Coronavirus effects on Bay Area guitar builders and musicians : Indybay

Coronavirus effects on Bay Area guitar builders and musicians

By Lynda Carson - March 28, 2020

Oakland - The coronavirus (COVID-19) has been a financial hardship on guitar builders and musicians in the Bay Area. Especially because of all the concert cancellations, luthier convention cancelations, luthier supply companies that temporarily have closed their doors, and a host of other effects that are hard on performing musicians, roadies, sound engineers, and musicians making a living by giving lessons.

According to Oakland’s Master Luthier, Ervin Somogyi, he said, “I have not been to my guitar workshop for the last two weeks, and have been trying to stay away from people because of the shelter-in-place orders and the coronavirus. I have been working at home instead, and doing detail work such as keeping up with all the emails I receive, and have been working on my newest book. In my book, I am telling people to think twice about becoming a luthier (guitar builder), because it is very hard work, and it does not pay much.”

Earlier, Michihiro Matsuda a.k.a. Michi, a master guitar builder in Redwood City who apprenticed with Ervin Somogyi, he stated, “My major concern is that if this economic recession continues after this COVID-19 situation is over, people would not be spending money for guitars, or music. For example, they may not be going to music shows, live events, buying musical instruments, etc… or guitar conventions that are being cancelled in the United States, and Japan. People are ordered to shelter-in-place in California, and communities in Japan because of the coronavirus.”

Guitar builders/luthiers go to luthier conventions so they can sell their guitars, and recently several major luthier conventions have been cancelled.

Coronavirus Stimulus Bill Grants and Loans For Those In The Music Industry:

However, there may be some good news to help people out in the music industry being affected by the coronavirus financial disaster that is negatively affecting many.

The coronavirus stimulus bill that was just signed into law earlier today has funding in it in the form of grants and loans for self-employed musicians, music support crews such as roadies, songwriters, sound engineers, independent recording artists, and many others in the music industry. People may apply for grants or loans with the Economic Injury Disaster Loan Assistance program, through the government Small Business Administration, to get assistance in these trying times.

As reported in Rolling Stone, in part it states, “Thanks to music advocacy groups, relief package passed by the U.S. Senate will apply to songwriters, sound engineers, independent recording artists, and more.

Under the final $2 trillion relief package, self-employed musicians, songwriters, and music support crew who make under $100,000 annually are eligible to apply for relief grants and loans such as emergency economic injury disaster loan (EIDL) grants. (The Senate approved its bill late Wednesday and the House is expected to confirm its counterpart on Friday.) The stimulus deal — the largest in American history — also includes a bundle of other programs assisting small businesses, contractors, individuals with student loans, and unemployed workers, which can put more cash in music-industry workers’ pockets.

Under the final $2 trillion relief package, self-employed musicians, songwriters, and music support crew who make under $100,000 annually are eligible to apply for relief grants and loans such as emergency economic injury disaster loan (EIDL) grants. (The Senate approved its bill late Wednesday and the House is expected to confirm its counterpart on Friday.)”

Master Luthier Michihiro Matsuda a.k.a Michi of Nearby Redwood City:

During an interview earlier with Michihiro Matsuda a.k.a Michi, he said, “My name is Michihiro Matsuda, I am a luthier (guitar maker) who makes custom hand crafted acoustic guitars.

In this current situation (coronavirus financial disaster), my work is slowing down a lot. Some supply shops are temporarily closing.

Osaka Sound Messe 2020, which is one of the important guitar conventions in Osaka Japan, where I can display my guitars, got canceled recently.

My major concern is that if this economic recession continues after this COVID-19 situation people would not be spending money for guitars, or music. For example, going to music shows, live events, buying musical instruments, etc… or guitar conventions that are being cancelled in the United States, and Japan. People are ordered to shelter-in-place in California, and communities in Japan because of the coronavirus.”

When I asked 53 year old Michi how he became interested in the world of luthiers and building guitars, he said, “I was a guitar player. I loved music and acoustic guitars. I also liked wood, and working with my hands. In Japan, I became interested in learning how to build guitars, but did not know how, and did not have access to the internet. I heard about some guitar building schools in Japan, but they only taught people how to build electric guitars.

Then I read an article about a guitar building school in the United States that taught people how to build electric and acoustic guitars. It was called the Roberto-Venn School of Luthiery.

