Guitar Setup in Sittingbourne, Kent
Drop off Monday, back by Friday. Drop-off based, three working day turnaround, £65 plus strings.
The workshop is in Sittingbourne. Drop your guitar off in person, pick it up three working days later, properly set up and playing the way it should.
What you actually get for your £65
- Deep clean of the body, neck and fingerboard
- Electrics cleaned and serviced, no more crackle or dropout
- Truss rod adjusted for correct neck relief
- Action set to your playing style
- String radius set to match your fretboard
- Tremolo adjustment, Floyd Rose included at no extra cost
- Nut slots checked and adjusted
- Intonation set on the bench using my own strobe tuner software, TrueStrobe Tuner, for 0.1 cent precision
- Pickups voiced
- Loose parts, machine heads and jack sockets checked and tightened
Two to three hours of bench time on every setup, often more. Every guitar is tested-played before it leaves the bench.
Why drop-off in Sittingbourne works
The workshop is based in Sittingbourne, ME10 1LT.
From the town centre it’s a five-minute drive. From the A249 or the M2 it’s about ten minutes. For musicians elsewhere in Kent, drop-off in Sittingbourne is straightforward:
- From Sheppey: ten minutes down the A249 over the bridge
- From Faversham: fifteen minutes along the A2
- From Maidstone, Chatham, Gillingham, Rochester: half an hour along the M2
- From Canterbury: under thirty minutes on the A2
I’ll confirm the drop-off slot by message first, so I’m in and the bench is clear when you turn up. I just need three things from you before you bring the guitar over: the make and gauge of strings you use, the tuning you keep it in, and whether you want a straight setup or you’re chasing something specific.
Three working days
Drop off Monday morning, and have it back before Friday afternoon. Back in your case in time for the weekend. If you’ve got a Saturday night gig and you can’t be a week without your main guitar, three days is the difference between booking the work and putting that setup off again.
What it costs
- Electric guitar setup: £65 plus strings
- Restring with full clean (fretboard clean and oil plus body polish): £20 plus strings
- Pickup replacement: from £30 plus pickup
- TUSQ nut, installed: £50 all-in
- Custom bone nut, hand-cut and installed: £80 all-in
Full menu and any additional services are on the Guitar Services page. Prices are on the site.
If a guitar comes in needing parts or work beyond a standard setup, I’ll message you with a cost before I touch anything. You hear from me before any extra spend, not after.
Who you’re handing the guitar to
I’m Matt. I’ve been playing in bands round Kent since the late 90s. I’m the person you talk to on WhatsApp or email, and I’m the person on the bench. Same hands from the moment you hand it over to the moment you pick it up.
Beyond Sittingbourne
I’m drop-off based in Sittingbourne, but the catchment is Kent-wide. Customers from across Swale, Medway, Faversham, Canterbury and the wider Kent area travel here for a setup
Common questions
How do I book a slot?
Drop me a message via the contact form or email. I’ll confirm a drop-off slot, usually the same day. Tell me the make and gauge of strings you use, your tuning, and anything specific you’re chasing.
What if my guitar needs more than a setup?
You’ll hear from me before I do any work outside the agreed setup. I’ll message you with what’s needed and what it costs. Some work I do at the bench (nuts, pickup replacement, electronics). Some work, like major structural repair, I’ll refer to specialists I trust.
Do you work on acoustics?
Primarily electrics and basses. For acoustic-specific work, get in touch and I’ll let you know what I can take on.
If your guitar fights you, drop me a line.