Customer Reviews & Ratings

5/5 - by Bobbi Fisher

Dana provides the utmost in professionalism and quality, timely repair. I have had him work on a Hofner very thin classic electric guitar, and a Takamine EN 10C acoustic. The repair work I needed on the acoustic was extensive. It had been butchered elsewhere and sounded horrible. Dana re-worked the instrument, kept me informed about what he was going to do and how much it was going to cost, and when he gave it back to me, it was like new. I thought his rates were also very reasonable. I would not take my instrument anywhere else, I know it is in good hands with Dana.

5/5 - by Jake R.

Dana did major repair work, refretting, reshaping of the neck, etc. to a 1917 Gibson A-4 Mandolin that I inherited from my uncle. The thing is a total antique, and Dana made it completely playable, while maintaining it\'s original integrity. He\'s incredibly knowledgeable, timely and responsible, a true lover of the music that these instruments can make. I never hesitate to call him with a question or concern. For a while now, I\'ve been looking for an excellent and affordable mandolin mic, and Dana will routinely send me web pages unveiling the newest mics and info. I couldn\'t recommend Dana Sutcliffe more highly for his professionalism, care, and attention to detail. You will not be disappointed.

5/5 - by Erica

My guitars played and sounded better than ever after I had Dana work on them. I have a Martin and 2 Taylor acoustics as well as an American Strat. I had a pick up put in the Martin by a local music store and it never sounded good plus the action was awful. Dana kept me informed ever step of the way and replaced the pickup correctly. I will never again let anyone else touch my guitars. He is a true Master Luthier and a great guy too! He even picked up and delivered! And he did the repairs in a most timely manner. Highly recommend him for guitar service large and small.

5/5 - by Gene Guyer

I\'m a professional guitarist and need my guitars to be set up perfectly. I won\'t allow anyone but Dana to touch my guitars. He\'s done set ups and refrettings for me for years with perfection. I know they will be right when Dana does the work. When I buy a brand new guitar, Dana gets it before it\'s used in a show. I\'ve recommended Dana to other guitarists who also love his work. I highly recommend Dana for any work you need whether it is just a set up or an extensive repair.

5/5 - by mark unruh

I have known Dana for over 25 years. He has repaired and maintained a variety of vintage instruments of mine ranging from electric, acoustic and classical guitars to mandolins, banjos, basses as well as amplifiers. In my opinion there isn\'t a more skilled craftsman for stringed instruments anywhere. His attention to detail, virtual encyclopedic knowledge and passion for his work make him the best. When asked where to take an instrument for repairs where the work will be done right and with care, I send them to Dana.

5/5 - by jones purcell

dana is simply the best. nobody comes close

5/5 - by Steve Wood

I have a pretty large collection of high end and vintage basses, and I\'m pretty picky about the setup and condition of my instruments. Dana is the only person I trust with my basses. One quick story: I had a Gibson Ripper with a bad pickup. Ripper pickups are potted in epoxy, and I had several pickup experts around the country (including some who you have heard of) tell me that it was impossible to fix them. Dana told me \"no problem\" and did the job in 2 weeks. He is THE MAN.

5/5 - by Michael Brook

Dana has my restored and repaired many instruments for me. He is honest and thorough. He has brought back some instruments from the dead.

5/5 - by Chris Gray

Dana\'s work is absolutely unparalleled. I\'ve known Dana over 22 yrs. In that time he\'s built and or \"Bettered\" every Guitar I own. Knowledge, Passion, Craftsmanship, Artistry are just the tip of the iceberg in explaining his work. Dana Is the only person who touches my guitars period. And his is the only name I give to anyone who wants to maintain or improve their instrument or amp. Instead of Master it should be PHD Luthier. His work is nothing less than true art at it\'s best.

5/5 - by G

Superb workmanship. Exceeded expectations. Dana is a world-class luthier.

