aboutus
We, Elizabeth Patt, Paris Patt, and Nicholas Merz, are guitar restoration and instrument conservation specialists who have over 15 years of experience in both the guitar world, and the art and sculpture restoration world. We enjoy working on the ultra-sentimental and the ultra-valuable with equal attention to detail and enjoyment. If you enjoy supporting craftspeople and local business, you've found the right spot. We like working on everything -- simple repairs, complex restorations -- and would love to talk to you about your next project or repair.
Located in Culver City (Los Angeles), Patt's Guitar Repair repairs and restores electric and acoustic stringed instruments of all types and eras. We perform a range of services from basic maintenance to complex restorations on electric and acoustic guitars, 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, such as lutes, ouds, pump organs, autoharps, and more.
We see clients by appointment so that we can have an uninterrupted private consultation. This way we can go over each guitar in detail, discuss treatment options, and get to know our client's preferences. Our clients have the benefit of speaking directly with the luthiers performing the work. We pride ourselves on maintaining good communication with our clients while their instruments are in the shop and make security and shop safety a priority.
Patt's Guitar Repair opened its doors May 20th, 2018.
Press:
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 electric and upright 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 multi-million dollar museum collections, as well as yard sale and flea market finds, seeing the value in all instruments regardless of their provenance.
Elizabeth Patt
Owner // Repair and Restoration
Elizabeth pursued music at a young age but followed her love of art to a career in museums. Elizabeth has been working in the art field extensively, having worked for institutions such as LACMA, MOCA, and the Getty. She apprenticed in an art conservation studio 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 melds her knowledge of art conservation with repair and restoration techniques in lutherie. She specializes in physical repairs such as cracks, broken headstocks, lacquer application, color matching finishes, bridge resets, neck resets, and other surgeries.
Elizabeth is currently studying to complete a Master's Degree in Preventive Conservation from Northumbria University, where her thesis focuses on Stringed Musical Instrument Collections and Care.
Nicholas Merz
Guitar Technician // Repair and Restoration
Nicholas Merz joined Patt's Guitar Repair in Summer of 2021. Hailing from the Pacific Northwest, he has worked in the past at Mike and Mike's Guitar Shop in Seattle, and graduated top of his class from Roberto Venn School of Luthiery in Phoenix, AZ.
Nicholas has a range of experience, from repair to full guitar builds, specializing and greatly enjoying what most great crafts-people do -- Taking things apart and putting them back together again better than before. He has developed a proprietary process for removing and reconfiguring ladder braces on vintage acoustic guitars, converting them to a more Martin-like X bracing and scalloping. He also specializes in fretwork, neck resets, and other surgeries. His favorite company is Peavey -- Ask him about it some time.