Custom Sound specializes in technical reconstruction, vintage restoration, professional setups & modification.
"We work on guitars, banjos, mandolins, and all other string instruments. My luthiers and I accomplish the finest repair work possible, and we pride ourselves on the exceptional care given to every instrument in our hands." ~Ryan Elewaut
We have this awesome little @kieselguitars in the shop right now. Customer wants some @fishmanmusic #Fluence pickups installed so we had to re-rout the #angled #pickup cavities to #accommodate. This was a situation where having @lindseyguitarworks program it on the CNC was easier than cutting new custom templates on the CNC first and routing by hand. Save a step... but it’s gotta be done #perfectly with one try.
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#arizona #arizonaguitar #arizonaluthier #luthier #guitar #guitarluthier #guitarrepair #guitars #custom #sound #customsound #whatsonyourbench #customshop #electric #cnc #electricguitar #customization #modification #modify #shred #loothing ...
I made a new #fret tang nipper... stole the idea from a guy on the YouTubes, but I was tired of my other ones not working right and bending frets, dinging frets, and overall making more work and costing more time than #saving . So this is much more #consistent and the little hole on the side works as a fret holder to do the file touch up after #grinding
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#arizona #arizonaguitar #arizonaluthier #luthier #guitar #guitarluthier #guitarrepair #guitarrestoration #acoustic #acousticguitar #restoration #guitars #custom #sound #customsound #fixit #whatsonyourbench #customshop #vintageguitar #vintage #refret #frets #loothing #acoustic #tools #newtool ...
This ‘ol Guild is getting some #love. She came in needing a refret, potential bridge reglue, and daddy wants a pick up installed for performance.
All was well until I found the entire lower treble side x-brace arm fully fuc..... messed up, detached and cracked. Someone previously attempted to glue it, but there were only two glue blobs holding the brace away from the top by 1/8” or more. Like some got some glue in there and didn’t clamp the brace at all.
I was able to scrape the old glue and break it away from the brace and the top with a pallet knife. Then I had a workable glue joint to clamp this brace back to the top.
The second picture is upside down, looking at the mirror inside the guitar looking up at the top where the brace is now glued and clamped.
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#glue #loothin #arizona #arizonaguitar #arizonaluthier #luthier #guitar #guitarluthier #guitarrepair #guitarrestoration #acoustic #acousticguitar #restoration #guitars #custom #sound #customsound #fixit #whatsonyourbench #customshop #vintageguitar #vintage #guild #wood ...
Oldie but a goodie, this ‘57 Gibby J50 is here for a refret and some restoration.
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#arizona #arizonaguitar #arizonaluthier #luthier #guitar #guitarluthier #guitarrepair #guitarrestoration #acoustic #acousticguitar #restoration #guitars #custom #sound #customsound #fixit #whatsonyourbench #customshop #gibson #vintageguitar #vintage ...
Refrets and neck sets. Things like these always seem to come in #waves.
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#guitar #guitarrestoration #guitarluthier #guitarshop #custom #customsound #luthier #customshop #repair #guitarrepair #repairshop #guitars #fixit #whatsonyourbench #restoration #soondsgood #bassguitar #electricguitar #acoustic #acousticguitar ...
I currently have this #georgeous and #impeccable Huss & Dalton for sale. She’s #mint and ready for a new home.
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#guitar #tone #guitartone #acoustictone #guitarluthier #guitarshop #custom #customsound #luthier #customshop #forsale #guitarrepair #repairshop #guitars #highend #whatsonyourbench #customguitar #soondsgood #omguitar #adirondack #acoustic #acousticguitar ...
I think this is the most #beautiful guitar I’ve worked on in a long time. 😍
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#guitar #guitarrestoration #guitarluthier #guitarshop #custom #customsound #luthier #customshop #repair #guitarrepair #repairshop #guitars #fixit #whatsonyourbench #restoration #soondsgood #espguitars #electricguitar #purple #flamemaple ...
I split this video in two for the gram... since they gotta be short ones here.
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#guitar #guitarrestoration #guitarluthier #guitarshop #custom #customsound #luthier #customshop #repair #guitarrepair #repairshop #guitars #fixit #whatsonyourbench #restoration #soondsgood #vintageguitarrepair #vintageguitar #acoustic #acousticguitar ...
#problematic repair on a #vintage #martinguitar.
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#guitar #guitarrestoration #guitarluthier #guitarshop #custom #customsound #luthier #customshop #repair #guitarrepair #repairshop #guitars #fixit #whatsonyourbench #restoration #soondsgood #vintage #vintageguitarrepair #acoustic #acousticguitar #glue ...
