Guitar Resurrection

I bought a Guild guitar from these guys. They made sure that it was what I wanted and was playable. They helped me to remove a buzzing caused by the nut. Now the guitar is totally playable. I would buy another guitar from these great knowledgeable guys.

I’ve bought and traded a boat-​load of fine instruments in my 52 years, mostly through Guitar Rez. I rarely deal with anyone else in the business and usually wind up regretting it when I do (except with my friends at Cotten Music in Nashville).
I cannot recommend Guitar Rez highly enough; tops for product knowledge, service, experience and integrity. Great selection of QUALITY guitars, amps and gear at competitive prices.
If you’re looking to kill an hour or so shredding on every guitar and amp in the place, then go to Guitar Center. If you want the best and you’re serious about it, then go to Guitar Rez.

Awesome store. the staff was friendly and really knowledge also just really chill guys who know music and enjoy operating an old school mom and pop style shop
I recommend this place to everyone, its a great alternative to big chain shops like Guitar Center

I had a GREAT experience with this store. Fritz was great! He was happy to let me play just about anything. After asking some questions he went to the back & brought out two consignment guitars that were suited to my needs.
I’ve been playing a long time & now suffer with some tendinitis and arthritis in my hands. Fritz worked with the action & string selection on the unit I purchased… easy to play! Thanks for an EXCELLENT experience!

And yet again.
EXCELLENT!!!
I have bought Guild’s here, I have bought Taylor’s here, I have bought MANY Gibson’s here, and even a classical guitar… Most excellent products and service. Jim and the others there are so friendly and nice. They even make small talk with my wife, who always comes along when I go guitar shopping. They never pressure me, they give me straight and honest facts, and they work with me on price.
A few days ago I bought an $ 8K PRS from them. So pleased! I don’t understand the negative comments here. I understand that everyone has a bad day and someone may have hit them on an off day, but I have been in there many times and have never experienced any negative results. They let me play what I want, they let me take my time, and they’re nice guys. As someone else here said, yes they are «guitar snobs,» but so am I. That is not a crime. :)

Three stars is supposed to indicate a business is «A-​OK» according to Unilocal.While I wouldn’t call Guitar Ressurection THAT, I can’t bear to give them only two stars. They DO deserve better than that.
I can agree with both the good and bad reviews posted. I never was their biggest customer /​buyer, but I’ve done business with them on a number of occasions. Mostly smaller purchases, strings and stuff. But I have made what, to me, were major purchases, over the years: A Spector bass, Trace Elliot pre-​amp, SWR Goliath III 4×10 box, and a vintage Crown DC300-​A power amp, which I still own. That’s enough info for the guys to figure out who I am, if they wanted to, so I may have «blown my cover». No matter.
They do sell quality gear, some new, some vintage. They also sell stuff on consignment, and you can sometimes get some REALLY good deals on that stuff. I bought a barely-​used Esteve Classical Guitar that was on consignment. Paid roughly HALF what it would have been new, and would have been beyond my budget. Not a scratch on it. BEAUTIFUL instrument!
Personally, I’ve never been refused the opportunity to play any instrument they had on the sales floor, or anything behind the counter. And that was even BEFORE I had made any large purchases. I’m just a regular guy who is a «weedend warrior» at best when it comes to playin’ out in the bars. I’m nobody that they’re gonna cater to; they KNOW I can’t afford the REALLY expensive gear there. The bass I bought? It was licensed by Spector, but it was made in Korea. I couldn’t afford a US-​made Spector, and still can’t. But I never felt discriminated against cuz of my inability to spend the big bucks. I don’t know what to say to the folks that say they have been refused a «test drive». Maybe they sampled some instruments on the Main sales floor, and the owner /​employees didn’t like the way they handled THOSE instruments? I don’t know, I wasn’t there, so I can only speculate. They may have had a GOOD REASON. Probably more to the story, I’d bet.
I’ve always gotten good deals there. One time, when I was looking to buy an SWR Goliath III bass box (the 4×10 mentioned), I came in with my Musician’s Friend catalog. GR’s price was higher, as you might expect. Guess what? THEY MATCHED THE PRICE! I don’t know if they would do this every time, but they did it THAT time. Rather than wait DAYS to get it shipped by Musician’s Friend, I walked out with my new SWR that same visit.
I’ve also had repairs made there, or at least one. The nut broke on my bass; the original was made from plastic. Dave fabricated me a new one out of BONE from SCRATCH, BY HAND. I bet that thing will never break.
OK, that’s the good news. Now to address the comments from the negative reviews:
Are they unfriendly at times? YES (Jim is the main offender). Ya just gotta get to know ‘em. Are they «equipment snobs»? ABSOLUTELY YES. Have I seen them refuse to allow people to sample the gear behind the counter? Yeah, I’ve seen that happen. Sorry, guys, I’m just being honest.
Thing is, they really DO have some of the best gear in Austin. And repair, ditto. So DEAL WITH IT!
I don’t go to Gutar Ress as much as I used to. They were far enough away when they were on the Drag (I live near Wm. Cannon). Now that they’re on Morrow St. Well, I can’t justify driving all that far for picks or strings when there’s a Strait Music 10 min from my house. And if YOU happen to live South like me and need repairs, I feel that Austin Vintage Guitars does as good a job at reasonable rates; again, about 10 min from my house. But if I were planning a MAJOR purchase, guitar, bass, or amp, I would DEFINITELY visit Guitar Ress an see what they had to offer.
I wish I could (categorically) give ratings in areas where Guitar Ressurection excels and where they don’t, but I’ll break it down here:
Quality and variety of equipment offered: FIVE STARS. Gear NOT found anywhere else in Austin.
Product Knowledge on ALL their equipment: FIVE STARS. If you can tolerate the «gear snobbery», they’ll tell you WHY a particular item is better than a cheaper one, in great detail. They know their stuff, no denying THAT.
Quality of repair services: FIVE STARS, though I should mention I’ve only had GUITAR work done, no AMP repair. When it comes to amps, I have only one thing to say: TAKE YOUR AMP ANYWHERE BUT MUSICMAKER! This review is too long already, and not about them anyway, but trust me regarding my recommendation. I wouldn’t trust Ollie to change a battery in my FLASHLIGHT without screwing it up!
Level of Courtesy, «Gear-​Snobbiness», and general ‘Tude: TWO STARS, maybe even only ONE.
THAT’S how I came up with a Grand Total of THREE STARS; I’d actually make it TWO-​AND-​½ STARS if I could. But like I said, they DO deserve MORE than two stars.
If you’re looking for TRULY high end gear, you have no choice but to check ‘em out. Gtr Ctr, Strait, and the like, simply don’t have it! Or anyone else in town, for that matter.
larrythediner

