Guitar Repair / Luthier

The shortcut: Most solo guitar techs assume word of mouth will fill their bench. It won't. One white-label drop-off relationship with a local music store beats five years of Instagram and is how you get to a 3-week wait list.

Industry: Music & Audio | Investment level: Small — $2,000-$8,000 | Time to launch: 4-8 weeks (bench setup + first store partnership gate the launch) Best for: Someone who can already do a clean fret level and crown without a teacher hovering, or a hobbyist with a decade of bench time on their own guitars who's ready to take customer instruments. Prior repair-shop apprenticeship, Roberto-Venn or Galloup coursework, or self-taught hours backed by a portfolio all qualify. What you'll likely make: $1,200-$2,800 month 3, $3,500-$6,000 month 6, $6,000-$10,000 month 12. Math is in Section 4.

Market Opportunity

Open the case of any 30-year-old Strat owned by a working musician and the same three problems are sitting there waiting: action that's crept up to 3mm at the 12th fret, a nut filed flat by the factory, and frets pitted enough that bending past the 10th fret buzzes. The owner has lived with it for two years. They've been meaning to "find someone good." They don't want to ship a $2,400 guitar to Sweetwater and wait six weeks. That's the customer.

The repair side of the guitar market isn't sexy and that's exactly why it's open. Most local music stores no longer keep a tech on staff — chain stores cut that labor line a decade ago. Guitar Center's repair menu lists a basic setup at $50-$100 and a refret at $200-$400+, but waits run two to three weeks because work flows back to a regional service center. A solo tech in your zip code who turns a setup in five days is competing on speed, not price.

Who's actually paying:

Working musicians — wedding-band, worship-team, and bar-circuit guitarists who can't be without their main guitar for three weeks. They pay $75-$200 per setup and tip on rush jobs.
Hobbyists with $1K-$3K guitars. The home-player segment exploded post-2020 and never reset. Nicer guitars than they can play, and they want them to feel right.
Local music stores without a tech. Every guitar shop in your metro turns away repair work or ships it out. A drop-off relationship with one shop produces $1,000-$3,000/month with no marketing spend.
Vintage owners and estates. Pre-1965 Martins, Gibsons, and Fenders need someone who won't strip a 60-year-old finish chasing an oxidation spot. This work pays a 30-50% premium.

Why this is a good time to start: the chain-store pullback from in-house repair is real and persistent, and Reverb's marketplace shows used and vintage instrument volume is steady — every resale typically wants a setup before it goes back into rotation.

Launch With AI

Pro tip: The one-music-store-relationship-vs-five-years-of-Instagram reframing is the entire 3-week-wait-list path. AI handles the white-label music-store pitch that turns one shop into a $1K-$3K/month annuity with zero marketing spend, the per-job intake form + drop-off tracking SMS that prevents the 'while you're in there' lawsuit, the CITES + Lacey Act + endangered-wood compliance audit for any vintage repair (rosewood, ebony, ivory nuts on pre-1992 instruments — federal seizure if shipped without paperwork), the 8-job-per-week Reverb + Google Business + repair-vlog content that drives the wait list, and the post-pickup follow-up flow that turns one setup into 3 referrals.

Upfront honesty: AI cannot file a perfect bone nut, level frets without grinding past the 12th-fret crown, or talk a vintage-Strat owner off the ledge of a refret. The bench craft is the entire moat. What AI does is everything around it: white-label music-store partnership pitch (the single highest-leverage move in year 1), per-job intake form + drop-off tracking SMS that prevents 'while you're in there' liability ('I added some shielding while I was in there' = the customer doesn't know how to value it = small claims court), CITES + Lacey Act compliance for vintage instruments with pre-1992 rosewood / ebony / ivory components (CITES Appendix II covers Brazilian rosewood + many tonewoods — federal seizure if shipped across borders without paperwork), shipping insurance + Reverb-style consigned-instrument liability framing, the per-vintage-job estimate language that justifies 30-50% premium, the Reverb + Google Business + repair-vlog content engine that drives the wait list, and the post-pickup SMS + Klaviyo flow that turns one setup into 3 referrals.

