Testimonials

Hey Alan,

All 3 instruments are sounding amazing.. I had the opportunity to give the bass a good go on New Year's jamming at a friend's warehouse party .

My band, Twinkling Stars, did a gig at Gasoline Pony last night and I gave the Granada a good test run. Sounded incredible and got a great response from people.. thanks once again for bringing them all back to life!

Jacob Sierra     Feb 2023      Twinkling Stars                

Links:                     Facebook     SoundCloud

Hi Alan,


Just wanted to say thanks for a job well done with my Yamaha! 


I can't believe how much depth of sound is coming out of this small body, short scale guitar! 


You've totally transformed it from a basic decent guitar to a really nice sounding gem. I haven't been able to put it down all weekend. It's never sounded so good.


You're a wizard when you do your magic... Thank you so much for doing such a great job. And for taking time to remove that stupid X-brace!


Thanks again!

Sheila Wray        August 2022

I've owned my 1992 SRV Strat for almost 3 decades (my number 1) and a 1993 G&L Legacy (USA) for around the same time. After a bit of a break and a few years in their cases I thought they both still sounded awesome and that there wasn’t much margin for improvement until Rob and Grant at the Guitar Lounge (who are absolutely brilliant BTW) restrung my SRV. Rob said it was ok but the neck has issues & the truss rod was maxed out so he recommended I contact Alan Rigg. I had a consultation with Alan and yep both my SRV and G&L had some real issues. At this point I was freaking out massively but Alan calmly asked what I wanted out of the instruments and guided me as we went along. Listening to Alan I felt there was some hope that we could get them sorted as best as possible but they would never be the same as they were years ago. A week later Alan contacted me and said they were both ready and were great. I was excited and couldn’t and wait to pick them up.

So I race home, pull them out of their cases and start playing them. WOW!!!!!!!!!!

They sounded better than they ever have, EVER!! The TONE, Playability, EVERYTHING!!! Did I say TONE? YES TONE!!! I sent Alan a text to ask whether he performed some Voodoo or channelled Leo Fender or just what the bloody hell he did with them but they SING, SPARKLE and play better then ever!!!!

If you haven’t taken your guitar to Alan yet stop wasting time and book in an appointment, NOW! He is such a wonderful bloke (the best!) and having worked in a guitar shop when I was young I can say that nobody can do what he does!! Nobody!

From now on nobody else is allowed to touch my guitars, NOBODY!! When I do order my Custom Shop Strat or Tele from the Guitar Lounge in the next couple of years the only guys other than the Guitar Lounge that will ever lay hands on it will be Alan Rigg.                                        Enough said, book in now!

Thanks Alan, you are untouchable!!!        Sherwin Chetty   March, 2021

Alan goes beyond his professional work, being attentive to customers and meeting very personal needs in mastering guitar. He even listened and watched me playing guitar giving very practical advices on my technic to move on and overcome errors. His set up is amazing on both my guitars - classical Samick and acoustic Tanglewood. He is very punctual and professional in every aspect of dealing with customers. Thanks again! Will recommend to anyone.    Oleg Savelyev

Hey Alan,

You worked on both my sunburst Strat and my Takamine.  I have to say Al, you've ruined me when it comes to using other guitar repairers.  Over the last 20 years travelling about I've never found your equal.  I was so happy with the work you did on my guitars.   You got me out of a tight spot when touring by getting that Strat up and running.  And the Tak is just a pleasure to play thanks to you.     Felice Faisca

Alan

Just wanted to say thanks for the work on my guitars! They are brilliant. You never know how good something can be till you experience it! Mate your work is excellent and I really appreciated your listening to my wants and desires of my instruments. Your knowledge of guitars is nothing less than breathtaking! 

I am not the worlds best guitarist, but I know I will better as a result of your work!

I will certainly be recommending you to other musos. And my acoustics will be coming your way soon!

Roger Ipaviz    August, 2015.

My name’s Joe and I’ve been playing guitar for over 20 years and have always been on the look out for a professional guitar tech who I can not only trust but have total faith in their work practices, ethics and standards. 

Since I was highly recommended to Alan (some 8 years ago), I have been extremely satisfied with Alan’s approach and attitude towards servicing and maintaining my guitars at such a high level of workmanship that I find hard to beat. 