Incredible bass guitars– if you are Starting a bass music career, this is the store and Pro musicians that you want to b with you to assist you w/​your bass choices!

I’ve been going into Guitar Rez for years for 1 reason, they have an awesome guitar, bass, & amp repairman named Dave. He’s always friendly to me and does his work at a fair price & gives great advice. I know I am not their ideal customer. I can’t afford their guitars or amps and frankly I’ve had the same equipment since 2000. I recently brought in some Seymour Duncan pickups I got cheap on eBay but needed to have installed on my cheap Squire Strat. Dave joked with me like an old friend & didn’t give me an ounce of attitude & never has. I go to Guitar Rez every couple of years for guitar, bass, or amp repairs from Dave. He couldn’t be nicer or more friendly.
I realize Guitar Rez is a boutique store that sells top of the line gear that I’ll never be able to afford. I remember playing a few guitars there in the past and I never got any attitude, probably because Dave was the only person working. If I were them, I would be reluctant allow non-​buyers, especially kids, to play their $ 1,000−10,000+ guitars, which could cause belt, pick, or scratch marks. If you want to jam on a guitar you have no intention of buying, go to Guitar Center.

Not sure where the negative reviews are coming from on this page, but from my perspective, this was a fantastic customer experience. I took my 16 year old son in today to buy a guitar for his birthday. Michael waited on us. He was super nice, asked all the right questions, made my son feel at home, and steered us to the perfect solution. All in a laid back, yet knowledgeable and professional manner. Great selection of guitars, and even better, compared to other stores we shopped online, we got a much better deal on pricing. After we’d purchased our guitar, they brought out a very nice hard cover case for the instrument that on its own would easily cost a couple hundred dollars, and included it for no additional charge.
Highly recommend these guys, Michael in particular.

One word awkward… This place is about as charming and inviting as a Planned Parenthood. Staff is not too friendly, especially if you look like you don’t have $ 6k to spend on a old Fender. This Place ripped me off in my younger days (mid 1990’s), the bald gentlemen that worked there was more than happy to exploit my ignorance for his own gain. Back in the day they were the place to go if you wanted a truly high end bass our guitar. The selection used to be a lot more modern but has now gone vintage. Now it’s just overpriced vintage snobbery and kind of a weird uneasy vibe. I don’t understand how you can own/​work in a music store and be so sour. SHAME. I live a couple blocks from this place, I wont even go there to buy strings.

Usually when just a couple of people feel this negative about a place I go anyway to check it out. With everyone saying the same thing, I am thankful there are sites like this to help avoid people who don’t belong in sales or dealing with the public. What a joke! Its too bad too. I had plans to go there and spend some cash if they had what I wanted, but these reviews saved me the aggravation. I don’t have unlimited funds but the discretionary money I do have I usually spend on guitars and gear. I had been looking forward to going in and checking the place out but wouldn’t even consider it just based on the story from the two young men that were ignored and then told no when asking to play a bass. I like to do business with nice people, not lazy, judgemental losers whose only control in their lives is to determine who can play their guitars. Wow. Really? Lets see what kind of jobs they get after the shop closes from lack of customers.

