RIP Jim Mouradian

[Nil]

A sad thing has happened...

Few of you will know him, but Jim Mouradian was a luthier to the
stars and common folk of the Boston area for decades. He's the guy
who's been repairing and setting up my guitars for the past 30+
years, and he died last weekend. He always did a great job, so even
when he moved his shop to a town much farther away and less
convenient, I still made it up there a couple times a year, even if
just to chat. I never found anyone else I could trust to take care
of my guitars. I last spoke to him about a month ago and I was
planning to take a couple of my instruments up there within the next
few weeks (my acoustics really need some TLC that I can't provide.)

The guy was a real artist and craftsman, and a fine musician. He
died a perfect musician's death: on stage, suddenly, doing what he
loved. I'll miss him. A really nice article appeared in yesterday's
Boston Globe:

http://www.bostonglobe.com/metro/2017/01/18/jim-mouradian-virtuoso-guitar-repair-dies/ec8hVZg0l9uuQ1DDIYpcCM/story.html

[tsch...@gmail.com]

I asked my friend Richard who used to own Re-Tunes if he knew the man. Here's what he said-

"On 1/20/2017 2:11 PM, Tim wrote:
> Just for curiosity sake did you happen to know this gentleman?
> http://www.bostonglobe.com/metro/2017/01/18/jim-mouradian-virtuoso-guitar-repair-dies/ec8hVZg0l9uuQ1DDIYpcCM/story.html
>


I did. I visited his shop several times. Even bought a guitar from
him. He was considered the best in terms of guitar repairs and setups
and one of the few top rated Martin authorized repair shops. I've seen
examples of expensive guitars that were virtually destroyed in some type
of accident that he restored. You could never tell they were damaged.

Rick (the luthier who worked at my shop) did a lot of basic repairs
along with setups, etc. but if the damage was too severe or if the
guitar was a particularly expensive one, he would refer the customer to
Jim Mouradian.

The only problem was that Jim was always so backed up with work that
people often had to wait several months to get the repaired instrument
back. Even setups took several weeks. "

Just think of the irreplaceable knowledge and experience that went to the grave with him.

A sad day indeed...

[Nil]

On 20 Jan 2017, tsch...@gmail.com wrote in alt.guitar:

> "On 1/20/2017 2:11 PM, Tim wrote:
>> Just for curiosity sake did you happen to know this gentleman?
>> http://www.bostonglobe.com/metro/2017/01/18/jim-mouradian-virtuoso
>> -guitar-repair-dies/ec8hVZg0l9uuQ1DDIYpcCM/story.html

...

> The only problem was that Jim was always so backed up with work
> that people often had to wait several months to get the repaired
> instrument back. Even setups took several weeks. "

That's not exactly correct. Yes, Jim's shop was way backed up, and
there was a time when you might not get your instrument back for a long
time, but he changed his policy so that you would have to make an
appointment for some time in the future and you would bring it in then.
The appointment was usually some weeks or months out, and you couldn't
leave it early. Once he started the work, the turnaround time was
reasonable.

His old shop used to be just a couple of miles from my apartment, and I
went there a lot. Then he moved out to the 'burbs, and so did I, but in
the opposite direction. His new shop isn't all that far away in miles,
but the traffic made it a real hassle to get there. I had to plan it
all very carefully, and having to make three trips per repair was
difficult. Still, I didn't like anyone else to work on my stuff, so I
bit the bullet. Now I don't know what to do.

> Just think of the irreplaceable knowledge and experience that went
> to the grave with him.

True. He has been training his sons for years to take over the
business, so presumably they had inherited his knowledge. But he
assured me he always did the work on my stuff himself. Few people
really know how to do this kind of work any more.

[Flasherly]

On Fri, 20 Jan 2017 11:28:30 -0800 (PST), tsch...@gmail.com wrote:

>The only problem was that Jim was always so backed up with work that
>people often had to wait several months to get the repaired instrument
>back. Even setups took several weeks. "

And I thought I was once gifted to have had an experience a local
repairman (amp technician). Once for repair work on a failed amp I
wouldn't remotely consider owning now (all solidstate for a fairly
nondiscript amp). Out in the boonies, in a little trailer converted
for an amp repair shop. The guy was happy to let me be amazed, looking
over his shoulder, as he quickly went through the amp's stages to
diagnose a faulty component.

I was a walk-in and he had the time. Impressed, I told him so. He
said it was good, a quiet but affable man, that earlier I might have
had to leave it. The Rolling Stones were in town, and he pointed to
the corner where some of their stage equipment was waiting and ready
to go.

You people are fortunate to have known and had a long relation with
someone like Jim. It's hard for me to imagine a degree of concision
that would go along with walking out of his shop -- knowing precisely
where you stand within your limits -- which your instrument ultimately
defines, not necessarily your talent.