Alan takes the time and involves his whole life experience to deliver what I not only expect but also exceeds my expectations every time I drop off one of my guitars to him. Whether it’s a full harmonic setup for a new instrument or simply a good ol’ clean and re-string. Alan always shares his thoughts and opinions on what I pass to him and by doing so he reveals his true personality to me through my instruments. I find that Alan, compared to most other techs I have dealt with over the years, shows his true passion through his work. Alan’s style of business as a professional in  his industry is reflected through his presentation and commitment to his work.

Sometimes Alan will go out of his way to complete the task before the set collection (pick up) date and surprise me with the job being completed in advance. This not only shows and tells me that Alan has the right attitude to his customers but that he also has the skills and knowledge to complete the job effectively and instill trust, which is a trait hard to find with other techs out there.

Alan is one-of-a-kind guy who is down-to-earth and a true gentleman. Alan usually goes out of his way to please and always shares his current experiences he may be encountering, thus giving me insight into what to avoid and what he recommends when it comes to buying a new or second hand guitar. Alan has always met my standards by displaying his capabilities and providing support when and if I need it. Alan will not only listen and question my suggestions before I buy an instrument, but also gives insight to the brand’s history and research and development up to date. This tells me how much Alan is ‘on the ball’ in his field of expertise.

 Alan’s high standard of quality work can only be recognised and identified through his consistency, personality, skill set and constructive feedback that he continually displays and improves via his experiences, communication and passion of his work ,which shines through my instruments every time I collect one of them. But what also sets Alan apart from other guitar techs is his pricing, which is really reasonable and affordable. I mean, you can take a guitar to a music store and they’ll charge anywhere up to $190 for a set up, only to find that I have to get it re-done due to poor quality work or ,in the worse case I experienced, received the guitar damaged due to anincorrect tool used on the neck! Totally put me off taking guitars to store techs forever.

I can only say that if you’re on the prowl for a ‘real deal’ guitar tech, then Alan is the man, there’s simply no need to keep looking!

Joe Lateo  May, 2015


An old friend reminded me recently that Alan was still repairing guitars in the inner west .So I tracked him down and happily handed over my mid 90's Gibson acoustic for a much needed make over. The guitar in question has been my constant companion for over a decade and I was afraid that through my neglect it may not be fully restorable , I was wrong! For a very reasonable price Alan took great expert care to bring it back to life. It now plays and sounds better than it ever has. Even with much lighter strings than I was using previously. I am a full time muso and guitar teacher and I would highly recommend Alan to anyone in need of thorough professional guitar set ups and/ or repairs.    Matt Ross    https://www.facebook.com/MattRossArtist

I don’t profess to be a great guitar player; I just love guitars! I have always loved them ever since I saw one in a shop window when I was a boy.

My guitars are precious to me, particularly my vintage ones. They are like my best friends… they have stuck by me through the ups and downs of life over the years, even though at times I wished they would go away and leave me alone. And yes, there have been occasions when I have mistreated them, failed to give them enough attention, and just plain ignored them.  However, they don’t judge me… they are always glad to see me.

I discovered a little while back that Alan Rigg loves guitars too, probably even more than I do! When a few of my guitars needed special attention, I did my research and chose Alan based on what I found. He knows guitars and has done work on them for many respected players, as well as those belonging to enthusiasts like me.

I had had some work done on an acoustic in the past, part of which was great, the rest abominable (irreversible unfortunately). I was determined not to entrust just anyone to do work on my guitars ever again and I am so glad that I found Alan. He understands the relationship between a player and his guitar(s) and applies his skill and expertise on every guitar that comes to him for repair restoration in accordance with that understanding.

And he’s not a bad guy either… if you can get him to talk! Only kidding about the last bit.

Kerry Fitzgerald

Big Al,

The ‘59 neck is so radically improved, it’s gone from the ridiculous to the sublime. The stuff of true genius, thank you.      Paul Christie (PC)              The Party Boys,  Mondo Rock,  Almost Famous

I have known Alan for the past 10 years and am always satisfied with his impeccable work. He is one of the few left in the industry who is down to earth & great at his craft, as well as being honest and fair when it comes to pay time! He takes the time to talk to you about your repairs and always gets the job done on time!! (very important ingredient people ...) 

