Rex’s Guitar Works

I came in to get a used guitar some new strings since Im planning to learn guitar this summer.
Rex replace the strings on my new guitar. But on top of that, he also tuned it AND also worked on any imperfections (loose frets, string tension, screws on the sadle, etc.) he found on my guitar that any beginner would’ve most likely missed.
Rex’s a craftsman. He made my used beat up guitar really feel like it’s brand new. and Im now enjoying a whole lot.
I think the best part about Rex’s guitar works is that they’re very friendly which I think is very improtant for a beginner like me. Unlike going to a random music store where employees can sometimes act pretentious to someone new. Rex will give advice on the kind of things you should and need to learn when you’re starting out. That just motivates me to play more.
He’s turn around time is about a week. And his prices are very reasonable.
HIGHLY RECOMMEND THIS PLACE.

I’m an electric bassist and I took two basses to Rex, a Fender Jazz Bass (1977) and a custom Ken Smith 6 string bass. He did good work on the Jazz Bass but he did nothing to help get my Smith bass intonated properly. I left both basses with him for a week and when I went to pick them up I had to wait more than an hour after driving from Santa Cruz while he finished up the work. My Smith bass hadn’t been worked on at all yet he still charged me for working on it which was unprofessional at best and just plain greedy at worst. If you have Fender instruments I guess Rex is OK, but he knows very little about custom neck through the body basses like Smith, Fodera, etc. So if you’re a bass player with a custom axe, go somewhere else.

I had Rex work on 3 guitars… .
He did a GREAT job on all of them! He had to straighten out the neck of the Explorer cause it was all wacked out and when I got it back it was perfect… Mark’s guitar repair had my same guitar and I wasn’t happy with it so I gave it to Rex… Props to Rex!
I trust him with any guitar I own… dude is awesome! I write this review based on solid body electrics only so I have no experience on acoustics…

Rex is very helpful on the phone and in person and I would encourage anyone who needs work on their guitar to stop by his place. He operates out of his garage and it’s always open when I go by. I like that his shop/​personal space isn’t filled with a bunch of people so that I can speak with him about what I want accomplished. His assistance time and time again prompted me to Unilocal him with five stars.

I took my Fender Tele and Martin to get setup from Rex. He did a great job of explaining all the necessary things he needed to do to make it right. Rex made me feel relaxed and not pressured to do more to my guitars than what I had. I’ve been to places where they try to upsell you to all the latest bells and whistles, but not Rex. About a week later I pick up my guitars and they sound awesome! The action on the Martin was perfect. Not too high and not too low where the strings buzz from hitting the frets. I’ll definitely be back with my other guitars.

I’ve had my Taylor 314 CE set up here, and I would never go anywhere else for it. He carefully studied every imperfection about my guitar and told me what he can do to make it as good as new. He does not pressure you into «wanting more» but I strongly recommend you listen to his options carefully. I forget every little detail he worked on because there were so many and it was so long ago, but he is a certified luthier who can fix any fret, fretboard, tuning machine, neck, body, and pick-​up problem for any guitar. His work is more than impressive, and he works with integrity. He will not charge you a dime more than you deserve to be charged. I occasionally stop by here and there to pick up DR Dragon Skin strings, since he’s the only one I know who has them around here, and I always see him busy with work but he is NEVER too busy to talk to you and explain to you carefully and thoroughly what’s wrong with your guitar. He wants to make sure you understand everything he’s going to do to fix your guitar so that you’re on the same page as him. Also, if it’s a very quick and easy fix, he’ll take care of it for you on the spot for free! Very friendly guy, very cool garage shop, and you occasionally see a few vintage guitars hanging in his garage for repairs here and there.
(Other guitars he’s looked at and/​or worked on for me include: my friends’ Baby Taylor, Takamine, Martin, and Anderson [pick-​up problems])

Super friendly, immensely knowledgeable, and his work speaks for itself.
Until I get really handy with a soldering gun and sharpen my setup skills, I will be getting my guitars serviced at Rex’s.