AI Tools You'll Use

Tool	What it does for you	Cost
ChatGPT (Plus)	Music-store pitch, intake forms, vintage estimate language, repair vlog scripts	$20/mo
Claude (Free)	Reading CITES + Lacey Act + state shipping/insurance + small-claims case law	Free
Square POS or Repair Shopr	Per-job intake + tracking + drop-off SMS + invoice + payment	$0-$60/mo
Canva (Free → Pro)	Drop-off tags, intake form, white-label music-store collateral	Free → $13/mo
Klaviyo + Twilio SMS	Pickup-ready SMS + post-pickup follow-up + 3-referral asks	Free → $35/mo combined

The Workflow

Step 1: Generate the white-label music-store partnership pitch (the one move that builds a wait list). Most local music stores stopped staffing a tech a decade ago + ship work to a regional service center on a 2-3 week turn. A solo tech who turns work in 5 days = the obvious upgrade. AI writes the pitch.

Prompt: "Write a 4-line cold email + LinkedIn DM I send to [owner / GM / repair coordinator at every independent music store + chain location] within 25 miles of my workshop. Hook: 'You probably ship every guitar repair out to a regional service center on a 2-3 week turn — and you lose the customer when the wait kills the rapport you built selling them the guitar.' Bridge: 'I'm a [city]-based solo guitar tech — bench portfolio of [X completed jobs / Y year experience / Z notable instruments]. I do 5-day turn on setups + 7-day on fret work + 14-day on refrets. Pickup + drop-off at your front counter, white-label tag with YOUR shop's name, customer pays YOUR shop, you keep 15-25%, I invoice you on net-15.' Pitch: 'I'll do 3 free pilot jobs for any of your house display instruments to show the quality. If you like the work, we set up a standing drop-off arrangement — you become 'the shop with same-week repair' in this metro. Most partner shops route 8-12 jobs/month after pilot. That's $1K-$3K/month of pure-margin add for you with zero added labor.' Sign with first name + cell + a photo link to my bench portfolio (Instagram or Google Drive folder). Tone: peer-to-shop-owner, never apprentice-y. Avoid 'I'm just starting out' or 'I'm cheap.' Subject: 'White-label guitar repair — 5-day turn — [neighborhood].'"

Step 2: Generate the per-job intake form + 'while you're in there' liability protection. The single most common solo-tech lawsuit: the customer brings in a guitar for a setup, the tech notices a loose pickup wire + fixes it, the customer arrives + says 'I never authorized that,' tech eats the cost OR ends up in small claims. AI generates the intake form.

Prompt: "Generate the per-job intake form + the 'authorized scope of work' protection language for my guitar repair shop. (1) THE INTAKE FORM (1-page, customer signs at drop-off): customer name + phone + email + emergency contact, instrument make + model + serial number + year (used for vintage flag), instrument condition photos (4 angles + close-ups of any existing damage — mandatory before drop-off, signed acknowledgment), AUTHORIZED SCOPE — the customer checks ONLY the services they want done from the menu (basic setup, fret level, refret, pickup install, electronics rewire, nut replacement, headstock break repair, vintage cleaning), AUTHORIZED PRICE CEILING — 'I authorize work up to $___ without further approval. Any work beyond this requires a phone call.' (2) THE 'WHILE YOU'RE IN THERE' PROTECTION CLAUSE (verbatim): 'I will only perform work explicitly checked + priced above. If I find additional issues during the work (loose wires, worn parts, structural damage), I will STOP, document with photo, and call you for approval BEFORE proceeding. No work outside the authorized scope will be performed without your explicit phone or text approval. Estimates above the price ceiling are non-binding until approved.' (3) THE VINTAGE INSTRUMENT ADDENDUM — for any instrument 1965 or earlier OR worth >$3K: 'Vintage instruments may have hidden structural issues. I will document the existing condition before any work + will not perform refinish, refret, or structural repair on a vintage instrument without a separate vintage-work agreement. Vintage cleaning + setup + minor electronics work only on this drop-off.' (4) THE SHIPPING + LOSS-DAMAGE LIABILITY LIMIT — 'Workshop liability is limited to the documented declared value of the instrument at drop-off OR the actual cash value as determined by the most recent comparable sale on Reverb, whichever is lower. For instruments worth >$5K, customer-supplied insurance certificate is required.' (5) THE TURNAROUND ESTIMATE — '[X] business days for [service]; rush turnaround available at [Y]% premium with 24-hour notice.' (6) THE PAYMENT TERMS — 'Payment due upon pickup. Instruments held for >30 days after notification are subject to storage fee + after 90 days are abandoned per [state]'s Mechanic's Lien / Repairman's Lien statute.' Output: print-ready intake form (1-page, fits in a manila folder) + the per-state Mechanic's Lien statute reference + the abandoned-instrument disposal protocol."