He is also a great guitarist so obviously appreciates other peoples' instruments and treats them like his own. I am sure you will not be disappointed when you give him a go, just don't tell everybody about him (or he might get a chip on his shoulder like all the others!!)".  Cheers Al,       Conrad Galanos                     Swinging Sixties,    The Bandits

I have known Al Rigg since 1988 when Phil Emmanuel recommended him to me as a guitarist for a band I was putting together. After three rehearsals that band worked 4 nights a week for the next year - what a blast. But the good Dr Rigg has other talents as well. He had worked on Phil's Strats and Tommy's Teles & acoustics for years and he resurrected my ‘68 Strat from an under-the-bed relic to a player’s dream. Al has worked on all my guitars for twenty years now, and he knows how to get the best out of an instrument.

Al is also one of the World's Best People. Besides doing great work, he is honest to the bone, totally reliable, a dedicated family man, and he knows more about what makes a great guitar than anyone else I know.  

John Spence         The Fargone Beauties,   Barry Leef Band,    Producer of ‘The Guitar Show’ TV series

I've had the pleasure of knowing Alan Rigg for the past 20 years and can safely say that from my experience, there is no better guitar tech anywhere, and quite frankly, I wouldn't know what to do without him.  Al and has looked after all my vintage guitars including black face Tele's, pre 'L' series Strats and a host of other old school Gibsons and Gretsches. Most recently, Al has been fettling my new Duesenberg guitars to extract a whole range of sounds not normally found on these lovely guitars.  The other thing worth mentioning is the genuine love and admiration Al has for his precious musical instruments - - he always approaches every job with the same enthusiasm and willingness to do a great job for his customer. There's two things I really admire about Al.  One is his mastery of his trade  - after nearly 30 years of constant devotion to his work, Al has just about seen it all, so if Al doesn't know the answer, then no one does!  The other is that Al is a true gentleman; he is honest, caring and a great Dad to his children and therein lies the true value of the man. Good luck with your business Al, we all wish you well. 

Sincerely,   Steve Laue 

There is nothing Al doesn’t know about getting the most out of your guitars for you, he takes a good look at how you play before setting it up for you then gets to work, he have worked on my gear for nearly 10 years.

I could not recommend him highly enough for repairs, setups, services and even appraisals. I personally have a number of vintage guitars from Fenders and Gibsons to Rickenbackers and Gretsches and there is no one I trust more in Australia.  Besides all that he is one of the nicest guys in the world and a joy to spend time with.

 Pete Rizzo 

I first met Al in Sydney in the late ‘70’s when I was playing in bands like Rabbit and Finch/Contraband. He did some set up work for me on my ’76 Gibson Explorer back in the Rock Repairs days, and I was immediately impressed with his work. We were also two certified guitaroholics, and we soon became firm friends, as we are to this day.

Al has worked on several precious guitars of mine including my ’87 Strat Plus, ’82 Tele and ’63 Jaguar, doing everything from refrets to pickup replacements and general fine tuning and tweaking, and I have always been totally blown away with his workmanship, passion for his craft, and general professionalism. And he charges very reasonable prices too. Only someone who loves guitars as much as Al does, could DO what he does, and having said that, I don’t know anyone who does do what he does as well as he does, and that’s the reason why he’s the only one who I’ll let work on my precious babies (apart from myself when it’s something I can handle).

We’ve shared some great times together, from jamming together with Phil Emmanuel when Al was playing in Kakadu, to spending a ‘lost afternoon’ with Al and my wife Lyn in the Blonde Fender Amp room at Jackson’s whilst trying out several droolworthy vintage Strats – if only I’d had the money to buy just one!

Al, Lyn and I wish you all the best with your new venture, and we’d just like to say to any guitarists out there who have an instrument in need of anything  from a major overhaul to a restring and setup – Al’s your man!

Cheers mate,       Dave Hinds                             Bounty Hunters ,   The Garth Brooks Show

Al Rigg has repaired/set up at least 3 guitars for me and all are still going strong.  To me he’s the most trusted man in the business in Australia, the world for all I know. I’ve seen a lot of dodgy repairs over the years and none ever from Al’s workshop.  His knowledge is uncharted!  Good luck,  Al.

