I met Chris about 7 or 8 years ago when I lived in KY, having been introduced by a fellow musician and friend.  He performed repair work on my '93 Deering Standard which included a neck reset and a fret job.  After the work Chris did on my banjo, I had to admit the banjo sounded better than  ever.  I was completely satisfied with his expertise with the instrument.  The most compelling thing regarding Chris was his professionalism and dedication to customer service.   Subsequent to this I had purchased another instrument, a significant upgrade for me.  I had it for about 6 years and had  moved to  WA state in the interim.  Suffice it to say I found myself a long way away but had a serious banjo issue that needed to be addressed.  I had lost touch with Chris but re-established contact through the Hangout. Now mind you, there are instrument repair people where I live, but having worked with Chris, I had a huge amount of trust that he would take care of my 5-string as good as anyone anywhere.  He responded promptly to my concerns regarding my instrument.  I had scheduled a trip back to KY in the near future and he was kind enough to dedicate time on a weekend to evaluate my problem, and complete the repair on my instrument.  This was done over the course of about 2 days--unbelievable service in my experience.  He performed a complete diagnostic work up and put me at ease quickly.  He gave my banjo an overhaul ( I do not "tinker" much with my instruments,  having played it for about 6 years without doing anything but changing strings).  He was able to complete a  fret job along with other issues that he kindly pointed out needed to be done at some time. He was not high pressure, but informative.   Basically, he provided excellent, timely service and did it based on my schedule.  Now, after about 5 months my instrument is "right on" and continues to sound incredible (even in my hands!).  I am not a professional player but just an average picker who loves my instrument.  It is so refreshing to know someone who provides the level of service that I'm sure that many times only the "pros" get.  Thank you Chris for treating me so well and making me feel like a pro!!

In summary, I highly recommend Chris to anyone who may need instrument maintenance or repair.  From my experience, Chris has the chops to take care of whatever your problems are, and does it in a timely, professional manner with an extraordinary dedication to customer service.