DAN HOLTZ
Luthier

GUITAR & BASS SETUPS

Get that "brand new" feeling again!
Improve playability
Fix scratchy electronics
Cleaning & maintenance

Without a doubt, the best investment you can make in your acoustic or electric guitar, or bass guitar, is a professional setup. My setups touch every part of your instrument, and I work on every guitar until I would be willing to play it on stage myself. No exceptions.

★★★★★
"Dan is THE man! Extremely responsive to my requests and had my setup done lightning fast. If you want professionalism with a personal touch, look no further than Lakeside Guitar."
~Creighton K., Burlington

★★★★★
"Dan did an excellent job setting up my Les Paul for me recently. I found him to be thoughtful and meticulous, and he worked hard to get the guitar playing just how I wanted. I highly recommend Lakeside Guitar and am excited to bring him another one of my guitars to work on soon!"
~Charlie T., Shelburne

59-Point Pro Setup: $75.00

Add Guitar Strings: +$10.00

Add Bass Strings: +$20.00

Additional labor @ $40/hour for:

Complex Electronic Repairs
Complex Tremolo Systems

Nut or Saddle Replacement
Extensive Fret Leveling

Etc.

REPAIRS & UPGRADES

New Pickups & Wiring
Hardware Upgrades
Fret Dressing & Leveling
Other Problems & Damage

I will give you a price prior to beginning, and keep you updated if anything comes up. You will never get a surprise bill.  That said, working on instruments can be tricky. I will always be up-front about any problems, and give you the opportunity to decide how best to resolve.

★★★★★
"Knowledgeable, effective, and efficient. Had a great experience working with Dan; totally transparent with the timeline and assesment/repair process. Strongly reccomend Lakeside Guitar for any set up and repair work."
~Ben V., Burlington

★★★★★
"Dan at Lakeside Guitar did a great job on a bass setup for my Spector, playability greatly improved. He was also super helpful in troubleshooting electronics issues with another bass. Friendly, knowledgable, professional and quick, highly recommend!"
~Ben G., Winooski

$40.00/hour + Parts

Diagnosis & pricing: Free!

I'm a self-taught musician who began playing guitar at 14 to impress girls. While that effort was largely a failure, it did ignite my lifelong love of music and all things stringed. I've been honing my skills as a player, and a guitar tinkerer, slowly but steadily for decades.

I performed pretty extensively as a solo/duo acoustic act (and sometimes with a band) throughout Upstate New York and Philadelphia in the 90s and 2000s (eventually opening for Rusted Root in my hometown in Western PA), but performances in Vermont have been few and far between.

Like many guitarists, I regret every guitar that I ever sold or gave away... I would have dozens now. Most notably, my first electric guitar, a 1989 US made Fender Telecaster which would now be vintage. My current quiver includes:

Gretsch Jet Electromatic
Epiphone Dot
1960's Framus Texan
1970's Takamine 12-String
Washburn Classical

I'm a serial entrepreneur who has participated in several startup businesses, even appearing on ABC's Shark Tank in 2012 with my former cookie business, Liz Lovely Cookies. I live with my gorgeous wife, my two kids and one spoiled cat overlooking Lake Champlain in the Mallets Bay region of Colchester, Vermont. I'd love to work with you!