| Gabriel's Guitars Service ~ Repair ~ Retail ~ Construction 3146 N. 1st. Ave. Tucson, Az 85719 |
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Set Up
A set up ensures that your guitar works the way it's supposed to and that the
action on the guitar is appropriate for style of play and comfort. Includes
neck adjustment, saddle adjustment, and nut adjustment (see Nut
Replacement), and basic string change. String upgrades available at low
prices. Express service is available for a fee.
Nut Replacement
Sometimes after many years of wear, or from a previous improper
adjustment, the strings will begin to buzz even when the strings are played
open. This is how you know you are going to need a new nut. Changing the
material a nut is made of will also change the sound of a guitar, especially in
acoustics. We offer plastic, bone, graphite and brass custom and pre-made
nuts. Nut replacement requires that a set up be performed, and the price
reflects that.
Electronics
Lots of things can go wrong when moving parts and electronic components
are combined. At Gabriel's, we do everything from diagnosing the problem to
replacing individual components to routing and installing new pickups to
completely rewiring your guitar for your own custom needs.
Sometimes, its just a little noise glitch that just really bothers you; like when
you turn your volume knob up it seems to go from inaudible to blasting your
eardrums out with only the slightest of turns. Or maybe you just aren't
getting a warm enough tone from your tone pot.
Other times its more serious like, "My guitar has no output at all," or, "Every
time I plug in, all I hear is this insanely loud hissing!"
Whatever the problem is, we can fix it. And on the slight chance that we
can't, we will not charge you for service. You can't lose with Gabriel's.
We carry several brands of pickups in-store and can custom order pickups
at discounted prices. We are proud to carry Seymour Duncan, EMG,
Fishman, B-Band, and Dimarzio brand pickups.
Amp / Pedal / Electronics Repair / Customization
Gabriel's now offers Amp repair, effects pedal repair and customization by
electronics technician David Rivas. Gabriel's is the only place in Tucson that
offers complete customization and enhancement of your system in addition
to being able to restore your gear to factory specs.
All Amp/Pedal repairs require a non-refundable $50 diagnosis fee, which will
be applied to your total repair cost if the repair exceeds $50. David holds
hours in-shop on Fridays between 10am and 2pm, but also works by
appointment. To make an appointment, click here and follow the instructions.
Humidification
We have an entire room devoted to re-humidifying guitars for work involving
crack repair, general guitar maintenance, and preventative care. Plus, the
whole shop is humidified, so you can be sure your guitar is being well taken
care of. Humidification can take several weeks. Costs are on a weekly basis.
Crack Repair
Cracks are especially present out here in the desert. In the dry heat of
Arizona, it is often difficult to keep a guitar properly humidified. As water
leaves the organic wood, cracks form. Almost all crack repairs begin with
humidification. Many cracks will actually seal themselves in the right
environment. Many guitar repair shops use bulky pieces of wood to repair
cracks so they will not come apart again. Especially when there is a crack in
the top, customers complain that their guitars sound different after a crack
repair. At Gabriel’s we use smaller, stronger pieces of wood that are
engineered to do their job of holding a crack together without impairing the
sound. We have multiple techniques to seal cracks for good while minimizing
the effect on the sound of the guitar. Each crack is unique and is dealt with
uniquely.
There is no way to know exactly how a crack repair will affect a guitar’s
sound until it is complete and the guitar is strung up again. We can
guarantee, however, that we use the latest scientific knowledge to minimize
the effect on its sound. We are comfortable working on vintage acoustics
and repair them in a way that limits their depreciation.
Bridge Repair / Replacement
We offer a wide range of ready-made bridges for acoustics and electrics.
Gabriel’s Guitar Services also offers custom-made bridges for vintage
acoustics and for those of you who want to make a real statement with your
acoustic guitar! Wood varieties and sizes available. Prices vary.
Level, Crown, and Polish (LCP)
Often frets develop wear marks from the stings either from aggressive,
frequent playing or over a long period of time from average or even light
amount of playing on some smaller frets (ex. 1).