Step 3: Generate the CITES + Lacey Act + shipping compliance audit (the federal trap on vintage work). Vintage guitars often have Brazilian rosewood (CITES Appendix I — the strictest), ivory nuts (banned almost everywhere), or pre-1947 elephant ivory inlays. Shipping ANY of these across state lines or internationally without CITES paperwork = federal seizure + $250-$10K fine. AI generates the audit.

Prompt: "Generate the per-instrument CITES + Lacey Act + state ivory law compliance audit for my guitar repair shop. (1) CITES APPENDIX I + II SCOPE — CITES Appendices cover endangered species used in instrument-making: Brazilian rosewood (Appendix I — strict), all other Dalbergia rosewoods (Appendix II — permits required for international ship + sometimes domestic), African blackwood (Appendix II), ebony from some species. Per-instrument flag: any guitar with rosewood fingerboard, bridge, or back/sides predating 2017's CITES rosewood listing change. (2) LACEY ACT — Lacey Act prohibits trafficking in plants/animals harvested in violation of any state, federal, foreign, or tribal law. Applies even if the wood was legally harvested decades ago — IMPORT records still required. The 2008 Lacey Act amendment requires PPQ-505 import declaration for any wood-product instrument crossing US borders. (3) IVORY LAWS — federal ban on most elephant ivory (USFWS African Elephant 4(d) rule) + state-by-state ivory bans (NY, NJ, CA, HI, NV, WA, OR — some allow 'antique' instruments with documentation, others don't). Vintage guitar ivory nuts + bridge pins commonly trigger this. (4) SHIPPING COMPLIANCE — for any vintage instrument I ship across state lines OR receive from another state: confirm whether the instrument has CITES- or Lacey-covered components + require customer to provide chain-of-ownership documentation. For international ship: CITES Re-Export Certificate from USFWS ($75-$200 per instrument, 60-90 day processing). (5) THE INTAKE QUESTION — add to my intake form: 'Does this instrument contain (check all): pre-2017 rosewood, ebony, ivory (any source), exotic wood not listed?' If YES + the customer wants me to ship the instrument back: I require chain-of-ownership documentation OR I refuse the work + return in person only. (6) PENALTIES — first-offense Lacey Act fine $250-$5K; CITES violation $250-$10K + instrument seizure; ivory violation up to $50K + criminal exposure for repeat offenses. Output: per-instrument intake question + the per-state ivory disposal/handling reference + the CITES re-export application checklist + the 1-page customer disclosure for vintage drop-offs."

Step 4: Generate the per-vintage-job estimate language (the 30-50% premium pitch). Vintage owners pay 30-50% more for the right tech. The single change is in the estimate language. AI writes the language.

Prompt: "Generate the per-vintage-job estimate template that justifies the 30-50% premium over basic-setup pricing. For each vintage job type — 'Vintage Cleaning + Setup' ($150-$300+), 'Vintage Refret' ($400-$700+), 'Vintage Headstock Break' ($300-$600+), 'Vintage Electronics Restoration' ($150-$400+) — generate a 4-paragraph estimate template: (1) THE INSTRUMENT-LEVEL ASSESSMENT — 'I've inspected your [year + make + model]. The condition is: [bench notes]. The components original to the instrument are: [list]. The non-original components are: [list].' (Vintage owners care about originality vs collector value — your inspection demonstrates expertise.) (2) THE BENCH-PROCESS DESCRIPTION — 'My process for vintage [job type]: [step-by-step, 5-7 sentences]. I will preserve [specific original components — the original frets, the original finish, the original wiring harness]. Where I must replace, I will use period-correct OR collector-grade replacements [from this supplier] AND I will retain + return any original parts removed.' (3) THE PRICE BREAKDOWN — labor at $85-$120/hr (vintage premium over $65-$95 standard rate) × estimated hours, parts at cost + 25% markup, the per-instrument photography + documentation fee ($25-$50 — for resale value documentation). (4) THE TURN-AROUND + GUARANTEE — '14-21 business days. Workmanship guarantee: 90 days. I will photograph the instrument at every bench step + provide before/after PDF for your records.' (5) THE FREE ADDITIONAL OFFERS — 'Included free: chain-of-ownership documentation (matters for resale), supplier sourcing letters for any replaced parts, the original parts in a labeled component bag.' Output: per-job-type estimate template + the photo-documentation protocol + the supplier-letter template for replacement parts."