Do you have a ukulele that needs work?
I broke my Kala travel Ukulele on accident by stepping on it (stupid me!) and I was crushed. The neck was almost fully detached from the body, but was not broken off entirely. I found Rex’s Guitar Works on Unilocal!and the reviews were outstanding. I called him and made an appointment that week and he made sure my uke wasn’t a cheap one so I wouldn’t waste my money fixing it (though I’m sure he’d still fix a less expensive uke if the customer wanted him to).
I brought it in and he told me the process it would take to attach the neck back to the body. The price was reasonable and a couple of weeks later I picked it up and it looked close to perfect! He told me the steps it took for him to fix it. He’s a very nice and friendly guy. Also, it was his birthday the day I picked it up so that showed to me he’s very dedicated to his work.
It’s been a couple of days since I’ve gotten my ukulele back and it works just great. I need to tune it every time I play but I think that’s normal. I think it’ll even out over time.
He also gives a 30 day warranty which is nice!
I highly recommend Rex’s Guitar Works!

I’ve been going to Rex for over ten years now. Since his days at The Starving Musician as their expert repairman to the present where he just recently set up my Godin Freeway. Rex is not only knowledgeable about guitars in general but is also takes the time to explain his work and why things work a particular way. This gives the customer not only an appreciation for his efforts in doing the repair or modification, but also helps educate them as well so that they know more about the instrument in question as well. This gives a new meaning to «knowing your axe»; inside AS WELL as outside. I have researched all sorts of books and later, the net for all sorts of tips and tricks and mods and he is all too familiar with just about all of them. He’ll tell you whether or not it’s a great idea or talk you out of it if it’s not right for your guitar. Since he’s in my age group he’s also got some great stories about people, things and just general happenings in the business. His work is guaranteed and I always love what comes out of my amp when I take my newly modified guitar home to really give it a go. Thanks Rex!!!

Guitar:
Takamine TH5C Hirade Classical Guitar
Services rendered:
— Acrylic, custom-​designed tap-​plate (ie. pick guard)
— Fretboard nut work, string balance, intonation
— Strap button + strap-​lock install
Rex is incredibly passionate and precise in his guitar-​tech services. He was extremely easy to work with, passionate, insightful, timely, and beyond accommodating. As a first-​time customer, I was initially leery to have custom work done to my brand-​new, factory, virgin Takamine guitar, but Rex quickly eased my mind and ensured the utmost care (for ‘my new baby’). His professional recommendations were backed by a life-​time of industry experience and I’m convinced that his attention to detail is unsurpassed. As an extremely meticulous person myself, I was comforted to meet someone even more obsessive than I. Couldn’t be happier with the results! Thanks so much Rex!
–Shane

Rex significantly improved the playability of my Strat and an Ibanez bass; he’s really very good. He reminds me of the master craftsman of yesteryear that you can hardly find anymore, and he definitely stands by his work. He was recommended independently by the guitar teacher of my children, who has been using his services for years. I highly recommend him!

Meant to write this a while ago! Rex worked on an odd 60’s Japanese hollowbody for me a couple of months ago that was unplayable when I bought it. Took a while to get it back, but it was totally worth it! He really, really notices the smallest details and has a huge amount of knowledge. The guitar plays awesome now and has the lowest action I’ve ever seen without a hint of buzz. I’m a customer for as long as he’s around.

Rax is a really nice guy, located the problem why my guitar fret buzz and fixed it in 5 minutes free of charge.
thumbs up
if you are looking for a guitar tech, hes the guy!

Since I was introduced to Rex last year, I’ve had 5 guitars fixed by him. His knowledge and professionalism has brought me back time and time again, not to mention the recommendations that I have made to my musician friends.
Just recently, he worked on my Takamine (jack replacement, neck adjustment), my Dean Keylargo (neck adjustment, fret filing, and jack repair), and my Taylor 12-​string (neck reset). This latest work performed on my Taylor has sparked his interest in working directly with Taylor Guitars, along with all of the other fine jobs he does.
I hope he pursues this quest… and I know that I will be revisiting him in the future for more quality work. Great job, Rex!

