Today we’d like to introduce you to Josh Stotler.
Hi Josh, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I made my first guitar when I was 14 years old. My friends were getting into playing music and I wanted to as well. My family couldn’t afford to buy a guitar, so I decided to make one. Using only hand tools and working in the only workspace that was available to me, a small detached structure that served as the family wash room and storage. The guitar came out pretty well and I played it in the battle of the bands the next year. I built that guitar in 1995 and I still have it to this day.
Fast forward many years and I was living in Germany and volunteering at the Wiesbaden Army Airfield “Römer Arts & Crafts Center” as a carpenter. Word got around that I could repair musical instruments and I soon had a back log of guitars that needed repair. I also started to make guitars again. I built a hand full of instruments and repaired hundreds more.
Now, I have a successful custom shop that specializes in custom guitar builds, inlay, repairs and historical restorations. Customers come from all over the United States and abroad to have me work on their instruments. I often think back and wonder what I’d be doing today if my family had bought me a guitar all those years ago.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
It has been a long road and it has had its bumps along the way. I believe nobody learns or grows to their fullest potential if they have only had a smooth road. It’s the way you adapt and overcome that truly defines us. There have been numerous challenges and obstacles in my path, but I’d say the work load is one of my biggest nemesis. I’m not good with down time and I push myself very hard to take in new and challenging work. When you’re a one man shop, there is always something to do. My job scope is broad, so one minute I can be working on a $50,000 guitar and the next, I’m fixing a machine or sweeping the floor.
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
When people see my custom guitars, often times they say, “ so you’re an artist”. That still catches me off guard. I don’t know why, but what I do doesn’t fall into a certain set of boxes. I’m a luthier by trade. Someone who makes and repairs stringed instruments. If you look at one of my guitars, you’ll generally see a story, a theme to the piece and that’s where my artistic side comes out. My guitars can have a lot of inlay. I have done many themed instruments from a Willy Wonka inspired jumbo acoustic to a guitar tribute to an astronauts walk on the moon, I’ve been fortunate enough to be given creative control by my customers on most of my projects. This speaks volumes and lets me know I’m doing things right.
We’d love to hear about any fond memories you have from when you were growing up?
I remember riding in my grandmas wood panel station wagon. It smelled of cigarette smoke and leather. Wed be driving in to town, the radio playing classic country music. Conway Twitty, Hank Williams Sr. And of course, Patsy Cline. My grandma would hum along to Patsy and even though my grandma has been gone for many years, can still hear her humming along to Patsy to this day. It’s not a big magical moment, but many small moments that tend to stick out for me. Especially if music is involved.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.OakCreekGuitars.com
- Instagram: @oak_creek_guitars
- Other: https://linktr.ee/oak_creek_guitars?utm_source=linktree_profile_share<sid=fb0a2772-2cc2-4c67-a3ac-658a9ad06da5
