Official Luthiers Forum!

Hi my friends!

It's been a while at least a few years since I have posted here on the OLF and as such I wanted to take this opportunity to update my friends here on what's up in my world and express sincere thanks to many of you too.

First the good news. I'm thrilled to announce to you that on April 1st.... yeah, yeah I know it's April fools day.... Ann Arbor Guitars will be officially open for business!!!

Ann Arbor Guitars is the brain child of three of us, Master Luthier David Collins, Luthier Brian Delaney, and your's truly ole Heshtone/Flushtone here. Ann Arbor Guitars was founded to provide world-class Lutherie repair and restoration services to the music community.

Our new business is located on the third floor of The Herb David Guitar Studio in Ann Arbor, Michigan. Herb is a well known Master Luthier who is soon to be 82 years young who has been providing Lutherie services through this very shop to the community for 51 years. Herb is retiring and even though the associated music store is closing at the end of the month we were graciously offered the opportunity to lease the shop on the third floor.

This is the very same shop where many very famous musicians have had their axes repaired over the years. Names such as Clapton and his psychedelic SC, John Lennon, and many more including some more recent names such as Jeff Daniels. As such it's an honor for me to be working at some of the very same benches that once were key in the repair of many of the instruments that I personally grew up listening to on records.... Remember records? I still have all of mine.....

Anyway in a sincere attempt to not be too long winded even though I have a lot of pent-up demand here to share what my own Lutherie journey has been like I'll try as I may to be brief...

First here is a link to the recent newspaper story announcing the creation of Ann Arbor Guitars: http://www.annarbor.com/business-review/top-floor-of-the-old-herb-david-guitar-studio-will-become-ann-arbor-guitars/

Now if you don't know me you may find my path to becoming a Luthier interesting. If you do know me you may find my path to becoming a Luthier perhaps rather funny....

After building my first 5 - 6 guitars in a vacuum so-to-speak in my original bathroom shop back in my condo days I discovered a small but growing group of very fine folks here at the OLF. The OLF was my very first participation in any forum for any subject matter. Back in those days it was very fun and we got to know each other personally often on many levels. It was not uncommon for some of us to travel great distances to meet each other and share information about Lutherie.

Once on the OLF my own chops improved dramatically in so much as I had never done anything at all related to Lutherie. Folks such as Sylvan Wells, Coach Tony Karol, Rick Turner, Mario P., Howard Klepper, Paul Woolson and others were very kind with us newbs (most of the time.... ) and shared a great deal with us. It was impossible to be a member of this forum back then without at least learning more and more because everyone shared very freely. It was called the golden age of Lutherie because Lutherie was getting popular, lots of information was being exchanged, and Lutherie moved forward benefitting from a new age of communication.

What started for me as a hobby to help my mind get away from my day job in corporate America became a passion and largely because of the OLF.

Of particular note is and was David Collins who once graced this forum too and since he was also in A2 (Ann Arbor) we soon met up and the rest is history.

David offered me a three-year apprenticeship where I would learn far more than I was worthy of having shared with me and soon I was operating my own Lutherie repair business of which I have done for the last three years or so. Contrary to what is often said about being an apprentice David never asked me to sweep a floor or take out the trash although I did sweep floors from time to time because I am basically a Felix Ungar sort....

A couple of years ago David became Manager of the repair department at Herb David's store and David called me and asked me to come work for him repairing everything and anything from a beater that really needed to be thrown in the fireplace to pre-war Martins, 30’s L-OOs – my favorite and many more.

Being the sort who needs to do things over and over again to get it down I greatly benefited from the very high volume of "mules" needing repair and as such although I have lost count now it's likely that I have repaired thousands of guitars and counting.

When the store announced that they were closing we had already been searching for a location for our new business. Having the opportunity to stay put but have it be our business was a dream come true for me personally. My plan is to work at my bench repairing/restoring and doing some building of guitars and other stringed instruments for the rest of my days. And to my fortune Dave is willing to put up with my arse....

A few points that I wanted to make. First once it became my dream to be a Luthier I never turned down an opportunity to do repair work. This was a Rick Turner thing who once said on this forum that one must learn repair if they wish to be a world-class builder or Luthier. I didn't like Rick's delivery at the time but I also have to admit that Rick's message was right-on!!!