Step 5: Generate the Reverb + Google Business + repair-vlog content engine + post-pickup referral flow. Most solo techs rely on word-of-mouth. The 3 channels that actually drive the wait list: Reverb seller profile (links repair work to Reverb-listed inventory), Google Business (drives 'guitar repair near me' search), and a repair-vlog Instagram + YouTube short (drives word-of-mouth). AI writes the engine.

Prompt: "Generate the 60-day content engine + post-pickup referral flow for my guitar repair shop. (1) REVERB SELLER PROFILE — even if I don't sell guitars, I list 'repair services' as Reverb listings (with proper service-listing flag). Generate the per-service Reverb listing: title + description + price + photo brief. The big benefit: Reverb buyers searching for vintage guitars in my area also see my repair listing. (2) GOOGLE BUSINESS PROFILE — generate the GBP description (750 chars) + the 'Services' menu (12-16 services with prices) + 12 Google Posts (1/mo) showing recent jobs (with customer permission) + the per-service photo brief. Optimize for 'guitar repair [city],' '[neighborhood] luthier,' 'vintage guitar setup [city],' 'fret level [city],' 'guitar refret [city].' (3) REPAIR-VLOG INSTAGRAM + YOUTUBE SHORTS — 30 video hooks: 'Why your action keeps creeping up,' 'The 90-second nut filing trick,' 'Inside a 1962 Strat that's been gigged for 60 years,' 'How I level frets without damaging the crown,' 'Pre-1992 Brazilian rosewood — what to know before refretting.' Per-video format: 30-60 sec hook + 90 sec process + 15 sec CTA ('drop off in [city] for a 5-day turn — link in bio'). 3 reels/wk. (4) POST-PICKUP SMS — sent same day as pickup: 'Hey [first name] — guitar's home with you. If anything feels off in the next 30 days, text me, I'll re-check free. And if you know one other guitar player, text them my number — I'll buy you a $25 D'Addario gift card after their first job.' (5) KLAVIYO POST-PICKUP EMAIL FLOW — Email 1 (day 7): 'How's the [instrument] feeling? Reply with one line.' Email 2 (day 30): the 3-month-check-in pitch ('most setups need a tweak after a season change — book a 15-min check-in for $25, applied to next setup if you book one'). Email 3 (day 90): the seasonal-tune-up pitch ('humidity dropped — your action probably crept up. 30-min tweak for $35, same-week turn'). Email 4 (day 365): the annual setup reminder + a 15% off code. (6) THE REFERRAL CARD — physical card the customer takes home: 'Bring this back with a friend who books a paid job — you both get $25 off your next service.' Output: 60-day content calendar + 30 video hooks + post-pickup SMS template + 4-email Klaviyo flow + referral-card design brief."

Time Saved Per Week

White-label music-store pitch (one-time + per-store): ~3 hrs saved per pitch + builds the wait list
Intake form + 'while you're in there' protection (one-time): ~5 hrs saved + small-claims protection
CITES + Lacey + ivory audit (one-time + per vintage job): ~6 hrs saved + federal-seizure protection
Per-vintage-job estimate language (one-time + per job): ~3 hrs saved per job + 30-50% premium
Reverb + GMB + repair-vlog + post-pickup flow (one-time + weekly content): ~5 hrs saved/wk in steady state
Total: 5-8 hrs/wk back in steady state — enough to add 2-3 more music-store partnerships per quarter without burning out.

Total AI Stack Cost

Budget tier: ChatGPT Free + Claude Free + Square POS Free + Klaviyo Free = $0/mo to start
Full tier: ChatGPT Plus ($20) + Repair Shopr ($60) + Canva Pro ($13) + Klaviyo ($20) + Twilio SMS ($15) = $128/mo
Compare: A part-time service writer + content person = $400-$800/mo. AI does it for $0-$128.

