Friendly staff, incredibly knowledgeable and skilled luthiers, & honest opinions on the value of your instrument. I have bought several instruments at Guru, taken lessons and had my guitars repaired there. I can say, without reservation, that you will be incredibly happy with your experience at Guru.

Excellent service and staff. I have had mods installed and truss rods adjusted by Guru, both perfectly executed. Plus, they will clean and polish any guitar brought in for service!

I dropped off both an acoustic and an electric for some repairs. The staff were all super friendly and knowledgeable. I appreciated the COVID precautions with doing everything outside and all the staff wore mask at all times. I am highly impressed in the difference in the guitars. They feel 100 times better to play and the prices were completely fair.

If you need any type of repair or mod for any guitar, this is the place to go. Over the years, these guys have:- replaced the nut and set up a Martin acoustic- fixed a snapped headstock on a Gibson Les Paul Special (and made it even better than before than break!)- overhauled and dressed messed up frets on a Fender Jazzmaster- set up various other electrics- helped me triage noise issues with a mastery vibrato unit- gave very helpful advice on choosing pickupsOh, and they are always honest, courteous, and easy-going. If they can make it cheaper, theyll always suggest it. Its so nice to work with folks who obviously love what they do--the very opposite of your typical pushy salesman at a guitar chain.So why not support a local business who can make your guitars sound and play better than ever before? This is the place.

We just purchased an ukulele for our son at guru guitars. Gene was so helpful. He helped us find he ideal instrument based on what we were looking for. The uke he thought would be ideal was not in the shop but he was able to get it in next day. because he has such great relationship with the manufacturer. He helped with all of the accessories and even threw in a free Guru Guitar tee. I have heard wonderful things about lessons and repairs. The store is very cool with a combination of new, used and custom instruments.I couldnt be happier with the service and expertise.

I brought my guitar to Guru to get set up, and Im so happy with the result. Excellent service at an affordable price!

Always a great experience everytime I stop by to get gear or have my guitars worked on. These guys get it!

Great and efficient service. Nothing but good things to say all around. They’ve setup and done work on two of my guitars and both trips were well worth the cost.

I have been taking my guitars to Guru to get set up for years, and they always go above and beyond to take care of my instruments. I highly recommend!

Took my guitar there for a restring and truss rod adjustment. Dealt with Howard. He did a great job; sounds great, quick turnaround time & great price. 5*s

Ive been living in Raleigh for thirteen years and hadnt yet found a small homegrown music shop to frequent until I found this place. Ive always done my own minor work on my instruments but one day my 79 Fender Precision quit working and the work was beyond my ability. Anticipating overcharges I dreaded taking it to Sam Ash or Guitar Center. I searched the internet and called some places. Even before getting price quotes I wasnt happy with anyone I talked to. Gene answered the phone when I called Guru Guitars. He was polite, professional, informative, and at the end of our conversation he gave me a $25 quote.I hadnt visited the establishment yet but I already felt a sense that I had finally found the little music shop that had been missing from my life. The store itself is a modest showcase. Once you start handling the equipment though youll be in awe of how even the cheapest stuff is worth every penny. They love what they do, and the adjustments they do (theres a team, not just Gene) on everything in the store are proof. Everything is handled with care. Theyre not in the business of cheating anybody. Also, if what youre looking for isnt in the store they can find it and order it through a trusted network of musical connections from around the world.I brought along my 98 Japanese Fender Mustang and asked them to replace the pickups. I mentioned certain specifications I wanted, and they got creative to make it happen. Without cutting into the guitar, they put stratocaster pickups in it to make it sound brighter than normal Mustang pickups. I later got them to beef up my nylon string Ibanez. These jobs were over $300 each, and Im not complaining. These guitars served me well playing live, but Ive never been able to record with them. Now I can and its brought my creativity to high levels. Im having a lot of fun now that my favorite guitars Ive had for years are good quality instruments.If you want your instrument repaired ultra quickly, they may refuse or not be able to accommodate you however. Theres a heavy wait on repairs. My bass took over a week, and my guitars took a month each. The service they provide is great, so I definitely think the wait is worth it. The rule of thumb is the longer you wait for something, the more awesome its going to be when you get it back.

These guys are very friendly and do a great job. They stayed in contact with me and made sure i was satisfied. A lot of places just think to get the guitar in fix it and rush it out the door. These guys show that they truly care about your instruments and have fantastic customer service. Gene was very friendly and treated me as if he had known me for years. These are the guys you want doing your work if you live in the raleigh area

Love the vintage guitars. fun vibe, helpful staff

Love this place! really nice and lots of amazing instruments

They advertised guitar refinishing but absolutely blew me off when I asked. They recommended someone else, who also ignored me and blew me off. I was just trying to get my guitar repainted in my favorite color. They seem a bit arrogant. I thought playing guitar was supposed to be about self expression, but they only seem interested in making money. Would not recommend.

Howard did a most excellent fret repair job on my finished maple neck Strat. Id highly recommend Guru Guitars for all your service and repair needs.