Learning how and why guitars fail has already greatly improved my building chops and many of the practices that I too once did I won't be doing ever again because now I know where the long walk on a short pier of unsound practices leads....

Next here is something else that I was wrong about... I thought that to be a Luthier one has to learn all of the SOPs (standard operating procedures) for this sort or that sort of repair. My belief was that a bridge reglue might be addressed on page 131 of some three ring binder full of (I'm not going there relax.... ) procedures.

To my surprise being a Luthier, at least to me at the moment... is a combination of being a highly skilled artisan, understanding basic physics, being schooled in how instruments are assembled and how and why they may fail…, being lazy enough to not wish to have to do the job twice so one does it correctly the first time, and last but perhaps most important - it's a mind-set where analytical ability is key.

Any given repair may be unique in some way and it's up to us to have the analytical ability, in my view, to think outside the box, pardon the pun, and determine how the repair might best be accomplished. That three ring binder which never existed for me was not the solution to learning this stuff. Instead it's experience and lots of it as well as that mindset that I speak of and a willingness no matter what one’s background may be to start at the bottom and work toward success.

Although like many I had the ability too to attempt to learn Lutherie in a vacuum by doing and learning how ever one might. But having been in corporate America for nearly three decades I was very much aware of the tendency for one, under the right circumstances, to start breathing their own air.... Reading the book and having others stay out of my way was not for me... I wanted this too badly to ever risk not being exposed to the ideas of others.

As such I wanted to learn the trade in a traditional manner by doing with the scrutiny of a real pro before I would ever consider myself to be a Luthier. And doing is what I have been doing now for the past eight years and now I am happy to call myself a Luthier.

Last week we selected our first qualified apprentice to work with us at Ann Arbor Guitars for the next six months. It's part of giving back AND believe it or not apprentices also provide value to Luthiers by making us think with their very good questions. I've personally always benefited from attempting to explain a process to others in so much as it reinforces what I believe I know to me at the very same time. Any holes in my thinking may come to the surface as well when my ideas are exposed to the scrutiny others. And I welcome this – one has to welcome anything that makes them better for it!

Many Thanks! Many thanks to Lance for the OLF which I have to say has been absolutely key in a life and career changing activity for me - Lutherie. Many thanks to the pros who were here when I was here and shared what they shared with us all. Special thanks to Mario, Howard, Dave White, Tony K., and way to many for me to name you all. A VERY special thanks to Serge for being one of the very finest human beings that I have ever known!!!

And last but certainly never least a VERY, VERY special Thank You to David Collins for being my friend, for being the best Luthier that I have ever known, and for being one hell of a good person!!!

It's likely I'll be too busy with my arm in a guitar to participate here in the future but with this said I have many, many friends here who keep in contact off the forum with me and I wanted to thank all of you too!

As such I'm now happy to say that participating on the OLF changed my life for the better in many, many ways. Thank You all!!!

Lastly if you’re ever in Michigan feel very free to come visit us in the People’s Republic of Ann Arbor…. and we will be happy to show you what we are doing!

Take care everyone!

PS: I simply have to do this one more time for old times sake:

Nice to see you back!

Great to see you, Hesh!

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-Marcus
http://www.bailieguitars.com
Instagram | YouTube

Hi Hesh, good to hear from you.
Congratulations of getting there, enjoy!
If you get the time, I'm sure I wouldn't be the only one to appreciate it.
All the best.

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The name catgut is confusing. There are two explanations for the mix up.

Catgut is an abbreviation of the word cattle gut. Gut strings are made from sheep or goat intestines, in the past even from horse, mule or donkey intestines.

Otherwise it could be from the word kitgut or kitstring. Kit meant fiddle, not kitten.

Awesome news. Glad things have worked out so well Hesh. Thanks for filling us in!

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"I want to know what kind of pickups Vince Gill uses in his Tele, because if I had those, as good of a player as I am, I'm sure I could make it sound like that.
Only badly."

Good to hear from you Heshie!!!!

What a cool Journey you've been on. Don't stop believing in what you can do. Good job!!!

I'll PM you to stay in touch.

Cheers!!!

