Jim has always done great work on all of my guitars, and is the trusted luthier for my guitar students. Thanks, Jim!

It doesnt get much better than Jim / Guitar Works. The only other place I will take my guitars is The 12th Fret. Over the years Ive had Jim fix a bad setup on my Les Paul, make my Martin acoustic playable, and re-fret a totally beat up (think heavy relic but legitimate) 1960s Epiphone Wilshire. The fret work he did on my Epiphone was top notch, and the action can only be described as slinky now. I have put hundreds upon hundreds of enjoyable hours on that guitar since getting it back and it is just so good I barely want to play anything else.During the pandemic I bought a holy grail (for me) guitar: a beautifully worn vintage butterscotch telecaster. The frets were a bit low and I recently dropped it off at Guitar Works. I guess its the highest praise I can give Jim that I got a holy grail and promptly brought it to him to work on. If you take an instrument here, you wont be disappointed. Jim is the man.

I bought an acoustic guitar off eBay that was set up very poorly and was buzzing. I took it to Jim (real nice guy) and in a couple hours he had that guitar setup perfectly. I would highly recommend Jim and Guitar Works!

Jim definitely does great work. Some of the best work on guitars Ive ever had

A very talented luthier, Jims work is the best... I wont go anywhere else. When I get my instruments back, they always play a thousand times better than before. A world class person as well.

I imagine most folks just dont have the eye needed to determine level of craftsmanship from one luthier to the other. I can see fine details in craftsmanship and without experience with the other luthiers in the area I cannot compare Jim to others. However I CAN see and spot multiple fails/flaws in his work. My guitar needed help and IS drastically better than before. I think because it was a 300$ Keith urban it wasnt treated as a 20yr old Martin or any 1k$ guitar.The saddle was replaced and poorly at that. String spacing/notching leaves my G high enough over the D to clearly tell looking and playing.As well as the nut now seates strings way too deep in the material for my light gauge strings. Ill need to replace it too get the full amount of sound the guitar can offer. Less recess and more shaving off the bottom of the nut to get perfect placement.And finally the frets.... this is super sad because without glasses without playing it you can see where the frets have not been shaved, set and crowned uniformly. So it still has frets sawing(not as bad as before) my hand as I play. Im reminded of a new Yamaha in guitar center(little rough). Not even close to a higher quality guitar like Martin or taylor (straight from factory)..So in total 160$ for slight improvements I could have matched in 5 minutes adjusting the truss rod and shiming the nut.Odd it is because Jim displayed more professionalism and signs of intelegants than all other luthiers in the area (I called each multiple times basically interviewing). He IS smart and very likable .Im open to changing my mind if given tangible evidence. Until then I will not waist anymore money on luthiers here in Portland. Ill spend the money on the tools and practice on goodwill guitars until I myself could be considered professional.If you know nothing about guitars I will recommend going to jim because a beginning guitarist will not notice nor be able capitalize on the differences between a professional and hobby luthiers work(Jims a hobby luthier). ALL NEW GUITARS SHOULD BE TAKEN TO A LUTHIER. The experience of taking your guitar somewhere to get worked on leaves a motivational experience. As well knowledge that it IS set specifically for you.Keep practicingKeep your chin upKeep on rockin in the free world!

Great service, great price, quick turnaround. Thanks, Jim!

Fast and dependable service. Extremely knowledgeable on a lot of fronts. My only regret was not finding James years ago.

Wonderful job done on my guitar. Id highly recommend to anybody who needs work done. Very experienced and knowledgeable. Ill be back for sure!

I brought two guitars (acoustic Takamine and electric Strat) to get them both set up and adjusted. Jim did a very professional job with perfect results. He completed both guitars very quickly and his rates are super reasonable. Highly recommended.

Im wary of 5-star reviews. However, in this case, Id give 6 if possible. Jim has re-set the neck on a 44 Gibson my dad left me. Cant even see how it happened...flawless. He just replaced the nut and basically made my newer Les Paul play as it was intended....now I remember why I bought it in the first place----- It stays in tune now after hours of playing and bending. I dont like having problems with guitars, but at least Im assured to have a great visit when I need to see him. Jim is technically brilliant, and just as much so in his relational skills. His prices are way, way, way reasonable.

Ive worked with Jim for 20 years. Hes the master of everything from setup work to vintage instrument restoration. And his prices are very reasonable! Hes also happy to share his knowledge with me (Im an amateur luthier).

Jim is an exceptional luthier. Not only is his work top-notch, his ability to listen to what you want and deliver it at a reasonable price is such a pleasure in this time of exorbitant guitar repair costs. Ive entrusted guitars (Gibson Nick Lucas acoustic, 1942 Harmony Patrician acoustic, many vintage and custom electrics) to Jim, ranging in price from many thousands to many hundreds of dollars. My expectations are high when it comes to guitar set-up and repair and Jim always seems to exceed them.

I HAVE HAD JIM DO ALLL THE WORK ON MY GUITARS ABOVE ANYONE ELSE IN THE CITY. AND HAVE NEVER BEEN DISAPPOINTED AT ALL!!!! THANKS JIM FOR THE GREAT WORK OVER THE YEARS

Ive trusted Jim with my guitar for the past six years. He is brilliant.

Jim is a great guy and i can trust him to do the work I need on my Vintage Les Paul or Rickenbacker guitars!

Good

Best luthier I’ve come across and a great person to work with. Just did a complete refret on my Tele and his work is impeccable - as usual.

Im a former resident of Portland and Im leaving a shout out to my man Jim Lowenherz. You will not find a finer luthier! Exceptional work and a great personal touch. One cool cat! Miss ya! Jef B.

I play a very rare Epiphone Archtop from the 1940s. When the wood started to crack I flipped out. How many hundreds of dollars was this going to cost? Will it ever sound the same? I called all over town for advice on where to go and most of the stores said they wouldnt touch the guitar, go to Guitar Works. The guy at Guitar Works reassured me everything would be ok. He gave me my options, explained what he was doing, and went about his work quickly. The man is brilliant plain and simple. Hes built his own guitars from scratch yet wont bother you talking technical mumbo jumbo. You can tell that he has found his passion and that hell care for your instrument like its his own. A week later I got my guitar back and it looked like the day I bought it. Plus, he took a buzz out of it I could never fix. On top of that he repaired an electrical problem I was having with my Jaguar in a matter of minutes. Dont go anywhere else.

Helped me find some answers about my guitar

The best. Period.

Nobody else touches my guitars, period! Jim is a prince.