Your First Win (30-min action)

Pick the closest 5 independent music stores within 25 miles. Use Step 1's prompt to write personalized white-label pitches today.

Prompt to lock the legal floor before your first paid drop-off: "Apply Step 2's intake form + 'while you're in there' protection to my [state]. Output: (a) the 1-page intake form ready to print + sign at drop-off; (b) the [state]'s Mechanic's Lien / Repairman's Lien statute citation + the abandoned-instrument disposal protocol; (c) the vintage-instrument addendum + the CITES + Lacey question; (d) the shipping + loss-damage liability limit language."

That single 5-store pitch + intake-form batch typically lands 1 white-label partnership within 30 days + protects every customer interaction from the 'while you're in there' lawsuit. That's the entire 'first $1K-$3K/mo store partnership by month 4' path.

Product / Service Offering

Two business models share a workshop and you have to pick which one drives revenue or you'll do both badly.

Model A — repair-only (recommended for year 1). High volume, fast cash, low capital. A tech doing 15-25 jobs a week at $80-$160 average builds to $4K-$6K months by month 6-9. You learn the local market, build a reputation, pay your tools off in 90 days. This is the path 80% of solo techs take.

Model B — custom builds (luthier work). Long lead times (200-400 hours per guitar), high ticket ($800-$10,000+ per instrument per Guild of American Luthiers member surveys), but you ship 4-12 instruments a year if you're moving fast. Custom work is a 3-5 year reputation game — your first 3 builds usually sell at break-even or to friends. Don't build year 1 unless you already have buyers waiting.

Repair menu (the bread and butter):

Basic setup — intonation, action, truss rod, polish: $60-$100
Bone nut replacement: $70-$120
Fret level, crown, polish: $120-$200
Full refret (medium frets, rosewood/ebony): $250-$450
Pickup install (1 pickup, no routing): $50-$80
Electronics rewire / harness replacement: $80-$160
Headstock break repair (clean break): $200-$400
Vintage cleaning + setup (pre-1970): $150-$300+

Pricing model: flat rate per service for everything on the menu, hourly ($65-$95/hour) for restoration that doesn't fit the menu. Always quote before starting. "While you're in there" work is never approved without a call.

Revenue Model

Bench labor is the spine. Parts pass through at a small markup. A music-store partnership is what gets you to $5K+ months.

Unit economics — typical month 6 (solo, no store partnership yet):

Line item	Volume	Avg ticket	Revenue
Setups (walk-in + referrals)	22	$85	$1,870
Fret work (level/crown or refret)	6	$260	$1,560
Electronics/pickup work	8	$90	$720
Misc (nuts, saddles, restrings)	12	$45	$540
Parts pass-through (markup ~25%)	flat	—	$350
Gross			~$5,040
Parts COGS (~10%) + Square fees + insurance			-$730
Rent (home/garage shop assumed)			$0
Net			~$4,310

Path to your first $1K month: 12-15 setups + a few small jobs. Most solo techs hit this in month 1-2 with a few musician friends as referrers.

Path to your first $5K month: one local music-store white-label deal (8-15 instruments/month dropped at the shop) plus walk-in/referral volume. Usually month 5-8. The store keeps a $20-$40 markup per ticket; you get the bench work without doing intake.

Where the second $5K comes from: a second store partnership, OR vintage/restoration at premium rates, OR a slow ramp into custom builds with deposits. Don't try all three at once.

Startup Costs

Item	Low	Mid	High
Bench tools — fret/nut files, radius gauges, soldering, basic jigs	$1,200	$2,200	$3,500
StewMac specialty tools (fret press, neck jig, fret end dresser)	$400	$900	$1,800
Workbench + lighting + dust collection	$200	$500	$1,000
Starter parts inventory	$250	$500	$1,000
LLC + EIN + local business license	$50	$250	$600
GL + bailee's customer goods rider (year 1)	$700	$1,000	$1,500
Square reader + intake/tracking software	$50	$200	$400
Working capital buffer	$500	$1,500	$3,000
Total	~$3,350	~$7,050	~$12,800

Note on LLC fees: range reflects state variance ($35-$500). See the LLC University 50-state table.

