Guitar Repair Shop in Hollywood: Tue-Sat at Neely Guitars

Neely Guitars sits at 7424 1/2 Sunset Boulevard, Unit 1, in Hollywood, and it opens only five days a week: Tuesday through Saturday, 11 am to 4 pm, closed Sunday and Monday. If you are looking for a guitar repair shop that treats a cracked 1960s Gibson as a restoration job rather than a quick fix, this is the bench to call first. The founder, David Neely, has more than 40 years of repair and rebuild experience, and the shop is a factory-authorized Gold level service center for Martin, Gibson, Fender, Taylor, Gretsch, Guild and Epiphone.

The shop's address is 7424 1/2 Sunset Blvd. #1, Los Angeles, CA 90046. The half-number matters: it is a unit set apart from the street-front addresses around it, so look for the 1/2 on the door instead of walking past it. This is the flat, low-rise stretch of Sunset between La Brea Avenue and Fairfax Avenue, with the Hollywood Hills rising to the north. The business hours posted on the contact page are Tuesday to Saturday, 11 am to 4 pm, which gives you a five-hour window, and the shop is closed on Sunday and Monday. Because the day is short, phone ahead on the morning you plan to go and tell them what you are carrying, so the right person is at the bench when you arrive.

David Neely was born in Nashville in December 1950 and started playing professionally at 15. His bio on the shop's site says he began work on custom instruments in 1974, when he met pickup designer Bill Lawrence, who had been relocated to Nashville to help set up Gibson's new guitar factory. In 1976 Neely opened his own custom shop across the street from the Musicians' Union, and the Nashville professionals sent him their repair and custom work. He moved to Los Angeles in 1984. In 1987 Fred Walecki asked him to help with guitar repairs for Westwood Music, where Rick Turner, known for his work with Alembic, soon joined them. That LA lineage is the reason the shop's name carries weight with working players.

The shop states that it offers factory authorized Gold level service for Martin, Gibson, Fender, Taylor, Gretsch, Guild and Epiphone, and its Media and News page extends the list with names such as Alembic, Ovation, Takamine, Jackson and Charvel. The bio page calls it a Gold Warranty Service Level-certified custom guitar shop and says the founder is factory-trained on the top-name brands. In practical terms, that means a warranty-sensitive repair on a modern Martin or Taylor is something this bench can discuss with the manufacturer's standards in mind. If your guitar is still under warranty, bring the paperwork and ask what is covered before any wood is touched.

The repairs page makes one point that most shops never put in writing. For a collectible antique guitar, it says, the goal is not to make the instrument look new, because that would destroy its value. Instead the bench removes what is damaging and works with what is left, so that the effect of time fades into the background without disappearing. That is a useful filter for a customer. If you own a pre-war Martin with a lifting top, expect a conversation about how much to touch, not a sales pitch for a full refinish. The shop says it can restore most guitars to mint condition when that is what the owner wants, adding sturdiness and stability for longer use.

Two jobs on the repairs page explain the shop's reputation. David restored an old 1902 Martin 00-45 for actor Richard Gere; the shop says it was one of only three prototypes ever produced, and that the work was so complete that Martin reintroduced the model. The second is a 1964 Gibson that guitarist Steve Howe used on the classic YES albums, which he entrusted to David's hands. The client list on the site runs far beyond those two, naming Keanu Reeves, Joe Bonamassa, H.E.R, Paul McCartney, Tosin Abasi, Ry Cooder and Neil Young. You do not need a famous guitar to walk in, but you should expect the bench to treat yours with the same seriousness.

Neely Guitars is also a custom shop. The home page says each guitar needs its own balance of wood, acoustics and electronics, and that the shop works with you to customize an instrument to your specifications. David's bio describes his own NepTune interval correction, an aftermarket modification he says has been installed on over 400 guitars and is built into every acoustic or electric guitar he makes. He notes that no amount of signal processing can make up for a defective instrument, which is the philosophy behind the shop: get the guitar right at the bench, and the rest of the signal chain becomes easy.

Expect a mix. Session players bring a vintage Telecaster whose neck has gone sideways before a recording date. Collectors bring flat-top acoustics with cracks that have been glued badly in the past. Touring musicians drop off a road-worn instrument that needs electronics sorted out. Because the founder spent years in Nashville repairing for country and rock professionals, the shop is comfortable with everything from a Gretsch hollow body to a Martin dreadnought. One unwritten rule is that this is a place to talk. The site says the shop works with you on customization, so arrive with a short list of symptoms, a clear idea of how you play, and a sense of what you want the guitar to do.

Here is an honest judgment: Neely Guitars publishes no price list and no turnaround times, so you will not know the cost until you have spoken with the shop. That suits restoration and custom work, which depend on what is found under the finish, but it is a poor fit if all you need is a quick restring with a number you can see in advance. For that kind of job, Eric's Guitar Shop in Van Nuys posts its prices openly and takes walk-ins, and it is worth considering as a fallback. For anything involving structural damage, a headstock break, a neck reset or a valuable vintage instrument, the extra phone call to Neely Guitars is the better use of your afternoon.

After you drop off an instrument, Sunset Boulevard gives you a flat, easy walk. Head west toward Fairfax Avenue for a mix of low-rise shops and cafes, or east toward La Brea Avenue, where the street opens up into the heart of Hollywood. The hills to the north hold Runyon Canyon Park, a popular hiking spot if you have an hour to spare before pick-up. Because the shop's window is only 11 am to 4 pm, plan your day so you are not rushing; arrive around opening, talk through the work, and use the afternoon for a slow lunch nearby instead of waiting around the bench.

Address: 7424 1/2 Sunset Blvd. #1, Los Angeles, CA 90046. Hours: Tuesday to Saturday, 11 am to 4 pm; closed Sunday and Monday. Email: david@neelyguitars.com. Website: neelyguitars.com. Services: repair, restoration and customization of acoustic and electric guitars, with factory authorized Gold level service for Martin, Gibson, Fender, Taylor, Gretsch, Guild and Epiphone. Prices: not published, so ask for an estimate when you call. Bring the case, a short list of symptoms, and any warranty paperwork. If you want help comparing options, ask Karpo APP for guitar repair shops near you in Los Angeles.