Philosophy

Handcrafted Styles

The Guitars

Repairs

Contact

Handcrafted guitars that sound as beautiful as they look

Operated by luthier Jeffrey McKay, McKay Guitars is an independent Canadian guitar manufacturer located in Ottawa, ON that specializes in custom guitars that are hand carved to look, sound and play their best.

flourish Created with Sketch.

Philosophy

Custom designed and built for each musician

First of all, the bond between a musician and their guitar is something truly special. That’s why each McKay guitar is crafted by hand to match each player’s distinct style. As a result, you get an instrument that sounds and feels the way you want it to — each time you pick it up.

Handcrafted Styles

Quality and craftsmanship come together in perfect harmony

McKay Guitars are handmade with only the finest materials and techniques, which make playing them not only sound better, but above all feel better too.

Complement your tone with elegant woods

Visually stunning woods hand carved within the right tolerance, as a result, resonate the perfect sound for your playing style.

Play effortlessly with a neck crafted for your hands

Smooth, ergonomic necks and fret boards set with ideal action hence, playing feels effortless.

Amplify your sound with the right hardware

Custom choice of pickups, machine heads and accessories consequently, ensure each note and chord sounds its best.

Personalize everything down to the last detail

Beautifully carved inlays, one-of-a-kind bridges and custom designs that similarly reveal each player’s distinct personality.

The Guitars

The perfect instrument — no matter your playing style

Whether you’re looking for an acoustic, electric or archtop — or maybe another stringed instrument — our creations combine a rich, full-bodied sound with creative designs for a finished product that above all speaks volumes.

Extend the life of your instrument

We handle each guitar we repair as if it is one of our own and offer a quick turnaround so you can get back to playing. Furthermore, our range of affordable repair services include, but are not limited to:

  • Re-fretting
  • Structural repairs
  • Fret leveling, crowning and polishing
  • Guitar setups with perfect intonation

  • Mark Cameron

    Exceptional craftsmanship at an affordable price, Jeff did a full fret and nut replacement on my Gibson Les Paul Custom, as well as a much-needed tuneup. His work is flawless.

  • Swilly Willy

    Had many Vintage guitars repaired by Jeff. These included repairs for cracks, neck resets and inner bracing. Many tuneups with bridge, nut lowering & fret work. All I can say is the work was exceptional and the price was very reasonable. You will not be disappointed.
    Steve Williams

  • Thomas Thompson

    Jeff does outstanding high quality work, in a timely manner and with reasonable prices. As a former guitar shop owner, (Harvest Moon Acoustics, Canmore, AB) I recommend him highly. He recently did a major restoration of a vintage 70's Guild D-55 that turned out beautifully.

  • Eli Nef

    I was initially told that another luthier in town was the guy to go to, but I found Mckay Guitars after a bit of searching. I bought this boat of a guitar that needed some all-around work (Neck, Frets, Bridge, Pickups, Setup, etc...). Jeff was available right away, yet his turnaround was also quick (Yes!), and the work has been just perfect. I've since been back and plan on bringing the rest of my guitars and basses in when the doctor is due. Cheers!

Contact

Come try a McKay guitar — you won’t want to put it down

Let us know what you’re looking for and we’ll get back to you as soon as we can.

613-804-9557
facebook Created with Sketch. twitter Created with Sketch. instagram Created with Sketch.

© 2019 McKay Guitars