Third Coast Guitar Repair

These guys are great. First, you can tell they are really into what they do just by stepping into the repair shop and taking in the atmosphere. In addition to that, the owner was extremely friendly and helpful, eager to assist with even the smallest job. They were able to restring my fender in about 10 minutes. Despite the quick turnaround, the quality was glaringly evident.
Definitely planning on getting more custom jobs done by Third Coast because of this great interaction.

My ovation acoustic/​electric guitar was getting no signal when plugged-in…boo! Given the fact that the pre-​amp in my model is a little more complicated, I took it to Third Coast, as they were listed by Ovation as an Ovation Gold certified repair shop (not to mention they are a certified repair shop for almost every major guitar and amp brand). The location is not the most convenient, but you can find quick load zone parking in the front, and the inside of this place is a MASSIVE repair shop; the biggest I have ever seen with many technicians.
PROS:
–I communicated with 4 different technicians during my service period, and each one was nice, non-​condescending, and very knowledgeable.
— They did a complete check of my guitar as part of their standard bench service and were able to diagnose and quote my repair costs within 24 hours.
— I was consulted on some recommended maintenance services, but was never given the hard-​sell or guilt trip on this. They let me know what things were more important than others, depending on my level of playing and how long I planned on keeping the guitar.
— The set-​up they did was excellent; guitar feels great and rings clear.
— Price was very reasonable. For replacing the pre-​amp housing, cord jack, set-​up, and fret level, it was $ 150 with labor, parts, and tax.
CONS:
— None so far, besides maybe the lack of a dedicated parking space or spaces for customers looking to drop-​off gear.

I found a vintage Martin mandolin at an estate sale. The instrument was in desperate need of some TLC and expert repair. After a couple of months the mandolin was ready. It looks and sounds great; ready to find a new home. The guys really know what they are doing.

A well done for Third Coast Guitar!!!
Back in September of 2014 at 1:30 in the morning a slat board came off the wall that was holding 8 of my mint guitars. They fell on 8 other guitars and although there was no broken bones, there were dents, gouging and scratches. I may have been able to push the insurance into all new axes, (if your guitars are not scheduled, do it tomorrow) but all them have a story behind them and were purchased with a great deal of passion and desire.
I called Fender guitar and was told that TCG would be a wise choice. I drove the guitars there from Detroit and was greeted by Nate who immediately felt my pain and consoled me with the fact that I was at the right place! Patience is necessary for the work to be done right, but completely worth it!
They are back on the wall and unless you knew where the work was done you would never know!
Thanks to all the guys that put there love into my collection.
Job well done!

I have had my guitars repaired at a couple of places around town and this one really is the best. John at the Palatine location does a quality job, on time, for a reasonable price. I had a Zion that kept going out of tune because of the ancient Kahler tremolo and after two failed attempts at other guitar repair places, Third Coast got it right. The guitar totally stays in tune now even when I use the whammy bar. Thanks so much, Third Coast.

I can’t say enough good things about this shop. Aside from their expertise (efficient, creative, timely, and affordable), it’s their customer service that sets them far apart from every (yes every) other repair shop. They listen, they smile, they are helpful, and above all, don’t make you feel like you’re a complete moron.
May every other shop go out of business. This is where I’ll be having everything of mine worked on from here forward.

Five stars because this place stopped my husband’s complaining…
First of all, I don’t know much about guitar repair. I know a bit about strings and things, but after the trip I made with my hubby to have his guitar setup (new strings and neck adjustment), I feel like an expert! Think of a car tune up, but for guitars. I’m so glad we went, because the buzzing noise from his guitar frets was putting him in a bad mood, and his complaining was driving me insane.
So you know, this shop isn’t your everyday guitar repair shop. And, my hubby, a professional musician, is super duper picky about who he lets work on his guitars. Coming here is a big deal, and this place has been his go to shop for years. We’ve traveled far to the city to come here numerous times, and guess what? They now have a satellite shop in the newly opened Make’n Music store, that now occupies the former Gand Music space in Northfield. Finally, time to save some miles on our car.
We brought the guitar expecting to leave it like usual, but Chris the owner was able to accommodate us same day since my hubby needed it right away for a session. Thank you Third Coast Guitar Repair, because the guitar finally sounds great, there is no more buzzing, and no more buzzing means no more husband-​in-​a-​bad-​mood moments. Yay!

