Our Story

Guitar House Workshop began primarily as a Repair/Restoration and Custom Building Shop.

John Bolzenius spent one year rehabbing the old house prior to opening the shop in May 2009. Friend and Instructor Jim Scarff suggested lesson studios as part of the plan and was the first to teach here at the shop.  The lesson program has grown steadily to include a fine group of professionals who offer weekly private lessons in guitar, bass, banjo, uke, mandolin, piano, uke, dobro, and slide guitar. Guest instructors provide additional opportunities for musical enrichment. Artist Linda Langhorst began painting in the showroom as part of an exhibition series "Making Music" and eventually stayed on as Artist in Residence. Linda assists with color matching and design projects in the repair shop and coordinates the lesson program. The growing need for additional space in the showroom has nudged Linda’s easel back into her home studio. Some of Linda's paintings are almost always on display at Guitar House Workshop. Josh Wydick's first day at the shop was as an 8th grade shadowing experience. Like Linda, Josh found a sense of home in the growing musical community at the old house. First as an intern, and then as an apprentice, Josh studied under John for several years before becoming a full time luthier. John and Josh work together as a team. Dillon Driskill joined our staff in the spring of 2024 as a luthier apprentice. Alice Coneglio, Stevie Chordas, and Steve Graves round out our Retail Service staff. And our pup Elvis (from “Pets Without Parents” in Clintonville) is our greeter. Elvie, our “dog on stilts”, believes that everyone loves him, and is known for actively seeking sweet talk and affection from our visitors. Some folks claim they come just to see Elvis.

Our Retail offerings have grown with the business as well.

Our showroom has evolved too. Over the years, we have made changes to allow for growing numbers of instruments and accessories. We  proudly sell fine new and used fretted instruments to fit a variety of budgets and customer experience levels. We purchase and consign instruments for sale and actively seek unusual and quality vintage guitars. We pride ourselves on specialty hand made and fair trade straps not found in most larger stores. And while we carry more sophisticated guitars, we continue to provide a solid selection of economically priced entry level instruments, perfect for our beginning student customers. We strive to listen to our customers before "selling" anything, so that we can suggest products that make sense for each individual. In keeping with our goal of providing superior assistance to our customers, every shop owned new instrument receives a set up with purchase. Our entire staff is dedicated to helping others have the best possible music making experience.

On any given day you may find customers or teachers (or customers and teachers) jamming in the showroom, out-of-town bands stopping in for a repair and a song or two, a jam class in our pavilion, or Elvis trotting around for a pat on the head. You will also find our luthiers working in full view, interesting instruments and accessories to try, and an oil painting or two in progress. It is a place that encourages creative energy to flow from customers as well as from those who work here. If you need a musical "home", stop in to visit us. You will find a welcoming community where a sense of belonging is the norm.

Our connection to the SSCM food pantry

Guitar House Workshop hosts concerts and other programs throughout the year to benefit the SSCM Food pantry on the south side of Columbus. Through benefit events, volunteer work and contributions, support of the pantry has grown to include many GHW customers.  We are extremely fortunate to be surrounded by a caring and generous creative community. Some of our customers donate funds for SSCM regularly through the shop. Every dollar donated provides about eight dollars of groceries to local families in need. This year’s benefit concert will be held on Friday, May 17th at the shop’s pavilion. More details can be seen on our “News” page.

As a Side Note:

Linda and John were married July 02, 2016 on Linda's family farm in western NY. We were surrounded by friends and family, a whole bunch of music and an even bigger pile of love. We believe that music and art are essential to the health and happiness of the human family. It is a great joy to be on a musical path with so many friends.

New Basics Brass Band leading a Second Line Parade after Linda's and John's wedding at Kateland Farm