Meet Michael Monteforte of Liberty Township

Today we’d like to introduce you to Michael Monteforte.

Hi Michael, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
Briefly? I’ll try. After 60+ years, there’s a lot to tell. I’ve always been detail-oriented. I built model cars back in the ’70s. My dad got his friends to let me wash & wax their cars when I was in my teens – that eventually became an auto detailing business. I’ve always been business-oriented as well. Having also been a guitar enthusiast my whole life, this business was pretty much inevitable. How I actually got started is: I was doing a lot of selling online and I sold a guitar that I really loved, but was really hard for me to play. I wish I knew then what I know now – I’d have tailored it to be more comfortable. I regretted selling it and soon set out to find a replacement. By this time we were in the middle of the pandemic and guitar prices were up. Eventually I found one that I really liked on Amazon for only $200. Most guitars need some adjustments after shipping, but this one was perfect right out of the box – no defects, no adjustments necessary. Then I got Guitar Acquisition Syndrome (GAS) and started buying cheap guitars online. The next one wasn’t so perfect, so I took it to a local store, who sent it to someone else, and it ended up taking 2-3 weeks for a simple repair. As I acquired more guitars, I found more of them needed repairs or adjustments, which we call “setups.” I didn’t want to wait for weeks for them, so I started watching videos on doing setups and simple repairs. After a while, I started seeing ads for a Guitar Repair Business Course online, so eventually I checked it out. I learned all the tools of the trade, all the techniques that the industry uses, and I already had about 13 guitars to practice on, plus friends’ and family’s. Once I felt confident enough in my abilities, I opened for business as Liberty Guitar Setups. It’s coming up on 3 years now, I have a 5-star rating on Google, and get a lot of repeat business and referrals. Recently, after working on a cigar box guitar, I decided to build some, and I’m now in the process of engineering and building gas & oil can guitars as well.

I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
The first big hurdle was getting listed on Google. They have a lot of hoops for you to jump through to make sure you’re legitimate. The other thing I had to deal with in the beginning was imposter syndrome, but those moments have gotten fewer and farther between every day. Now my biggest hurdle is finding the time to work on guitars, build guitars, put out a newsletter and of course, keep learning – all while delivering livers and kidneys on the side.

Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
As I said, I’ve always been very detail-oriented, and that’s what this kind of work requires. I started just doing setups, which is a step-by step process of taking measurements, and making small adjustments to improve the overall feel and output of the instrument. On electric guitars I also do electrical work. Sometimes my clients want to change the sound of the instrument to sound more like the genre they like to play, or their favorite artist, so I swap out the pickups to something that fits their style. The pickups are the magnetic coils that “pick up” the vibrations of the strings and turn them into sound. Sometimes electrical parts go bad or wires fray or come loose. I replace the bad parts and resolder the joints. I’ve done some structural repairs like neck and headstock breaks and crack repairs. As I grow, I buy the necessary tools, some of which can get quite expensive, so I reinvest in order to offer more services. I’m probably best known for my fast turnaround times, which sets me apart from my larger competitors. I hated waiting to get my own guitar back, so I want to get people’s instruments back to them as soon as possible, usually 1-3 days. I’m proud of the knowledge that I can take something used or broken and restore it back to it’s best possible form. Also when my customers say that their guitar has never felt or sounded better. Plus, all my work is guaranteed. If it’s not to their satisfaction, I will make it so that it is. I’m a perfectionist, so I know if I’m happy with the finished product, then generally, the customer is going to be happy with it – and I’ve been lucky enough so far that has been the case, which has led to my perfect 5.0 rating on Google.

Are there any important lessons you’ve learned that you can share with us?
The most important thing that I have learned in my life is that there is always more to learn. In the beginning, you don’t know what you don’t know. With time and experience, you come to know what you don’t know, and hopefully, you will learn it, and eventually, have it become second nature.

Pricing:

• Acoustic setups $59 + strings
• Electric setups $69 + strings
• Fret dressings $129
• Pickup installation $40 & up
• Other electrical work $30 & up

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.libertyguitarsetups.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/libertyguitarsetups
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/libertyguitarsetups
• Twitter: https://x.com/LibertyGuitarS