About | Patt's Guitar Repair and Instrument Conservation

aboutus

Located in Mid-City Los Angeles, Patt's Guitar Repair works on electric and acoustic stringed instruments of all eras. We perform a range of services from basic maintenance to complex restorations, including conservation of rare and heritage instruments. We specialize in guitar repair and restoration, but also work on almost all stringed instruments from around the world.

Patt's Guitar Repair opened its doors May 20th, 2018.

Instruments We Work On

Paris Gulbro Patt

Owner // Principal Repair

Paris first began to explore music with piano at the age of two, having taken classical courses at the Colburn School of Music by the age of twelve. He branched into Jazz, teaching himself bass and guitar, and has now been exploring music for over thirty years. As a young adult, he turned to composition, performing and collaborating as a working musician with various bands and recording artists.

Paris worked his way from apprentice to journeyman learning repair and lutherie skills at the world-famous McCabes Guitar Shop in Santa Monica. He was first attracted to guitar repair from the point of view of a musician wanting to maintain and understand his own tools, but soon learned that he had a talent and love for the craft. After years of working in instrument repair, he studied and apprenticed as a sculpture and objects conservator, working independently for private clients, museums and other fine art institutions and city municipalities including LA City, Culver City, and the Marciano Art Foundation. The conservation industry further informed his scientific and researched approach to wood and organic materials, and he applies a conservation methodology and approach to his guitar repair work, whether it be a simple setup or a complex restoration. The rare combination of these fields -- art conservation, and traditional guitar repair -- provides a unique approach and experience for his clients.

His philosophy and approach involves treating all objects and instruments with careful consideration. He has enjoyed working with priceless museum collections, as well as yard sale finds, seeing the value in all instruments regardless of their provenance.

Elizabeth Patt

Owner // Conservation and Restoration

Elizabeth studied art history at Loyola Marymount University and has been working in the art field for over 10 years having worked for museums such as LACMA, MOCA, and the Getty. She apprenticed in an art conservation studio for five years learning scientific methodology and techniques for repairing artworks. She has trained in the repair of a variety of materials such as, bronze, ferrous metals, celluloid, glass, ceramics, stone, wood, plastics, and painted and lacquered surfaces.

Elizabeth enjoys applying her knowledge and training in art conservation to instrument restoration at Patt's Guitar Repair. Her specialities include wood splicing, crack repair, lacquer finish, stain and color matching, and custom fabrication of missing material. She applies knowledge of appropriate cleaning supplies to fragile wood surfaces, particularly with heritage and rare instruments. She has applied safety standards for the handling of artworks to our own repair shop and the instruments within it.

Elizabeth has developed a technique of consolidating and stabilizing antique celluloid pick guards and heel-caps.