We have a secret and far superior method to crowning and polishing frets at
Gabriel’s Guitars (ex. 2). Not only will your frets have crisp, clean peaks but
we put a mirror finish on every one. You can say goodbye to unwanted
buzzing and fix your hair at the same time.
Frets that are too badly worn will need to be replaced (ex. 3).
A set up ensures that your guitar works the way it's supposed to and that the
action on the guitar is appropriate for style of play and comfort. Includes
neck adjustment, saddle adjustment, and nut adjustment (see Nut
Replacement), and basic string change. String upgrades available at low
prices. Express service is available for a fee.
Nut Replacement
Sometimes after many years of wear, or from a previous improper
adjustment, the strings will begin to buzz even when the strings are played
open. This is how you know you are going to need a new nut. Changing the
material a nut is made of will also change the sound of a guitar, especially in
acoustics. We offer plastic, bone, graphite and brass custom and pre-made
nuts. Nut replacement requires that a set up be performed, and the price
reflects that.
Electronics
Lots of things can go wrong when moving parts and electronic components
are combined. At Gabriel's, we do everything from diagnosing the problem to
replacing individual components to routing and installing new pickups to
completely rewiring your guitar for your own custom needs.
Sometimes, its just a little noise glitch that just really bothers you; like when
you turn your volume knob up it seems to go from inaudible to blasting your
eardrums out with only the slightest of turns. Or maybe you just aren't
getting a warm enough tone from your tone pot.
Other times its more serious like, "My guitar has no output at all," or, "Every
time I plug in, all I hear is this insanely loud hissing!"
Whatever the problem is, we can fix it. And on the slight chance that we
can't, we will not charge you for service. You can't lose with Gabriel's.
We carry several brands of pickups in-store and can custom order pickups
at discounted prices. We are proud to carry Seymour Duncan, EMG,
Fishman, B-Band, and Dimarzio brand pickups.
Amp / Pedal / Electronics Repair / Customization
Gabriel's now offers Amp repair, effects pedal repair and customization by
electronics technician David Rivas. Gabriel's is the only place in Tucson that
offers complete customization and enhancement of your system in addition
to being able to restore your gear to factory specs.
All Amp/Pedal repairs require a non-refundable $50 diagnosis fee, which will
be applied to your total repair cost if the repair exceeds $50. David holds
hours in-shop on Fridays between 10am and 2pm, but also works by
appointment. To make an appointment, click here and follow the instructions.
Humidification
We have an entire room devoted to re-humidifying guitars for work involving
crack repair, general guitar maintenance, and preventative care. Plus, the
whole shop is humidified, so you can be sure your guitar is being well taken
care of. Humidification can take several weeks. Costs are on a weekly basis.
Crack Repair
Cracks are especially present out here in the desert. In the dry heat of
Arizona, it is often difficult to keep a guitar properly humidified. As water
leaves the organic wood, cracks form. Almost all crack repairs begin with
humidification. Many cracks will actually seal themselves in the right
environment. Many guitar repair shops use bulky pieces of wood to repair
cracks so they will not come apart again. Especially when there is a crack in
the top, customers complain that their guitars sound different after a crack
repair. At Gabriel’s we use smaller, stronger pieces of wood that are
engineered to do their job of holding a crack together without impairing the
sound. We have multiple techniques to seal cracks for good while minimizing
the effect on the sound of the guitar. Each crack is unique and is dealt with
uniquely.
There is no way to know exactly how a crack repair will affect a guitar’s
sound until it is complete and the guitar is strung up again. We can
guarantee, however, that we use the latest scientific knowledge to minimize
the effect on its sound. We are comfortable working on vintage acoustics
and repair them in a way that limits their depreciation.
Bridge Repair / Replacement
We offer a wide range of ready-made bridges for acoustics and electrics.
Gabriel’s Guitar Services also offers custom-made bridges for vintage
acoustics and for those of you who want to make a real statement with your
acoustic guitar! Wood varieties and sizes available. Prices vary.
Level, Crown, and Polish (LCP)
Often frets develop wear marks from the stings either from aggressive,
frequent playing or over a long period of time from average or even light
amount of playing on some smaller frets (ex. 1).
