You’ve been with SLM for 20 years - what an accomplishment! Tell us a little bit about how you got started with St. Louis Music, and what you do now as the guitar shop manager.
It’s wild to think it’s been that long. I was 18 when I started at St. Louis Music. The summer after I graduated high school, I finally asked myself, “What do I want to do with the rest of my life?” And the answer was pretty simple. Music. So, I petitioned my brother-in-law, Steve Dachroeden, who worked as Artist Relations for SLM at the time, to get me into the guitar shop. Luckily, they had an opening and the rest is history.
As the guitar shop manager, I oversee our team of techs and ensure that we maintain the highest standards of excellence that we’ve come to be known for. I do my best to pass along my years of knowledge and experience working on Alvarez guitars so that our shop continues to learn and grow as we’ve expanded into more brands.
Our dealers may not always see the teamwork that supports the shop behind the scenes—what does that collaboration look like in the shop each day?
I think the most important support the guitar shop receives comes from the warehouse. We work closely with our incredible warehouse team to coordinate orders day in and day out. After our dealers make their selections, the warehouse moves quickly to deliver the instruments into the shop for adjustment, as well as take completed instruments away to be packed and shipped. If not for the consistent open communication with the warehouse team, we’d never be able to run the smooth operation that we do.
What’s your personal favorite model to work on (or play) in the shop?
We have such a wide variety of body styles, wood selections, tones, and finishes. I really do enjoy working on every model. Each one has its own unique sound and experience. Every guitar that comes across my bench truly is a piece of art. But if I had to choose a personal favorite, I always go back to the basics. The AD30 and AF30 are classics to me. When I think of an acoustic guitar, they’re just what comes to mind. I love the satin finish and the open-pore back and sides. I’ve never had an AD30 or AF30 in my hands that isn’t easy to play.
Tell us a little about your own playing background. How’d you get started on your musical journey?
I come from a family of musicians. So, growing up, our house was always full of music. As a kid, my dad had a wall of Alvarez guitars that I idolized. I taught myself to play a little here and there when I’d sneak the Yairi off the wall while my parents weren’t home. My first guitar was an Alvarez that I received for my 15th birthday. She’s still my go-to guitar to this day. I’ve always gravitated more towards the solo singer/songwriter style but I’ve been in and out of quite a few bands across several different genres over the years. Funny enough, the first band I was in as a teenager was with Cody Perkins (District Sales Manager). I was pretty terrible back then, but he’s always been an immense talent.
Before an instrument leaves the shop and heads to a dealer, be it Alvarez, Recording King, or the Loar, what does your team do to make sure it arrives ready for the sales floor?
Every instrument that leaves our shop is the result of skilled hands, trained eyes, and an uncompromising attention to detail. We evaluate every guitar from the wood selection and finish quality to the ideal neck set. Every fret is polished, every saddle is refined, every pickup is balanced. We create the perfect relief, action, and intonation so that the instruments perform exactly as they’re meant to. A lot of labor goes into every instrument but we try to keep it simple in the shop. Our instruments should look right, feel right, and play right.
