All stringed instruments
Reno Guitar Repair · The Strings of Reno
Guitar and stringed instrument repair, done right at the bench.
Reno Guitar Repair, also known as The Strings of Reno, is luthier Wesley Wilkerson’s repair shop on Matley Lane. Not just guitars: basses, banjos, mandolins, ukuleles and every other stringed instrument. If it has strings, we can fix it.
- Estimates are always free
- Walk-ins welcome while we’re open
- 30-day guarantee, 2 years on finish work
- 1999Reno Guitar Repair founded
- 181prices published, no guessing
- 30-dayguarantee on standard work
- 2-yearguarantee on finish work
Repair prices
What do you play?
We work on every stringed instrument. Every price is on the site: set-ups, frets, nuts, bridges, wiring and finish work. No guessing, and estimates are always free.
What a set-up covers
From the nut to the saddle
An A grade set-up touches all seven of these. Scroll along the neck.
01Truss rod
We set the neck’s relief first: the slight bow that lets strings ring without buzzing. Everything else is measured from here.
02Nut
Slot depth at the nut decides how hard the first frets are to press. Nuts filed, lowered or replaced in bone, synthetic or plastic.
03Frets
Sharp ends filed smooth, high frets levelled, then crowned and polished. Nothing affects playability as much as the frets.
04Saddle & bridge
String height at the saddle, bridge pins seated, lifting bridges re-glued, shaved or replaced.
05Intonation
Every string set on a Peterson strobe tuner, so chords stay in tune all the way up the neck.
06Electronics
Scratchy pots, dead jacks and noisy switches cleaned or replaced, and soldered properly.
07Clean, polish, play
Hardware tightened, fingerboard conditioned, body polished, fresh strings on. Then it gets played before it goes home.
Your luthier
Wesley Wilkerson
Raised in Richmond, Virginia, Wesley found his calling as a teenager building and repairing stringed instruments.
He graduated from the Roberto-Venn School of Luthiery, was lead stringed-instrument repair technician at Wholesale Guitars in Richmond, then spent more than five years as a Final Assembly finishing repair technician at Gibson USA in Nashville. Since the summer of 2016 he has run Reno Guitar Repair, now The Strings of Reno.
- Roberto-Venn School of Luthiery
- Wholesale Guitars, Richmond VA
- Gibson USA, Nashville TN
- Licensed & insured in Nevada and Washoe County
Fretwork
Fretwork that plays itself.
Nothing affects playability as much as the frets, so don’t trust them to just anyone. Fret end filing from $45, a level, crown and polish from $225, a complete re-fret from $425.
On the bench
Recent work from the shop
Photos from Wesley’s bench on Matley Lane. Select one to see it larger.
How it works
From drop‑off to pick‑up
No appointment needed to drop off. Here’s what happens next.
- 1
Bring it in
Walk in any time we’re open; you don’t need an appointment to drop off an instrument. Saturdays are by appointment only.
- 2
Free estimate
We look it over with you and tell you what it needs and what it costs. Estimates are always free.
- 3
On the bench
Walk-in work usually takes 2–3 weeks. Call any time for an update. A same-day emergency job carries a $300 expedite fee.
- 4
Play it before you go
Every instrument is tested before it leaves, and you play it at pick-up. Standard work is guaranteed for 30 days, finish work for 2 years.
Prefer an appointment? They’re usually booked about six weeks out, finished the same day, and can cover three to five instruments. Saturdays are by appointment only. Call 775-345-5880.
Quality work at a fair price
No rushed or low-quality work
You may pay a little more for a particular job, but we take our time and do it right. You will hear and feel the difference, guaranteed.
Our pricing is in line with professional repair rates across the country. The difference is the level of service: the region’s most experienced repair bench, and support that doesn’t end when you walk out the door.
- Experience. We live and breathe guitar set-up, repair and restoration.
- Licensed & insured in the state of Nevada and Washoe County.
- Free estimates. Every estimate is free; a phone quote is confirmed once we see the instrument.
- Back-end support. Our job doesn’t end when you walk out the door.
Visit the shop
960 Matley Lane, Reno
See the hours below
We’re in suite #32 on Matley Lane, where it meets Mill Street, just off US-395 / I-580 near the Grand Sierra Resort. Walk-ins are always welcome during open hours.
| Monday | 10 am–4 pm |
|---|---|
| Tuesday | 10 am–6 pm |
| Wednesday | 10 am–6 pm |
| Thursday | 10 am–6 pm |
| Friday | 10 am–5 pm |
| Saturday | By appointment |
| Sunday | Closed |
If it has strings, we can fix it.
Bring it by, call, or send a few lines about what it’s doing. Estimates are always free.