5/5 - by Michael Verruto

I M P E C C A B L E work from this fellow. Flawless, careful, conscientious and meticulous. Dana completely restored a vintage Gibson acoustic, rebuit a gibson ChetSAtkins with new saddle pickup, worked on my vintage L5, and L5s, and Martin.... even rebuilt my Mesa Lonestar....Very, very capable and a TRUE gentleman.

5/5 - by W.A.SHELBY

IF YOU LOVE YOUR GUITAR,TAKE IT TO DANA

5/5 - by will marshall

Several years ago I took a 1975 Guild F150 with fret bindings falling off to a large music chain(Accent Music) to be worked on. They basically butchered the fretboard of the guitar and when I went to finally pick it up there were no strings on it in an effort to hide their mistakes.@!#$ Subsequently, I took the guitar down to Dana and actually felt embarrassed by what had happened to this poor instrument, but I thought I would give him a shot. When he opened the case he was not horrified but immediately saw the potential for this instrument. He miraculously brought it back to life and it is one of my favorite instruments that was handed down from an uncle. Since then Dana has worked his magic on several more of my guitars. His craftsmanship is AMAZING!

5/5 - by danclaro

Dana tuned up a couple of new Fender basses for me a couple of years ago, including fretwork and pickup installation. Since then, they\'ve played beautifully and needed nothing except minor truss rod adjustments here and there. Dana also rebuilt my 1971 Ampeg V4-B and helped me choose what cabinet would sound best with it. His skills as a luthier and knowledge about tube amplifiers is incredibly valuable. He\'s a great resource to have in a local shop.

5/5 - by Nicole Passon

I work for a recording artist who is Extremely particular about the condition of his guitars and in fact all of his gear. Dana is the ONLY person he allows to work on his guitars. Dana has worked on everything from high end Taylor acoustics, classical, 12 string, etc to Parker Fly\'s to midi guitars for us. He did an Incredible custom fret job on a Trussart we have. He has worked on Amps for us, both vintage and new. Warwick Bass and on and on. Bottom line Dana is by far the best there is anywhere around here and if your not close by...he\'s worth the trip! Not only is he extremely knowledgeable and a true Master at his craft but Dana has the utmost integrity when exploring possible options for whatever your unique situation is. He will be honest with you about what your options are. Can\'t say enough good things about him! Whenever we sell a guitar we always put on \"set up by Dana Sutcliff\" as a selling point because those who know quality...know Dana and his work!!

5/5 - by mandorichard

Dana and Dave are outstanding. And every time I go in, I feel that all the staff are there to help me and treat me right. Sense of humor--yet professional, too. Some of my rock'n'roll buddies love the work that Dave Sumner does on their electric axes. I have to take them at their word; but I have lots of first hand experience with Dana Sutcliffe's work. Dana has worked on 6 of my instruments so far--ranging in age from a 1913 Gibson mandolin to a 2008 Les Paul. Great work on both electric and acoustic instruments. He has done both routine set-ups AND complex repairs and for me. I've been uniformly thrilled with all of his work. How thrilled? Well, I brought a friend of mine down from Malvern, PA, to have Dana work on a 1908 Gibson A-2 mandolin. Dana transformed it from a nice mandolin to an exceptional one. In short, I'd trust Dana with just about any electric or acoustic guitar, mandolin-family, or uke-family instrument. Great work. And a great little shop. One of my favorite stores in Delaware! I trust Dana Sutcliffe's work so much that I send my friends to him!

5/5 - by Rick Jensen

Dana made my Martin\'s sound exceed my own playing ability. Dana owns a Patent on a Guitar design! Most important, Dana tells you what to expect from his work on your instrument before he begins. I trust Dana with my prized Martin.

5/5 - by Mark K

Dana is the best!!! His work is very high quality and he goes out of his way to provide excellent customer service. He has worked on three guitars and a mandolin for me, and they always play better when he is done. One reason I attribute to his great work is that he is an outstanding player. He can pick up your guitar and tell you how he recommends setting it up, or set it up to your preferences. Why else would he have 18 top ratings (and more to come)!!!

