From Warehouse Lead to Mastering Guitar Repair: Adam Gutierrez's Experience with Southeast Guitar Repair Academy

Student Spotlight: Adam Gutierrez | Sherman Oaks, California

Adam Gutierrez is currently working through the Master's Course at Southeast Guitar Repair Academy.

Before enrolling, Adam worked as a warehouse lead, helping ship online orders for various companies. Although he had been playing guitar for nearly 30 years, guitar repair had never crossed his mind until his wife suggested it.

Why Adam Enrolled

Adam had spent decades enjoying guitars and wanted to learn how to care for them himself.

When asked what inspired him to enroll, he shared:

"My wife had suggested it. I've been playing for almost 30 years and I had never even thought about it."

He also explained what motivated him to begin learning guitar repair.

"I would like to be able to take care of my guitars as they have taken care of me all those years."

Concerns Before Getting Started

Like many aspiring repair technicians, Adam had one major concern before beginning.

"Ruining someone's prized possession."

What Almost Stopped Him

For Adam, the biggest obstacle wasn't the course.

It was self-doubt.

"Myself. Negative thoughts like, 'there's no way you could do that. You could never have your own business. It would fail.'"

His Biggest Breakthrough

One area that completely changed for Adam was electronics.

Before enrolling, wiring work was intimidating.

"So far, definitely pickup wiring. I struggled with electronics before I started the course."

He even joked about some of his early learning experiences.

"I've blown up 2 multimeters and an 18v power tool battery."

Today, he has successfully completed his own wiring modifications.

"Now I switched one of my guitars from a 2 tone 1 volume 3 way switch, to a 2 volume 1 tone 3 way switch. And nothing has blown up yet!"

Building Skills Through Practice

Adam has not yet started charging for repairs and says the work he is doing is currently:

"Pro bono at the moment."

Although he has not yet started a guitar repair business, he continues building his experience through the Master's Course.

How Guitar Repair Changed His Life

One of the biggest changes for Adam has been his mindset.

Before learning guitar repair, a damaged guitar felt like an expensive problem.

Today, he looks at those situations differently.

"If something ever happened to any of my axes, my first thought would be, 'well, that's going to be expensive so I'll probably never fix it.'"

Now, that thought is immediately followed by something else.

"Wait...I'm the fix. Get off your butt and fix it. Now!"

Advice for Future Students

Adam understands that learning a new trade can feel intimidating.

His advice is straightforward.

"It's new territory so uncertainty is normal. You gotta be able to commit."

Would Adam Recommend Southeast Guitar Repair Academy?

His answer:

"I already have."

For Adam, one of the most exciting parts of the experience has been having access to professional knowledge and tools.

"Having all of this information available at my fingertips is something I had never imagined for myself."

He also shared what it feels like to begin building a professional workbench.

"When I see tools on my bench that professionals have, it gives me goosebumps."

Even ordering tools from StewMac became a memorable milestone.

"The fact that I even ordered things from StewMac...that right there is like I'm dreaming."

We appreciate Adam sharing his story and look forward to seeing where his guitar repair journey takes him as he continues through the Master's Course.