Official Luthiers Forum!

Owned and operated by Lance Kragenbrink
It is currently Fri Mar 29, 2024 5:36 am


All times are UTC - 5 hours


Forum rules


Be nice, no cussin and enjoy!




Post new topic Reply to topic  [ 5 posts ] 
Author Message
PostPosted: Thu Jan 26, 2023 5:45 am 
Offline
Old Growth Brazilian Rosewood
Old Growth Brazilian Rosewood
User avatar

Joined: Fri Nov 02, 2007 9:49 am
Posts: 12973
Location: Ann Arbor, Michigan
First name: Hesh
Last Name: Breakstone
City: Ann Arbor
State: Michigan
Country: United States
Status: Professional
As I've mentioned before there is a rich Lutherie tradition in our area and most specifically in our own shop. Our shop was a take over from the Herb David Guitar Studio that operated for a bit over 50 years in Ann Arbor. We mark the beginning or our 11th year in this location April 1st, April Fools Day...:)

Back in the day John Lennon came to Ann Arbor for a rally to free John Sinclair (he wrote a song about it too). Sinclair had been jailed for smoking what I smoke every day, pot. Times change.... Where's my Oreos... :)

During the visit Lennon visited Herb's shop and sat in this chair that was promptly roped off and retired after Lennon and his butt left. The chair was an icon in Ann Arbor for the remaining decades it was on display at the store.

Eric Clapton was in the Detroit area performing and had a malfunction with his psychedelic SG. He brought it to Ann Arbor, Detroit A-listers often stay and play in Ann Arbor 35 miles away, and asked Herb to repair it. And he did. Clapton signed a poster and that was that.

Both the poster and the chair were in the store when we took it over. Herb also worked with Bryan Galloup and Dan Earlywine too and then Dave Collins and then me. So my Lutherie heritage can be traced back 65 years to someone who met Lennon and Clapton.

Oh and the guitar (Martin OOO-28) that was played by Lennon at the rally to free Sinclair is in private hands now still in Ann Arbor and we were approached to do a headstock repair on it about 9 years ago.

I sometimes stop and think and shake my head at just how rich the musical heritage that I was fortunate enough to be exposed to when I hung up the suits and brief case and started working for a living. For any of you who ponder making a change I did exactly that after I was in my early 50's. Decided that my work was going to be the end of me and that I needed to have some fun. Built a StewMac Dreadnought kit and then 54.5 more and then went into the repair business. I am now.... now.... officially retired but still working part time because I love it and enjoy it.

Since then Dave and I have amassed our very own list of A-listers that is as impressive if not more so but that's for another day.

Thanks


You do not have the required permissions to view the files attached to this post.

_________________
Ann Arbor Guitars


Top
 Profile  
 
PostPosted: Thu Jan 26, 2023 8:56 am 
Offline
Contributing Member
Contributing Member
User avatar

Joined: Sun Mar 06, 2011 12:04 am
Posts: 5743
First name: Chris
Last Name: Pile
City: Wichita
State: Kansas
Country: Good old US of A
Focus: Repair
Status: Professional
This will sound mean first thing in the morning, but Lennons ass didn't leave any powers in the chair for anyone to absorb or contemplate with honor. Heck, if Clapton had sat in it the same would be true. It's a chair.

I'm glad you're here, though and part of the biz.

_________________
"Act your age, not your shoe size" - Prince



These users thanked the author Chris Pile for the post: Hesh (Thu Jan 26, 2023 9:57 am)
Top
 Profile  
 
PostPosted: Thu Jan 26, 2023 9:15 am 
Offline
Brazilian Rosewood
Brazilian Rosewood

Joined: Tue May 13, 2008 10:44 am
Posts: 6232
Location: Virginia
That's awesome. Reminds me of when my Grandfather used to love to say, "Shake the hand that shook the hand of John L. Sullivan."

Pile is right of course but people are people and the chair has provenance and so someone would probably be willing to pay a lot of money for it. Too bad he didn't sign it. Did you look under it? :)



These users thanked the author jfmckenna for the post: Hesh (Thu Jan 26, 2023 9:58 am)
Top
 Profile  
 
PostPosted: Thu Jan 26, 2023 9:58 am 
Offline
Old Growth Brazilian Rosewood
Old Growth Brazilian Rosewood
User avatar

Joined: Fri Nov 02, 2007 9:49 am
Posts: 12973
Location: Ann Arbor, Michigan
First name: Hesh
Last Name: Breakstone
City: Ann Arbor
State: Michigan
Country: United States
Status: Professional
Chris Pile wrote:
This will sound mean first thing in the morning, but Lennons ass didn't leave any powers in the chair for anyone to absorb or contemplate with honor. Heck, if Clapton had sat in it the same would be true. It's a chair.

I'm glad you're here, though and part of the biz.


:D Your absolutely right and Clapton is not always the nice guy either we know that now too. It's just fun to think about.

_________________
Ann Arbor Guitars


Top
 Profile  
 
PostPosted: Thu Jan 26, 2023 10:05 am 
Offline
Old Growth Brazilian Rosewood
Old Growth Brazilian Rosewood
User avatar

Joined: Fri Nov 02, 2007 9:49 am
Posts: 12973
Location: Ann Arbor, Michigan
First name: Hesh
Last Name: Breakstone
City: Ann Arbor
State: Michigan
Country: United States
Status: Professional
jfmckenna wrote:
That's awesome. Reminds me of when my Grandfather used to love to say, "Shake the hand that shook the hand of John L. Sullivan."

Pile is right of course but people are people and the chair has provenance and so someone would probably be willing to pay a lot of money for it. Too bad he didn't sign it. Did you look under it? :)


Didn't look under and it's gone now probably to an assisted living place or a collector who will flip it.

I've gotten pretty good at recognizing what people might look like 50 years later. I've asked a few of our clients who did not use their names, yet if they were so and so and they often are. Met folks from REO Speedwagon and Brownsville Station that way too. Robben Ford called us and wanted to know if he could come over for some opinions. We have lots of opinions. Got to strum his 58 Les Paul and his Goldtop. There have been a bunch more too including some jazz musicians who strummed for Miles Davis and Robert Hurst from the Tonight show (he's a U of M professor now). Mark Knoffler came by too and my Sultans of Swing version has never been better. :)

Lots of folkies too including some big names that I do not have permission to list but both males and females. So it's been a wild ride and it all started with a StewMac kit.

_________________
Ann Arbor Guitars


Top
 Profile  
 
Display posts from previous:  Sort by  
Post new topic Reply to topic  [ 5 posts ] 

All times are UTC - 5 hours


Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 56 guests


You cannot post new topics in this forum
You cannot reply to topics in this forum
You cannot edit your posts in this forum
You cannot delete your posts in this forum
You cannot post attachments in this forum

Jump to:  
cron
Powered by phpBB® Forum Software © phpBB Group
phpBB customization services by 2by2host.com