We have a secret and far superior method to crowning and polishing frets at
Gabriel’s Guitars (ex. 2). Not only will your frets have crisp, clean peaks but
we put a mirror finish on every one. You can say goodbye to unwanted
buzzing and fix your hair at the same time.
Frets that are too badly worn will need to be replaced (ex. 3).
| Repair Services Gabriel's Guitar Services offers a wide variety of repair options for your convenience. All repairs are overseen by or worked on exclusively by certified luthier Gabriel Wright. This way, you can be sure that you will be completely satisfied with the work we do. Below is a list of services and a brief explanation of what is included. Please feel free to contact us and ask questions, and we will get back to you as soon as possible. Do remember that having your guitar looked at in person by a certified repairman is always the most accurate way to diagnose a problem. We would be happy to work on your acoustic, electric, or classical guitar; acoustic or electric bass, banjo, dobro, mandolin, resonator, Ukulele, or other stringed instrument. |
Fret Replacement / Partial Refret
If your frets are so badly worn or just too small to give them the old LCP,
they will need to be replaced. Sometimes, a partial re-fret can be
accomplished. These are issues which can only be deciphered by a certified
repairman.
Refinishing / Finish Repair
Gabriel's is proud to offer a full spectrum of finish repairs and full refinishes.
Dings, dents, cracks, we do them all. Want to put a sunburst on that strat?
We can do that too! Lacquer, oil, or even french polish, we will be glad to
assist you with whatever your finishing needs might be.
Headstock Reglue
It's one of the most heart-breaking moments for any guitar player. Maybe
you were just stringing up the guitar and the headstock just broke off.
Maybe you left the guitar plugged in leaning up against a wall, forgot about
it, and later tripped over the cord and fell into the guitar breaking your
headstock clean off...either way, we can fix it. Prices vary on how bad of a
break it is, and usually these things look a lot worse than they actually are.
Different levels of repair are available (structural only, structural and
refinishing, the "make it look like it never happened" repair, etc.) and prices
vary widely. For an accurate estimate, please bring in the guitar so we can
see it!
Neck Reset
The neck reset is among the holy grail of guitar repairs because it is by far
the most difficult and extensive guitar repair in any repairman's repertoire.
Because of that, it is also the most expensive repair. To add to these
conditions, neck resets are not always successful (there is approximately a
30% chance of irreparable damage to the guitar). For that reason, most
repairmen do not even offer it as a service. Unfortunately, most guitars that
truly need a neck reset are not worth the amount of money required to do
the operation, and the owner would be better off buying a new guitar. It is
fairly rare that a high-end guitar will ever need one unless it has been kept
in poor conditions for many years. As for the low-end guitars, a neck reset is
something you will have to seriously think about. Does this guitar have
particular sentimental value to you? If so, it may be worth it for you to have a
neck reset performed. Otherwise, it is probably a better investment to buy a
new guitar. There are many decent mid-range guitars on the market for the
approximate same price as having a neck reset performed.
Intonation, Plug and Re-cut (acoustics)
"Man, my guitar just will not stay in tune! I tune it with an electronic tuner,
and everything checks out...I play a G chord, and it sounds fine...then I play
a C and it sounds TERRIBLE!! What's going on?!?!"
Well, you have an intonation problem. An easy way to check if your
intonation is out is to tune your guitars open strings using a tuner and then
check the 12th fret. The 12th fret is the octave of the open string and so it
should be exactly on pitch to the open string note. If the octave is sharp or
flat of the open string, then your intonation is out and will need to be reset.
On electrics, this is something that is taken care of during a set up; however,
on acoustics its a bit more of a serious problem...
On an acoustic, the proper repair is called a plug and re-cut. Whereas the
saddles of an electric are usually individually adjustable, on an acoustic
there is (usually) just one saddle that is permanently stationary. So in order
to adjust the intonation, we must plug the old saddle slot and cut a new one
in the exact right location. This is a fairly inexpensive repair, and simple in
nature, but if done incorrectly can do some serious damage to a guitar. So
make sure you take it to your local experts at Gabriel's!
Testimonials
"You did a great job on my guitar bro thanks a lot. You rock brother!"