There are many great places in Chicago to take your guitar for a routine setup. Third Coast consistently provides the highest-​quality setups of any of those places. Last Saturday, when I showed up to get a setup on my Gibson ES-​135, Third Coast staff took the guitar in back for a few minutes, lowered the action and let me know that a setup probably wasn’t yet necessary. They sent me on my way with my guitar in great shape and they didn’t charge me anything. I really appreciated that. There are places that are more expensive than Third Coast and there are places that are less expensive. Third Coast does the best work.
Third Coast has performed multiple setups on that Gibson ES-​135 and my 1962 Fender Jaguar. They’ve done work on my Martin HD-​28. I’d trust them with any guitar.

Super helpful and knowledgeable staff! They do unbelievable finish work and are great with set ups and other maintenance.

As far as I’m concerned — this is the ONLY place to bring your gear. You won’t find a more knowledgeable, dedicated crew anywhere else in the city.
From minor setup work to custom pedals, guitars and amps — this is the spot.

Very satisfied. They were very honest. Just took my guitar in for repair, they told me that it was not worth it to fix. I appreciate the straight forward honest answer.

One month after I purchased my brand new Gretsch NOS Masterbuilt 57′ Duo Jet from Wildwood Guitars I had the worst thing happen. While I was playing the guitar my phone rang and I leaned the guitar up against a speaker in my home. The guitar slipped on the tile floor and put 4 penny sized chips in the neck and one chip on the lower bottom end of the guitar. I was in shock for about 24 hours. I called Wildwood and asked Steve if Fender would repair the guitar. They don’t. But the tech said call Third Coast Guitar Repair, because that’s where I would send mine if it needed that type of work. So, I called and spoke with Chad. Chad asked me to send pics. Once he had the chance to review the pics he gave me a very fair price for what I thought was a completely ruined guitar for me. I sent the guitar, and Chad called after he received it. He told me that the tech noticed that the frets needed to be crowned, and that he would see about Fender paying for that part under warranty. He made me feel completely comfortable and assured me that they would be able to fix my guitar and bring it back to it’s original condition. Well, yesterday I received the guitar and let me tell you… not only does it look brand new like nothing ever happened, but it plays and sounds 10 times better. The tech adjusted the pickup poles as well. I’m serious here. My guitar is better than when I received it brand new. Guys, you’re the best. Best repairs. Best service. Best response, and completely overall just nice guys. Thank you so much for making something that was so tragic, into one of the best experiences I’ve ever had in all my 40 years of playing and owning guitars. Thank you!!! Fred

Allow me to begin by stating: I’ve been playing guitar for almost ¾ of my life. During this time, I’ve probably owned over 200 different guitars. Various types… from Danelectros to custom shop Gibson Les Pauls to $ 250 Ibanez acoustics. Some people collect baseball cards, I collect guitars. Usually only have from 8 to 12 in my collection at one time, but I try not to keep anything around for the long haul. Variety is the spice of life, ya’ know?
That being said, I learned of this place when I moved to the west loop 5 years ago. Around this same time, I picked up an older Fender Strat Plus. Now, I’m not generally a Strat guy but I decided to have it set up at this place after a week of owning the guitar. I figured, my last tech was now an hour drive away and it would be cool to see what the local techs can do to a «standard» guitar that I just recently acquired.
Once I received it back (about 5 days) I remember being completely blown away. The guitar played smoother than silk. I brought it back home and just could not put it down. Honestly, it was hard to do anything else than play the guitar. This all coming from someone who really isn’t a Strat guy.
I decided to take another guitar in. Same thing. Guitar felt as right as rain. I couldn’t stop playing it. Now, whenever I pick up a new guitar, I keep it for a week, clean it up, play it and then take it in.
I can not comment on any of the other work they do here since I’ve only ever had guitars set up from here. However, that being said, for guitar setups… these guys will have no problem dialing it in for you.
Next time you pick something up, take it in here to have it set up and tell them that Jeff sent ya’. They’ll do the following:
* Ask you, «who the hell is Jeff?»
* Properly get your guitar locked in.

