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I've seen statements like this before and I believe fully in their truth.

From the Fret leveling thread:[QUOTE]

This is Rick the old fart repairman talking, and once again I have to advocate that any guitar maker who really wants to build superior guitars might want to consider a few years in the trenches of retail guitar repair

[/QUOTE]

I know this sounds a little simple...but how does one get into retail guitar repair (assuming I don't currently have a retail business of my own)?

The only resume I have are the guitars I have built to date and building isn't quite the same as repairing. Someone is going to pay me to learn on a customer's guitar? (that they might have to pay to re-repair after I get done with it?).

Since I'm currently otherwise employed, I have options in terms of learning if some place already has a luthier on staff. But, doing a repair here or there will take a long time to get the level of knowledge that I think Rick is advocating. So, try comments to keep it broad and assume I want to quit the day job (at some point...soon?) and pursue guitars (repair/building) full time.

Some insights of how you "broke into the business" from those of you that do this for a living would be appreciated.

Thanks,

Joe

 

Great question!  I would love to hear some suggestions from those who are "in the know".  You sound a lot like me, looking to make a change sometime in the near future but have no idea how to break into the business without going bankrupt in the process.

I am anxious to hear some responses.

The best way is to apprentice yourself to someone with a thriving guitar repair business. I don't think there's another way. And if you "have a day gig" then it's going to take you a long time.   

I think the best way to learning a lot fast is to read every book you can get your hands on, go to Roberto Venn or Redwing Tech and take an intensive course in guitar making and repair, and then move some place where you can get a job as an apprentice in a very busy guitar repair shop where you can learn the trade and see a lot of instruments being repaired and set up by folks who know what they're doing. That apprenticeship will be a good two to three years at fairly modest wages.   

The only way to get good at this is to treat it like going to college...you're going to pay for the knowledge one way or another. You can go intensive and get pretty good in about four years or you can spread it out over decades.   Depends on how good you want to get at it all.

Repairing is much more difficult than building guitars...but it makes for better guitar makers...

Well Joe let me ask and with all due respect. Are you selling your guitars? If so I assume you have a warranty. If so then how do you plan to live up to your warranty if you are not skill in the required repairs,

I am not trying to be a turd here. This is a common thing. Lots of new builders start selling without acquiring the repair skill to live up to a warranty.

I went this direction with my reply to address your quest be cause you said; "The only resume I have are the guitars I have built and building isn't quite the same as repairing." this statement lead me to believe you are selling your work. Maybe not but that is the way I took it. If I am right them you best acquire repair skills so that you can live up to a warranty.

Now How to get into the repair biz. You have to put yourself out there. you might start with common jobs like re-frets, setups and no structural things read learn and seek info. Buy used inexpensive guitars and practice on them.

[QUOTE=MichaelP]Well Joe let me ask and with all due respect. Are you selling your guitars? If so I assume you have a warranty. If so then how do you plan to live up to your warranty if you are not skill in the required repairs,

I am not trying to be a turd here. This is a common thing. Lots of new builders start selling without acquiring the repair skill to live up to a warranty.

[/QUOTE]

Excellent question and I agree with your response. To answer your question, No I am not selling my guitars. They have all been built for family and friends (maybe I need less friends? ).  The closest thing to a "sale" is that most have been willing to cover materials of the top, back/sides since type and quality can cover a lot of ground $-wise. I cover the rest as part of learning the craft. I do warranty that they will get those materials back in a much prettier form than when I received it.  I've only been building 5 years and so far I haven't had any repair issues. The closest thing is my first nitro finish on my son's guitar is crazing. Since it doesn't affect the sound, I can't get it away from him long enough to contemplate a refinish.

So no, I'm not offended and agree, I think people move into sales too early.

I think I'll look at a mix of the responses. I'll work on some cheap guitars (I currently have 2 that I purchased already for just that purpose). One is a 12 string that I also want to take a part to look at design changes compared to a 6 string. Then I was thinking about apprenticing for free on weekends with a local shop (since I have another job currently). This will maybe allow me to get some first hand experience of the work. Like Rick noted, that will be slower, but then I have a better idea as well of what I'm diving into?

Thanks,

Joe

Success will largely depend on the market in which you're doing business.
I went to Roberto-Venn five years ago looking to jump start a third
career. All I had at the time was an interest in luthiery and confidence in
my ability to adapt to any set of hand skills. I had hoped to move to
Alaska or Montana afterwards to satisfy my desire for wilderness. Alaska
nearly provided a job at a retail based repair shop but the opportunity
vanished in the eleventh hour - last week of school and bank account
exhausted. A call came in from a shop in Boston (the last place in this
country I wanted to live) that I'd never heard of but which I discovered
was highly respected in the inner circle. I sent my resume, was offered a
job and packed my van, drove across the country, and started work. I still
dislike Boston - it may be the most inhospitable city in the West but it's
got a great community of working musicians who keep me busier than I's
like to be.
     Okay - so that said, I thought I was going to find a career building
guitars before I headed off to Phoenix. I still want to build guitars but
there's so little time away from the repair bench that the last thing I want
to do at the end of the day is work on my own instruments. Of course in
a city where a derelict house costs $400K it's very hard to leave the repair
bench at all. A bit of a catch 22. Good income, big city, high cost of
living. Low cost of living, nicer place to live, not a lot of work. Also
there's this to consider. A small out of the way shop cannot afford to pay
an apprentice with money and a busy shop may not be able to afford the
time. Maybe it's a good opportunity to barter.
     I'd like to leave the retail shop behind and start my own storefront
repairshop. 600 sq. ft. storefront in a worthwhile neighborhood? $2,000
a month. That's a lot of fret files.
     Finally, it's true. I'm sure I could build a much better guitar after
doing 9,000 repairs than before. Maybe in another twenty if people are
stilling doing something like retiring I can look at guitar building as a
fourth career.
     On the othere hand maybe I could find a job in a boatyard in some
sleepy out of the way place...

I second Rick's statement about getting every book you can get your hands on. I have a regular day gig but have been operating a repair shop behind my home for almost 17 years now. I would have gone full time some time ago but have health issues that mandate decent and affordable health insurance. If you don't apprentice under a busy shop than it will take some time to acquire the knowledge to confidently tackle big jobs. Pick up every reasonably priced yard sale and flea market special you run across. These will not always be built in the most traditional manner but the excercise of problem solving itself is a transferrable skill that will apply to every brand. Also... spend as much time as you can browsing repair topics in online forums. You'll pick up gems of wisdom from experts and, at times, get exposure to ideas that are simply wrong and should be avoided.