Richard Atkinson           Luthier (in training)  

Wild Dog Guitars “It’s the tone that matters...”     Melbourne Vic. 03 9720 5296

Al is the only guy in Sydney I would use to work on my guitars as he not only knows guitars better than anyone else I know, but more importantly as a gun musician himself he treats my guitars the same way he would treat his own i.e. ‘with loving care’.    All the best mate,   Jeff Rodgers  

I've been turning up on Al's doorstep with various stringed instruments for about 20 years now, and no matter what I bring, he's always able to get the most out of the instrument and set it up just right. I have a number of guitars, and always seek Al's advice when looking for a new one, but my favourite would have to be the black Strat that he built himself, from parts - I use that guitar all the time. Al treats every guitar on his workbench as if it were his own, and that is how you know that the results are going to be the best that they can possibly be, every time.

Tom Rice  

 I’ve been taking my guitars [acoustic and electric] to Al for years now and some miracles have happened as a result, some basket cases have been resurrected and others have been turned into much better instruments because of Al’s touch, his attention to detail and his knowledge of all things guitar have helped myself and my friends out heaps over the years and I would recommend anybody who has a problem instrument to take it to Al.

Ian Dittman                            The Bellhops,   The Hell Boppers

For over twenty years, Al's worked on my most precious guitars - the '59 Gretsch, '56 Martin, '32 Gibbo and more - it's nice to be able to put that much trust in someone's skill and professionalism.       Thanks Al!

Glenn Cardier                         www.glenncardier.com

Through the past 20 years, my guitars have become  like my family and there is only one person I would trust to look after them, in fact, they are in better condition now than when I  bought them all those years ago. Thanks for looking after my guitars, Al. 

Tony Martin                               The Tony Martin Band,      Great Southern Land Marketing & Promotions

Without hesitation I recommend Alan Rigg as a skilled, professional, and artistic 'guitar doctor'.  Alan has worked on four of my guitars, including my Clapton Strat and my SRV Strat, and I am not only pleased with his work, and I sincerely grateful for his contribution to the health of these guitars.

Richard Kraus Bellevue Hill  NSW

My association with Al goes back a bit – we started in the same band in the 70’s. Even then his passion for guitars and music was apparent. While the rest of us had grungy strings, dodgy leads etc, Al’s gear was always clean, in tune, sounded great - and generally the envy of us all. It’s this genuine love and knowledge of guitars and tone that Al brings to his Guitar Repair service. Over the ensuing decades, Al has worked on, and provided advice on, many of my own guitars, Including Stratocaster, Precision Bass, Telecaster, Rickenbacker 360/12, Martin D18, Hofner Beatle bass, to name some. I have absolute confidence in recommending Al to anyone keen to get the best from their instrument.      John Collins                                 

Overseas and away from home my guitar split down the side. Fortunately, I was living down the street from Alan. After a cup of coffee and some fine conversation, my Martin was fixed. The crack was mended, frets were shaved down, and guitar was sounding better than it has in years. All I can say is thank you and that i would recommend Alan Rigg to anyone in need of guitar repairs.

Cheers,     David M. Tropp          Princeton, USA          myspace.com/davetropp

Alan Rigg has been repairing my guitars for over ten years. As a gigging musician I have various acoustic and electric guitars and it is no exaggeration to say that Al has always done an excellent  job, going the extra mile and really listening to what you want. Reasonable prices and timeframes, always a phone call away for a discussion and help when required. I can't recommend him highly enough as a luthier. He is also a player who has a real passion for what he does.

Marvin Storm      Guitarist          Swinging Sixties

When I was living in Sydney, Alan has always come through for me, with his excellent repairs and set-ups. 

But even more impressive was how he was able to locate some original parts for my vintage "Stratocaster" and my old "Les Paul", when nobody else seemed able to source them.  He came highly recommended to me for very good reasons, and I also highly recommend his services.

Cheers mate,   Ken McMahon                   Deja Vu

Al Rigg is the best guitar tech in the country and I’ll stand on   _ _ _ _ _’s (name of other well known guitar repairer omitted!)  coffee table in my cowboy boots and say that!