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My Facebook Guitar Page

"There's really no wrong way, as long as the results are what's desired." Charles Fox

"We have to constantly remind ourselves what we're doing....No Luthier is putting a man on the moon!" Harry Fleishman

"Generosity is always different in the eye of the person who didn't receive anything, but who wanted some." Waddy Thomson

Great news.Your a class act and it`s an honor to be your friend.
Skin

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James W Bolan
Nashville Tennessee

Hesh: Nice to see you post here again. Glad to hear all is well and Congrats on the new businnes. Don't be a stranger. Take care.
Tom

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A person who has never made a mistake has never made anything!!!

Hesh,

It's great to hear how well things have turned out for you. I've been semi-active
in the OLF for 13 years now, and I can remember how muchyou contributed to
the forum in the early years. I remember watching your new shop come together
in your basement, and the winter shots of wildlife on your property. I consider
you as one of the people I learned a lot from, and I've missed your presence.
Try and stop by once in a while and let us know how things are going. A few
shots of the great guitars you work on would be welcome also, if that's practical.

Best of luck

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Gene

Politicians and diapers must be changed often, and for the same reason- Mark Twain

Hesh, I have been wondering what you've been up to. It's great to hear how things are going. Congratulations and I wish you a long successful journey in your new business.

I'll have to try and stop by the next time I'm in Ann Arbor to vist my wife's family. Maybe I'll even bring a bottle of Everclear with me.

Take care Hesh. It is great to hear from you.

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Thanks,
Blain

http://www.ullrichguitar.com

"89.67% of all statistics are made up on the spot."

Congratulations Heshman !! Your willingness to help others and dedication to the craft are always appreciated. Much luck in the new enterprise.
Link

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Cut to size.....Beat to fit.....Paint to match.

Welcome back. Don't be a stranger.

Steve

Great to hear your update Hesh.

Keep up the good work!

Dave

Congratulations Hesh on pulling off a successful career change. I've done it once and appreciate just what a challenge it really is. We've missed you around here even though I'm not one of the "old-timers".

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Steve Smith
"Music is what feelings sound like"

Nice to hear from you Hesh.

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Chris

Congratulations Hesh! Really nice to hear from you again. Hope some day to make it to A2 and see you and your shop.
Cheers!
Rick

I was thinking of you just the other day Hesh. Glad to hear about your new venture and I wish you guys all the best and much success. If I am ever in your neck of the woods I will stop in to film a tips du jour video with you guys at your new place.

Congratulations, Hesh! Nice to see you on the Forum again. Good luck in your new venture.

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Waddy

Photobucket Build Album Library

Sound Clips of most of my guitars

Congratulations, Hesh! I don't think you'll need luck to succeed, but I'm sending good vibes your way, just in case. :-) Good for you for pursuing your dream until it came true. This is wonderful news!

And, I'd like to take this opportunity to extend a big thank you to you for the way you made me (and many others I'm sure) feel so welcome here on the OLF. Your positive spirit and encouragement drew me in and helped turn my general curiosity in lutherie into a passion.

Best wishes,

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George :-)

Hesh, my old friend. How I've missed you. I think of you from time to time and I know there is a big piece missing from the OLF when you took leave. Hope ur here to stay. Come visit often and you know we like pics. Heck, maybe even Billy T will show up and photo shop some for a laugh.
All my love bro


Sent from my walkie talkie using Tapatalk

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"After forty-nine years of violin building, I have decided that the search for a varnish is similar to the fox hunt. The fun is in the hunt."
Jack Batts Maker and Repairer of Fine Violins

Good to hear from you, Hesh! To me, you'll always be a part of the OLF and one of the reasons I first loved this place. Stop by once in a while to say, "Hi."

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sweat the small stuff.

Congratulations Hesh! I was checking out your site a while back and like that you posted some nice tutorials on your site....Mike

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Guitars, guitars and more guitars.

Congratulations on the official career change!
It`s good to see you in this neck of the woods, Hesh!
Don`t be a stranger.
There are quite a few of us (new and old) that need to get some of your input.
I see you now and then at the other site, but I still just come back home most of the time just out of habit.
BTW, see if you can get the Bear to poke his head out of the cave and sniff around.
Coe Franklin

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Give me 50 cents worth of regular.
Check my oil too, if you don`t mind,,,

Better start checking in on some of the repair threads now Hesh.

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It's not what you don't know that hurts you, it's what you do know that's wrong.

What's a Hesh??
I'll throw in a couple of these for your new business venture.