Hi, I’m Francois – the person behind GuitarBuddy.
Guitars have been a big part of my life since I was a kid. Growing up in South Africa, I spent my teenage years listening to Green Day, Offspring and Nirvana on repeat, and that love for rock and guitar-driven music never left. My taste lately leans from Tool & Deftones to Radiohead, anything with distortion and something interesting going on.

GuitarBuddy started as a passion project, born out of a genuine love for instruments and the satisfaction of making a guitar play its absolute best. I do professional guitar setups and repairs from my home base in Zandvoort, serving players in Zandvoort, Haarlem and Amsterdam. There’s something really rewarding about handing a guitar back to its owner and seeing them play it properly for the first time – or for the first time in years.

When I’m not working on guitars I’m usually playing one, though I also play bass and drums, so the music never really stops in our house. I live in Zandvoort with my wife and our two cats, Lily and Luna, who are largely indifferent to guitar tone but excellent company in the workshop.
Whether you’re looking for a setup, a repair, some honest gear advice, or just want to browse the blog or our online guitar shop – you’re welcome. This is a place built by a guitar lover, for guitar lovers.