Ensuring your guitar is playing at it’s very best and ready for that gig or studio session.
Here at GAK, it’s no secret that we are passionate about guitars. Not only do we offer an unrivalled selection of new and used acoustic, electric guitars and basses, we also use this passion to help maintain, repair or even customise your cherished instruments.
We offer every level of service, from a simple restring, to paint/finish repair, as well as many other bespoke services. With our expertise, years of experience and wide range of services available, we can breathe life back into old neglected guitars, upgrade components and make sure your number one is studio or gig-ready.
Please Note: We try to offer a standard rate for our services but not all guitars are the same and some may require additional time and work. We will always let you know if the work is going to cost more before starting.
In-Store Guitar Repairs & Maintenance Services
Jamie, our full-time in-house Guitar Technician, will handle your guitar service at our dedicated workshop located within our legendary Brighton store. Jamie and our store staff will be there with you every step of the way to ensure every job is completed to the highest standard.
Whether you’re looking for a re-string, a deep clean or a setup, Jamie will carry out a phenomenal Formula-1-style pitstop to breathe life back into your beloved instrument.
Jamie’s care and attention will ensure all those niggling maintenance jobs will be taken care of, so no need to worry about a loose output jack cutting out mid-gig!
For Jamie's top tips on how to look after your guitar, click the banner below:
GAK REPAIRS PRICE LIST
Removal and Installation of New Strings
Re-String - £15
Steel-string acoustics, 6,7 & 8 string electric guitars, 4, 5 and 6 string basses: Old strings are removed, a new set fitted, stretched in and tuned. (Strings not included).
Specialist Instruments Re-String - £20
Locking tremolo, 12 string & classical with traditional strings: Old strings are removed, a new set fitted, stretched in and tuned. (Strings not included).
Re-String & Deep Clean - £30
Steel-string acoustics, 6,7 & 8 string electric guitars, 4, 5 and 6 string basses: Includes deep fretboard clean and oil, fret polishing, deep clean of all components, and cleaning of electronics plus Re-string. (Strings not included).
Specialist Instruments Resting & Deep Clean - £35
Locking tremolo, 12 string & classical with traditional strings: Includes deep fretboard clean and oil, fret polishing, deep clean of all components, and cleaning of electronics plus Re-string. (Strings not included).
Set-Ups
Basic Set-Up - £45
Steel-string acoustics, 6,7 & 8 string electric guitars, 4, 5, and 6 string basses: intonation, string height, pickup height, nut slots, and neck relief are optimised for the model of guitar and string gauge, this can also be done to a specification. This service also includes deep fretboard clean and oil, fret polishing, deep clean of all components, and cleaning of electronics. (Strings not included).
Specialist Instruments Set Up - £55
Locking tremolo, 12 string & classical with traditional strings: Intonation, string height, and neck are optimised for the model of guitar and string gauge, this can also be done to a specification. This also includes a deep fretboard clean and oil, fret polishing, deep clean of all components, and cleaning of electronics. (Strings not included).
Electronics Servicing
Solid-Body Guitar Single Pickup Installation - £25
Electric solid body guitars: This service is for a single pickup installation, pickup is removed and the new one is installed. (Pickup not included).
Solid-Body Guitar Full Pick Up Installation - £45
Electric solid body guitars: This service is for a full pick-up installation, all pickups are removed and new ones installed. (Pickups not included).
Hollow Body Guitar Pickup Installation - POA
This service is for a pick-up installation, all pickups are removed and new ones installed. (Pickups not included).
Output Jack Replacement - From £20
All 6,7 & 8 string electric guitars & 4, 5, and 6 string basses: Repair an intermittent or failed output jack. (Parts not included).
Other Jobs
Strap Button Installation - £15
£15 for one button, £25 for two buttons. (Strap buttons provided).
Machine Head Replacement - From £30
Old machine heads are removed and new ones installed, please note new holes may need to be drilled and/or plugged. (Machine heads not included).
Synthetic Nut Replacement - £35
The old nut is removed and replaced with a synthetic nut.
Bone Nut Replacement - £45
The old nut is removed and replaced with a bone nut.
Fret Dressings
End Dressing - £70
Do you have sharp fret ends or find it uncomfortable when moving up and down your neck? This process tidies up your fret edges and allows for more comfortable playing: Frets ends are shaped and finished to a high sheen.
Rolled Fingerboard Edges - £90
Are you seeking ultra smooth comfort and playability? This process rolls both the edge of your fretboard and frets for the most comfortable playing experience. Frets ends are shaped and rolled then finished to a high sheen this process is not advisable on gloss fingerboards.
Fret Level, Crown, Dress and Polish - £120
Great for when your frets are dented or uneven causing fret buzz. This process will make your frets like new again.
Re-fretting your guitar may be necessary if frets are too badly worn or too short to work on. Frets are levelled, crowned, dressed, and finished to a high sheen.
Neck Repairs, Acoustic Body Repairs and Refinishing
As well as having a full-time instore Guitar Tech, we also have access to a third party luthier, Graham Wheeler. Graham takes care of Neck Repairs, Acoustic Body Repairs and Refinishing.
Graham has been repairing acoustic and electric guitars for most of his life. After serving an apprenticeship making all manner of stringed instruments at Tastiera in Worthing, he branched out into establishing a set-up, guitar repair and refinishing service for all the major music stores in his native Sussex before working in London with the great Roger Giffen, servicing and repairing guitars for a range of successful artists.
When Roger Giffen moved on to pastures new with Gibson in the USA, Graham returned to his Sussex base and continued to provide his outstanding service to the likes of Eric Clapton, Genesis, Ultravox and Jamiroquai (to name but a few) as well as a range of local music shops large and small. Today he continues to service the guitars of a host of local players such as Willie Austin, Paul Stenton, The Desperate Dan Band, Mad Max and The Hicksville Band.
We are lucky enough to have secured Graham’s services and he works out of our GAK Brighton shop one day a week. Most of the work is completed on the day, other than refinishing and body repairs which need to be booked in advance.
Each of Graham’s services is quoted per job and you can specifically request him for setups or other jobs, though please be aware that the turnaround time will be longer and charged at a higher rate.
If you would like to discuss a specialist repair with either Jamie or Graham, please email guitartech@gak.co.uk.