Guitar setup and optimization work has always been central to what I do at Marfione Guitars. Every guitar that leaves my shop includes a professional setup, tailored to the player and the instrument. I’ve been performing setups for as long as I’ve been in business, and I still treat each one as a collaboration between me, the guitar, and the player who’ll make music on it.

Back in 2018, I started saving the strings from nearly every setup—a quiet ritual that started out as a lark quickly became a personal record of my work. I remember when the box was empty; now it’s overflowing. If I’d started this practice from day one, I’d probably have twice as many sets in there. Needless to say, I’ve performed a lot of setups—and I’d be happy to do one on your guitar, whether it’s a nylon-string or steel-string instrument.

Optimizing a guitar can be as simple or as intricate as the instrument demands. Sometimes it’s a quick adjustment to a saddle or nut; other times it’s the full treatment—nut, saddle, frets, and truss rod—to bring everything into alignment. Because every guitar (and every player) is different, my setups typically range from $135 to $235.

Others echo similar sentiments. Todd described his setup as “spot-on” and the kind that “took some work and experience to get right.” Terri was surprised by what a true luthier setup can do, saying that having the guitar perfected before delivery—plus the written report of adjustments and tolerances, followed by a call to review—made the experience exceptional. And Griff summed it up by noting how his factory-built guitar now “plays beautifully, with much more precision than any nylon-string I’ve owned before,” praising the sound port and overall feel.