I’ve taken several guitars and bass guitars to Third coast over the past year and a half. My experience has been nothing but great. Chris (the owner) takes his time explaining what needs to be done with the initial examination of your instrument. He shoots you quote on the spot that never swings more than $ 5-​$ 10, and he gives you a completion date that he has never missed other then one time when the boys got into my guitar realized it was manufactured slightly different than usual. That being said, they needed it for an additional day. Any weirdness that they have found once getting into the work was communicated to me in real time or explained to me when I picked it up with no additional charge. Their prices are standard and are very fair and quality has been excellent. Work that I have had done with them includes set ups (and they always nail the action just the way I like it), pick up installs and recently 50’s style wiring. The knowledge, craftsmanship and overall great service will keep me coming back. Oh yeah, Chris and Nathan (service manager) are real dudes, we always seem to continue a conversation from the last time I was in.
For the people reading this review: I’m a picky guy, I want what I want and when I want it and I don’t care what it costs. That being said, I’m realistic when shit doesn’t happen exactly the way I want it. I’m adding this because after reading some of the other reviews, I’m curious what some peoples expectations are. These guys (Third Coast Guitar Repair) ROCK!

Beware. I took my Ibanez to their satellite shop at the Villa Park Guitar Center on Saturday February 1^st 2014 and what a mistake that was. I dropped it off for a set up. From what I know a set up can take up to an hour or two. I was told it would take 5 days, I understand they were busy. A week went by so I decided to call and ask if it was ready. Nope not yet I was told but you are next on the list I was told. We will call you later today once it is done I was told. Saturday February 8^th 2014 came and went with no call, Ok these guys are busy I thought, I will call them on Sunday. I called Sunday February 9^th 2014 and the person at Guitar Center who answered the phone told me the repair guy is off on Sunday. OK I will call them Tuesday this will give them more time to finish the job. Tuesday February 11^th 2014 I called again. I was told that they were busy but will get to my guitar that day and call me once the set up is complete. You guessed it no call on Tuesday. I decided to write the assistant manager at Guitar Center an email on Friday February 14^th 2014. I made him aware of what was going on and finally at 12 pm that same day I get a message that my guitar will be worked on that day and will be ready after 1:30 pm. They said that they had no work order for my guitar, that the guy who took my request never wrote it down in the book. So this whole time I was being lied to when I was calling to get status on my guitar.
I did not want to believe the negative reviews I read prior to dropping off my guitar but after what I went through they are 100% true. You have been warned.

Had an awful experience here. Was talked into work my guitar didn’t need and found my guitar altered in ways completely unrelated to the work I’d authorized. When I begged owner Chris to have guitar returned to spec he told me flat out my 64 mustang I’d owned for 20 years could not be altered back, only came the way it was set up & proceeded to take apart my bridge /​tremolo to prove to me what I new had clearly been altered. After half hour of me telling him I’d played same guitar 20 years and that’s not the way I left it or wanted it as well as never authorized anyone to change– another repairman came out to show owner how vintage mustangs work. Never again.

They did more damage than good to my amp. And it wasn’t cheap. I would not recommend this place for amps work. I have used them for guitar repairs and that they are good at.
The owner — Chris — is very nice, make sure you talk to him.

I had a great experience with these guys. I needed a small component removed from a guitar because I didn’t have the tool to do it myself properly. Chris quoted a fair fee for the quick job and told me to bring it in. I brought it in, he had it squared away in less than 5min, and said it was much simpler than expected so there would be no charge. I really appreciate the integrity and the rapid service. The next time I need actual repair work done, I’ll be taking my gear here.