If you're going custom-build (Model B), add $3,000-$8,000 for a CNC router, finish room, and wood inventory. Don't add it year 1 unless you've already presold builds. A spray booth for nitrocellulose lacquer adds another $1,500-$5,000 — see Section 5 for state compliance.

Legal & Formation

Business entity. Single-member LLC (limited liability company) is the right entity from day one — the second a customer drops a $4,000 guitar on your bench, you have liability you didn't have yesterday. Filing runs $35-$500 by state per the LLC University table. EIN (federal tax ID) is free at IRS EIN Online — never pay a third party. Once net profit clears $80,000-$100,000/year, file IRS Form 2553 for S-corp election and save $5,000-$15,000/year in self-employment tax.

Licenses & sales tax. No national or state luthier license — guitar repair isn't a regulated trade in the US. You need a standard local business license, $25-$200/year. Sales tax: in most states, parts are taxable but labor isn't. A few states (TX, OH) tax labor when bundled with parts unless invoiced separately — itemize labor and parts as separate lines on every ticket. Confirm with your state revenue department.

Industry-specific risk. Three traps trip up solo guitar techs in this exact order. First, the bailee's customer goods gap. This is the single most-missed insurance line in the trade. Standard general liability (GL) covers a customer who slips in your shop. It does NOT cover the $5,000 vintage Strat sitting on your bench when your shop floods. That property belongs to the customer, you have legal custody (the term is "bailment"), and you're personally liable for damage. You need a bailee's customer goods rider — also called "customers' property in your care, custody, and control." It runs $200-$500/year on top of $1M GL. Insureon and Hiscox write it; specialty music-industry brokers like Clarion Associates are common in the trade. Bind it before you accept the first instrument. Second, written estimates. Most states require a written, customer-signed estimate above a $25-$100 threshold and you can't exceed it without re-authorizing. Skip this and a $180 dispute over an unauthorized "while I was in there" repair becomes a state AG complaint. Use a one-page intake form with itemized estimate, signature line, and a checkbox for "call before exceeding by more than $25." Third, finish chemicals and CARB. If you spray nitrocellulose lacquer (the traditional guitar finish), you're working with high-VOC (volatile organic compound) products. California's CARB consumer-products program regulates VOC content in coatings, and several other states (NY, NJ, PA among them) have adopted similar limits. CA-compliant lacquers exist but are harder to source. If you're in CA, OR, NY, or NJ, do not buy generic nitro online without checking VOC limits first — many luthiers in those states use waterborne finishes specifically to avoid the cost of a code-compliant spray booth.

1099 reporting. Music stores paying you $600+ in a calendar year must issue you a 1099-NEC. Track music-store income separately so January reconciliation is painless.

Marketing & First Customers

The map is not Instagram. The map is the four guitar shops within 30 minutes that don't have an in-house tech.

Walk into 5-8 local music stores in person, week 1. Highest-converting channel by a mile. Bring three things: business cards, a folder with 6-10 phone photos of your work (before/after), and a one-page rate sheet. Pitch a white-label drop-off: customer drops the guitar at the shop, the shop calls you, you pick up within 48 hours, return finished within 5-10 days, store keeps a $20-$40 markup. Conversion: 1-2 of 5 shops will say yes within 30 days. One yes = $1,000-$3,000/month.
Google Business Profile for "[city] guitar repair." Free, 2 hours to set up, ranks within 30 days in any secondary metro. Inbound: 4-15 calls/month once indexed. Do NOT skip — this is the only paid-channel-equivalent that actually works for solo techs.
Reverb seller account for parts and instrument flips. Reverb fees: 5% selling + 2.7% processing + $0.25/transaction (raised from 3.5% in 2023). Flip 2-4 instruments a year — buy a project at $300, restore for $200 in parts and 6 hours of labor, sell at $900-$1,200 net.
r/Luthier and local Facebook groups. 2-3 posts/month showing finished work + a soft mention of your shop. Don't spam — answer beginner questions thoroughly and people DM you. Free, 1-2 inbound leads/month after 60-90 days.
Working musician outreach. Identify 10-15 working musicians in your metro on Instagram (cover bands, worship-team leaders, wedding-band hires). DM each offering a free 15-minute on-stage check-in at their next gig. Half won't reply. The 3-5 who do become repeat customers and refer the rest of their band.
Guild of American Luthiers (GAL) directory. GAL membership is $80-$120/year — credibility marker for vintage and custom inquiries. Pays for itself with one vintage job.

