The following page will be used to post the reviews of my business I find on the                         Internet.

           I will also be using this page for customer testimonials, quotes and comments.

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    User Rating: 5 out of 5 stars by skink 06/24/2010

  • World-class work that doesn't cost an arm and a leg. I was given an unplayable cheap mandolin; after Rich worked on it the original owner was nonplussed to find it easier to play than his $3000 custom. Crowned frets, filled cracked fretboard seamlessly and shaped top & bottom of adjustable bridge for under $100. Crowned frets on Ibanez bass and replaced broken tuning pin with a drop D extender--makes pro bass players jealous. Complete crowning and setup bridge & saddle on 12-string to custom specs--amazing. Complete rebuild of BC Rich Warlock including electrics--love it! He's a high-end builder, too; one of the original builders of the Stevens extended cutaway electrics, and can do broken headstocks/refinishes/custom finishes of incredible quality; I've seen them; you can't get better work at any price.

        

    User Rating: 5 out of 5 stars by Ron Rogers 06/06/2010

  • I live in Pittsburgh, PA. I broke my truss rod in my washburn N4. Everyone around here told me it was the kiss of death and could not be repaired. After emailing Stephen Davies about a replacement neck, Richard from RJW got in touch with me, needless to say, after talking with him I sent my neck on a 2500 mile trip. I now have my repaired neck back and it is better than it ever was. The quality of work is amazing, and the price was extremely reasonable. If you live anywhere near him and you don't take your guitar there you are crazy. Trust me!!!!!

    •  

    Broken beyond repair. So I sent it 2500 miles away!!

    by bionicduck at Citysearch

    I feel the need to let the world know about RJW Guitar Repair in Tukwila.

    I had just purchase a Washburn N4 from eBay used for $1100, new they go for $2000. While setting the guitar up I broke the end off of the faulty truss rod.

    I contacted Washburn and they wanted $900 and the body for at least 6 months. I then got in touch with some of the “hot shot” guitar guys in my area, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania that I have dealt with in the past. Most of them said "that’s a shame, that can’t be fixed, that’s the kiss of death for a guitar, I can’t fix it". The one person that said they would try told me at least $700 and there are no guarantees.

    I then got into contact with Stephen Davies about building a new neck; he was the man behind creating/building the very first N4’s (Stephens Extended Cutaway fame). He got back to me and said he would recommend someone if I wanted him to, of course I did.

    I received an email from Richard, owner of RJW Guitar Repair telling me it would be no problem and he could certainly fix it. He told me about his history with Davies (he was his 1st employee) and all of his years of experience working with him and also on his own, I knew he was the man for the job. He quoted me a price (way less than the ones previously mentioned) sight unseen and I immediately sent my neck on a 2,500 mile journey.

    Throughout the whole process Richard kept in contact with me through email (pictures) and telephone calls. He also did a ton of extra work (new frets, patch to fix truss rod trough, etc…) to make the neck repair perfect. When the job was finally done I was expecting to pay a hefty price for all of the extras, to my surprise, he charged me the price he quoted me which in my opinion was way less than it should have been. The neck is on the guitar and the truss rod and new frets are perfect! I wish I wasn’t 2500 miles away but I’m sure I will send all of my guitars to Richard whenever any work is needed.

    So, to all of you people local to Seattle, you really should take your guitars to RJW Guitar Repair. It was the best decision I ever made and I’m 2500 miles away!!!!!! Thanks for taking the time to read all of this, it’s worth it, trust me.

  • · Pros: He fixed it, all the others wouldn't even try.
  • · Cons: NONE, ZERO, ZILCH, well, he's 2500 miles away.

  • Oct 1, 2010

    EXCELLENT!!!! I wanted people to know how GREAT of a guitar repair person Richard is. I have had him do work on my guitars in the past and just this eveining i took my guitar apart because it starting make noisey after 14 years of use. I had Richard do some shielding many years past. I was amazed at his work... The wiring was so clean and well done he even used shield paint on the cavity. I remember how seriously messy the wiring was before I had him work on it. Richard is a very fair, trust worthy person and knows a lot about Guitars. You will not be disapointed!

     

    Caren - Aug 14, 2010

    antique washburn mandolin I "accidentally" bid on a broke down, bowl-back, potato-bug style mando. When it arrived it was in possibly the worst shape a mandolin could be in and still be intact. The bridge had literally been fixed with an ice cream bar stick. The cracked and caving face was held up by two superglued pieces of wood on the inside. There were strings, but they had no tensile integrity and could not be tuned. While repairs took a while longer than originally estimated, the finished product was remarkable in all ways. Richard had fixed the caved in face, had hand-carved an ebony bridge and had polished the fret board to reveal mother of pearl markers I hadn't even known were there. He did a phenomenal job. The mandolin holds a tune and plays beautifully. It also at least doubled, if not tripled, the value of the instrument. Props to Richard to doing an amazing job.

