Among the relatively new business along Sutton Boulevard, such as Strange Donuts, Traveling Tea and Studio Forté is one that’s been there since 1995.
Skip Goez Stringed Instrument Sales and Restoration has been on the south end of Sutton Boulevard since the neighborhood wasn’t as nice as it is now, owner Skip Goez said. “I even hear there’s a doughnut shop up the street,” he said.
Goez repairs and restores guitars and bass guitars. His shop has the highest rating for working on Fender, Gibson, Taylor and other makes. Musicians send him instruments from around the country to be repaired or reconditioned. He started repairing guitars out of college.
“I was going to gather all my stuff and move back out to Boulder, where I had a job working at a music store there, and I met this guy named Rob (Wilucki),” he said. “I sort of hooked up with him at Silver Strings up on Olive Street. Said I’ll do this for the summer—have some fun and learn—and I never left.”
Wilucki has since died. Goez and Jon Ferber now work the shop on Sutton. “We can do anything if we have the motivation and we have the time, and of course the finances,” Goez said.
Well-known area guitar player, and Maplewood resident, John Horton (who plays with the Bottle Rockets, among others) said Goez has a special touch with Fender guitars.
Goez doesn’t disagree, but added, “Well I know Gibsons,” he said. “I appreciate his sentiment, but I know them all. I’m 62 years old; you pretty much can’t stump the band anymore. Fundamentally they’re all the same. They have little quirks that make them different—still six strings.”
He said the only time he sees anything odd is with when somebody tries to repair something on their own. “There’s always a first—all sorts of crazy stuff,” he said.
Older guitars, if in good condition, are the most valuable. “Anything from the early ‘60s to the ‘50s, during the golden era is worth a lot more, if it’s original, like a car. It’s like finding a gold nugget,” he said.
“I know a guy who just bought a ’67 Corvette. I think it’s a waste of money. I would have bought a new car, but he wanted that old style,” he said. He said it’s the same with guitars.
“There’s a lot of new guitars out. The only problem is the woods. You can’t buy a lot of these old Brazilian rose woods and Honduras mahogany. The woods aren’t available anymore, and if they are available, you pay exponentially a lot more for it.”
He said it really comes down to how a guitar sounds and plays. “Of course, if you can find an old ’61 ES-335 (Gibson electric), you would buy it.”