From Santa Monica, CA. Neil Smith owns Vegas Guitars and Neil Smith Guitars. He has been building and repairing for over 25 years. Neil apprenticed with master fretted instrument technician Jim Anderson of the Notorious Guitar Hospital in Sparks, NV. Neil holds the only Fender Custom Shop Custom Care authorization in Nevada (only 28 in all of N. America). Additionally, he is the only publicly referred FMIC Gold level authorized technician in Nevada or Utah. Neil is a professional level member of the National Association of Musical instrument Repairers and a level II Buzz Feiten installer (acoustics and electrics). Examples of Neil’s repair work has been published in two major lutherie magazines. As a fully committed guitar builder – Neil has built countless custom guitars and basses. Neil also earned two college degrees at CSN (Honors) and UNLV (Dean’s List). Over the years he’s repaired and built for many celebrities big and small or their band members. However, he treats everyone with the same courtesy and attention.
