Guitar maker strikes a chord as lapsed musos get on the bandwagon

Lockdown’s done a number on many traders, but not this lucky luthier who’s found himself in tune with troupes off lapsed musos dusting of their instruments.

Jordan Reynolds, who makes custom guitars with his business The Sound Garage, now at a new premises at The Mill on Angas St in the city in Adelaide, Tuesday, December 29, 2020. (The Advertiser/ Morgan Sette)

The professional music industry may have been “crushed” by COVID-19 but a custom guitar maker says many are dusting off their old axes for a bit of loving.

Guitar repair man Jordan Reynolds, 29, founder of The Sound Garage, said that while the pandemic meant work on professional musicians’ instruments had dried up, his business had been spurred along by amateurs dusting off their old Gibsons and Fenders to play at home.

“I used to do (jobs for) a lot of regular gigging musicians … people would call me at all sorts of hours,” he said.

“I was the go-to guy.

“Since COVID has thrown the whole live music industry in the bin, things have changed.”

Jordan Reynolds can build a custom guitar from scratch, or repair your beloved instrument. Picture: Morgan Sette

Mr Reynolds does custom electronics, paint work, full restorations and servicing on almost any guitar at his business based in The Mill Adelaide on Angas Street, city. He said that as people were spending more time at home, interest in fixing up old instruments and buying new ones had skyrocketed.

“It reshaped things,” Mr Reynolds said. “It put me in a position where I had a dramatic loss of my everyday (professional musician) customer base over the course of about three months.

“That forced me to change the business up, focus more on custom building, change my client base and take a bit more control over it.”

He said the pandemic also had a crushing impact on the mental health of music fans, who were unable to attend music events with friends.

“It’s changed connections, how often you see people and your relationships with people in the industry,” he added.

Venue owners and full-time musicians were hit the hardest, he said.