What To Expect
100% satisfaction guarantee: Ann Arbor Guitars guarantees our work and 100% customer satisfaction! If you are not pleased with our efforts you don’t pay! This kind of guarantee is unheard of in our business and we are so very confident that you will be absolutely thrilled with our work that we are pleased to offer our 100% satisfaction guarantee to our valued clients! Satisfaction guarantee does not apply to major jobs, refrets, neck resets and/or work on valuable vintage instruments.
Same day service: Also relatively unheard of in the Lutherie business we offer same day service on some types of repairs. Our set-ups are among the best in the business and if we have your guitar by noon on any given weekday it will be available for pick-up completely set-up by 3:30 PM the same day provided that we have we have the time that day. Please call in advance to secure your same day set-up slot. Other types of repairs such as a loose jack, etc. that are less complex in nature also qualify. Please note we do have a minimum service level of a set-up. More complex jobs will be quoted and completed as necessary and do not qualify for same day service and appointments are now required, please call to make one. 734 332-6142
Direct access to a Luthier: Speak directly to a Luthier, not a tech, not a music store sales person (no offense intended). Speak directly to a career Luthier who is very knowledgable and accomplished in plucked musical instrument repair.
Highest quality service: It’s been said that we are sticklers for quality and if you read our reviews you will understand why. Ann Arbor Guitars is not a music store and never wanted to be one either. Instead we have a laser focus on providing the very highest quality repair and restoration services available anywhere and at any price! We won’t let work leave our shop unless it is repaired correctly.
Innovation and proprietary technology: If you visit our Facebook page or our videos page you will see that we are one of the leaders in Lutherie research and development. Master Luthier David Collins is very well known in the Lutherie community for cutting edge research and innovative tool design and manufacture. What this means to you is that some methods that we have developed and pioneered are not available anywhere else and this also includes custom tooling and machines developed specifically for application oriented Lutherie work. Many of our methods provide the value of lower risk of damage, faster turn around times, and much more consistent results.
We don’t attempt to be all things to all folks: On occasion we may decline on a job. The reasons will also be customer centric in nature meaning that for one reason or another we believe that you may be better served else where. Examples are refinishing guitars, this is something that we don’t do but would be happy to refer you to someone else. The value to our clients in understanding our own limitations is that your instrument will never be subjected to someone’s learning curve....
Parts Guitars: These days it’s possible to build a guitar from aftermarket parts. Please be advised that Ann Arbor Guitars does not assemble so-called “parts guitars.” The reasons for this are that many of the after market parts lack quality and will not perform or fit as billed. Certain critical operations such as fitting necks, locating bridges although not difficult for us are greatly complicated when the parts are....... Junk. As such believing as we do that if we touch it we own it and not wishing to get any on us.... so to speak we will not accept any parts guitars for work at Ann Arbor Guitars.
We will on occasion agree to do some work on a parts guitar provided that the instrument has already been fully assembled and has been a successful, playable musical instrument prior. What level of involvement we will agree to on these guitars will be determined on a case by case basis.
Do It Yourself Repair Advice: For liability reasons and because this is not the business that we are in Ann Arbor Guitars does not provide advice for do it yourself repairs. We are happy to assist our clients by providing the highest quality repair work available but we will not enable you to possibly hurt yourself, someone else or your valuable personal property or someone else’s. The trade of Lutherie takes years of study and experience to learn to do well. We do from time to time offer classes in various aspects of guitar repair for qualified students.
Respectful and Professional: We treat our clients with great respect and want your experience with us to be as positive as possible. Sadly though in this industry there are people looking to make a quick buck from flipping an instrument with.... “Issues.” We don’t want to be involved and will let folks know when we encounter this.
Ann Arbor Guitars reserves the right to decline on any job that we do not feel is on the up and up, is not what we do as our core competency, or for a person who disrespects us or our facility. We are private contractors and have every right to determine what we take in and what we will not agree to work on.
Valuable, Vintage or irreplaceable Instruments: Ann Arbor guitars is no stranger to valuable instruments and we do work with a number of famous clients some with personal signature models and/or irreplaceable vintage instruments. We maintain appropriate levels of liability insurance so that owners/stewards may rest assured that not only will we provide the highest quality work at all times but your instruments are properly insured when on our premises.
In keeping with industry norms for woking on these special instruments we may charge a 50% premium to cover the costs of the added layers of care and the expense of carrying high levels of liability insurance.
Please consult us for further information.
Socially conscious: We value our clients greatly, all of you and it’s our pledge to you that you will be treated with the utmost respect and professionalism at all times.
Support for the homeless: We have a soft spot for Ann Arbor’s homeless folks. We have been known on a case-by-case basis to repurpose donated musical instruments to be repaired and given to homeless folks. If you would like to participate in brightening a homeless person’s day and have a guitar that could be repaired and repurposed please let us know.
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