OUR story

From the owner, Wyatt Overman:

I spent the majority of my youth in a very small town in northern Minnesota. By small, I don’t mean a few thousand, I mean a few hundred. We built forts in the woods, explored abandoned buildings, and fished Island Lake. I was never very far from my radio, my pocketknife, or a camera.

Music was my main interest. I constantly barraged the people around me about what I had heard on the radio that day. This was pre-Internet, back when you had to hum a guitar riff and hope the person listening could recognize the song. Then you had to convince your parents to drive forty-five minutes south to Bemidji to buy a cassette. 

I loved guitar, and Z-99 was the station that had me rushing to the nearest radio to turn up my favorite songs. I sat in awe listening to AC/DC, Zeppelin, and Hendrix, wondering how to make those sounds. 

In the summer of 1998, friends introduced me to Blink-182. I eventually found myself head over heels for a Fender Stratocaster with the CBS Headstock. It was the coolest thing I had ever seen. I had to buy an electric guitar, but I had zero idea where to start. As far as we knew, there were two types: rhythm for chords, and lead (mispronounced like “thread”) for solos. I ended up with an Ibanez GRX40­, the closest thing Overbeek’s in Bemidji had to a Strat.

From that point on, my life was woodshedding, playing in bands, tracking, albums, tours, and a little bit of heartbreak here and there. But I’ll save those stories for another time. 

Skip ahead to 2013, when I decided to combine my love for music with my love for woodworking by learning to build guitars. I enrolled in the intensive, full-time Guitar Repair and Construction program at Southeast Tech in Red Wing, MN and a year later, I walked away with a hand-built acoustic and some of the best friends I have ever had the privilege of making. From there, I cut my teeth as a repair tech at a small shop called Groove City. I was the only luthier in the shop, which meant I learned many things the hard way—a priceless experience. I eventually graduated to Vig Guitars, where I apprenticed with master luthier Ted Vig. I have an immense amount of respect and admiration for Ted, as well as the wonderful Angie.

I enjoy my repair work more than I ever dreamed I would. As a musician myself, I feel fortunate that I’ve found a way to help others get their music out into the world. I love meeting new clients—many of whom have already turned into great friends. I finally took the leap to make it my full-time gig, and I love every second of running my own business. As it grows, I plan to slowly transition into building more guitars and repairing less.

A bit about how I run things: I don’t believe that instrument repair should cost you an arm and a leg, so I keep my prices competitive. I am straightforward and transparent with you throughout the repair process. I’m a total guitar nerd, but my goal is to find you a solution—not to overwhelm you with the various theories you’ll find in forums. 

I look forward to meeting you and your guitar!