Matt Dwyer                           www.mattdwyermusic.com.au

I have used Alan for all the difficult repairs that come into Dicksons Music for the past 2 years. There have been plenty of instruments that I thought were going to the scrap heap but Alan has a magic touch and can bring even the most abused instruments back to life. After years of repairing myself, he is still the only person I will trust to work on my custom electric basses. I have converted quite a few customers, who now regularly bring their guitars back for him to setup and always rave about the quality of the work. He is a true craftsman.      

Jara Johnston-Anderson  Guitar Department Manager   Dicksons Music, Chatswood

Alan has been looking after my guitars since 1987. I love his work, and particularly that he knows each of my instruments well. This enables him  to instinctively know what to do to keep them tweaked. He has a lot of clients, so must have a massive data base of guitars in his head............. His attitude is always positive, and his turnaround fast. I look forward to another 22 years of guitar maintenance and guitar talk with him.

Justin McCoy                   Hat Trick     and    The McCoy Band

I knew Alan way back in the Rock Repairs days of the late 1970s. Brought him a Gibbo Charlie Christian and then a Gibbo 'Black Beauty' LP Custom to setup ... and then mod :p. I remembered we jammed to the vamp out of George Benson's 'This Masquerade".  Point is Alan always made you feel welcome and comfortable ... especially since I was just a non-gigging glass-onioned space cadet with guitars I didn't deserve. (The mods, remember?) Looking back I question the wisdom of modding the Gibsons especially the Black Beauty... though I was delighted at the time ... & Alan was too much the gentleman to patronise me. Fast forward to 2007 and I'd practised then quit the Architectural profession, cabbied and muso'd in Adelaide and repatriated from years of ESL work in Tokyo ... brought back a nice Japanese 335, LP Std ... & another Black Beauty ... which I had setup (NOT modded) ...  I'd long forgotten who Alan was but he remembered me ... down to the guitars I brought him 30yrs ago! Beautiful job he did on it ... perfect in every way ... that was through a local guitar store.  Now I deal directly with him once again. Still take real nice guitars to him. Still the consummate gentleman. Still the fantastic quality and promptness. Still talk about that black 'Fretless Wonder' ..Anyway had another creative urge and casually mentioned modding my current Lawsuit Burny 'Black Beauty" ... I thought I saw Alan's specs steam up ... in the interests of self-preservation I shut me trap & trotted away with my beautifully setup pre-Lawsuit Ibanez 330.  I'm picking up my Burny 335 later tonight and I'll not have any more creative urges :P     Onya Alan &  more power to you!

Terry Mar                                 www.riffage3.talkspot.com

An old friend reminded me recently that Alan was still repairing guitars in the inner west .So I tracked him down and happily handed over my mid 90's Gibson acoustic for a much needed make over. The guitar in question has been my constant companion for over a decade and I was afraid that through my neglect it may not be fully restorable , I was wrong! For a very reasonable price Alan took great expert care to bring it back to life. It now plays and sounds better than it ever has. Even with much lighter strings than I was using previously. I am a full time muso and guitar teacher and I would highly recommend Alan to anyone in need of thorough professional guitar set ups and/ or repairs.    Matt Ross    https://www.facebook.com/MattRossArtist

My Maton is back from the grave. Action is spot on. Fret shaved. I don't know why, but even the tone is completely restored. Thank you Alan, you've done it again!   Roy Marcellus      Youth Pastor    Sydney Christian Worship Centre  

Hi Alan,

Just a quick note to thank you for the set up you did on my Martin OM the other day. It has made a huge difference to the playability and it seems to sound better than ever. Great job (and service) Alan.

Cheers    Garry Johnson

I LOVE THE MARTIN!!!!!!!!!   Mate I seriously could not be more happy...I’ve been singing your praises all day to my guitar friends. They came over and played the Martin and all of them are in shock. We think you’re a magician.!!!!!!!  You have the magic touch and I’m so very grateful my guitars are in your care.......What you did with my Fender was sensational but the Martin feels like a completely different guitar (in a good way)...has all the nice bits I liked and none of the bad bits.....I feel like I’ve just been given a new guitar!!!!!!!!   Sooooo happy!  Thank you :)  

AM Gray    www.am-gray.com

Alan,

Just wanted to drop you a note to say what a difference there is to the guitar. I think it’s fantastic and I can't put it down.  Scott Lambert