Meet Jeremiah Mcgowan | Luthier / Guitar Tech

We had the good fortune of connecting with Jeremiah Mcgowan and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Jeremiah, why did you decide to pursue a creative path?
As somebody who has always been interested in both art/music and engineering/science, working on guitars, designing, and building, seemed to be the perfect work for me. I still get to create music and art and play in a band, even playing a guitar that I built myself. I believe humans naturally are creative and artistic and we all need an outlet for it whether it is a career or a hobby.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
Building guitars and other guitar related music gear is a dream of mine. I’d love to build a company that can employ other creatives and guitar enthusiasts, whether its a small company putting out only 50 high end custom guitars a year or a larger company making thousands of guitars a year.

Most luthiers will start out a small one-off builder focusing on high end instruments that costs more and build from there. Many never want anything more than that, and I think that is awesome. I still work mostly as a guitar tech, more than a builder. My experience in setups and repairs and as a live tech is invaluable, and I would love to transition more into building. It is a journey, with ups and downs.

It can be very difficult to build a career as a creative, especially if you are trying to build your own business. There are still times where I feel burnt out and overwhelmed and question if I should go back to college instead and pursue another career path. However, I believe taking time to be open with yourself and figure out what you really want in life will help you learn what you should do in your career. Many simply have to work a job to pay the bills. I still work part time on top of building a business for this same reason. But, if you focus on the positives and do your best to find joy in your work, I think it’ll help you be more creative too.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
When I have friends or family come visit, I like to take them out to a show. Maybe its a small show at a venue like the Rambling House or the Summit Music Hall. I’d recommend we go to get food before or after the show at Little Palace or Sidebar. If you got to a show at Ace of Cups, Space Bar, Dirty Dungarees, or if you’re near N High and Duncan, you need to try Jetpack’s Burger Truck.

Maybe during the morning or afternoon we’d go to one of the many cool metro parks. My partner and I enjoy going to Blendon, Walnut Woods, Three Creeks, and Antrim, among many others.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
Moving to Columbus has allowed me to meet so many wonderful people, many of which have pushed me to pursue my passions, along with my loving partner Sam of course, who is working as a Computer Science Teacher. Solomon of Cyril Guitars has been a great mentor. He builds high end custom one of a kind Bass Guitars that you will find no where else. Solomon helped me in so many ways, but made me really believe in myself.

I am also very grateful to my friends and band members who gave me the opportunity to play live music. These bands include Suburban Euphoria, Goroh, both of which I no longer play with but still support and celebrate, and Noise Ctrl, a Hard Rock Disco Pop band of which I have become a full time member of. I am incredibly grateful for my friends in Noise Ctrl and proud of all of their hard work and creativity. Lastly, I have a new Progressive Metal band called Before Satori, full of some of the best musicians I’ve met and I feel lucky to have them. They are all such nice and welcoming people who have worked hard, spending many, many, hours practicing their instruments and crafts.

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jeremiahmcgowan/

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@jeremiahmcgowan

Other: Noise Ctrl Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/noisectrlband/

Before Satori Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/beforesatori/