Player's guitar works

SAMUEL MICHAEL Service Manager

I have made my living in a creative environment, be-it carpentry, metal work, or Porsche restoration, for over 30 years. However, my true passion of life has been the guitar: playing, collecting, repairing and restoring. I first began to work on my own guitars doing setups and minor repairs and moved to more major structural repairs, restoring older instruments. I studied the construction of various guitars and began building them. As my capabilities and knowledge expanded, my skill level improved, I started working for local music stores and eventually secured a full-time position with Sam Ash Music. My formal education in guitar maintenance and repair started at the C F Martin Guitars facility in Nazareth, Pa. and became a factory-authorized repair tech for the entire Martin guitar line. Over time, I also became authorized to repair Taylors, Fender, Guild, Jackson, Charvel, Tacoma, Takamine, Ovation, Epiphone and Gibson Guitars.

I can resolve almost any structural, finish, electrical, or setup problems. I have also restored many older instruments. Most recent restorations include a 1953 Martin, a Gibson J-200 from the 80’s, and a turn of the century parlor guitar which I changed from Ladder bracing to X bracing at the client’s request.

VIC GEANOPULOS Relic/Refinish Manager, Replica Designer

I’ve been enamored with the guitar for about 15 years now. My interest began like most others’: guitar lessons. Realizing I would never become the virtuoso I had envisioned, I took my interest in a different direction. I wanted to own all the famous guitars that all of my heroes played. If I couldn’t buy them, I was gonna make them. Having been formally trained in graphic design, I had already been exposed to painting, drawing and woodwork. I figured my artistic skills could easily be applied to guitar. I began to study all the traditional “old school” and modern finishing techniques that large guitar companies used. My finishing skills were honed the hard way… by hand polishing and wet sanding. I then moved on to replicating the old and worn guitars that I knew have been sought after by collectors in recent years. I started small with the standard VH Franky and SRV no.1 but paid crazy close attention to the little details. Producing the most accurate checking, hardware oxidation, and aged finishes are a constant quest of mine.

When I began this quest, I lived near a Sam Ash music store that had one of the most sought-after techs in the PA/NY/MD/DE area… Sam Michael. Sam took me under his wing and has been teaching me the luthier profession ever since. He is my Yoda.