Sonoma County Guitarworks

If it were possible to give Geoff and Sonoma Co. Guitarworks six stars, that would be the appropriate rating.
I don’t know where to start… so suffice it to say that my relationship with SF Guitarworks (the original shop in Potrero Hill) goes back to 2004, when I first lived and worked in San Francisco. I had setup work done by Geoff and his team on several different guitars back then, including a Parker Supreme and original Newburgh Steinberger that I still own to this day. Over the years, I’ve had work done by other shops, including fretwork by Gary Brawer’s, when he was the only game in town with the Plek. No real complaints against Gary and his team, other than expecting your guitar to spend a few months sitting at his shop, if Gary himself has to do the work. So, hopefully you have a few backup instruments to use in the meantime.
What really floors me about Geoff’s work, is his keen attention to detail that most other [often top-​end repair places] miss, including Brawer’s. A fine example is an Ernie Ball Luke that was re-​fretted by GB’s place a number of years ago… while the fretwork was flawless, the guitar never had that amazing «chime» that the finest electrics have; that sort of acoustic magic that makes you just want to play the guitar unplugged, as much as you can. Well, a few months ago, I brought the Luke in for a setup, and Geoff discovered that the neck bolts were stripped, and therefore the «set» was never as ideal as it could have been… he re-​bored the neck joint, and got the neck totally flush with the body… it was as if I had been given a new and upgraded instrument. It was that feeling of falling in love with a guitar, that now becomes an extension of your soul; an organic instrument that you didn’t know had that kind of potential.
I could re-​tell many other stories of how Geoff’s attention to detail, and his ability to accurately apprise and diagnose what’s going on with your guitar, that makes him very much like a top-​notch cardiothoracic surgeon. Part of this is that he has exceptionally good listening skills, and will apply that to making sure your guitar has every chance of being the instrument you hope it can be.
Supposedly the one guy who was referred to Steve Vai as the top Bay Area guitar tech to have on-​hand for some studio work he was doing in Oakland, was Geoff Luttrell. This doesn’t surprise me at all. Geoff is the Master. And yet, his prices are ridiculously fair for the caliber of work done.
Don’t hesistate to plan your next guitar or bass tune-​up or repair job, with Geoff; not likely you will be disappointed.
Now dammit, why won’t Unilocal let me give him six stars??? ‘Cuz that would be fair and appropriate…

Geoff is by far the best luthier that I’ve encountered in Sonoma County. He is very responsive, quick, friendly and does great work. He always explains the things he does very thoroughly so you understand how he’s going to better your instrument, which is something that I really appreciate in a luthier. If you want a great guy to do great work on your instrument at a reasonable price, give Geoff a call!

Jeff took me in on a Sunday morning to do do a solder related repair. He did it while I waited and he was cordial, thorough, and his fee was beyond reasonable. I’m a keyboardist but if I played guitar he’d be my «go to» guy.

SF Guitarworks is my new goto shop — which says a lot as I consider myself fairly OCD when it comes to people touching my guitars. In fact, I can’t remember the last time I didn’t go home and redo something or re-​adjust something that wasn’t done quite right.
That said, I just got a pre-​CBS Fender back from Geoff for a re-​fret, plek, new nut, setup and electronics R&R… a lot of stuff. I was seriously nervous, however, it came back absolutely flawless and just how I wanted it. Geoff is an artist!
Prices are reasonable (it is the bay area!) and commensurate with the quality of the work. Communication is excellent and the turnaround time is outstanding. When you drop off a guitar they ask questions, takes notes, etc…
I have a handful of vintage guitars that I will be dropping off at their Petaluma location in the near future. Geoff not only runs an expert repair shop, he also knows how to run a business!

I’m so grateful for Geoff & company over at SF Guitarworks because now they’ve opened up a second shop now in Petaluma! I was seeing him when we still lived in Daly City and now living in Sonoma my disability makes it difficult to make long trips so unless it’s absolutely necessary I won’t go back to SF.
I have this beautiful custom made acoustic guitar that has lovely inlay work all around plus these interesting symbols on the fingerboard taking the place of the usual suspects and when this guitar was made available the stars had shown brightly upon me this lovely one of a kind named Mary. Long story on how this happened and isn’t relevant to the review so maybe another time?
This split happened from the bridge to the bottom of the guitar right down the middle and thankfully I managed to have the split stop from making any worse damage than was occurring and I just hated pulling it out of the case for fear of it really going south with unrepairable damage and this isn’t a cheaply made guitar by any means. Once I learned Geoff had added the second shop we connected and man, Geoff is something else!
Dude is freaking awesome!
He’s so cool, he explained some possible options and what he suggested would be the best choice and we went with it. A few weeks & phone calls later low & behold … this baby was already a stunner with this sound thats heavenly sweet, robust with clarity and sustain. The finish was almost satin to a matt type of finish, very light and didn’t look like it had any but with what we had going for us Geoff suggested giving it a semi gloss finish, not to expose a shift in color due to the work that was necessary, not too heavy and it looks like it could be a Taylor!
Very affordable and Geoff doesn’t talk down to you. I’ve been going to him since he first opened shop in SF quite a few years ago.
Next was the Gretsch (it was originally a) 6120 DSW The classic orange with branded G and south western motifs cut into the inlays. The pups (pickups you novices!) Were switched out to a pair of TV Jones Classics the original owner was quite the Setzer fan, so now it would actually be qualified to be called a 6120TVJ-​CLW! LOL!
Anyway, thats for the sticklers!
Well, I’m notoriously hard or heavy palmed where I get percussive with my strumming and the Gretsch Bar bridge was always out of whack! A little sharp here or flat there never quite right even though I rely on a tuner. Geoff suggested a technique he & his boys at SF Guitarworks came up with where they pin down the bridge and can do it without any extra stresses added to the wooden part of the bridge and where the post holes already are, they drill into there just under the posts and there it is! My Gretsch who I’ve named Lilith is now even more of what she can be!
Thank you Geoff!