Here are the friendly people who help you on the phone, on the floor, and behind the scenes. You can contact staff members individually, or you can reach all of us at .
Owner and proprietor since 1978, Jim is a pre-war Martin aficionado -so much so that he was a consultant to Martin when they sought to refine the design of their D-18 and D-28 Authentic 1937 guitars. The Martin company even bought a vintage Martin from Jim for their own museum. When he's not working in the repair shop on a restoration, or working in the acoustic room at Mass. Street, Jim may be spotted on the PBS popular show 'Antiques Roadshow' appraising musical instruments from guitars to violins. Read more about Jim's adventures on the show on our Massresonator.com blog. Check out some of Jim's appraisals on Antiques Roadshow. You can reach Jim at .
Our general manager and co-owner of Mass Street Music. When not steering the Mass Street ship John can be found riding bikes and playing his many guitars. John recently finished recording a new record (with hot producer Isaac Flynn) for Vintage Church where he is leading worship with his wife and son.
Flynn understands the particular needs of a worship leader - whether you're searching for the perfect guitar to ensure a seamless flow to the service or are looking for a microphone that does double duty. His latest find? The Anderson Crowdster Plus which delivers true acoustic or electric sound at your fingertips without losing any momentum in the service. For any guitar or PA needs contact him at .
Also check out John's Guitar of the Week at www.andersonguitars.com. Once you are to the home page, click on Guitar of the Week, and then click Guitar of the Week Archives at the bottom. Now choose the week April 16, 2006 to see John with his Anderson Crowdster.
As a Mass Street Music veteran of 12 years, coming back to the store as our Sales Manager, "felt like home", he said. Tim left several years ago, and worked for exceptional manufacturers and dealers including Collings and Huss and Dalton. With over 20 years in the music industry, he's into just about everything, but has a penchant for acoustic guitar and electric bass. When he's not picking and strumming (usually on a Collings), you can find him playing his Ernie Ball bass. You can reach Tim directly at .
Chucho thinks he belongs to luthier Josh Baldridge, but in reality, he's our store mascot. We love him and ply him with treats all day long (even if he steals my morning toast from time to time). He's a graduate of the Lawrence Humane Society, and some heinous puppy mill. With Josh and Kendra's special care, we like to think he's nearly normal. He likes to charm us with his Swiffer impersonation, clearing stray bits of lint from the floor with his big whiskers - also enjoys ripping paper, cardboard and wood to shreds. You can find him in the repair shop several days a week.
Matthew is our bass specialist, as well as having a passion for and solid knowledge of our acoustic instruments. Matthew is an all around great guy, and can often be found wreaking havoc on the bass in his band Wrath and Ruin. He is a University of Kansas graduate with a degree in Linguistics and is currently working towards his Masters in Business Administration at Baker University. You can reach Matthew directly at .
Check out his band, Wrath and Ruin.
Alek has been a great addition to Mass St Music with a solid knowledge on a variety of gear. He has always had a love of music - from his earliest days of banging on pots and pans as a young tyke to playing drums and guitar today...he enjoys making noise. Alek currently plays drums on his church worship team. In the store you'll find him just about everywhere from the front counter to the shipping area - keeping everything in line. You can reach Alek directly at .
You might recognize Ted from his work in our repair shop a few years back. He rejoins us after several years in the Windy City and we're thrilled to have him back. Currently he's helping with a myriad of things at Mass Street including heading up special projects so you're as likely to see him at the front counter as get an idea of the value of your '60s Fender from him. A musician with expertise in vintage guitars and luthiery, he also holds a Masters in Creative Writing from KU. He's a self-described Collings fan-boy and is 'ecstatic' to be back in Lawrence and at Mass Street Music. You can email Ted directly at .
Zach is the latest addition to the Mass Street Music staff, but he's no stranger, having been a friend and customer of the store for years. He plays piano and bass in his church worship band, and is an audio engineering wiz, which he studied in Nashville. Zach was classically trained in piano since the age of 5, but is equally proficient on guitar, bass and drums. If you have questions on just about any kind of gear, Zach can help you out. He's currently studying Engineering at KU and writes and plays music in his spare time. You can reach Zach directly at .
Eric comes to Mass Street Music with seven years of guitar playing experience and a real addiction to overdrive pedals. He currently plays in a band with our own Alek Nelson and teaches as well. When not rocking out in his band or working at Mass St, you're most likely to find Eric checking out blues and soul music.
Mike Horan has been the Shop Manager here at Mass Street since 2000 and has been fixing guitars since 1994, doing everything from the simplest of setups to the most complicated restoration work. He also is a member of the Midday Ramblers. Not only snappy dressers, they also play some mean tunes, which you can buy right here. For performance dates and more check them out on their website at www.middayramblers.com.
Josh Baldridge graduated from Roberto-Venn School of Luthiery in 2001. From there he worked at Lakland Basses in Chicago for a couple of years, which has given him more than a little knowledge about all the details that go into making and repairing high-end instruments. Josh came to Mass Street Music in 2003 and now you can find him repairing all kinds of instruments in our shop.
Matt H. is a graduate of the Galloup School of Luthiery in Big Rapids, Michigan. He apprenticed with Bill Moll at Moll Custom Instruments, building both archtops and flattops. He also worked for a time at Springfield Music, in Springfield, Missouri.
We're delighted to welcome back Mike Runyon who worked here previously from 1999 to 2003 after which he ran his own repair shop and excelled at being Mr. Mom. He's a graduate of the Roberto-Venn School of Luthiery, just like Repair Shop compatriot Josh. We're glad to have him back.
Isaac wears many hats at Mass St, including helping customers and working on the website. Isaac currently plays guitar in the band Quiet Corral, and produces and records various artists at his recording studio The Art House. You can reach him at .
Check out Isaac's band, Quiet Corral.
Anne has played in Half-Price Stars, Hit & Run and the Shebangs and lives to find a '65 Melody Maker again someday. She creates the web content for Mass Street Music and specializes in photography. She also handles workshops, marketing, and advertising. She holds a B.A. in Anthropology and sometimes writes about music. Ideas for workshops or shows you'd like to see at Mass Street Music? Let her know. You can reach her at .
Jesse is the newest addition to the Mass Street Music staff. He works on the website with Anne, and helps out with sales. Jesse graduated from the University of Kansas in '09 with a Creative Writing degree, and when not working on fiction he spends his time writing songs. Jesse plays and sings in the band Quiet Corral, performs solo as Braswell Roberts, and leads worship whenever he can. You can reach Jesse at
