Skip Navigation Website Accessibility

There’s something special about getting to work with instruments every day. It’s what makes us so passionate about what we do. Check out what some of our happy customers have to say…


I have seen Emory’s (Appalachian Bluegrass) finish work on Taylors first hand, and can honestly say he would be my go to guy. I feel confident enough not to hesitate taking any of my repairs to him, and he is a distant drive for me; but I am picky.

Get in your car and make the drive, they have a very good selection of guitars for you to try before your drive back home.

– Acoustic Guitar Forum Member

Appalachian Bluegrass does top-tier work. These guys fixed my J-200 when no one else could.

– Steve | Alexandria, VA

I can also sing praise for Appalachian Bluegrass for this work. A number of years ago they did a bunch of work on my LG1 and did a 1st rate job. Since then they have brought luthier David Macubbin in house to work on guitars and he is outstanding. You can see his guitars in the shop and at Dream Guitars. No hesitation here. This is a really good option.

– Jeff | Acoustic Guitar Forum Member

I live 7 miles from Appalachian Bluegrass. They have done lots of work for me over the years… neck resets, refrets, brace repairs, bridge work, nut replacements, etc.. Emory and his staff are top notch. Highly recommend. It’s the only shop I trust in my area.

– Acoustic Guitar Forum Member

Brought in a 1965 Guild which was dusty and dirty and needing fret repair. It was gorgeous when we picked up the guitar. They did a great restoration clean-up job. My son was very pleased and his father very pleasantly surprised.

– Angi.com Reviewer

+1 on Appalachian Bluegrass. Emory did great work for me last month on a D35 that had hazing in the finish from the previous owner. Also, Taylor referred me to him when I inquired about getting work done on a center seam separation issue that I had on my R. Taylor 1. They told me he would do just as well with as the factory did. I brought it to him and he confirmed that he didn’t think he’d have any issue correcting the problem and restoring the finish so that I’d never be able to tell that it had been repaired (I ultimately traded the RT to Woody (Mike) here on AGF before doing the work because he wanted to handle it himself). 

They’re also very nice folks to deal with. I’m sure I’ll also be back to buy a guitar from them at some point.

– Acoustic Guitar Forum Member

They repaired a 130 year old family heirloom violin… The staff is full of experts in all acoustic instruments. They did a marvelous job. The violin sounds just beautiful when played. I grade them all A’s. They are just great. I would absolutely use them again.

– Angi.com Reviewer

Just had a basic set up done by Emory at Appalachian Bluegrass. The work was amazingly technical, but his attention and customer service is unlike anything I’ve experienced in almost any retail or repair situation. I love my city, but Baltimore has the leg up on us in this category. I’ll be driving down 95 again for my guitar needs for sure.

– Acoustic Guitar Forum Member

They did a wonderful job setting up my octave mandolin and installing a new pick up in it. It turned out exactly how I hoped. The instrument is now a dream to play and sounds beautiful. They contacted me when they were ready to work on it , saving me from having to leave it with them for a long period of time , and were able to finish the job in under a week. A much-appreciated service . I will definitely be using them for this instrument from here on out. Thank you very much!

– Marc | Washington, DC

Repair Pricing

Maintenance:
 Restring, Clean frets and Fingerboard    $20 (strings extra)
 Install Strap Button    $10 each
 Setup    Starting at $95

Fret Work:
 Dress Fret Ends    $65
 Level, Crown, and Polish    $85
 Partial Re-fret    $20 per fret + $95 Setup charge
 Complete Re-fret    $425

Structural Repairs: 
 Glue Loose Brace    $75 each
 Remove and Reset Bridge    $125
 Binding Repair    Priced per Job
 Crack Repair (no finish work)    $75 each
 Crack Repair with finish work    Priced per Job
 Neck Reset    Taylor Guitars-$65
 Traditional Dove Tail Joint    $600 and up
 Broken Neck    $125 and up
 Broken Headstock    $125 and up
 Smashed Top, Back, Side    Priced per Job

Electronic Services:
 Bench Fee    $20
 Install Acoustic Pickup    $100
 Install Electric Pickup    $75 each
 Replace Pots    $50
 Replace Output Jack    $20

Finish Work:
 Dings; Lacquer and Ultra-Violet    $75 and up
 Buff and Wax Body    $100
 Old Finish Restoration    $400
 Headstock Refinish    $275
Other Finish Services Available Upon Request
Heirloom Restoration
We will do all necessary restoration to bring back your family heritage piece.
Due to the nature of this kind of work, pricing and turnaround times vary from instrument to instrument.
Bring in your heirloom and have it evaluated.