Traverse City Guitar Company — Local services in Garfield Township

I visited this little shop while on vacation near traverse City because I'm in the music business myself and I also have some experience with instrument building.

I met Geno, the owner of the store and his associates and instantly felt welcome. They were friendly, helpful and knowledgeable. In fact I was so impressed with Geno's guitars that he had built that I requested that I could buy a handmade ukulele from him. I live out of town, but he said that he would ship me one as soon as he was finished.

He built me a ukulele to my specifications. Even fulfilled my request for type of wood and for having electronics installed. I received it 2 days after it was shipped (with a case) all for a very reasonable price especially when you consider the quality and craftsmanship of this amazing instrument.

The ukulele sounds incredible acoustic or plugged in to an amplifier and is made with locally sourced cherry tree wood. I couldn't be happier with it!

Geno and the TC guitar staff, well done...

I was greeted at the door by an employee not wearing a mask who came well within six feet of me and I left immediately. Have visited the store several times over the years and have had good experiences in the past, but I’m not going to patronize a store that is gambling with the health of customers and employees. Please adhere to COVID safety guidelines and make sure your staff does likewise. I will not be returning until you do.

EDIT: I was informed later that the staff member in question claimed a medical exemption to mask-wearing, and that the store was therefore in technical compliance with Department of Health guidelines. I nevertheless didn’t feel that my experience here reflected best practice for coronavirus precautions or allowed me to make an informed decision about my own safety. I have added a star to my original one star review because they offer curbside pickup, which I was not aware of when I wrote the review, but this should not substitute for in-store...

I recently brought a few of my guitars here for some maintenance. Their craftsmanship was impressive, especially when it came to repairing a crack on the lower body of my acoustic. The results were honestly really solid.

However, I will say that I recently left feeling slightly disappointed after bringing in two of my electric guitars for setup. Some of the issues I addressed weren't fully resolved, which led to me learning how to adjust/maintain my instruments. Not a bad thing by any means, but after paying ~$60 for a setup, I'd hope that the issues I addressed would be gone.

Although their pricing can be somewhat steep depending on what you're in for, I value the peace of mind that comes with trusting my instruments with skilled professionals! They do an amazing job with things overall, and I recommend checking this place out!

Despite this minor setback, the very friendly and knowledgeable staff left a great impression on me! Will definitely return...