The Great Lakes Guitar Company profile picture

The Great Lakes Guitar Company

Tim @ The Great Lakes Guitar Company

About Me

I build and repair guitars and other stringed instruments. I've been at it since getting my first guitar at age 9. I just couldn't leave well enough alone and had to customize it, take it apart and rebuild it and what not....This led to me building my first guitar in 8th grade shop class which gave me "THE BUG". I took every shop class,cabnet making,metal shops,wielding,drafting,building trades classes that I could. Building guitars has been my passion, THE love of my life.I've researched and trial and errored my way through some really crappy inventions and some super good ones too.To look back at that first guitar with It's cheap microphone for a pick-up and It's coat hanger fret's...LOL...Then to see what I can build from scratch today.......Well lets just say that It gives me a great since of accomplishment....To be able to take raw materials,sometimes finding an awsome maple tree in the woods,and make such wounderful instruments out of it. A guitar that someone is going to make music on and cherish for the rest of there life.....It's the best feeling in the world! My heart beats like a school boy in love for the first time whenever I string one up for It's first time. I get to teach them there first song....That's so cool!!!

My Interests

I'd like to meet:

Guitar Players, with broken guitars, or that want a sweet custom built axe. Good Friends, the ones that mean it with the heart when they high five you. Bands, that play with soul, not just on stage going through the motions. Anyone with a joke to tell, I love to laugh. Supplyers for the materials and products that I use to build and repair guitars. Last but most important, the one spiecial woman that brings out the best in me, and I the best in her.--------------------------------------------- ------------------------------------------------------------ ------------------------------------------------------------ ------------------------------------------------------------ ------------------------------------------------------------ ------------------------------------------------------------ ------------------------------------------------------------ ------------------------------------------------------------ ---------------------------------------------------- Check out this Howie Day performance! 3/4 of the way through this song he starts looping his guitar and vocs...It's sweet!

Music:

Check out my buddy Kenny Olson's new band Five Star Carni



Television:

It doesen't really matter I find myself watching Estabon at 3:30 A.M. sometimes. But a person can waste a lot of time in life being a couch potato, so I try to stay away from it.

Books:

Johnny Cash-Man In Black, Van Halen-All Excess, Led Zepplin-Staiway to Heaven,The Real Frank Zappa Book,Anthony Kiedis-Scar Tissue,Angie Bowie-Backstage Passes,The U2 Book,Motley Crue-The Dirt,The History of The Electric Guitar, Wood-It's Sound Properties.

Heroes:

Eric Lee Little, Les Paul, Leo Fender, Paul Reed Smith, Bob Taylor, Seymore Duncan, Antonio Torres, Dan Erliwine, Hartly Peavy, James Marshall, Chuck Berry, Billy Gibons, Slash, Jimi Hendrix, Jimmy Page, Adam Jones, Eddie Van Halen, Elvis, Carlos Santana, Robin Trower, Dimbag Darrell, S.R.V., Ted Nugent, Berry Gordy, Iggy, Les Claypool, Steve Vai, Ray Smith, Eric Clapton, Ed Roman, B.C. Rich, Tom Morrello, Seth Lover, Orvelle Gibson, Paul Bigsby, Tony Iommi, Chuck Short, Zakk Wylde, Bill Hailey, Kieth Richards, Clive Davis, Scotty Moore, Buck Owens, John 5, Henry Ford, Chuck D, Frank Zappa, Henry Ford, Chris Farley, Joe Perry, Tim Jagmin, Paul Gilbert, Nikolai Tesla, Tony Zemaitis, Ace Frehley, Mark Farner, Warren Haynes, Travis Bean, Tom Anderson, Eric Johnson, Adolph Rickenbacker, Ted McCarty, Alex Lifeson, Fred Bear, Dickie Betts, Semie Moseley, Rick Turner, C.F. Martin, Steve Klein, John Birch, Grover Jackson, Randy Roads, Rick Nelson, Brian May, Dan Kelchak, Kim Thayil, Bo Diddley, B.B. King, Chet Atkins, Fred Kelly, Wayne Charvel, Alvin Lee, and YOU! YOU ARE MY HERO!Everyone who has ever helped me along the way with this awwwwwwwwwsome life that I have!

My Blog

Northern Michigan Men’s Magazine

I'am now the NM3's music dept. writer. You can find this FREE magazine all over the north-west Michigan area. Check out my top friend!   -Tim Miller
Posted by The Great Lakes Guitar Company on Mon, 28 Apr 2008 06:19:00 PST

I never knew I was lonley untill I found you.

Sometimes in your eyes, it seems baby you seem so upset now. And it hurts me down deep inside, to see you breakdown and cry. ’CAUSE I NEVER KNEW I WAS LONLEY UNTILL I FOUND YOU. Man to man, hand...
Posted by The Great Lakes Guitar Company on Tue, 08 Apr 2008 07:57:00 PST

Check this out!

     I'am now the in house string instrument repair guy (luthier) at Marshall Music in Traverse City Michigan. If your in the area stop in and see me. Feel free to call for estimat...
Posted by The Great Lakes Guitar Company on Sun, 23 Sep 2007 09:27:00 PST

Friends and clients....Read this.

..> So as the last min. of the what was supposed to be a very lucky day comes to a close...(7/7/7)...I'm going to blog.....actully just going to tell you that If your a personal friend and or a&nbs...
Posted by The Great Lakes Guitar Company on Thu, 26 Jul 2007 11:49:00 PST