Herb David — where Lennon and other music immortals come together
Staff Writer
CHRIS ASADIAN WASHTENAW VOICE
Time and time again, Herb David Guitar Studio in downtown Ann Arbor has proven to be a landmark of cultural and historical ties. But more importantly, it’s a good ol’ place to explore the vast world of music.
How do you know you are a household name among multi-millionaire guitar players? When the list you’ve done business with is so lengthy you can’t remember all their names. Herb David is one of those guys.
Just call him “Mr. Fix It.”
Over the course of 47 years, he and his trusty crew at Herb David Guitar Studio (in the burgundy house on the corner of 5th and Liberty in Ann Arbor) have glued more guitars together, bit by bit, like a jigsaw puzzle, than you can shake a Gibson at. To drop a few names, Clarence White of The Byrds, Jerry Garcia of The Grateful Dead, John Paul Jones from Led Zeppelin and Bob Seger are past clients.
The guitar studio opened in April 1962, when David’s wife hastily decided to move her husband’s guitar lessons out of the couple’s basement and into a legitimate store. Who can blame a woman wanting the privacy of her home back?
“It may seem like a long time to do the same job, but I love doing it. And when you do something you love, time slips by,” David said. “I never did it for money.”
David has been offered several ties to expand the store, but has never consented. With the help of his right-hand man, general manager Charlie Lorenzi, he keeps it running much the way it was the day it opened.
CHRIS ASADIAN WASHTENAW VOICE
Today, David is content — quite a change for a man who has traveled to all sorts of nooks and crannies of the globe in his time. He’s wandered around exotic places, including Greenland, Mongolia and the Amazon, and slept his busy sight-seeing days off in grass huts and igloos.
“I traveled to share my life with (indigenous peoples), hoping they would share their lives with me,” David said. “We’re important to each other.”
Throughout his travels, David collected a vast array of foreign instruments which are proudly displayed in the studio. Indian sitars and African drums make this a more unique and eclectic atmosphere than most corporate music shops.
Among the wide selection of guitars sits a wooden chair where John Lennon (who was feisty, according to David) sat in 1971 while speaking with David in the store. At the time, Lennon was visiting Ann Arbor for the music rally to free the infamous John Sinclair.
For music lovers who can’t teach themselves, Herb David also offers instrumental and voice lessons, either in small groups (usually for theoretical music lessons and ear training) or one-on-one settings.
All levels of skill and genres of music are welcome at the studio. In fact, Herb David offers tons of open jam groups, each one focusing on a specific type of music to practice. For those who want to slam down on the guitar strings like Lennon, there’s a Beatles group. Jazz and women’s groups are offered, too.
To “Come Together,” the studio hosts open jams every six weeks on the second floor of the Courthouse Square Ballroom on 4th Avenue in Ann Arbor. There, music fans can let out their inner-rocker with similar fans sharing the same passion. The sessions are open to the public (not just those taking lessons at Herb’s), and usually see 80-100 attendees per night. Herb’s will host a Halloween night jam from 7-9 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 31.
CHRIS ASADIAN WASHTENAW VOICE
“It’s great fun because no one cares what they sound like,” David said. “If you can hum a tune or play the spoons, you’ll still have fun. It doesn’t matter how young or old you are.”
David, who has been playing instruments since he was nine, still joins in at parties and special occasions. Mostly, it’s the familiar mahogany smells of the dusty workshop on the third floor of the business that call to him.
Some may call it a “man cave,” but the workshop is where the heart of the store is. Here, his apprentices learn the tricks of the trade by building, refurbishing and fixing instruments. David promises they’ll learn to use their eyes and ears to measure instead of tools, a task he has mastered.
Shoved in every place possible on top of the creaky wooden floorboards are painfully accurate planers, sanders and jigsaws. Scraps of wood are stored in cardboard boxes for future use. The wood chosen, David explained, depends on the sounds and tones desired from the customer.
“I finish projects when I’m ready. I follow the stream of energy I feel from the wood into my work,” David said.
When he forces his creativity, the quality isn’t nearly as appreciable if he were to take his time.
“I like to let things sit around. I’ll hang what I’m working on in the window to let the sparkle of the stars dance on it. Then the sun will dance on it during the day and bring some warmth into it,” David said as he called his apprentice,
James McNamara, in the room to pull a nun’s fiddle down from the rafters.
“I’ve been meaning to tell you we should work this next,” he tells him.
From the start, Herb David has been growing steadily into an internationally known private business. Perhaps it’s from the publicity David received after appearing on “The Today Show” and being interviewed by Newsweek and The Washington Post.
Surprisingly, the economy hasn’t hurt sales. In fact, it has done just the opposite, proving 2009 to be the guitar studio’s most profitable year, according to David. He suggests music businesses generally do well in tough times. The reason? Most people can’t afford to spend a night on the town, so they’re forced to entertain themselves at home.
Salesman Nathan Richards, who has worked at the shop for five years, explained the store has an easygoing and intimate atmosphere about it.
“The bond between employees is unreal,” Richards said. “It’s so laidback and easygoing that we have a chance everyday to get to know each other even more.”
The close relationships between employees is reflected in the welcoming customer service as they are carried throughout the store in the workshop, down the halls of the lesson rooms and to the front counter.
There’s no doubt about it, Herb David is a familiar site on the streets of Ann Arbor, where famous artists like Bob Dylan and Jack White felt comfortable enough to visit. They can rely on Herb and his employees to make them feel like normal people without paparazzi flashing cameras.
There’s no guarantee that customers will bump into a celebrity every time, but if you’re lucky, you can thank Herb.
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