Top line: I’ve been taking my axes to Rex for 20 years or so now, since the days when he worked for Torres Guitars. I’ve always loved how he manages to make any given axe I hand over to him many times sharper than it was by the time it’s in my hands again. He always pays attention to fine measurements and details of repairing/​customizing guitars — taking from his huge knowledge, experience and intuition to make the customer happy — me? I’m happy everytime. It’s like Christmas when I get back an axe from Rex’s laboratory! Also I always learn something new related to guitar tech from him — gotta pick his brain! Plus he’s a great guy and a friend too. Rex (Guitarworks) does great work — why change?
Bottom Line: Rex is da man.

A friend recommended Rex. Though I thought it was a little funky that the business address was a house, I gave it a shot.
How fantastic! Rex is personable and communicative. Most importantly he really know guitars, gear and playing. He is fast, meticulous and is a great value. Really Rex, you should raise your prices!
Don’t even consider a big box store or other boutique for you guitar-​fixing needs. Just call Rex!

Rex Guitarworks was a recommendation from a friend of mine. And THANK YOU Kurt for this recommendation. I needed to have the standard pickups changed that came with my 05 American Hard tail strat to some Fender Hot Noiseless ones I’ve bought and heard good things about um. Oh, and also change the pickguard from the plain white one to a white pearloid one. Rex does it all!!! This was Nothing to him. I dropped my guitar off Tues and he said to call him back in a week if I don’t hear from him. Two days later (Thurs.) I get a call from Rex. «Your guitar is done dude!!» NICE! My guitar rocks even harder now. And it looks pretty sick too! Very nice, neat, and flawless work done by Rex. Oh, the best part, Rex does all his business at home, and he also makes you feel «at home» when you see him about repairs for your guitar. Rex loves to talk guitars so stay a little, maybe even learn a little from him. Super nice guy who knows his sh**! Rex is very patient, you can tell he’s been fixing guitars forever. I’ll probably have him do my 04 American Tele as well.
Wish I had a «before» picture of my strat, but here’s an after one.
Overall 5 stars all the way for my first experience here.

Rex is one of the best guitar techs in the area. He has a ton of experience and has the capacity to tackle any problem you have with your guitar. I took my guitar in to help with a feedback problem I had. He was able to wax my pickup covers to reduce the microphonics and readjust my bigsby to enhance my sustain. He also fabricated some shims in like 30 minutes that sit underneath my pickups. They look great and he did it in under 30 minutes. Incredible! If you have a problem with your guitar or want a simple set up, go to Rex. Some techs may be cheaper, but none as knowledgeable, fast and professional as Rex.
Be forewarned, that he does business out of his garage. But, it is totally legit. He has been helping local musicians for years out of this location and does work for several of the custom shops in the area.

Rex knows his guitars! This is an awesome place to bring your cherished instrument — all of my musician friends, myself included, come to this guy. He’s extremely knowledgeable and fun to talk to when you come in to get your stuff worked on. I bring my guitars here when they need a professional setup and playing them once they’ve been in Rex’s hands is like they’re new again but even better! I think he’s actually worked on every single one of my guitars, all the way back to my Squire Strat when I first started 8 or 9 years ago. My brother had an acoustic pickup installed in his Martin and was very pleased with that as well. It also feels good to be supporting a cool dude working out of his house rather than a big corporate place. Highly recommended!

Rex at Guitarworks is the best luthier I have encountered in the Bay Area. Not only is he the best, he is completely down to earth and will help you with ANY problem you have. He is extremely friendly and will work with you every step of the way. I highly recommend you take your guitar to Rex you will get A+ work done every time. He does all his own repairs so you know only an experienced luthier will touch your guitar. The prices are the lowest I’ve ever seen for the high level of work he does. Don’t waste your time with anyone else. Go to Rex, your guitar will be perfect.