The Music Connection

This long-time music store has been a valued resource for musicians in the Chico area. Staff is both friendly and very knowledgeable. Guitar repair pro Mike Mace has performed several guitar repairs and adjustments over the years for me and is meticulous in his work. He is extremely knowledgeable and skilled in his craft. He is also a Taylor guitar certified technician.

I don't like to review places and be that guy but my experience here was not the greatest. I brought in a brand new Jaguar to have them set it up, with my own D'Addario NYXL 12-60 strings. I knew from the factory these guitars are not set up the greatest, so I brought it in. I did my research on what the jaguar needed to be successful and I asked them to do just that and I was very upfront about being willing to pay what it would take. What I wanted done: Shim the neck by .5 as this helps the string have more tension on the saddle and strings are notorious for slipping off of the jaguar saddle, secure the floating bridge, fix the tremolo systems "click" at the tongue and groove, file out the nut accordingly to fit my larger gauge strings I brought with me, and your basic truss adjustment, action and intonation. The employee helping me said no problem give us a week exactly. Even had a decent conversation about how I wanted to set this guitar up to play heavier drop tuning and open tuning but still allowing the ease and fun of a shorter scale guitar. Great. I come back a week later, they hadn't even touched the guitar, the employees working at the time didn't even know it was there. Give us another week. Okay no problem as I work close by. I come in, and I'm laughed at by the same employee who said give us a week...then give another....as he said "we have a queue dude we will get to it when we feel like it". A week later I get a text that it's finished. Three weeks now after dropping it off. Blue painters tape to secure the bridge, my strings that I had brought with me went "missing", so no string replacement, nut sanding to hold the new strings, and so no proper set up how I had asked with the new strings, and no shim put in. They did fix the click in the tremolo and set the action/intonation of the stock strings . The employees there did not seem to give a crap about the guitar, nor how they misplaced my strings. Didn't even offer to replace them. "We just won't charge you for the string replacement" right, because it didn't happen? They even tested the string gauge in front of me trying to pass it off like they did it and sure enough, 9's, stock strings. Even after all that, I asked them to order me a case. They said great no problem. Of course you'll take the money. No call or follow up on the case at all. I'm a really easy going guy, i gave them all the time they needed and was respectful to the busyness of the store, even after being laughed at to my face by an employee, but man am I disappointed in the service I received. I really don't understand how to just misplaced a customers strings when I even slide the new pack between the pick ups and the strings existing.

I chose this place because of all the reviews I had read about Bruce being extremely versed in professional set ups. I don't know if he was the one who worked on my guitar though. I wish I had a better experience from all the good things I've heard. Unfortunately not.