Luthier's Statement:
Dear Repair Clients,
Your guitar can reach a new level of playability and tone. Mass produced instruments need individual attention. Even handmade instruments need work sometimes. An experienced and knowledgeable luthier can do things to make your instrument sound better, giving you improved performance. Guitars and other string instruments are primarily made of wood and some glue. The organic material will expand and contract with seasonal humidity and temperature changes. Musical instruments are by nature delicate and sensitive to these changes. And most guitars will benefit significantly from regular adjustments. If you're tired of fighting your instrument and you want perfect playing action, give us a call.
My personal love and focus is on finely crafted steel-string and classical acoustic guitars. I have an affinity for electronic modifications. I'm highly experienced with electric guitars & basses. Fret work is a specialty here and we do a lot of it-- standard fret-leveling and minor dressing, and even full re-fretting on guitars and basses, mandolins and banjos.
Some issues can arise that are beyond our control, especially with instruments that haven't been well-cared for. I encourage clients to by picky, but practical. I will go to great extremes to assure that every customer is completely satisfied with our services.
~ Ryan R. Elewaut, founder & owner
Shop Declaration:
"Cheap fixes" sacrifice the integrity of our work. Poorly made instruments (and poorly maintained ones) are more difficult and time consuming to fix. This is because they usually have more inherent problems. Whether a cherished family heirloom or a campfire beater, this means a "quick fix" can easily turn into a time consuming pain-in-the-neck! Charging for the extra time becomes a problem because the customer wanted it done cheaply in the first place.
Please understand why we must refrain from taking on quick-fixes or cheap jobs. We will not reduce estimates to compensate for an instrument not worth a reasonable amount of work. We understand the sentimental value instruments can have. So, please don't take anything personal if we decline a repair for these reasons.
Turnaround Time & Estimates:
General repairs take 10-14 days to complete depending on our demand and the complexity of the repair. General Setups and quick things like pickup installation are usually returned within a week. Actual estimates have to be made on a per guitar basis, however, the shop rate is published at $65 per hour. Twelve-string guitars and certain electric models take much longer to work with, and we charge for that required time. The bench fee is $35 for extensive troubleshooting without fixing. Our minimum repair charge is $50.
While many guitars need to have multiple repairs performed, some "fixes" are included in the price of others. It's fruitless to attempt a complete list of repair pricing, but a general price-list is shown below. We offer a rush charge of $35 which guarantees completion within 3-5 days. Rush jobs are only available if the schedule permits, and if the repair is possible to expedite. Making an appointment now!
REPAIR PRICING
*Official Quotes must be made individually. This list only shows the most common repair jobs. Our minimum charge is $50. Consultations are always FREE.
Strap button install, quick adjustment, tuning gear parts, fix or replace jack, loose wire, etc.
Includes Custom Setup plus fret leveling, fret re-crowning & fret polishing.
General maintenance, clean & polish, fingerboard conditioning, restring, neck adjustment, etc.
Electronic modifications & pickup installation for any guitar, acoustic or electric.
Includes complete action setup & adjustments, maintenance, intonation spec, restring service and more.
Complete re-fretting & fingerboard re-surfacing with Pro Setup, includes new hand-carved nut.

Appointments & Consultations
Schedule a FREE consultation with a Custom Sound luthier. We will personally assess your instrument and discuss repair options. Making an appointment is the best way to get the attention you deserve with in-depth analysis. Virtual appointments are also available! Click here to schedule your appointment.

Attention Taylor Owners!
Custom Sound is a fully authorized Taylor Warranty repair facility! We are trained to work on the unique and proprietary Taylor neck joint, electronics, and other exclusive parts that make these instruments so amazing. We can order direct replacement parts and initiate warranty claims. If you are curious about the warranty status of your guitar, please give us a call.
Repair by Mail
Service Warranty & Guarantee:
Your satisfaction is our primary goal. We warranty our work for 30 days. Additional fine tuning is included in this period. If something isn't right or your expectations haven't been met for any reason, please let us know. Adverse reactions due to environmental issues and negligent care are not covered under this warranty. We keep our shop within proper humidity & temperature ranges. It is best to keep string instruments between 40%-45% humidity and 65-85 degrees. We have no control over the the environmental conditions your instrument experiences once it leaves our shop. The stability of the environment, along with the sensitivity of the instrument and that of the player will determine how often adjustments need to be made. If you need additional tweaking please contact us.