So, I followed my heart. I quit my job, and in 1997 I ended up going to the Roberto-Venn School of Luthiery in Phoenix, Arizona. I still have family in Tokyo, Japan.

After I graduated from Roberto Venn in 1977, and became certified to build and repair electric and acoustic guitars, I left Phoenix and became an apprentice of Ervin Somogyi.

I worked in Ervin’s guitar workshop for a few weeks. After Ervin became satisfied with my skills, Ervin accepted me as an apprentice in 1997, and I was his apprentice for three and a half years.

Afterwards, I set up my own shop in Oakland to build guitars in a warehouse.

I later moved from Oakland, and set up my guitar building/luthier shop in Redwood City around five years ago in 2014.”

Oakland’s Master Luthier, Ervin Somogyi:

During an interview earlier with Ervin Somogyi, he said, “I have not been to my guitar workshop for the last two weeks, and have been trying to stay away from people because of the shelter-in-place orders and the coronavirus. I have been working at home instead, and doing detail work such as keeping up with all the emails I receive, and have been working on my newest book. In my book, I am telling people to think twice about becoming a luthier (guitar builder), because it is very hard work, and it does not pay much.

Thankfully for me, I am slowing down a lot. I am not going to luthier conventions like I used to, many of which were far away in countries far from the United States. I really enjoyed going to the luthier conventions in Healdsburg before they ended, because it was only an hour and a half away. I used to get so tired going out of the country for major luthier conventions, and it would affect me for days to be on an airplane for so long to get there, and back. Thankfully, I have enough work to keep me busy at my shop in Oakland, and I do not need to travel to major luthier conventions to sell my guitars anymore.

However, the coronavirus has affected many luthiers and guitar builders in Northern California, and the recent cancellations of some major luthier conventions in Osaka, Japan, and Berlin, Germany, will financial harm many.

Additionally, because of the crazy stuff that President Trump has been saying, the stock market keeps losing ground. As a result, people are canceling orders for handmade guitars, because they have lost so much money in the stock market.”

The effects of the coronavirus are affecting workers and musicians alike in the Bay Area.

In a recent email from Matthew Montfort of the local fusion group called Ancient Future, “With good reason, concerts and classes are being cancelled left and right, and musicians are being hit very hard. Musicians in Northern California were already suffering from very high housing costs, decreasing support for the arts, and absurdly low payments from the music streaming platforms. With all of this, we very much need your support to continue the music.

The sad truth is that people in a variety of professions and life stages are in financial trouble now or will be soon, no doubt including many of the people who read this newsletter. There are ways you can help if you are currently in a position to do so.”

In a different recent email from Mariah Parker, of the Indo Latin Jazz Ensemble;

“Dear Friends,

I'm sad to say my duet concert with Matthew Montfort in Petaluma on March 14th and the Indo Latin Jazz Ensemble concert at the Occidental Center for the Arts on March 28th have both been cancelled due to concerns over the coronavirus.

Both venues are refunding any tickets purchased and we are working on rescheduling these events and will keep you posted! In the meantime my focus is on the recording project and I'll have some updates on that soon as well.

Stay healthy everyone and be kind... we're all in this together!”

In Oakland at the Paramount Theater recently, the East Bay Symphony/Oakland Symphony had to cancel the 8:00PM Brahms / Sphinx Virtuso concert for March 20, 2020, which affected many struggling musicians including my dear friend Michael Graham a cellist for the Oakland Symphony. Michael also performs with various Broadway musicals that may be facing cancellations including some at the Golden Gate Theater, and other venues in San Francisco. Click here for more event cancellations in the Bay Area.

See a few additional interesting links below...

-Lynda Carson may be reached at tenantsrule [at] yahoo.com

Michihiro Matsuda

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eY1w3C0tSRo

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qvB8F3o76G0

Listen To A Used Matsuda Guitar - Built in 2017 - Sold By The North American Guitar in the UK

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q-kOhdIYzeA

Matsuda Guitars

https://matsudaguitars.com/

https://matsudaguitars.com/gallery/

http://www.matsudaguitars.com/

Info [at] matsudaguitars.com

The Somogyi Diospyros - Michael Watts performing on a Somogyi guitar

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ckJYoMdxYQI

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Coronavirus effects on Bay Area guitar builders and musicians

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