Cremer Guitarworks

Rick is a super talented guitar builder/repair man who is incredibly knowledgeable and helpful. Gone to him for years

Best luthier in the Chicagoland area. You'll have to wait a bit but it's 100% worth it.

Unlike some of his longtime customers, I only discovered Rick a couple years ago. I was looking for a Bristol guitar (made by Blueridge) and he was the only shop in the area that carried them. He carrys other brands as well, but I've only bought a Bristol and a Blueridge from him. Need a guitar or amp repair, electric or acoustic, this is the place to start. Cremer is an Old Tyme guitar shop. like the ones we used to have in the 70's, before corporate farming and corporate music took over the lions share their respective markets. Rick Cremer actually knows pretty much everything there is to know about guitars over the last 40-50 years. Here's a guy who is is truly passionate about his work and meticulous in his approach to solving problems.

And if what you need isn't in his area of specialization, he'll help you find someone who does specialize in it. He does repair work when the shop isn't open, so watch the hours posted on his website. As of today they are: Regular Hours: Monday - - - Noon to 5 PM Wednesday - Noon to 5 PM Friday - - - - - Noon to 5 PM Saturday - - - 10 AM to 4 PM Closed Tuesday, Thursday & Sunday To complete repairs that require special attention without interruption & get one day off. If you call and get a message that the phone is not in service, it's only because he's so busy he has to take the phone off the hook. What a great resource!

I picked up my Les Paul Custom today after leaving it in Rick's hands for a re-fret and some wiring issues. It's like a new guitar! We spoke in detail about the existing problems and the processes he used to bring it back! Highly recommended him! Thanks, Rick!

Rick recently repaired an acoustic guitar for me, and also repaired one of my electrics about 15 years ago. The craftsmanship of the recent repair makes it look brand new. My acoustic's bridge came clearly off the body (thankfully with no breakage to the top or bridge). The guitar was the first I ever bought about 20 years ago and has sentimental value, like many of us. Cremer Guitarworks is highly recommended!

I don't normally write reviews, but I just want to commend the service that I received from Rick over at Cremer Guitarworks. Absolutely phenomenal job he did for me - gave me a very thorough analysis of what needed to be fixed and was able to walk me through exactly what he did for my guitar. I will absolutely be working with him in the future on other guitars in my collection. Definitely seek his help!

Mr. Cremer gets my highest recommendation. Brought in a 64 Gibson B-45 12 string thinking I needed new tuners - as the instrument did not stay in tune. Mr. Cremer quickly diagnosed that it was not my tuners, and that I needed three new frets. Turned out that he was exactly right. He replaced the three frets with vintage Gibson materials - so that the new frets match the old ones.

The guitar now stays in tune, and sounds better than ever. Good to know there's a place around where they understand their craft, and are also good to their customers. Nice shop too - a lot of interesting guitars and equipment to check out. He also did a great job on my Larrivee D03 (at a very fair cost), fixing a bridge that was lifting. He also adjusted my K&K pickup on the Larrivee (which was too hot), so that I now have better control over the volume without the previous feedback problem. In short, he's an expert in guitars - and very personable.

Rick has been a staple of my guitar playing needs for years. I've bought guitars and amps from him and had tons of work done. I've never once been dissatisfied. If you're looking to buy or have a repair done, I can't recommend anyone more than Rick Cremer.

Cremer Guitarworks is just about my favorite music store. I love to drop in and just see what's come in recently. I've had Rick work on 3 different guitars, and I've bought 2 from him. They do a great job.

Rick Cremer is hands down the best with string instruments in Northern Illinois. He books out, so plan ahead but then work is well worth it. Great selection of instruments and amps in the shop, too. Pretty much my music store. They're knowledgeable and approachable and don't sell any garbage. Anything in the store is worth it.