First 10 customers: 4 from your existing musician network (do their guitars at half-price for review-and-photo permission), 3-4 from the first store drop-off relationship, 2-3 from Google/Reverb inbound by month 2-3.

First 90 Days

Week 1. File the LLC, apply for the EIN (free at IRS.gov), open a business checking account at Mercury or a local credit union.
Week 1-2. Bind GL + bailee's customer goods rider through Insureon, Hiscox, or a music-industry broker. Get the binder in writing before accepting any customer guitar.
Week 2. Order from StewMac if your bench needs filling out — fret files, nut files, radius gauges, fret press caul, polishing kit. Allow 7-10 days shipping.
Week 2-3. Build a one-page rate sheet, a one-page intake form (with the written-estimate authorization checkbox), and 6-10 portfolio photos. Set up Square.
Week 3. Walk into 5-8 local music stores in person. Pitch the white-label arrangement. Target: 1 verbal yes by end of week 3.
Week 4. Set up the Google Business Profile, post 5 photos, request 2-3 reviews from your first paying customers. Build a basic 3-page website (Carrd, $19/year).
Week 5-6. Take your first 4-6 paying jobs. Do them slowly and well. Photo every step. Target: $400-$900.
Week 7-8. First store referrals start landing if a shop said yes in week 3. Process within the promised turnaround. Target: $800-$1,500 month 2.
Week 9-10. Reach out to 10-15 working musicians on Instagram. Offer free on-stage check-in at their next gig. Target: 3-5 new repeat customers.
Week 11-12. Audit which channels produced paid work and which were noise. Target: $1,200-$2,800 month-3 gross + at least one store relationship producing 5+ jobs/month.

Common Pitfalls

Skipping the bailee's customer goods rider. A customer's $5,000 vintage guitar damaged on your bench is your personal problem — your standard GL excludes it under the "care, custody, and control" exclusion in every commercial GL policy. The rider costs $200-$500/year. The first uncovered loss runs $3,000-$8,000 out of pocket plus a small-claims complaint that destroys the local reputation you spent 18 months building. Fix: add the rider through your GL carrier (Insureon, Hiscox, or a music-industry specialty broker) before accepting the first drop-off.

Touching vintage without knowing what you don't know. A 1962 Stratocaster's value collapses 30-60% if someone refrets it with the wrong fret wire or strips the original lacquer. That's a $3,000-$8,000 mistake on a single job — and the owner's insurance company will subrogate against you. Fix: for any pre-1970 guitar, quote a 30-50% premium, document existing condition with 20+ photos, and refer the job out if the work touches finish or original frets and you haven't done it on a non-vintage instrument 10+ times.

Doing custom builds in year 1 without deposits. A $3,000 custom build that takes 250 hours and sells in month 18 is $12/hour. Your repair bench could've billed $15K in that same window. Fix: if you take a custom commission in year 1, take 50% deposit + materials cost up front, give a written 12-18 month timeline, and put the contract in writing. Don't take more than 1-2 commissions until you've shipped one and the buyer has paid in full.

Spraying nitro without checking CARB rules. California, New York, New Jersey, and others have VOC limits that effectively ban most off-the-shelf nitrocellulose lacquers. Buying a gallon of standard nitro online and spraying it in a CA garage is a code violation that can cost $1,000-$5,000 in fines and a notice that shuts down your shop. Fix: if you're in a CARB-aligned state, use waterborne finishes (Target Coatings, General Finishes Enduro-Var) or CA-compliant lacquers from StewMac. Check your state's air-quality district rules before buying any spray finish.

Pricing setups at chain-store rates. Quoting $50 because that's what Guitar Center charges ignores that the chain pays its tech $18-$22/hour. A $50 setup that takes 90 minutes plus 15 minutes of customer intake is $28/hour gross, before insurance and parts. Fix: charge $75-$110 for a basic setup, $90-$140 with a string change. Customers who balk at $80 will balk at $50 — they're not your customer. The musicians who pay your rent are happy to pay $100 for a setup that's right the first time.

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