Herb David luthier traditions carried on with Ann Arbor Guitars

Hesh Breakstone and David Collins never intended to be business owners. But when the pair of luthiers recently learned that their employer, Herb David Guitar Studio, would be going out of business, they decided to form their own business to carry on their guitar repair work, opening Ann Arbor Guitars just two months ago.

 

"It's had its challenges, but we've pulled it off much more smoothly than I thought we could," says Collins of the transition. "We kept the customers' instruments going through." 

 

Tucked into the 1,000 square-foot workshop on the third floor of the iconic Herb David Guitar building on the corner of Liberty and Fifth Ave., Ann Arbor Guitars is building a business based on a set of harmonious opposites: old world repair tools and custom-designed guitar repair software, as well as corporate-minded business ethics and hands-on customer service. 

 

"We both tend to be technologists," says Breakstone, "which is interesting, because we'll also use couple-thousand-year-old hide glue."

 

Between Breakstone, Collins and their third technician, Brian DeLaney, Ann Arbor Guitars brings an eclectic mix of resumes to their guitar repair operations. Breakstone, a retired corporate executive, began working with Collins as an apprentice some years ago. He picked an apt teacher. A former student and instructor at Galloup School of Guitar Building and Repair, Collins worked with Old Town Lansing's Elderly Instruments before joining the team at Herb David. DeLaney has worked as a guitar tech for such big names as Ted Nugent, Sarah McLachlan, and Elvis Costello.

 

Though Collins says the growth of Ann Arbor Guitars is inevitable – due to the lack of luthiers in southeast Michigan, he says they could stay busy even if operating in secret – the team is committed to slow, steady growth, so as to keep turnaround time on their guitar repairs reasonable for customers.