Heirloom Instruments,
Restored with Precision.

My mission is to give stringed instruments a second life, bringing them back to peak condition through precision craftsmanship and dedication to the art of repair. I aim to ensure that every instrument I work on plays beautifully for years to come.

View fullsize Welcome to yet another segment of "Tales from Luthier Hell...." This time, see if you all can guess the make of this guitar.... It was "restored" by a well-known southern luthier whom not only set the neck incorrectly but "fi
View fullsize For those of you who don't know, have a resale/ eBay arm of my business! You can find not only instruments and instrument parts but also antiques, tools, and general oddities. My policy is also to accept trade towards repair work if anyone is interes
View fullsize Exciting news!! My website is live!! I will continue to keep correspondence through instagram and facebook but the site has a more room for indepth blogs and repair requests! Check it out! https://www.ruffaloluthiery.com/ #ruffaloluthiery #luthier#s
View fullsize There is something elegant about a Gibson F style mandolin. No bs it just is. When people think mandolin they think of this instrument. It is back out after a lcp and a setup. If anyone is interested in having me service an instrument feel free to DM
View fullsize It has been a while since my last segment of how to get into luthier hell, but this one takes the cake! Purchased by a customer of mine in elderly's bargin/project bin i was surprised after removing the falling neck joint that the dovetail had remade
View fullsize I am often tasked with reworking people's projects. At times, it can be a bit challenging. A client brought me this Bajo Quinto he made over a decade ago. His build quality was quite good. However, the instruments neck angle was drastically under set
View fullsize There is something beautiful in the design of Fender guitars. The Stratocaster has been in continuous production since the 1950s, with minimal changes. They are infinitely customizable. This partscaster is back out after a level crown and polish and
View fullsize There is something endearing about these little old Harmony Stella guitars! They are perfect entry points into the vintage guitar market. This one is back out after some fretwork and a setup with Martin Silk and Steel Strings. If anyone is intereste
View fullsize People may or may not be aware that along with restoring musical instruments, I also restore furniture on occasion. This battered seat was once installed in Old Comiskey Park in Chicago. Old Comiskey was called the "Baseball Palace of the World
View fullsize Chapman, through neck 7, string guitar back out after a setup. While I am known for doing a lot of acoustics and vintage pieces, I can work on anything! I am the only certified luthier in the Fort Wayne area. DM me for service inquiries. #ruffalolut
View fullsize Here is that 1970s Gibson double neck SG all finished up! This beauty will be for sale @billyosdynamitemusic .If anyone is interested in having me service an instrument feel free to DM me! #guitarrepair #ruffaloluthiery #vintagegibson #diy #whatsonyo
View fullsize Heck of a before and after on this 1970s Gibson SG Double Neck! Onward towards finishing up this piece! If anyone is interested in having me service an instrument, feel free to DM me! I will match or likely beat any quoted price! Don't settle for any
View fullsize @officialibanezguitars make a good product with nice quality control at budget minded prices. This jazzbox was in for a bone nut and a setup. If anyone is interested in having me service an instrument feel free to DM me! #ruffaloluthiery #smallbusine
View fullsize Oh, this poor 1950s Gibson CF-100. It is back out again after redoing another technicians work. The neck on this guitar was unfortunately overset. Due to the heel being significantly thinned out because of this, i opted to correct the issue, making a
View fullsize Why??????1970s Gibson double neck turned fretless? Anyway this atrocitie is on bench now to be remedied. #ruffaloluthiery #gibson #whatsonyourbench #electricguitars #diy #vintagemusicalinstruments #smallbusiness #fortwayne
View fullsize 1976 Martin D-28 back out after a complete rebuild. I reset its neck, refretted the instrument with a new correctly placed bridge, and made a new saddle. If anyone is interested in having me service an instrument, feel free to DM me! Thanks! #ruffalo
View fullsize Mid 1970s Martin D-35 back out after a neck reset, refret new bridge, bone saddle and back crack repair and setup! Talk about tone on this one! If anyone is interested in having me service an instrument feel free to DM me! #ruffaloluthiery #martingui
View fullsize Got to love the classic car colors on these new MIM Fenders. After a setup, fret end dress and resoldering a jack, it plays better than ever! If anyone is interested in having me service an instrument, feel free to DM me! #ruffaloluthiery #fenderguit
View fullsize Oh @martinguitar consistent in their issues. Loose binding check, pickguards glued to bare wood causing top cracks...double check, improper saddle placement and neck angle triple check! These 70s Martin's will be corrected shortly. If anyone is inter
View fullsize Rare Silvertone branded shade top Harmony Sovereign back out after a refret, neck reset and new bone saddle. Soon to be for sale @billyosdynamitemusic. If anyone is interested in having me service an instrument feel free to DM me! #ruffaloluthiery #s

S E R V I C E S

Disassembled acoustic guitar on a workbench.

Restorations

Close-up of an acoustic guitar mounted in a red vise in a woodworking shop.

Refrets

A woodworking workshop with a guitar under repair

Neck Resets

Working on a Madolin repair.

Crack Repairs & More

  • Dominic did an amazing job restoring my 1913 Gibson guitar. His attention to detail is top-notch. I wanted to preserve the original finish, yet have the guitar play like new. He exceeded my expectations with the guitar. Dominic was a pleasure to deal with on this restoration project. His communication was great throughout the process, and he was timely. I actually received the guitar sooner than expected!

    — Sam K.

  • I have taken a few guitars to Dominic now for him to work on and every time I am blown away by his attention to detail and just overall customer service being so easy to work with. It’s also great that he really just loves guitars and the art of it all. I would highly recommend him for all your guitar needs.

    — Drew A.

  • Highly recommend Dominic! He is a very talented in his trade and has excellent customer service with his clients. He brought my grandfather’s 1950’s Kay Hollowbody Electric back to life, and I couldn’t be happier! Grandpa is very pleased with the results and extends his gratitude!

    — Ryan L.

  • Domnic was referred to me from my local Guitar shop, and I met him and looked at his work on-line. He was able to take a broken 60's Gibson ES125 and bring it back to life. The guitar's neck was off, fret board extension was cut off, and it had a poor neck re-set done previously. He brought my guitar back to life with a new neck set, and re-fret, and clean-up. The guitar plays great, like from the factory. He has a real enthusiasm for making things correct, thank you as I am very pleased.

    — Brian G.

Got a guitar or heirloom instrument that needs some love? Reach out—I’m here to help restore its magic!