Philosophy:
“We treat every instrument like it is our own."
What Musical Instruments and Equipment Do We Repair?
We repair:
- All stringed instruments
- Amps, keyboards, pedals, recording/live audio gear, instrument wiring and other electronic musical things
- Some wind instruments
- Rare and ethnic instruments
We're an authorized service center for every brand we sell (and some we don't). And in addition to our world-class repair shop, we can also customize and make almost any instrument or accessory.
It doesn't matter if you're located near our shop in Ann Arbor or not. You can send us your repair job from anywhere in the world (see the "What to Do" section for details). We're here to help you get your gear back into the best condition possible.
What Do You Do When You Need an Instrument Repaired?
In the Ann Arbor area
Bring the instrument (in its case, if possible) to the store during business hours. Be prepared to leave it for evaluation. After we complete an evaluation of the needed repair(s), a work order will be written and we will provide you with an estimate. If you leave an item for the work to be completed, it will be taken "next in line." We can often tell you an estimated completion date, but it is only an estimate. You will be called as soon as the repair(s) are complete. On-the-spot and same day repairs are offered for musicians with a deadline and visitors passing through town.
Anywhere else
You can ship your instrument to us from anywhere in the world for repairs. To get started, just fill out our online repair form.
Who Does the Repairs?
Our repair technicians are trained and authorized by schools, museums, collectors and most manufacturers of musical instruments. They also bring many, many years of personal knowledge.
- Herb David: Herb has owned this place since 1962, and that pretty much says it all. He fixes, builds, and customizes instruments as often as he can (you can see some of his work here).
- David Collins: David has a long and storied career as a luthier. He built his first guitar at the age of 15, and eventually became the primary builder of McPherson Guitars, constructing over 100 prototypes for research and design. He is a former instructor at Bryan Galloup's School of Lutherie and worked with the repair staff at Elderly Instruments until 2005, when he opened his own shop in Ann Arbor. Collins Luthiery now provides stringed instrument repair services exclusively through Herb David Guitar Studio.
- Brian Delaney: Brian has been repairing, restoring and building guitars and amps for decades. In his early years he was a guitar tech for bands like Blackfoot, Nazareth and Ted Nugent, and eventually opened his own shop in Ann Arbor. He divides his time between making repairs and playing music in several bands in the Detroit area.
- Terry Horvath: Terry started here in 1977 and was our go-to guy for instrument repair work and Zen philosophy. When he wasn't busy fixing instruments or surfing, he was building cigar box ukuleles or making the occasional electric guitar out of a skateboard. These days, Terry's status is somewhere between "not exactly retired" and "still putzing around."
Warranty Service
We are an authorized warranty repair center for the following manufacturers:
We repair all instrument and accessory brands that we sell, and many others. We also do restoration of rare and ethnic instruments.
Custom Shop
Ever since the Herb David Guitar Studio first opened in a basement on State Street in 1962, we have established our reputation as builders of guitars and other folk instruments. Our hand-made creations (guitars, cigar box instruments, carved music stands, harps, lutes, banjos, and more) are on display around the store and are for sale.
We are also happy to do custom work. Whether you want us to add some special touches to one of your instruments, or even if you'd like us to build something for you to your specifications, we can accommodate you. Click here if you would like to ask us about doing a custom job for you.
Famous people who have had their instruments repaired at Herb David Guitar Studio:
- Trey Anastasio
- Ron Asheton
- Julian Bream
- Larry Coryell
- Eric Clapton
- Ani DiFranco
- Bela Fleck
- Jerry Garcia
- Egberto Gismonti
- John Paul Jones
- Carole King
- John Lennon
- Lyle Lovett
- Aimee Mann
- Bill Monroe
- Marc O’Connor
- Bob Seger
- Simon Shaheen
- Clarence White
- ...and many others
Greatest Hits
The Story:
This vintage Guild F412 was brutally murdered when an infamous Detroit rocker threw it off a balcony in a local club. Needless to say, the guitar's owner was not a happy camper. Nobody likes to see their guitar explode into a million pieces, no matter what rock star made it happen. After the owner recovered the guitar (well... a majority of it, anyway) from the floor, he located as many tiny pieces of it as he could, stuffed them inside of a grocery sack, and brought everything here for us to rebuild. Our repair tech, Terry, spent six months gluing together a piece here and a piece there and was ultimately able to salvage it. Now the owner has a working guitar and one heck of a story to tell.
The Story:
One customer brought in her grandfather's violin for restoration. The violin was around a century old, had been stored in a basement closet for years, and was covered in mold and mildew. The top of the body had also started to separate from the side, leaving an ugly gap. We removed the mold and glued the top back into place, then brought the violin back to playable condition by resetting the tuning pegs (which had fallen out) and replacing the bridge. Now it's an old fiddle that sounds great and is full of character.
Acoustic Guitars
