# Guitar tech in Edmonton



## Rwinder (Oct 20, 2008)

Hey 

Is anyone here from Edmonton that could tell me where the best tech in this city is. I'm having a strat set up at L&M but i have an older SG thats going to need some extensive work (frets etc). 

Also is there anyone that teaches set up technique in the city i have a habit of tweaking things (ocd) and that could become pricey. 

Cheers


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## traynor_garnet (Feb 22, 2006)

Hi,

Welcome to the forum! 

I've tried a few places but have yet to be really happy. I've tried "Afternote Music" on Whyte Ave and the guy wired things backwards! (Others have had the same problem). I've tried Avenue Guitars but they took a long time and the work didn't hold up (rewired my 335 clone but the pots have now "let go" from the body so that the entire pot moves when you twist the volume or tone knob). Finally I tried the "House of Tone" who is a private guy in the south part of the city. Not bad but pricey, the setup was just ok, and he kept trying to up-sell me for mods.

I haven't tried L+M but may in the future. However, I have heard they are quite slow . . .

TG


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## Rwinder (Oct 20, 2008)

Thanks
I've been hanging around other forums for a while, finally decided i should join the canadian one as well. 

Yeah i haven't heard much positive about afternote at all. L&M said 6-10 days for my strat, which isn't bad relative to some of the wait times i've heard of in the past. 

I bought my acoustic at Myhre's music, and in my opinion they are by far the best shop in the city for service. I might have to see if i can get them to work on my SG as they are mostly an acoustic shop. 

cheers


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## suttree (Aug 17, 2007)

for real quality work, go to calgary and see jim mozell through axe music. he's really busy, his turnaround time may seem long, but his work is absolutely a miracle. i've yet to see it's equal anywhere at any price. his prices are very fair, too.


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## gtherockgod (Oct 9, 2008)

The only place in the city I've left my guitar to be worked on is Axe... I had the humbuckers in my Jackson replaced as well as a setup. It took 3 or 4 days (cant remember exactly), cost me 100 dollars, and I was very happy with the result. Not a problem in the year and a half since I had it done.

I dunno how that stacks up to other places, but I thought I'd share my experience.


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## ennisphd (Nov 1, 2008)

*Edmonton guitar tech*

I've never had a problem with Avenue Guitars and they've done several pickup/pot swaps and setups for me. Turn around time has never been more than a few days. Despite the non-electric name, Acoustic Music Shop on Whyte also does good work on electrics, but they always seem to be backed up a few weeks.


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## 55 Jr (May 3, 2006)

Brad at avenue is very good.

PM me for a story about afternote music.

Best regards,

Brian


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## keto (May 23, 2006)

My buddy had his strat done by house of tone. Massive ripoff, expensive and not good work.

I used to have stuff done by the guy who had the shop upstairs in Mother's but he's not there any more (Kirk?). Dunno where he got to.

I don't do fretwork, but other than that setting up a guitar is pretty easy, if a little time consuming. Learned through books, internet, and trial and error. I'm pretty good at it now but not 'pro good'.


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## traynor_garnet (Feb 22, 2006)

keto said:


> My buddy had his strat done by house of tone. Massive ripoff, expensive and not good work.


That's about the same as my experience. "Ok" work but not really "good." 

He wanted $80 to hook my pickup leads pckups to my pots!!  The pickups were already installed on my strat, everything was done but the soldering. It was honestly 5-10 minutes of work. That's the day I bought a soldering iron and started trying to do this stuff myself.

TG


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## biped (Mar 2, 2012)

I think the best place in Edmonton for restoration or repairs is Zeryab Guitars at 9006 Jasper. They guarantee and warrantee their work for 3 years after. They give a fixed quote before they do the work. The set-ups they did for me are amazing. Their phone # is 780 990 6246.
Good luck.


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## The_Penguin (Feb 26, 2012)

suttree said:


> for real quality work, go to calgary and see jim mozell through axe music. he's really busy, his turnaround time may seem long, but his work is absolutely a miracle. i've yet to see it's equal anywhere at any price. his prices are very fair, too.


Also in Calgary, I used to get work done by Darrell who used to work out of L&M when it was on 17th. Recently saw an ad of his pop up on Kijiji, guess he's located on 4st NW near 40th ave now. I was always happy with his work.


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## JMann (Feb 18, 2007)

I thought I'd bump this thread up as I'm looking for a tech in Edm to do some fret work on a couple guitars. But reading thru the aged posts I have to comment on a couple of things.

