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Akron guitar repair shop makes a name for itself worldwide
Founded by Virgil Lay in 1962, Lay's Guitar Shop in Akron has made a name for itself worldwide, as the place musicians can go to bring their instruments back to life. Located at 974 Kenmore Boulevard, Dan Shinn now owns the store after purchasing it from Virgil Lay in the late 1980s. Together he and a small staff do everything from minor repairs to full-blown restorations.
SHERRY KARABIN
Legal News Reporter
Published: April 24, 2012
From minor repairs to full-blown restorations, Lay’s Guitar Shop in Akron has made a name for itself worldwide as the place where musicians can go to bring their instruments back to life.
“There are few true repair shops in Northeast Ohio,” said Dan Shinn, owner of Lay’s Guitar Shop. “Most of the stores in the area sell instruments and equipment and have someone on staff who can do some of the repair work.
“We do everything,” said Shinn. “A musician could bring in a guitar in splinters and we’ll put it back together. There is rarely any instrument we cannot fix.”
If the name sounds familiar, it should. Founded by Virgil Lay in 1962, the shop has been working on all types of guitars for both amateurs and professionals ever since. Virgil Lay worked on guitars for players like, Joe Walsh and Phil Keaggy, and bands including Bad Company and the Outlaws.
Shinn bought the store from Virgil Lay in the late 1980s, after working there for close to 10 years.
“When I started working here there was still a lot of heavy industry in Akron, and we were constantly busy,” said Shinn. “A lot of the industry has moved away so I’ve had to find ways to get more creative to keep the business rolling.”
Shinn does advertise and the store has a website, which he said has been key to expanding his business.
“A lot of the guitars we work on are shipped here from around the country, and even internationally. If there were no Internet, I would probably be the only one working here. My foot traffic is very inconsistent.”
Most of his business is from word of mouth and includes referrals from famous guitar manufacturers like Fender, Gibson, and C.F. Martin & Co., Inc. Shinn said the phrase “Finished by Lay’s Guitar Shop,” is often used as a selling point for dealers advertising in international magazines like 20th Century Guitar and Vintage Guitar.
Repair and retail stores in other parts of the country also send them work, and Shinn said he has a good relationship with the owner of The Guitar Department, which is next door.
“They sell all kinds of instruments, and we send over customers looking to buy products, and the owner sends us people who need to fix guitars.”
Although Lay’s handles repairs for acoustic and electric guitars as well as banjos and mandolins, Shinn said a lot of the work they do involves antique vintage guitars.
“Forty years ago, a guitar was just a guitar, and people did not necessarily take good care of them. Now these instruments are worth a lot and people want to have them rebuilt.
“I also have a lot of customers that come in with older vintage instruments that are quite collectible and I help them find new homes when they decide to sell,” said Shinn.
Currently Shinn has one full-time employee, Don Fallon, and his brother, Joel, heads up the finish and restoration department.
“I started working here in 1991, after graduating high school,” said Joel, who has an art background, but quickly got up to speed on the ins and outs of the instruments.
“I started off doing finishing work, and moved on to structural repairs. I’ve had guitars that were ready for the trash. I put new wood on them where needed, and restored the original finish and they are as good as new.”
Fallon began working at Lay’s in 1998, and specializes in setups and electronic repairs.
“I do neck and fret alignments, repair broken headstocks, and refinish guitars,” said Fallon. “There are a lot of new guitars coming out, so we have to keep ourselves educated.
“I love what I do,” said Fallon, who does play guitar, but does not consider himself a musician. “Every day is a challenge because you are working on something different, and you have to figure out how to do the best job while keeping the cost down. For some people their guitars have a lot of sentimental value.”
In addition to major repairs, Fallon and owner Shinn also help customers tune and set up their instruments right on the spot.
There have been some changes since Shinn took over, including the decision to move the business from its old location at 13th Street and Kenmore Boulevard to 974 Kenmore Blvd.
“We wanted more space and we also wanted to stay in the area because customers had been coming here since 1960s,” said Shinn, who added that musicians could now order custom-built guitars of just about any type from Lay’s.
The economic downturn did reduce the number of walk-in customers seeking minor repairs, but Shinn said the store was still quite busy servicing national customers.
In the future, Shinn said he would like to expand the guitar-building aspect of the business.
“The nice thing about guitar building is that it allows you to be a lot more creative when you design and build the instruments from scratch,” said Shinn.