Guitar Repair & Setup — Plattsburgh, NY

Can't find a luthier in Plattsburgh who does the work you need? I'm Dan at Lakeside Guitar in Colchester, Vermont — a short ride on the Charlotte–Essex ferry, and less than 15 minutes from the Vermont side.

Plattsburgh has a real music scene — SUNY Plattsburgh, the North Country venues, the cross-border energy from Montreal. I've built up a solid base of Plattsburgh-area customers over the past few years, from college students with starter acoustics to experienced players who needed serious repair work done right. You shouldn't have to drive to Albany or Burlington to find a luthier worth trusting. Just take the ferry.

Planning Your Visit

Coming from New York? The Charlotte–Essex ferry puts you in Vermont in about 20 minutes — and I'm less than 15 minutes from the Vermont side. Call ahead and I'll schedule enough bench time to turn your job around the same day, so you're not making a second crossing. Jobs requiring glue, clamps, or multi-day dry time get dropped and picked up on a later run. A little planning goes a long way. Call or text 802-249-4983 before you book.

Services

Setups · Fret Work · Electronics · Repairs · Restoration — and everything in between. Whether it's a quick Restring+ ($50, while you wait), a full Signature Setup ($100–150), electronics work ($150–300), fret leveling ($150–200), or a full refret ($400–600), I quote honestly and track my time so you see exactly where your money went.

I'm a certified warranty technician for Martin and Taylor — which means I can handle warranty claims, order OEM parts, and access factory support directly. If you bought your guitar new and something's wrong, bring it to me before you ship it anywhere.

I work on acoustic guitars, electric guitars, and bass guitars — and also mandolins, banjos, ukuleles, and most fretted stringed instruments. Brands include Martin, Taylor, Gibson, Fender, PRS, Gretsch, Ibanez, Epiphone, Yamaha, Takamine, and many more, including rare and vintage makes most shops have never seen.

Why Lakeside Guitar

Precision. Guitar repair isn't art — it's math, physics, and materials science. Action is a measurement. Relief is geometry. I use both sides of my brain to find the sweet spot in every instrument.

Passion. I've been playing for over 35 years. I love guitars — all of them, regardless of brand or condition. When you bring me your instrument, I treat it like it matters. Because to you, it does.

Integrity. I'm a straight shooter. If I make a mistake, I'll tell you. If your job is going to run over estimate by more than 15%, I'll call before I proceed. No surprises.

Turnaround:

• While you wait — quick jobs up to ~30 minutes (Restring+, output jack, minor adjustments)
• 2–3 weeks — single-visit jobs on the fast track
• 30–60 days — multi-step projects, handled in order of arrival

What Customers Are Saying

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ "Excellent work. Dan kept me in the loop the entire repair."

— Doug Franz — Plattsburgh, NY

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ "Can't recommend Dan / Lakeside Guitar enough! I've seen Dan for both a lesson and a repair — communicative, fast, and the result was exactly what I needed."

— Lee Peters — Plattsburgh, NY

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ "Dan's among the very best — an honest, experienced, and excellent luthier who is a pleasure to do business with."

— Gary Rutkowski

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ "Dan provided prompt service and fixed my guitar the same day. Other guitar shops will take the guitar and you won't hear back for a week. Dan deserves the best review."

— Heather Fitzpatrick

50+ five-star reviews on Google →

Book or Get an Estimate

Ready to get your guitar playing its best? Schedule online or call/text 802-249-4983. Estimates are always free — I just need to see the instrument in person.

Location: Colchester, Vermont (Malletts Bay) · ~20 min ferry + 15 min drive from Colchester · By appointment only

Also serving: Peru NY · Rouses Point/Chazy NY · Burlington · Colchester