts and saddles

  • Locking tuner installation

  • Strap button installation


Fretwork

Guitar neck on foam blocks for repair or setup, taped off and ready for fretwork, surrounded by tools like a drill, marker, and screwdriver.

“Why does my PRS buzz when I play up past the twelfth fret?” “Why do chords sound wonky in the first position on my SG?” The answer to these types of questions usually points to the need for fret work.

For fretted instruments, the condition of the frets are a crucial component of how well they perform. Poorly installed and/or maintained frets can make playing your instrument miserable, causing dead notes, buzzing, lack of sustain, poor intonation and even cuts on your hand if you have fret sprout. I can take care of all of these issues.

Here is some of the fret work I offer:

  • Re-securing loose frets

  • Leveling single high frets

  • Complete fret levels

  • Complete re-frets

  • Softening fret ends due to fret sprout and/or sharp corners

Contact me for pricing or to set up an appointment to have your frets evaluated.


Structural Repairs

Guitar headstock clamped for repair on workbench with glue and screwdriver

Yep, it happened: your prized Les Paul fell over and the headstock snapped. Or maybe the strap of your Taylor let go, sending it crashing to the ground, cracking the soundboard. And what the heck is buzzing on the inside of your Martin anyway? This is all scary stuff knowing how much we pay for our instruments. But it’s all very common and it’s all repairable.

Here are some of the structural issues I can address:

  • Broken headstock/neck

  • Cracked soundboard

  • Cracked back

  • Cracked sidesheet

  • Cracked bridge

  • Lifting/detached bridge

  • Bellied soundboard

  • Detached brace

  • Incorrect neck/bridge geometry

  • Detached binding

Contact me for pricing or to set up an appointment to have your instrument’s structural damage/issue evaluated.


Electronics

Close-up of guitar electronics cavity with wires and components, including potentiometers, switches, and a jack, being adjusted by a hand.

So you love the way your Gretsch Electromatic plays but its sound when plugged in? Mmm, not so much. Or maybe you can’t figure out what’s causing that incessant static when you plug in and play your P-Bass. Or how about the radio interference you sometimes get whenever you plug in your Strat? Whatever your electronics issue, I can address it and get you back to playing instead of troubleshooting. Here is some of the electronics work I offer:

  • Repair faulty pots, switches & jacks

  • Installation of new pots, switches & jacks

  • Installation of pickups

  • Installation of battery boxes

  • Installation of acoustic pickups

  • Installation of sidesheet pre-amps

  • Complete re-wire

  • Wax-potting pickups

  • Body routes

  • Body cavity shielding

Contact me for pricing or to set up an appointment to see what I can wire up for your instrument.

Don’t forget to stop by the Merch page to order your Szekely Guitar Repair shirts, hoodies, stickers and more!