From Graphic Designer to Guitar Repair Shop Owner: Chris Szekely's Experience with Southeast Guitar Repair Academy

Student Spotlight: Chris Szekely | Trafford, Pennsylvania

Chris Szekely completed the Master's Course at Southeast Guitar Repair Academy and is now the owner of Szekely Guitar Repair in Trafford, Pennsylvania.

Before enrolling, Chris spent 19 years working as a graphic designer in the marketing department of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. After that, he became the worship director at a large non-denominational church. When COVID arrived, Chris left that position to help his daughter with special needs navigate homeschooling for the next year and a half. During that time, he also worked as a freelance graphic designer while planning his next career move.

Why Chris Chose Guitar Repair

Chris had been a guitarist his entire life and had been repairing guitars for years.

As he considered his future, he realized that returning to graphic design would require significant retraining.

"After being out of the graphic design field for 6+ years while I worked at the church and helped my daughter with home-schooling during COVID, I realized a lot of design technology, practices and trends had changed considerably, which would have required me to go back to school to catch up in order to make myself marketable again as a graphic designer."

At the same time, he was already exploring the possibility of entering the guitar repair industry.

Chris approached a well-known local luthier about purchasing his business and receiving additional training in areas where he had less experience. After months of negotiations, the deal ultimately fell through.

Rather than abandoning the idea, he began researching guitar repair schools.

"Our deal fell through on a Friday and by that Monday I was enrolled at SEGRA for the master's program and was taking my first classes."

Why He Chose Southeast Guitar Repair Academy

Chris says he had very few concerns about SEGRA before enrolling.

"From my research, it seemed to be the most legit school for learning the art and business of guitar repair without having to relocate to attend."

He also appreciated the value of the program.

"The price was more than reasonable for what you get, especially the lifetime access to the video library, but also access to Barrett's insight and advice when you have questions about just about anything regarding the business."

When asked what almost stopped him from enrolling, his answer was straightforward:

"Nothing. Once I did my research, I was sold."

Learning Beyond the Course

Chris entered the program with experience performing many common guitar repair tasks and was primarily looking for instruction on more advanced work.

Because of that background, he didn't identify a single breakthrough moment during the course itself.

Instead, many of his biggest learning moments came after opening his business.

"It wasn't until I was in business where I'd run into curveballs (almost every job has one) and had to ask Barrett for some guidance that I had a few of those 'A-ha!' moments."

Opening Szekely Guitar Repair

Seven months after enrolling at SEGRA, Chris launched Szekely Guitar Repair and opened his shop doors.

"Seven months later, I launched Szekely Guitar Repair and opened my shop doors for business and have been busy with repair work ever since."

Since opening in May 2025, the shop has maintained a steady workload.

"I opened my doors in May of 2025 and have literally had a 2-4-week-turnaround workload ever since."

He reports averaging seven to eight instruments in the shop on a typical day and says he has had as many as seventeen instruments in the shop at one time.

Chris credits part of that success to the marketing groundwork he put in place before opening.

"I spent 6 months lining up my marketing before I opened for business. It paid off. Most of my customers come to me as a result of the marketing I put in place."

He also shared an important lesson he learned as a business owner:

"I've learned not to devalue my work by trying to be the cheapest. I've found if you offer the best work for a fair price, customers will keep coming."

While his first year involved significant investments in tools and equipment, Chris expects increased profitability now that the shop is established and operating with a steady flow of work.

How Guitar Repair Changed His Life

When asked how learning guitar repair changed his life, Chris reflected on the freedom that comes with owning his own business.

"I went from doing a job I only mildly liked (and sometimes hated) working for someone else to doing something I truly love doing and doing it for myself."

He added:

"Owning my own guitar repair business has given me freedom I could only dream of 10 years ago."

Advice for Future Students

Chris offers practical advice to anyone considering guitar repair as a career.

"It's a no-brainer if you really want to do this for a living and have the right work ethic and personality for it."

He also emphasizes that success requires more than technical knowledge.

"You have to be a self-starter and a problem solver more than anything. SEGRA will give you the knowledge to do the tasks, but it's really up to you to turn it into something at which you can make a living."

He encourages future shop owners to be prepared for mistakes and challenges along the way.

"You'll need a LOT of discipline, confidence, be willing to take substantial risks and be comfortable knowing you're going to make mistakes along the way."

Would Chris Recommend Southeast Guitar Repair Academy?

His answer:

"Absolutely. There's really no alternative that comes close to offering what SEGRA offers in the way of education and support. Not for the price you're going to pay anyway."

Today, Chris continues operating Szekely Guitar Repair in Trafford, Pennsylvania, serving musicians through the business he launched after completing the Master's Course at Southeast Guitar Repair Academy. You can check out his website here https://www.szekelyguitarrepair.com/