Today we’d like to introduce you to Michele Beardsley.
Hi Michele, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
I attended the Musical String Instrument Repair program at the Red Wing Technical College immediately after high school. I went on to work for a prominent Minneapolis repair shop for the next 25 years where I learned a lot and gained huge experience, which is everything in this field. Ron Tracy (with whom I worked there) and I left that shop to open St Paul Guitar Repair in 2017. We have been very busy and successful ever since.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
We definitely struggled with things along the way, especially feeling like we don’t know anything about how to start and run a business. We certainly new how to work on instruments, but we needed help with writing a business plan, accounting and taxes, etc. Initially we worried that we wouldn’t be able to afford the rent and other expenses, but word spread quickly and we were pretty busy right from the start.
After 9 1/2 years, things are much smoother. We have 2 independent contractors working with us and a real accounting firm helping out on that end. We gain new customers every day and our old ones continue to find us. Despite the challenges, Ron and I are so happy we made the move to start our own business!
Appreciate you sharing that. What should we know about St Paul Guitar repair?
We have decades of experience doing all levels of repair, maintenance, modification, and restoration of electric and acoustic guitars, bass guitars, banjos, mandolins, and other fretted, stringed instruments. We are an authorized warranty service center for several major guitar manufacturers.
We love working for beginners and hobbyists as well as professional musicians.
We carry a small selection of related accessories such as strings, capos, straps, and humidifiers, as well as some used instruments.
We also build electric guitars and lap steel guitars.
We strive to be known for our customer service and attention to detail. There are other shops in town that offer repairs, however we are the only one whose focus is service, not retail sales.
Alright, so to wrap up, is there anything else you’d like to share with us?
We are happy to be here in the West 7th neighborhood of St. Paul, surrounded by good, real people who appreciate making music.
Pricing:
- $125 per hour
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.stpaulguitarrepair.com
- Facebook: https://facebook.com/stpaulguitarrepair
- Youtube: @stpaulguitarrepair5344
- Yelp: St Paul Guitar Repair
