How to Make Money as a Musician
The truth is that it is a task that, for the vast majority of musicians, is much the same as it is for ice hockey and football players. A tiny few will ever make it big or even break even. So you learn to play your instrument (voice is an instrument, too) and find ways to stretch a dollar, however you might squeeze it out of the people who keep trying to find cheaper musicians. All they get that way is garage bands with better equipment.
So let me introduce you to Michael Bonnel, the one-man craftsman who operates as Vintage Tonewheel Restorations in London, Ontario, Canada. Read what is behind this link to get the full story of how he runs his business of musical instrument repair.
Mike found a way to finally make some sustainable money as a musician, and this is repairing vintage gear of all types from the classic Hammond B3 (that is a Hammond A100, the home version of the B3, so Mike informed me), all manner of electronic keyboards, amplifiers and the list goes on and on and on. (Sort of like my writing style lol).
His business has no visible sign, nor does he have a business card, simply because he doesn't need them, because he is a rare breed indeed. Mike has numerous return customers and is also an authorized repair service for many major musical equipment manufacturers.
His primary method of first contact with a new customer is email (same as me) for many reasons. If you have an old vintage instrument in pieces all over the place and are trying to remember the rewiring sequence, burning yourself with a soldering iron and swearing at the closest thing available, the last thing he needs to do is talk to a new customer nicely since that is pretty much impossible to do in his work environment.
So Mike takes breaks and calms down by listening to his favourite music while he works, like Ray Charles, Aretha, and a whole list of what people call vintage music. Sort of fitting, isn't that? Then he gets on to reading his email and responding quickly, in a manner that says, "How can I help you with your equipment problems?" Very much in keeping with the whole Vintage theme, which is how he rolls.
All I can say is that you have a vintage electronic instrument that needs some tender loving care to be functional again. Then go to his website, use the link that takes you directly to your email, and start the dialogue there. It's a good idea to do so especially if you have an 8 or 10 hour drive ahead of you which is still worth it because you are in the hands of a dedicated and committed craftsman and repair expert. (Some say Mike should be committed somewhere, but that is a different kind of problem other musicians have.)
London, Ontario, is a pretty city with lots of trees and nice neighbourhoods, and in Mike's local neighbourhood sits a diamond-in-the-rough musical repair business that is worth the drive to London. I bet Mike will not give you an amp back that has an 11 on the dial. He is a purest and knows that 10 and 11 are the same thing.
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