Masterful luthier work and great communication. I have been coming to Guru Guitars since 2012 when Gene bought my Black Beauty Epiphone Les Paul custom. He graciously gave me slightly more than the guitar was worth when he found out it was selling this guitar to buy an engagement ring for my now wife. Amazing guys, truly! I have been a repeat customer ever since!

Thought it was an informative website not updated very well but the sito is conncise

Quality professionals who go above and beyond to make sure you are informed and making a decision that works for you. These guys know their stuff but are super personable. Bring your business here if you need anything for your guitar!

Gene put a bone nut and saddle on my Taylor and now it plays and sounds great. The Guru guys are very knowledgeable and can get down to the issues quickly. They are friendly and professional.

Guru Guitars is the Best. Howard and Gene and their crew are phenomenal. I have purchased two guitars and an amp through them and had them put a pickup in one of my acoustic guitars and they always treat me great. I know Im not their biggest spending customer, but I am always treated as if I am. I highly recommend Guru Guitars for all your guitar needs. They are locally owned and their selection is awesome!!!

Have purchased instruments, sold instruments and had repairs done at Guru and could not be happier with every experience. Great place to drop by every week and check out the changing inventory of great vintage and used instruments and amps. All the staff are knowledgeable and friendly. A really great place in every way!

I recently purchased a new but slightly damaged Taylor acoustic that had a terrific sound and playability but needed some TLC. Clay at Guru did a terrific job repairing the damage and turned it around in just a few days. This instrument is now a favorite. All the folks at Guru were friendly, easygoing and a pleasure to hang out with. Id recommend this place to anyone who needs a guitar repair OR a guitar. Im a huge fan.

These guys are awesome!! Gene, Clay and Howard are very friendly, extremely knowledgeable and, from what Ive seen the 12-15 times Ive been in there, they really try to steer new players towards purchases that suit them without overspending. Ive seen several customers come in who didnt know much at all about guitars and Howard takes his time to explain what makes a quality guitar and what things to look for in avoiding all those cheap pieces of junk out there (like sometimes available in pawn shops). I mean, they are professional luthiers and nice guys.Ive also been taking acoustic guitar lessons with Gene for about 3 months and couldnt be happier with his patient and relaxed attitude. He has given me several exercises to work on to help me improve my strumming, picking and understand more music theory. He plays well with very little effort and been teaching guitar for quite a few years. My wife has mentioned already how she can hear the difference my lessons have made in my confidence while playing.Oh yeah, and their selection of amps and older guitars is really impressive!! I dont think Ill need to step foot into the Guitar Center or Sam Ash again (even though those two stores are closer to my house off Capital Blvd.)My only complaint about this store is that I wish they had a bigger space so they could show EVERYTHING that they currently have to sell. But hey, rent on a store space on Hillsborough St has got to be a pretty penny, dont you think?Check out this store, you will probably find something really unique.

I came to Guitar Gurus with a 1950s Harmony guitar, the same as Jerry Reed use to play. It was starting to split where the two prices of wood come together in the front. I had the guys at Guitar Gurus fix the split and I add Bone in the nut and bridge. New strings and added pickup system, just and Jerry Reed played. It came out amazing, the sound is awesome, playability is excellent. The guys at Guitar Guru did an OUTSTANDING job. I am bring more of my guitar in to be repaired by this team. Its hard to find someone who knows how to do this correctly. I have found my team at Guitar Gurus.

Awesome place. Had a fret buzz problem and some other place told me I need a complete setup which would mean 50 bucks. They just fixed the problem in a minute.

They did an excellent job of fixing up my dads vintage electric from the 60s!!I received lots of recommendations to check these guys out and am glad I did!! Thanks!

All these guys are awesome. Gene, Howard, and Zach take great care of all of their customers

If youre a pedal nut go here. The guys are always willing to hook it up when youre trading stuff in. The selection is huge and unique, and the people that work here are honest and genuine. I couldnt recommend a better shop in the state.

I’ve been going here for years, the owners and staff are all wonderful and very knowledgeable. I’ve had them work on 4 of my guitars and each one has been returned to me in stellar shape. Inventory is full of interesting finds, the likes of which you won’t find at any of the big box stores.By far my favorite guitar shop in the triangle!

The best I know of in Raleigh for great guitar work. I always have them set up my guitars, and its always money well spent. Recently I had one of my old favorite guitars that the action seemed very high on, so I brought it down to Guru. They took the time to look into the issue and highlighted some damage to the neck joint area and where someone had attempted a repair (probably many years ago). He gave me a no-nonsense assessment of what it would take to get it back to playing condition, and offered to really go through it and give me a quote. They guys are a class act, highly recommended.

This place is a diamond in the rough. One of Raleighs best kept secrets for excellent guitar repair and service. I have had them work on 3 of my guitars and every time it comes back perfect. They are gaining popularity and the wait time to have your guitar repaired can be 30 - 45 days...but it is WORTH IT. I have been to other guitar repair/sales centers and no one comes close to their customer service.