     

    The Best Luthier in Seattle Area Bar None! by

    smsuperstrat

    04/17/2009

    This guy knows guitars and basses! He can make miracles happen in the case of instruments in need of repair. And if it is beyond a miracle he will let you know up front and not waste your time! I've been using Richard's luthier service for 5 years now, and have never been let down. Whether hotrodding a Mexican strat or maintaining an american tele he always takes good care of my guitars! Prior to finding Richard I had tried all the instore repair guys in the area and never got my guitars playing that well. They always seem to have too much going on to get it right. Not Richard it is the way I want it or he will make it that way!

     

  • User Rating: 5 out of 5 stars by Mr. Lefty 07/07/2010
    • I heard that this was the guy who repaired the Famous White Guild that Kim Thayil played on Badmotorfinger. I knew my guitar was in good hands.I gave Richard a left-handed, Guild X-79 Skyhawk with worn frets and a substantial gouge in the neck. The guitar was unusable. I asked him to make it playable, and he did more than that. He refretted it, set the intonation and truss rod, seamlessly repaired the gouge, and polished the instrument for a reasonable price. Thank you for restoring my very rare guitar.Your work is of highest quality, and your attention to detail is greatly appreciated.Yours truly, Mr. Lefty

     

    electric guitar setup

    by hi2nw at Citysearch

    I've gone to the other big name repair shops in the area but wasn't impressed by their work.

    I had Richard setup my guitar and now it plays like a dream... I can't put it down.

    Don't be fooled by fancy shops and big names... RJW is a great repair shop.

 

    talented guitar guru

    by rafffi at Citysearch

    i had some work done on my takamine a/e. just by our phone conversation, i knew richard was knowledgeable and experienced. when i handed him my guitar, he was very thorough and efficient in repairing and optimizing my guitar.

    the guitar plays and sounds better than my martin. i was very impressed with richard... his service is professional and impeccable, his prices are very fair, and he's a humble and good person.

    i have been to other big name repair shops as well, but i will definitely be returning to RJW guitar and recommend them highly.

     

    The comment below is a copy of an email I received on 5-14-11 from a customer who lives in Illinois. I recently repaired a broken headstock for him.

    Richard:

    While playing last night, it occurred to me that I hadn't sent you any feedback about my Washburn. I was showing some friends the neck, and they couldn't believe that it had been broken and repaired.

    It looks GREAT. It plays great, and I am very pleased with your work. You are an artist.

    I would not hesitate to refer anyone with a broken guitar to you.

    Thanks,

    Rick

     

  • User Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
  • by Lee
  • 06/29/2011
    • One man fixing guitars. What more could you need? RJW did a great job fixing my electric guitar and tuning it up. Cheap work price wise, but backed up with a guarantee that every repair done. The job was done quickly and well and worth every penny. Ill be calling back in case I have any other needs on the guitar departmet.

    • Corey C.
    • Seattle, WA
    • 7/1/2011
    • I decided to give Richard a call today when looking for a local guitar tech online to help diagnose some problems I was having with a recently installed pickup.

      I was not expecting anyone to service me day of after numerous outrageous rush order quotes from other businesses, but Richard worked around my schedule and was able to help me within hours.

      He found factory foul-ups, replaced a bad toggle switch and returned my guitar to full functioning order all in time for my gig... And all while letting me watch!

      His rates were very reasonable and who let's you watch while they work!? It's clear Richard's integrity is very well in-tact.

      Keep up the excellent work!
    • I had Richard install a Fernandes Sustainer pickup in my Ibanez Artcore guitar. Even before I bought the guitar and pickup, Richard spent time preparing for the install by calling Fernandes and speaking with their technicians. We also spent time discussing options for switch placement. Fernandes sent the pickup to Richard minus critical parts and with almost indecipherable instructions. At one point, I told Richard he could make it sloppy as no one besides myself would ever see the guitar. This was an incredibly stupid thing to say as Richard takes pride in his work. Not only did he make it work as planned, he skillfully placed the circuit board and battery compartment within easy access, and made it all look factory installed.
    • While you can take your guitar to almost anyone for a simple setup or repair, if you need the best, go to the best. I drove 500 miles to bring my guitar to RJW and will gladly do so again.
    • Thank you so much.
    • PJ Newman
    • MOUSe Recording
    • Chinese Dog Girls
    • pjnewman.net
       

    Great Guitar Repair

    by ShawnCarter at Citysearch

    Richard, is easy to deal with. I had a good time having him set up the action

    for my takamine. Plays good, sounds good. I really recommend going to see

    Richard rather than going to a corporate chain like Guitar Center for your

    repairs.

    Janin   Sep 17, 2011 i had a minor issue, cracked plastic straddle . richard replaced it with a bone one (no pressure to upgrade, he simply let me know the advantage of using bone rather than plastic) but then he did a bunch of little things that really made the trip extra worthwhile, just going that extra mile. i'm a novice with my Maestro Gibson acoustic guitar but he schooled me on a couple things, gave some pointers so i won't have to return too soon but when i do have a problem i will absolutely take it to richard. he warrantied the straddle for a new one if it breaks. it was a great experience. took him about 40 minutes but that's only because he was being a perfectionist with his craft and i have no problem with that.