This is Mike.

I met Mike when I noticed his van in a parking lot. 

On the Van door it read:  “Guitar Hospital.” 

That was enough to pique my interest. 

Mike invited me into his workshop, which was tucked into a back room of a local gift shop in Delray Beach.  On the wall were various vintage guitars in various states of repair.   “I started working for Gibson guitars in 1972,” he said.  Mike went on to say that he had played in a band in college, but now repaired and restored guitars.

Mike’s face lit up when he talked about his career choice, but he said that “I get these young kids who come to me and ask me to teach them the business, but they want to learn it all in a few weeks.  I apprenticed for eight years!” 

When I asked to take his picture he said “sure, but let me grab something and look busy.”  What you can’t see in this picture is that Mike had more than enough worked waiting to be repaired – stacks upon stacks of guitars waiting for someone to bring them back to life – someone who was willing to spend eight years learning their trade.