Meet Jay Richard | Luthier – a repairer (and maintenance) of string instruments

We had the good fortune of connecting with Jay Richard and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Jay, what was your thought process behind starting your own business?
I’ve always been fascinated over the years with all kinds of instruments. I started playing instruments at an early age. Later I developed carpentry skills and tried my hand at building guitars as a hobby. My full time job was at a fortune 500 company, where I worked for over 17 years before being laid off. It was a good opportunity to start something new. While making guitars is a long and time consuming process, I did a little research to find there were few repair shops. I didn’t some training under a veteran guitar maker and luthier and started my own shop in Highlands Ranch, Colorado.

What should our readers know about your business?
I am a ‘luthier’ which is a fancy work for saying I work on stringed instruments. Anyone who plays music knows how personal a particular instrument can be. I found there was a niche for someone to develop a relationship with local musicians. Sure, there is a big box store that I’m not going to criticize. In fact, I know that they do great work, but what sets me apart is that my customers know when they call (or text) they know the same person will answer the phone. No one will handle their instrument but me. My overhead is low, so I’ve very competitive but one of my selling points is turnaround time. I have had customers that have big shows and have some type of emergency occurs They know I will do my best to get their repair done professionally and quickly. I have probably the fastest turnaround time of any shop in the area.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
Well, that’s hard to say, just one, but in the top 10 has to be sitting at the Wynkoop having a chili beer. I take all visiting friends and family there. If they are more of an outdoor person, I’ll introduce them to fly fishing on the South plate. Another fav is a place called Max Taps Colorado, Dave is the owner in Highlands Ranch, and all he serves is Colorado Craft beer. Finally, any place with good green chili!

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
My success couldn’t of happened without my wife. It was a big jump from a steady paycheck to striking out on your own, but she encouraged me to give a try. Afterall, she has a house full of handmade furniture and cabinets, I guess she believed more in me than I did myself. It’s also about timing, my son was very young and we felt like we were always rushing and hurrying and our schedule was so complicated. It felt like it was compromising our ability to function as a family and give the care to my son that he needed. Starting my own shop gave me the flexibility to slow down and give my son more attention.

Website: https://www.highlandsranchguitarrepair.com

Facebook: highlandsranchguitarrepair

Image Credits
All photos are by me