Guitar Repair Intake Form

What this tool is for

Turn customer symptoms, instrument details, included items, and permissions into a complete intake ticket. Shop documents preserve who observed what, under which conditions, and with which permission. They are operational records rather than legal, payment, or customer-management systems.

Use it when you can describe the current state and need a defensible next check. It is not a shortcut around inspection: preserve the starting state, change one variable, and verify the result under the same conditions.

Before you begin

Record customer language verbatim, instrument identity, included accessories, visible arrival condition, requested priority, budget preference, and permissions.

• Use a stable, tuned instrument unless the page specifically investigates tuning.
• Name the physical reference, unit, and test condition beside every important number.
• Keep the original measurements so any reversible change can be returned to baseline.

Input guide

Customer / owner

identifies the record so its result is not attached to the wrong instrument or work order.

Contact information

captures the exact observation, list, or requirement that the result must preserve.

Intake date

anchors this record in time so climate, strings, and later work can be compared.

Instrument type

identifies the record so its result is not attached to the wrong instrument or work order.

Brand

captures the exact observation, list, or requirement that the result must preserve.

Model

captures the exact observation, list, or requirement that the result must preserve.

Serial number

captures the exact observation, list, or requirement that the result must preserve.

Approximate year

captures the exact observation, list, or requirement that the result must preserve.

Number of strings

provides a measured or counted input; confirm the allowed range and repeat the reading before relying on it.

Current tuning

defines the pitch state that must remain stable while measurements are taken.

String gauge

records the actual string dimensions or supported set rather than a visual estimate.

Reported problem

captures the exact observation, list, or requirement that the result must preserve.

When issue started

captures the exact observation, list, or requirement that the result must preserve.

Recent modifications

captures the exact observation, list, or requirement that the result must preserve.

Visible damage

captures the exact observation, list, or requirement that the result must preserve.

Included accessories

captures the exact observation, list, or requirement that the result must preserve.

Case included

classifies an observed condition; choose “unknown” or “not tested” instead of guessing when available.

Customer priorities

identifies the record so its result is not attached to the wrong instrument or work order.

Budget range

captures the exact observation, list, or requirement that the result must preserve.

Requested completion date

anchors this record in time so climate, strings, and later work can be compared.

Permission to diagnose

classifies an observed condition; choose “unknown” or “not tested” instead of guessing when available.

Contact before additional work

classifies an observed condition; choose “unknown” or “not tested” instead of guessing when available.

Notes

captures the exact observation, list, or requirement that the result must preserve.

Input labels describe evidence, not targets. A placeholder demonstrates format only; it is never a recommendation for a particular guitar.

How the result should be read

Review the printed ticket with the customer. “Permission to diagnose” does not imply approval for parts, destructive work, or an unlimited bill.

Read priorities from top to bottom, but stop as soon as new evidence contradicts an earlier assumption. Save or print the result ticket with the entered conditions so another person can reproduce the decision.

Method and logic

The form prevents intake observations from becoming a premature diagnosis. It connects reported symptoms to later quote and job records with dates and identifiers.

The page keeps calculation and diagnostic claims deliberately bounded. Display rounding improves readability, while the underlying logic uses entered values; descriptive branches report relative tendencies and the evidence needed to confirm them.

Worked example

Customer says “cuts out after ten minutes”; intake observes a loose jack nut but does not open the guitar. Record the case and strap as included, authorize diagnosis, and contact before extra work.

The example demonstrates reasoning, not a universal setup specification. Substitute real measurements and repeat the final test before accepting the next action.

Assumptions and limitations

This practical record is not legal advice or a liability waiver. Local consumer rules and shop policies may require additional terms, signatures, privacy handling, or retention controls.

Instrument design, service history, measurement error, and player technique can outweigh a calculator or checklist. Where manufacturer instructions exist for the exact hardware, use those instructions and record the revision consulted.

Safety and stop conditions

Stop for abnormal resistance, cracking, heat, odor, electrical sensation, moving wood or joints, a measurement that cannot be repeated, or any step that would remove material without a confirmed cause. Secure strings and stored mechanical energy before hardware work. Refer structural, fret-cutting, mains-powered, or uncertain repairs to a qualified technician.

Related workflow

• Neck Relief Measurement Helper — Convert and interpret a measured relief gap as a comparison—not a repair verdict.
• String Action Converter — Convert string height between millimetres and common inch fractions.
• Setup Measurement Sheet — Create a printable baseline measurement record.

Open the related page that answers the next unresolved question; do not run every tool as if every system needs adjustment.