I agree with the praise Jim Mozell is receiving. When he was in Edmonton, going back 15 years or so, I needed EMG's loaded into a Peavey Raptor Strat clone asap. He had me bring the p/ups and guitar to his home basement workshop and installed them that evening at a reasonable price. I'm actually considering sending my guitars to him even though it will cost shipping.
As for the House of Tone....Kimble (the proprietor) closed shop last year. Yes he charged good coin but the work he had done for me was excellent. He was always passionate about gear, tone woods...basically anything to do with guitar. The aforementioned Strat clone he had for many years awaiting payment and the go ahead from me and the reason I hung onto it is the neck is just about the best feeling and fitting neck I have played. He installed new tuners, a new compensating, frictionless nut of his design (so he says), bass fret wire (I like my frets big!), refinished the neck, routed the body to accommodate a vintage Kahler Spyder trem, which is the best feeling trem I've tried to date and routed all the wiring and battery plug to the back cover access. I received it 2 years ago or so and with the big frets which were immaculately installed (no fret edges, perfectly smoothed and crowned, no fret buzz with low, low action) and refinish that made me love the neck even more. The guitar stays in tune (I did not get the locking nut installed) better than any non locking trem I have tried. Was it expensive? Sure was and there is no chance I will get back what I put into it if I go to sell it. But I am so pleased with the outcome that it has become my "priceless" guitar.

Sorry if that came off sounding like a rant but my experience with House of Tone and Kimble was more positive than the previous poster's and I mean no disrespect to anyone.

So...back to the original question....anybody reccomend a good guitar tech in Edmonton?

Thx,
Jim


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## blam (Feb 18, 2011)

Swervin56 on the board is who I go to for anything I cannot do myself.

kind helpful and always a pleasure to deal with him.


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## vadsy (Dec 2, 2010)

I second Swervin55! 

I bought a guitar from him 2 years ago that was set up right from day one and has been my "go to" since. I've also spent a fair amount of time playing and admiring his work and guitars, nothing but good things to report. Looking forward to him putting in a nut on a Tele I have coming in.


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## TWRC (Apr 22, 2011)

I've never had any work done by Swervin55, but I can tell you that he's a great guy to deal with and judging from the reputation he has on here, I wouldn't hesitate bringing him one of my guitars to work on.

I do most of my work myself, but for bigger things like re-frets etc, I used to always see Fred who worked at the downtown L&M. Not too sure where he is these days, but if you can track him down, you won't be disappointed. He's a details oriented kind of guy with a lot of experience and I can tell you that I've been extremely happy with his work over the years.


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## 4345567 (Jun 26, 2008)

__________


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## blam (Feb 18, 2011)

nkjanssen said:


> Gavin at Acoustic Music Shop did a great job refretting my '73 Tele. I really like the guys in that shop generally. I have no doubt Swervin would be good as well, though he's never actually worked on any of my guitars. I can vouch for him being a great guy.


I have heard a lot of good things about Gavin as well.


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## JMann (Feb 18, 2007)

Thanks guys! I sent him a PM on the recommendation of "blam" and he responded right quick and the next time I'm in the city, he'll be doing the work. And coming back here to this thread and seeing all you other guys recommending him, I do believe I made the right choice!

Jim


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## Dorian2 (Jun 9, 2015)

Absolutely. I tried calling his shop in Calgary recently but I think it was an old number.

Anyway, I used to solely go to Axe in the 80's for Jim's incredible setups and work. I was totally lost when he went to Calgary. Haven't found a tech worth mentioning....until recently that is.

Brad at Acoustic Music shop on Whyte and 99 Street did a really good, almost old school job on my guitar. The techs there seem to just like talkin guitar and helping out in a good way. I think they have 2 or 3 luthiers there.

They do amp work as well! I'll post here again when I get my Modded out amp (first time I did it), fixed of the hum. Pretty sure it's just Bias.

Thanks for bringing up Jim though..weird personality that seems to love every guitar he lays his hands on. He talks about them like they were his own.

EDIT: this was in response to sutree...who is apparently banned. Sorry for the confusion folks. I'm just learning how this site works.


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## Dorian2 (Jun 9, 2015)

Speaking of Gavin....he's going to be looking at my amplifier issue. He's apparently the amplifier guru at Acoustic Music shop.


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