Grimmer Posted November 19, 2003 Share Posted November 19, 2003 OK, here's the deal. I have a small opportunity to do an internship with Gruhn Guitars. The problem is that I am trying to convince my college (Luther college) that this internship would be something that would get me a major foot in the door in ways you couldn't even imagine. If you guys could please post your thoughts on this wonderful place, I am sure testimony from the active members of the guitar community couldn't hurt my cause. I need your guys help to pull this off, anything you could post would definately help! Tell them how truly wonderful this place is, and what an incredible opportunity this would be. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark Zeger Posted November 19, 2003 Share Posted November 19, 2003 I majored in Economics and had a senior year internship at a major radio station. I wrote an lengthy Economics paper on the "Economics and Radio Advertising" and received 8 credits for independent study in my major. Can you create an academic experience from working at Gruhn? Maybe you could write a paper on "guitars and their role in shaping American pop culture". Just a thought. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Caevan O’Shite Posted November 19, 2003 Share Posted November 19, 2003 Mark's suggestion is excellent, and few places would provide you with the actual instruments, experience, and knowledge base that Gruhn's would have. Which came first... -The chicken, or the egg? -"Modern" popular music and film soundtracks with heavy contra-bass sounds, synths, samplers, wild sound effects, "virtual" modeling... or electric guitars, and Leo fender's "Precision" Bass? (The latter is incredibly impacting on Twentieth Century music, right across the board.) -"Modern" popular music's faster and often complexly syncopated rhythms, or the rise of mechanized industry and transportation, with its attendant backdrop of mechanical rhythms? I could go on and on here, there's so much! Perhaps you can come up with other hypothesis to start with, but any that involve music and musical instruments at all will benefit from a turn at Gruhn's. Uhmn, I've never been to college, so maybe you could provide other points of note concerning the wants and needs of those who you want to convince, and the academic mahine in general? Best of luck, by the way! Ask yourself- What Would Ren and Stimpy Do? ~ Caevan James-Michael Miller-O'Shite ~ _ ___ _ Leprechaun, Esquire _ ___ _ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
myles_rose Posted November 19, 2003 Share Posted November 19, 2003 Originally posted by Grimmer: OK, here's the deal. I have a small opportunity to do an internship with Gruhn Guitars. The problem is that I am trying to convince my college (Luther college) that this internship would be something that would get me a major foot in the door in ways you couldn't even imagine. If you guys could please post your thoughts on this wonderful place, I am sure testimony from the active members of the guitar community couldn't hurt my cause. I need your guys help to pull this off, anything you could post would definately help! Tell them how truly wonderful this place is, and what an incredible opportunity this would be. Grimmer ............ There are two icons of Vintage Guitars in the USA .... sure, there are more, but the two BIGGIES are Gruhn on the East Coast and Norman's Rare Guitars on the West Coast. I think you would learn a LOT at Gruhn ... just the books he has done are amazing. Myles S. Rose www.guitaramplifierblueprinting.com www.la-economy.blogspot.com www.facebook.com/mylesr www.twitter.com/myles111us Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
webe123 Posted November 19, 2003 Share Posted November 19, 2003 Originally posted by Grimmer: OK, here's the deal. I have a small opportunity to do an internship with Gruhn Guitars. The problem is that I am trying to convince my college (Luther college) that this internship would be something that would get me a major foot in the door in ways you couldn't even imagine. If you guys could please post your thoughts on this wonderful place, I am sure testimony from the active members of the guitar community couldn't hurt my cause. I need your guys help to pull this off, anything you could post would definately help! Tell them how truly wonderful this place is, and what an incredible opportunity this would be. Well, as you know, Gruhn's guitars is mainly a "vintage" guitar store. (the definition most people give vintage, is any instrument over 20 years old, but to me, that is too short!) He has a lot of instruments that are older than I am (40 years old) and he knows his stuff! What is your major? Could you relate this to a "history" lesson of sorts? You could point out to your teachers, that you could benifit greatly from the knowledge and experience that George Gruhn has. Not only is he respected in the local circles in Nashville, TN.(home of country music) where he is located, but he is known the world over for his expertise in guitars and stringed instruments. People from all over the world come to him to get their guitars appriased. Heck, he even has some instruments dating before the civil war!! I would find a way to relate this to your major and the benifits of working there that would help you to improve your knowledge. He is an expert not only in musical instruments, but also can teach you good solid business practices! He has been in business for thirty three years, so his business sense has to be good! Just find a way to relate all of this information to your teachers, so they know that you are actually benifiting from this experience and this is not just another "job"! By the way, I AM JEALOUS! (you can tell 'em that too! HE! HE!) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fantasticsound Posted November 20, 2003 Share Posted November 20, 2003 Let's see... George Gruhn (with Gibson's former historian, Walter Carter) wrote THE guide to vintage guitars, aptly titled, "The Gruhn Guide Of Vintage Guitars." A large guitar manufacturer, based in Nashville, uses this guide as a major source of reputable information in their customer support dept. The store houses a multi-million dollar inventory of all kinds of vintage guitars, basses, mandolins, banjos, etc. You would have access to more great instruments there than most anywhere else in the world. Inspecting various old and new designs, side by side. You'll get to see and assist in repair of instruments few luthiers get a chance to see up close, let alone work on. The sell plenty of new instruments. One thing I noticed. The average sound and playability of Tacoma instruments at Gruhn is far superior to those sold at the former MARS store. Why? Master craftsmen, properly setting up the instruments. The sweet timbre of every papoose is wonderful. I couldn't find one at MARS, when we began stocking Tacoma, that played like those I'd auditioned at Gruhn. Famous and soon to be famous players stop by all the time. Gruhn is beside the famous/infamous Lower Broad bars where so many artists honed their skills. They can be a huge source of information on what players want. Then you can learn how to provide the necessary service to give them the playability and maximized timbre possible from an instrument. If your Luthier School has anyone with a lick of sense, you shouldn't even have to explain why an internship at Gruhn is useful. Seems to me that would be like explaining to your ecomonics or political science prof's why an internship at the White House might be useful in your field. Good luck! I, too, am jealous of your opportunity. It's easiest to find me on Facebook. Neil Bergman Soundclick fntstcsnd Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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