Mule

Customer pick up days are the best days. When they receive their last progress pictures I thank them for “being part of the story”. The pictures show them their chapter and keep the conversation going. The quality of your conversations determine the quality of your relationships.

We like talking with you.

Customers travel to this non destination city to tour the shop and pick up their new guitars. Saginaw is not “on the way” to anything. There’s no other reason to come.

This summer Steve from the U.P. drove 9 hours in a snow storm to get here. He brought us a regional food- smoked whitefish. He toured the shop while his guitar waited patiently. He told us the story of his friend, nicknamed “Mule”, who had decided it was time, left a letter, and then paddled his kayak out into Lake Superior never to be seen again. Steve opened the guitar while everyone watched and smiled. And then he drove back home.

Tord wanted to come all the way from Norway to pick up his guitar. I was going to be in Louisville showing guitars during his only opportunity. He said, ironically, “if it’s not inconvenient I can come to Louisville then”. So he got on a plane and met me at a coffee shop. He teared up when he opened it, “Life has been hard. This is the good stuff.” He explained and then I teared up. We talked some more and then he got in his car and went back to the airport.

Then there’s filmmaker Chris from Edinburgh. A photo shoot on the other side of the world, a flight to Chicago, and an overnight stay at a train station and he arrived deliriously tired at the shop. I slid the case to him. We smiled. He said he had something for me and handed me his late father’s antique fly fishing case with his flies still in it.

Last weekend repeat customer Matt and his friends drove from multiple states to the shop Saturday at 7 pm to get his guitar. I drove straight there from Wisconsin after talking at Trek. I brought out amps. They brought out gin. The party ended around 11:30.

This is why we do it. This is the good stuff.

-Matt