San Francisco Luthier
Custom Guitar Building & Guitar Repair in San Francisco
Our Story: From the Grateful Dead to the Workshop
As always, it begins with music
and for Matt, his path towards luthiery starts with the Grateful Dead. After a dear friend introduced him to the Dead’s universe while living in Denver, Matt ventured deeper to discover his love of guitar making, tone and excellence.
Before building, Matt listened. He heard warm tones — how Jerry’s differed from Bobby’s and where the two coalesce — while learning about sound and vibrations. His infatuation reached a new level after discovering the Chris Robinson Brotherhood.
He was mesmerized by Neal Casal, left forever and always inspired by the late guitarist. Matt traced the chord in Casal’s guitar back to renowned luthier Scott Walker whose shop in Santa Cruz is a hub for like-minded artisans.
Matt then followed his heart to San Francisco. After writing a letter to Walker, describing his determination to learn from the best, Matt was awarded an apprenticeship. He spent the following years deconstructing guitars and honing his skills in advanced electronics and pickup construction. The education culminated with Scott and Matt developing a unique pickup that can be found on Scott’s custom guitars.
Following in the footprints laid out before him, Matt attended the Roberto-Venn School of Luthiery in Phoenix, Arizona. Matt built three, custom instruments during the discipline — slide, acoustic and electric guitars — before graduating at the top of his cohort.
Matt returned to San Francisco to open his shop less than two blocks from where The Grateful Dead once lived. He repairs an array of electric and acoustic instruments, and his clients range from novice to lifetime musicians.
What people are saying about Lineage…
It’s hard to find someone I can trust to give me great repairs and even better opinions. Matt helped me with a repair that I needed but he also recommended I replace the frets. I didn’t really know but I’m so glad I let him do his thing. I never knew it could sound so good, it felt like a brand new instrument. Super happy, will definitely return for a custom build when I’ve saved up.
- Taylor Simon
You know that feeling when your finger gunk has been building up on your fretboard for decades? Yeah.. that was me. I almost felt bad handing it off to someone else to clean and tune up, but Matt couldn't have been more optimistic and stoked to handle and caress down my sweet sweet strat. He tuned 'er up, greased 'er up, and got 'er playing like she was brand new. It almost felt like my skill level 10x'd overnight, but it was simply because she was just too easy to play. Matt is the man and does great work that he really cares about. Take your gear to him - you won't regret it.
- Anthony Garbarino
Hadn’t had a tune up on my guitar in awhile so I brought it here and was pretty happy with the end result. Looked and sounded just like it did when I bought it brand new.
- Tyler Hinton
I've had a set up, new pickups, a new nut installation and a full partscaster build with Matt on my guitars. He's super meticulous, helpful, transparent and he even talked me out of a refret after the internet told me I needed one. I've been so happy with the work he's done on my most cherished guitar - it gets more play than ever before.
- Kai Bastos
The only shop I will bring my guitars to. Matt has done excellent repairs for me on numerous guitars over the years including numerous setups on both Fender and Gibson guitars, pickup installations, as well as immaculate work repairing a broken headstock on a Gibson SG. He is reliable, very communicative, and passionate about his work. Can't recommend enough.
- Mike Johnston
Frequently Asked Questions
Still have questions? Take a look at the FAQ or reach out anytime.
-
I spent two years working closely with renowned luthier Scott Walker in Santa Cruz. Working one-on-one with Scott, I no idea the depth of experience I was to gain. I'm extremely honored that he invited me into his world. While I was with him I did a deep dive into advanced guitar electronics, making pickups from scratch, helped make metal parts (bridges, knobs, pickup rings) from scratch using a CNC machine, did a lot of cleaning, generally immersed myself in this world, and had a first hand look at what it takes to do this work at the highest level. I have such a deep respect for Scott, and the time I spent with him helped change my life forever. After working with Scott for two years, I moved to Phoenix, AZ and attended Roberto-Venn School of Luthiery where I built three instruments and finished at the top of my class. Since graduating in December 2023, I have been building and repairing guitars in San Francisco full time. I'm very grateful to have found my mission in life in the city I love the most.
-
Yes. I currently have a wait-list as I complete my current commissions. Building is where my passion lies and I would be honored to build your guitar. Please get in touch by emailing me at lineageguitars@gmail.com to discuss your dream instrument.
-
I operate by appointment from my workshop in San Francisco.
-
Please write me at lineageguitars@gmail.com to schedule a time to come by. We are located off Golden Gate Park in San Francisco.
-
I have set prices for common repairs for guitars that are otherwise in functional shape. Once I see your instrument I can provide an accurate quote based on what your guitar needs.
-
Turnaround times can range from a few hours for simple fixes to a few days, weeks or months depending on the repairs required. We can discuss more in depth once I see your instrument in person. If you need a rush service we can discuss expedited service and fees.
-
Yes. For acoustic guitars I do re-frets, fret levels and general fret work, bridge re-glues, nuts, saddles, set-ups, and pick-up installations.
I don't do restoration work, neck resets, or heavy duty structural repairs. I can refer you to repair shops who focus on those issues. Most everything else I can get you taken care of.
-
I don't do color matching or spraying. I have some clever ways to deal with dings to make your previously repaired cracks/breaks feel smooth to the point where you won't notice it unless you're looking for it.
If you're after a finish repair that is overly pristine because you're trying to make your vintage guitar as valuable as possible, I’m probably not the best fit. But if you want to make your guitar sing, I’m your guy.
-
Not really. We can discuss though.
-
Not my game but I can likely refer you to someone who will do a great job.
-
I don't sell parts. The parts I have stocked are for instruments that are checked in for repair and if it's a part I don't have stocked, I can order the parts necessary to get the job done. If the part is extremely specific or hard to find and it takes some internet hunting that's longer than 15 mins, I'm happy to research for a small service fee.
-
If you have an appointment scheduled with me to do the work, I'm happy to help guide you to find a pickup set that will rock your world. If it's less than 15 minutes, I’m happy to offer my expertise free of charge. If it takes a deeper dive and a more thoughtful conversation, a consultation fee will be applied. This is oftentimes a never-ending journey of exploration, and I encourage you to research what sounds speak to you, and that will lead you to the best decisions. I am happy to lead you down that path.
-
More than happy to schedule and evaluation appointment for you. A lot of new guitars need work before they're fun to play and you should know what you're getting into before it's too late.
-
Yes, absolutely! For small adjustments to your setup or if electronics start to misbehave after wiring work, you have 30 days to bring it back to me and I will get you dialed in. And usually I can get you taken care of while you wait. If you get your guitar back from me and decide you wanna try adjusting things yourself or change your strings to a different gauge, you have my support but your warranty will be voided. I can only make adjustments and honor warranties on the work I do myself.