Summary
Overview
Work History
Education
Skills
Affiliations
Timeline
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Mitchell Tretheway

Wildomar,CA

Summary

Skilled Guitar Technician with background in repair, maintenance, and custom modification of various types of fretted instruments. Strengths include deep understanding of musical instrument functionality, precision in guitar setup and fine-tuning, as well as mastery in diagnosing and resolving hardware issues. Track record of enhancing sound quality and playability for both professional musicians and music enthusiasts alike.

Overview

12
12
years of professional experience

Work History

Guitar Technician

Bourgeois Guitars
Lewiston, Maine
03.2023 - 05.2024
  • Collaborated and trained with shop in Lewiston, Maine, to establish Touchstone model guitars, which are a collaboration between Bourgeois Guitars and Eastman Guitars, to be set up in Pomona, California, at the Eastman Guitars shop.
  • Analyzed instruments after arrival from China, and adjusted to Dana Bourgeois very precise specifications, performing essential operations like neck resets, tongue fitting, fret dressing, nut adjustments, beveling and installing pick guards, cleaning any inconsistencies inside the body and on the bracing, installing labels, inlay repairs, and finish repairs.
  • Directed all mandolin set-ups for Lewiston and Pomona, encompassing fret dressing, detailed cleaning of fingerboard, edge finishing of F-holes, buffing and finish repairs, and nut slot modifications
  • Utilized advanced technical skills and expertise to troubleshoot complex problems and implement solutions using mostly hand tools, jigs, and fixtures that I fabricated.
  • Highlighted recurring issues and recommended improvements to factories in China and Maine to optimize quality for the upcoming guitar batch.
  • Managed inventory and facilitated weekly shipping projections.

Guitar Technician

Eastman Guitars
Pomona, CA
06.2013 - 05.2024
  • Managed a small team, setting up a variety of acoustic and electric guitars, and mandolins, to be shipped to small shops throughout North America.
  • Oversaw tremendous growth in sales over the years, and adjusted to meet monthly sales goals.
  • Hired and trained new employees.
  • Conducted factory visits to educate employees in China on prevalent quality-control issues.
  • Tested musical instruments after arrival from China to evaluate sound quality, and locate defects, repairing or adjusting as necessary.
  • Executed diverse repairs on multiple different-style instruments, adhering to specific standards for each instrument, including fret dressing, wiring harness modifications on electric instruments, finish repairs on varnish, polyurethane, and nitrocellulose, action and intonation adjustments, and nut slot refinement.
  • Replaced damaged hardware, such as tuning machines, bridges, pickups, tailpieces, nuts, saddles, and pickguards. Installed various pickups on acoustic, arch-top, solid-body guitars, and mandolins.
  • Maintained a clean bench and shop, managed the inventory of tools and supplies, along with the upkeep of power tools.
  • Contributed innovative ideas and solutions to enhance team performance and outcomes.

Guitar Technician

Fender Custom Shop
Corona , CA
06.2012 - 06.2013
  • I worked in the neck department of a high-output, assembly-line-style factory.
  • Adjusting truss rods, leveling, crowning, and polishing frets to a mirror finish on a variety of guitar and bass necks with multiple levels of distress or pristine finishes.
  • Finish sanding and buffing the entire neck and headstock of guitars and basses with various levels of distress, sanding and buffing between frets on maple fingerboard guitars and basses, and adding fretboard wear with a Dremel tool on relic instruments.
  • Leveled and polished epoxy fingerboards on the Jaco Pastorius tribute fretless jazz bass.
  • Installed decals on headstocks.
  • Worked closely with Master Builder Todd Krause, doing the fretwork on 100 Eric Clapton 'Brownie' Stratocasters.

Education

Guitar Building And Repair

Roberto-Venn School of Luthiery
Phoenix, AZ
01-2012

Skills

  • Instrument setup
  • Fret dressing
  • Neck resets
  • Pickup installation
  • Finish repairs
  • Inventory management
  • Time management
  • High attention to detail
  • Woodworking capabilities and tool knowledge
  • Problem-solving abilities
  • Effective communication

Affiliations

  • Outdoor enthusiast, backpacking and hiking
  • Thru Hiker of the Colorado trail and John Muir trail
  • Nature and animal lover
  • Passionate skydiver
  • Unique style of guitar playing using fingerpicks and open tunings
  • Knowledge and love for central Oregon's landscape having family in the area and a deep connection to the high desert and mountains.

Timeline

Guitar Technician

Bourgeois Guitars
03.2023 - 05.2024

Guitar Technician

Eastman Guitars
06.2013 - 05.2024

Guitar Technician

Fender Custom Shop
06.2012 - 06.2013

Guitar Building And Repair

Roberto-Venn School of Luthiery

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Mitchell Tretheway