Ive been buying guitars from Gurus for several years. Theyre my first choice for cool, rare and vintage guitars. They are a pleasure to work with. You wont find a nicer more honest dealer anywhere. Ive referred many friends to them and couldnt recommend them more!

First time guitar shopper here. Howard was excellent to work with and never once tried to over sell us. For the guitar we selected, he cleaned, polished, replaced the strings, and tuned the guitar. He also suggested a tuner, picks, and made recommendations for proper maintenance and care. He was very patient with all of our questions and naivety. Although this guitar was for my daughter, I am now considering a guitar for myself and wouldnt hesitate to shop at Guru Guitar first.

Best guitar setups and repair in Raleigh! Gene has pulled off several mini-miracles for me and Raleigh is lucky to have him!

Spent a small mint in this store over time, and I am always delighted in doing so. GURU ROCKS. Definitely take a trip, pick up a guitar, plug it into an amp, and fall in love all over again.

One of the best vintage guitar shops around - they have a lot of sweet vintage guitars and amps flow through their shop. Gene and Howard are both top notch luthiers too! Gene is one of the best instructors in town and can also hand wind pickups to order!Real Raleigh gem

Great customer service and a small but quality selection of instruments to choose from, old and new.

I traveled an hour and a half to have a new set of strings for my acoustic guitar and at the same time fix the fret buzz. Howard did the job well on adjusting the truss rod and putting on the new strings.

The best place in North Carolina. 100% recommended.

Staff is always knowledgeable and helpful with answering questions, tech info, etc.Great products in stock.

Cool gear, helpful engaging staff. Love it!

Awesome staff extremely helpful, and professional.

Not a normal guitar store. All of their stock is vintage guitars and new pedals. Quick service.

Ive heard of this place for about a year now, but only recently decided to check the place out. As stated with previous reviews, if you like effects pedals, check this place out. I found a Ross distortion pedal from the 70s when I went in and they gladly allowed me to test it out, to which I bought afterwards.Ive also found some pretty good deals in their 1/2 price bins they have in the center fixture behind their pedals. There are items in them ranging from cables, to packs of strings; there was even a brand new Hohner harmonica in one of the bins at one point.The staff there are extremely friendly, and neighborly to the point where they recognize return customers such as myself. These guys are WAY more personable and likable than another local music store (Ill give you a hint, their name starts with an H).All in all, I highly recommend this place and would send anybody I know to this place for anything related to guitars, amps, effects, and accessories.

Great staff very knowledgeable and friendly.

Recently had a strat set up, which was in pretty bad shape. They leveled my frets, blocked off my tremelo and adjusted the action. It did take a while to get back but they did an awesome job, it plays amazing and I cant put it down. Highly recommend.

These guys rock. They are down to earth, efficient, helpful, and willing to work with you.If they dont have what you want, they will keep an eye out for it.I would go here over Guitar Center.

So, these guys have done work on two of my guitars so far...and both times the work has been excellent!! These guys do great work and .make themselves easy to talk to. Thats a hard combination to find in ANY business. Much less the guitar business, (Im looking at you Guitar Center...you suck!!!) They even let me play a super expensive vintage Martin when they knew I was not a buyer!! Other businesses keep guitars of less than half the value either locked up or simply beyond reach. Thank you Guru Guitars!!

Good selection of new and used guitar accessories. Knowledgeable staff answered all my questions.

I previously bought a used lefty guitar from GC that the last owner modified into a righty (the nut was filed down). The new lefty nut I bought online didnt sit perfectly. When I brought my guitar here for a setup, I was told itd be ~$80 if they could make the nut work or $100 if they had to make a new one. Well, they modified the nut and made it work! They easily couldve gone the other route. Good work, fellas!

Fantastic customer service. Repair was taking a long time and replacement part order was botched (no fault of their own). But they went out of their way to make it right. Ive found my local guitar shop of choice!

Been going to this store for years and theyve always been helpful. They have fair prices too.

Friendly and knowledge staff. They helped me identify a rare custom guitar and offered honest advice on resale. Would definetly reccommend these guys for any guitar needs.

Had me drive all the way there just to tell me. He can’t take my guitar. That’s why I called a head of time to avolved that.

Expert staff for your guitar set up and a nice store for some browsing.

Friendly people, gorgeous guitars. Its a little slice of heaven.

Nice guys, cool shop

Very nice staff, interesting selection, and a cozy atmosphere.

I spoke to howard about an electric guitar for my 4 year old son. he helped me with finding a very nice half sized axl guitar which is perfect for my son and was very reasonably priced for such a high quality instrument. he even professionally set it up and put a high quality set of strings that would be more user friendly for small hands FREE. he also suggested a ukulele because it would be easy for my sons small hands to manipulate. this was the best advice ever. my son and i are having such a wonderful time that i bought a second larger uke for myself so we could learn together. i had never even considered a ukulele but thanks to howard i am playing this thing every single day and having a blast. you cant beat experience. thanks howard!

Awesome guys to work with everytime.

Howard tweaked my Fender precision and its never sounded better!