5/5 - by Rory Sullivan

Dana is the ONLY guy I take my guitars to. He works with you and around the style you play to get the best sound, playability and quality out of your instrument. He regularly works on my Martin 000-16 and recently restored my 1938 Epiphone Deluxe. This job was a TOTAL restoration and included everything you can think of. This baby sings now and can\'t imagine of taken it somewhere else. You won\'t find better work than Dana. 5 Stars.

5/5 - by Paul Nowosielski

Dana is great. He was able to diagnose an issue I had with a faulty pickup in my Thinline that no other else could figure out or replicate. He didn\'t even have to plug it in. Experience goes a long way. He\'s really nice guy as well... Thanks Dana!

5/5 - by Mark from Club Phred

Dana has been working on my instruments since were in a band together in the seventies...He is, as the song says, simply the best. His tasks with me are complicated by love of Rickenbackers, which are temperamental by nature. Only use Dana if you want someone who will get it right the first time.

5/5 - by chris braddock

It is well-known among musicians in this area that Dana is an expert in guitar and mandolin repair. He has worked on two nice acoustic guitars of mine, plus a mandolin. But he also is great with more obscure things – my Turkish Baglama and Afghan rubâb have also received high-quality care from him. It is very hard to find qualified people to work on these instruments, and Dana does them all. He is also well-connected in the business, and recently helped facilitate a major overhaul of one my amplifiers, free of charge by the manufacturer. This is not something I could have made happen on my own. Perhaps just as important as his expertise is his consistent professionalism. Dana always picks up the phone when I call and is always cheerful and punctual with jobs. The follow-up tweakings he does are much appreciated. His price estimates are always accurate. He picks up my instruments and delivers them back to me at my home. That’s certainly a nice perk! It has been very good working with him.

5/5 - by Joe M

My vintage guitars prefer Dana\'s magic touch. For the best in restoration work, Dana is the man. Thanks.

5/5 - by Paul Hoffman

Dana was fantastic start to finish. He analyzed the problem(s) with my Fender Tele and expertlly turned it back into an instrument that is fun to play. He was also very prompt and reliable. After delivery he gave me expert advice on how to properly maintain my guitar. His service far exceeded any expectations I may have had. I was so impressed that I also had him work on my niece\'s guitar as a birthday present for her. She could tell a major difference right away and it increased her enthusiasm for playing. Thanks Dana!

5/5 - by Len Griehs

Dana has restored two of my guitars--a 1956 Gibson and a 1976 Fender Shenandoah. His work helped me recapture the memory of my youth. The Gibson is worth pretty good money today, and it was the first real good guitar I had. But it needed extensive work and Dana made it just like it was when I got it. The Fender 12-String was a unique instrument. He had to do a tremendous amount of work, including cutting off the top and rebuilding the tension bar. It has brought so much pleasure to be able to play both of these instruments again. Dana is a one-of-a-king repairman. His care for the sentimental value of the instruments is especially noteworthy. I\'ve got a Taylor 910 I\'m going to have him work on. It was custom made for me, but I want Dana\'s touch to make it personalized. I\'ve recommended him to many of my friends.

5/5 - by Dan H.

I have known and worked with Dana for over 25 years. The cat is knowledgeable, meticulous and treats the instruments and equipment he works on as if it were his own. Done right the first time....

5/5 - by Jason G

Dana did an Excellent job on my Warwick Thumb bass. He fixed some major electronics problems I was having as well as some fret work that left my bass playing like it was new!!!

5/5 - by Chris K

Here\'s another voice in the choir of voices happy with Dana\'s work. My Gibson J100 was un-tunable due to neck warp. Dana replaced the frets, straightened the neck, and otherwise fixed the guitar so that it sounds great (at least when played by others). Thanks Dana.

5/5 - by Brian Sutcliffe

Sounds like you have the reputation and experience. That is one thing that I dont have, entirely self taught and know nothing about other guitars etc. I admire those who have taken the time and effort to acquire this kind of skill. Kudos Brian

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