Luthier opens instrument repair shop

If there’s something wrong with your guitar, don’t fret.

When Darrell Pope discovered years ago that he could change the way his guitar sounded and make it easier to play by adjusting the instrument, he set out to make setup a priority for other musicians.

“Anything that I can do to make it easier for musicians to express themselves, not have problems because the guitar isn’t working properly or needs maintenance, they can just spend their time playing music and enjoying themselves,” he said.

On Aug. 1, Pope opened his new business, the Village Luthier, in downtown Langley next door to Sweet Mona’s Chocolates. In his first month alone, he had 10 customers bring their instruments in for repair. Some were professional musicians, while others were just getting started. Students under 18 years old receive a 20% discount on all services.

“I want to encourage young people to play instruments as much as possible,” Pope said. “I think it’s one of the best things that you can pick up when you’re a young person.”

Whether it’s restringing, a new fretboard or a neck reset, Pope specializes in fixing guitars, banjos, basses, mandolins, ukuleles and other stringed instruments. If it has a bow, though, it’s not his forte.

Recent issues Pope tended to include a cracked acoustic guitar caused by a drier climate and another guitar that had a fret with a divot from years of playing. Besides repair, he can also provide modifications, in the case of a ukulele player who wanted to be able to install a strap on their instrument.

“I mean, this is not a big deal, but it makes it easier for them to play and be comfortable playing the ukulele for an extended period,” he said. “This is sort of the stuff that I love doing.”

Most of the meticulous work is done in thousandths of an inch.

About a third of his business involves work on electric guitars and basses, which may not require as much maintenance but need new frets and setup.

He can make other changes, too.

“There are different sizes of frets,” he said. “Somebody might come in and say, ‘I bought this guitar, it has these little thin frets, I heard that David Gilmour from Pink Floyd likes really fat frets, so can you put in really fat frets?’ It’s like, sure. Anything’s possible.”

Pope studied guitar repair with Charles Fox and Kerry Char at the American School of Lutherie in Portland, Oregon. Over the years he has fixed up his own instruments in addition to those of friends and family members, learning as he went. This is his first lutherie business.

He’s open to any challenge, including the repair of a tar, a long-necked Persian instrument made with lambskin that was recently brought in by Fred Lundahl, owner of Music for the Eyes.

“I have no expertise in animal skin, but the internet’s a wonderful thing,” Pope said. “I go online, can I find a replacement skin? Sure. Can I find instructions on how to install it? Well yes, but they’re in Persian.”

He has ordered new skin and plans to replace it this weekend.

To view services and rates or to schedule an appointment, visit thevillageluthier.com.