-Michael, The Stand
"Thanks so much for the work you did on my tele. It far surpassed my
expectations when I started working on this thing. Thank you so much! I'm
bringing all my guitars to your shop from now on...Thank you for treating me
like a friend instead of just another customer."
-Rowdy Johnson
"I am extremely impressed with your work, work ethics, and your knowledge
of guitars. You are the first luthier who has ever kept his word to me, and I
appreciate that so much!"
-Bob Henshaw
Questions or comments? Contact Us.
If your frets are so badly worn or just too small to give them the old LCP,
they will need to be replaced. Sometimes, a partial re-fret can be
accomplished. These are issues which can only be deciphered by a certified
repairman.
Refinishing / Finish Repair
Gabriel's is proud to offer a full spectrum of finish repairs and full refinishes.
Dings, dents, cracks, we do them all. Want to put a sunburst on that strat?
We can do that too! Lacquer, oil, or even french polish, we will be glad to
assist you with whatever your finishing needs might be.
Headstock Reglue
It's one of the most heart-breaking moments for any guitar player. Maybe
you were just stringing up the guitar and the headstock just broke off.
Maybe you left the guitar plugged in leaning up against a wall, forgot about
it, and later tripped over the cord and fell into the guitar breaking your
headstock clean off...either way, we can fix it. Prices vary on how bad of a
break it is, and usually these things look a lot worse than they actually are.
Different levels of repair are available (structural only, structural and
refinishing, the "make it look like it never happened" repair, etc.) and prices
vary widely. For an accurate estimate, please bring in the guitar so we can
see it!
Neck Reset
The neck reset is among the holy grail of guitar repairs because it is by far
the most difficult and extensive guitar repair in any repairman's repertoire.
Because of that, it is also the most expensive repair. To add to these
conditions, neck resets are not always successful (there is approximately a
30% chance of irreparable damage to the guitar). For that reason, most
repairmen do not even offer it as a service. Unfortunately, most guitars that
truly need a neck reset are not worth the amount of money required to do
the operation, and the owner would be better off buying a new guitar. It is
fairly rare that a high-end guitar will ever need one unless it has been kept
in poor conditions for many years. As for the low-end guitars, a neck reset is
something you will have to seriously think about. Does this guitar have
particular sentimental value to you? If so, it may be worth it for you to have a
neck reset performed. Otherwise, it is probably a better investment to buy a
new guitar. There are many decent mid-range guitars on the market for the
approximate same price as having a neck reset performed.
Intonation, Plug and Re-cut (acoustics)
"Man, my guitar just will not stay in tune! I tune it with an electronic tuner,
and everything checks out...I play a G chord, and it sounds fine...then I play
a C and it sounds TERRIBLE!! What's going on?!?!"
Well, you have an intonation problem. An easy way to check if your
intonation is out is to tune your guitars open strings using a tuner and then
check the 12th fret. The 12th fret is the octave of the open string and so it
should be exactly on pitch to the open string note. If the octave is sharp or
flat of the open string, then your intonation is out and will need to be reset.
On electrics, this is something that is taken care of during a set up; however,
on acoustics its a bit more of a serious problem...
On an acoustic, the proper repair is called a plug and re-cut. Whereas the
saddles of an electric are usually individually adjustable, on an acoustic
there is (usually) just one saddle that is permanently stationary. So in order
to adjust the intonation, we must plug the old saddle slot and cut a new one
in the exact right location. This is a fairly inexpensive repair, and simple in
nature, but if done incorrectly can do some serious damage to a guitar. So
make sure you take it to your local experts at Gabriel's!
Testimonials
"You did a great job on my guitar bro thanks a lot. You rock brother!"
-Michael, The Stand
"Thanks so much for the work you did on my tele. It far surpassed my
expectations when I started working on this thing. Thank you so much! I'm
bringing all my guitars to your shop from now on...Thank you for treating me
like a friend instead of just another customer."
-Rowdy Johnson
"I am extremely impressed with your work, work ethics, and your knowledge
of guitars. You are the first luthier who has ever kept his word to me, and I
appreciate that so much!"
-Bob Henshaw
Questions or comments? Contact Us.