Services
Setups (complete guitar adjustment)
A good setup is the line between a guitar you fight with and an instrument that works with your hands.
At Pracownia Gitar this is a process that includes the full maintenance and string change service, but that is only the beginning. We precisely correct the nut slots, adjusting their height, their diameter for the new strings and their break angle. We set the optimal neck relief, string action and intonation, and we make sure the bridge saddles follow the fretboard radius exactly. If the guitar has a floating bridge, we adjust that as well.
We finish the work with an audit of the whole instrument: we tighten anything loose, from tuners to bridge and neck fixings, and the electronics are cleaned and lubricated with products made for potentiometers.
An important note about geometry: you need to know that a setup on its own, without levelling the frets first, is sometimes a compromise. If the frets on your guitar are not perfectly level, or the neck tends to twist, we set the parameters to give you the greatest possible playing comfort. We are, however, limited by the imperfections of the instrument's geometry. The end result of such a setup will be an improvement, but it may feel noticeably different from a situation where we work on a perfectly levelled plane of fret crowns.
What the service includes:
- Full adjustment of all parameters
- Maintenance of the electronics
- Personalisation to suit your needs
- String change and maintenance
Other services
Instrument diagnosticsA conversation about your experience and your needsVisual inspection and measurements of the instrumentIdentifying faults and their causesSee the full scope 
String change and maintenanceRemoving dirt from the fretboard and the body.Conditioning and oiling the fretboardPolishing the frets and fitting new strings.See the full scope 
FretworkLevelling, crowning and polishing the fretsFull refretRounding off sharp fret endsSee the full scope 
Gluing breaks and cracksRepair of broken headstocksGluing cracks in tops and sidesRe-gluing bridges and bracingSee the full scope 
Full restoration and rebuildsNew life for old instrumentsRefreshing old lacquer finishesComplete rebuilds of damaged guitarsSee the full scope 
Hardware replacement and repairFitting tuners, including locking onesReplacing bridges, tremolos and string retainersFitting strap buttons and strap locksSee the full scope 
Nuts and bridge saddles in bone and brassCutting and shaping nutsBridge saddles for acoustic and classical guitarsCompensation for the scale lengthSee the full scope 
Electronics, modifications and upgradesPickup replacementReplacement of faulty componentsCircuit modifications (coil split, treble bleed)See the full scope 
Zero service for new instrumentsVerification of the technical conditionRuling out hidden factory defectsPersonalisation of stock instrumentsSee the full scope 
Making fretboards, pickguards and bridgesWe cut new fretboards on a CNC machineWe cut custom pickguardsWe recreate damaged acoustic bridgesSee the full scope 
String buzzDoes your guitar buzz even when you pluck the string gently?Does the note die away when you bend?Do some notes on the neck not sound at all?See the full scope 
Uncomfortable setup and sore hands (a stiff guitar)Do you struggle with barre chords?Do the first positions take real force?Does your fretting hand tire quickly?See the full scope 
Action that is too high (strings far above the frets)Are the strings so high that you can slide a finger underneath?Is playing around the 10th to 12th fret close to a miracle?Is the top of your acoustic worryingly bellied?See the full scope 
Weak, dull tone and no clarityDoes the guitar sound like it is under a blanket, with no clarity?Does the note die away very quickly, with no sustain?Do your chords lack definition?See the full scope 
The guitar will not stay in tuneDo you have to retune after every bend?Does using the tremolo arm throw the instrument completely out of tune?Is the guitar in tune on open strings but out of tune on chords higher up the neck?See the full scope 
Mechanical damageA cracked or snapped headstock?Dents, lacquer chips or holes in the body?A bridge lifting off an acoustic guitar?See the full scope 
Electrical problems (noise and crackle)Crackling potentiometers?Does the sound cut out when you move the cable in the socket?An irritating hum that comes and goes for no reason?See the full scope