Great place!!! I had some EMGs installed in my guitar.
Came to find out the pickup cavity had to be routed out so they would fit.
Nate was awesome! He was completly up front with all the cost involved.
He was super nice and friendly. The whole vibe of the place was great.
I brought my guitar in on a Monday and was hoping to have it done by Friday the same
week, and it was! Nate did a GREAT JOB!!! I even opened up the back of the guitar to see thier workman ship and it was CLEAN! Very pro place! I will always go here for all my repairs, and recommend to my friends. Thanks again Nate!

Your best friend from childhood is not feeling well. In fact, they are decidedly ill, and are likely going to need a procedure. Let’s say it’s an appendectomy, an episiotiomy, an endoscopy… something relatively routine, but still significantly unpleasant. This is your greatest friend who has always been there for you through the worst moments of your life: losing your job, the heartcrushing, self-​esteem shattering breakups, the passing of your dearest loved ones. This true companion has always given you everything you needed, and asked nothing in return.
But now the call has come. Now you are needed, and you would do anything for this person who has caught more metaphorical bullets with their chest to keep you from harm than you can count. You will do anything it takes.
«My friend, just to make sure that everything goes flawlessly to restore you to your finest health, I think I had better perform your tracheotomy.»
You are not this foolish.
Nor am I.
Over the years, I have dug into more projects than I can count. Since childhood, I have been a tinkerer, a do-​it-​yourselfer. I choose to do repairs I have never done for the very reason that the learning is more important than the success. And far more often than not, success follows with the mere belief that success is possible. The less experience I have, the more I want to attempt it. This philosophy applies to all things mechanical and electrical. I can, will, and have torn into the coffee maker, the VCR, the car, the refrigerator, the dryer, the computer, the wall, the furnace, the service panel, the staircase, the chimney, the sewer, and the foundation without a second thought, and restored it to its proper functionality or better.
But there is one thing I will not do…
I sought out my best friend late in high school. I had decided that I was mature enough to finally have a friend of the quality, purity, and endurance that would last a lifetime. I had worked hard, learned much, and suffered much, and knew I had finally earned the right to enjoy that sort of friendship.
The search was very short. I knew I would know this friend when I saw them. And without a doubt I did. In the entire world, there was only one for me. The moment we met, I knew, and I made my pledge that as long as I have breath we will always be together.
It is not fancy nor is it flashy. It is simple, unassuming, reliable, and pure. But more important than anything, it is mine. My most trustworthy friend until death take me or the world end:
My Martin mahogany dreadnought!
We quickly bonded and had many adventures. The music we made together was better than anything I had done previously, and while it may not win accolades, it was uniquely ours alone.
The time eventually came to bring our music to the public. I needed to have a condenser microphone/​piezoelectric installed with a preamp. But I couldn’t, wouldn’t do it myself. While I felt that I could certainly be capable of such an installation, the thought made me queasy.
The very idea of taking a drill to my lifetime friend was…
Unholy.
Fortunately, there are people far more qualified than I that will ensure the job is done right. I have been going to Third Coast back when it was Bob’s Guitar Service, but the same people are there still and the same top quality of service is done. All the work they have done for me has been nothing short of excellent.
And let me tell you, these guys are no slouches. While my job was challenging, my musician friend had some even greater issues with his Taylor. He had a habit of playing 13gauge telephone wires with a brass slide. The wear was so great that he had to have the instrument refretted and recrowned. Twice. And every time it came home from Third Coast, it played like a dream. To us, this seemed nothing short of a miracle.
Their office is conveniently located near Harpo studios so that whenever Oprah goes wild with Metallic fervor and smashes her axe a la Pete Townshend or El Kabong, they can have her instrument back and rockin’ the middle-​aged mothers with her BC Rich Warlock and her Fifteen Screaming Fingers of Death. Rock on, Oprah!
If you like the smell of hardwood and glue, the smell of craftsmanship, make sure you visit someday.
Thanks to Third Coast, my Martin is kept healthy and our music is reaching new personal heights. When it comes to the inner workings of your best friend’s physiology, some things should just remain a mystery.