Our Work
The Gallery
A selection of projects showcasing the range of work — from vintage restorations and custom upgrades to precision fretwork and electronics installs.
Professional guitar & bass repair, restoration, and upgrades by Ken Nash — 35+ years of luthier expertise in Groton, CT.
From routine setups to full restorations, every instrument receives the same meticulous attention to detail that made The Guitar Mechanic a destination for working musicians and collectors alike.
Complete instrument setups including action, neck relief, intonation, and nut profiling. Starting at $100. Includes a detailed set-up card with all critical measurements.
Professional fret leveling, crowning, and polishes. Full refrets starting at $350 including setup. Specializing in maple necks, bound fretboards, and stainless steel frets.
Full instrument restoration including neck resets, bridge regluing, crack repair, finish restoration, and complete rebuilds. Martin, Gibson, Guild, and vintage specialist.
Pickup installations, custom harnesses, wiring upgrades, shielding, and electronics restoration. Lindy Fralin, Rio Grande, Seymour Duncan, and Dimarzio in stock.
Strat, Tele, Les Paul, PRS, Gretsch, and Bass upgrades. Bridge replacements, tuner swaps, nut/saddle installs, and complete build transformations.
Full custom guitar building from Guild factory experience. Also offering vintage Guild parts from the Westerly & Hoboken factories and guitars for sale.
A selection of projects showcasing the range of work — from vintage restorations and custom upgrades to precision fretwork and electronics installs.
Call, text, or email to discuss your instrument and what you're looking to achieve. Free estimates and quotes.
Full inspection of your instrument — electronics, structural integrity, playability, and finish condition.
Your instrument is worked on in our shop with meticulous attention to detail and the highest standards.
Pickup by appointment. We include a setup card with all measurements for future reference.
Founder & Master Luthier · In Memoriam
Ken Nash's journey into guitar repair began at the Guild Guitar factory in Westerly, RI — where he learned the craft from the ground up, from fretwork and setups to building and installing harnesses, assembling solid body guitars, and finishing.
He worked his way into the factory repair shop, running it for years and handling 200–300 guitars, overseeing three other luthiers. During his time there, they worked on instruments belonging to Richie Havens, Kim Thayil, Slash, and set up all the Guilds for Alice in Chains Unplugged.
After the Fender takeover, Ken continued his career through Martin, Taylor, Gibson, and Fender warranty service centers before opening The Guitar Mechanic in 2004. In 2015, he purchased the concrete and steel building at 91 Walker Hill Rd in Groton — his home shop ever since.
After Ken passed away, his son Dylan took over The Guitar Mechanic in September 2025. Dylan continues the hands-on approach and exacting standards his father established, carrying Ken's legacy forward through every setup, restoration, electronics job, and structural repair.
Owner & Luthier
Dylan has worked alongside his father, Ken, since childhood, learning the patience, precision, and care required to bring out the best in every stringed instrument.
Over the years, father and son worked together to perfect setups, repairs, restorations, and custom upgrades. That lifelong apprenticeship gave Dylan a deep respect for both traditional craftsmanship and the individual character of every instrument.
Since taking over The Guitar Mechanic in 2025, Dylan has remained committed to the standards Ken built the shop around: thoughtful service, meticulous work, and instruments that feel and sound their best.
— Ken Nash, on his Guild factory years"Set a very high standard that has stayed with me to this day. There were no 'seconds' going out of the factory."
By appointment only. Call or text first before dropping by. Free estimates and quotes.