Arrogant, rude, condescending. Never, ever a dime from me.

The bald guy who has owned this shop since the 80s is Jim. Take a look at the only positive review, the first one. Kind of suspicious.
Jim and his buddies were douches back in 1990 when I went there a lot. I really don’t assume that they’ve changed. For the life of me I don’t know where they get the attitude; and more to the point, why would anyone give them their money. They don’t respect anyone.
But, don’t be discouraged and lose hope. If you happen to be in a successful touring band AND these guys recognize your face, rest assured they will fall all over themselves to make you feel special.

Absolutely the rudest staff I have encountered in many years. They were condescending and made it very clear that they were not interested in my and my friend’s business. They refused to allow us to test an amplifier that we were interested in. I ended up purchasing an amplifier that same day at one of their competitors. I would not recommend them under any circumstances. There are too many other good guitar stores in Austin that appreciate your business.

What a disappointment! Went to this out of the way store to look at quality, recent and vintage acoustics. Staff appeared bothered to have customers actually invade their space.
May have had some nice guitars (played a couple of R. Taylors) but having to put up with the staff who were particularly unfriendly took all the fun out of the experience.
Would not recommend these guys. If you’re in Austin… go to Austin Vintage Guitars… they’re way nicer and have a much more varied selection of quality used guitars.

The best selection of quality, high-​end guitars, basses and amps in Austin.
I remember going in to the old Guitar Resurrection on Guadalupe with my Dad when I was a kid. I was probably about 9 or 10… just starting to play the guitar, and my Dad was taking me guitar shopping for «a real guitar»
So there I was… their worst nightmare… a little punk kid, trying to pick up $ 3000 Les Pauls, PRS and Alembics, Pedulla basses, etc…
At first they tried to play it cool… steer me toward some cheaper stuff… but when I wanted to play the Les Paul like Slash had, they simply told me I couldn’t touch it unless I was going to buy it!
Well, this pissed off my Dad big time. He let loose a fury of profanity and insults… and vowed never to set foot there again.
I ended up going to a guitar show and getting a 1984 Fender Vintage 57 Reissue Stratocaster that I still have, and absolutely love. My Dad knew what was best.
Fast Forward to 1996 or so, I went back to Guitar Rez to buy an amp. It was like it hadn’t changed at all in a decade. Same guys, same kind of gear, same everything. But this time, I wasn’t a kid, I had money, and I knew what I was talking about (somewhat)
So I decide on the amp I want after trying just about everything in the store (end up spending around $ 5k on it) and while I’m finishing up the buying process, a friend that came with me picks up a $ 3500 bass and starts playing it. Immediately, a guy comes over and says: «are you gonna buy that?» My friend answered with: I don’t know… So the guy says: «if you’re not gonna buy it, don’t touch it» totally rude!
Then my friend puts it down, and comes over to talk to me. As soon as the guy that told him not to touch it sees my friend talking to me, he walks over, and tries apologizing… and says: «sorry. I didn’t realize you were with him» etc…
So, I’ve certainly experienced first hand, why they have the reputation they have.
But all things considered, I can totally understand why a small business like that, and an owner that has his entire life invested in his inventory… and who is completely uncompromising in the quality of equipment he carries, would do everything he can to protect it and keep it in perfect condition.
Still the best place in Austin for high-​end, custom, boutique gear.
While it may not matter to everyone, once it is apparent that you are supporting their business, they do take a genuine interest in helping you, conversing with you, and informing you.
I just wonder how many potential customers they scare away?
I appreciate that they are there… offering the quality of gear that they do, and I will continue to support them for that reason.

This guys have plain bad customer service. I bought several guitars from them in a month. One was an Esteve classical guitar barely 30 days old (under warranty). One of their claims was great customer service. The guitar had a buzz in it when you play a G chord. I brought it in and the owner pretended like he could not hear the buzz, but one of the workers kept saying, «There is it is» can’t you hear it”. It was fairly obvious even to an untrained ear.
They claimed it was repaired twice, by changing strings etc… Finally on the 3^rd time, they had me come back, they owner just sat there and the employees appeared to be not allowed to speark. I am a collector/​player and would not recommend them to anyone.

This place has a great selection of boutique amps and vintage guitars. The prices are standard for what you would pay for these items. They don’t have a reputation for giving you killer deals.
They do have a reputation for not being the friendliest cats, and I found that to be true until I actually demonstrated to them that I had a freaking clue about gear. It seems that if you can engage them in some intelligent talk, they’ll be nicer to you. Otherwise, they’ll turn into Nigel Tufnel and tell you, «Don’t touch that one, don’t look at it, it’s not to be played…» I guess guitars are just supposed to hang up on a wall. My bad.
This is the only place in Austin I’ve seen Bogner or Top Hat amps. They have other boutique amps as well, so it’s worth going there to check that stuff out. Just act like you’re going to buy it, or they won’t let you touch it.