Dowling Sound Labs

Guitar Repair

I have been repairing guitars and other stringed instruments most of my life. I love working with wood and making people happy. I just did a fret mill, recrown and setup on a Martin for a fellow and he said that it was the "best $35 he had ever spent - better than Christmas". Virtually all guitars that are made in a factory will need fret work and a setup before they will play properly. A well tuned guitar almost seems to "play itself".

I really like taking guitars, banjos, mandolins that are considered junk / unfixable and "resurrecting" them by whatever means I have at my disposal. I also shoot nitrocellulose lacquer and acrylic lacquer - I an not interested in spraying the catalyzed resins now used for most guitar finishes.

Give me a guitar with frets deeply grooved from playing and I will give you back a guitar with frets and fretboard better than when it was new, all level to +/-.001", frets polished and reconditioned fret board. You can use a magnifying glass to inspect my work - it is better than the factory. Most of the guitars I fix are better than when the left the factory.

Check out some of my work here - some "extreme" guitar repairs.

"Steam Powered Airplane"