Dave Dobson talks guitars, COVID and a lifetime of gigs

Tucked away in the granny flat-garage out the back of his West Launceston home lies his workshop, packed with guitars from musos of all walks of life.

Although his passion for guitars is essentially lifelong, Dobson didn't start the business until he was in his 40s following a spinal injury.

"I was a fitter and turner at the railway and had a back operation when I was 40; the surgeon told me I couldn't do any more heavy mechanical work," Dobson said.

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"It came as quite a shock, it was the only job I'd had since I was 15, so I thought, what could I do? I couldn't see myself going straight to an office job.

"I'd always repaired guitars as a hobby so I thought I'd try it full time."

Trained in the ways of handling metal and steel, Dobson said his skills as a fitter and turner translated over to guitar repairs well.

"You're used to working in close measurements and that's really handy for guitar repairs and setups," he said.

While the mechanical side of things came easy, it was the business side of the job that proved most challenging.

"I did a small business course but there's still quite a learning curve, I probably didn't charge enough at first and you're just trying to work out what you're doing," Dobson said.

"The internet was around but there wasn't as much information, so while I was recovering from my operation I read a lot of books on guitar and amplification repairs."

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Dobson was 13 when he first got his hands on a guitar, inspired by a band that played at Scottsdale High School, where he attended.

"I thought they were pretty good; they were probably crap but I still thought it was cool," Dobson said.

"I got an acoustic from my Mum when I was 13, and then I got a Maton electric that I've still got today.

Dusting it off from the shelf, Dobson pulled out the 1965 Maton Flamingo that he first got as a teenager.

"I haven't opened this case for at least two years," he said.

"I picked this up at a secondhand store that had musical gear, and my school teacher who knew a bit about guitars came with me and my Mum and said this would be a good one to fix up."

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"We painted it an orange colour like a Leyland P76; I traded it in years ago and a customer 20 years later said his dad had a few old Maton's, and one happened to be my orange one.

"I knew it had to be mine because no other is in that colour...I got it back off him and painted it pink, it was nice to get it back after 20 years."

It's no surprise many took to their dust-collecting guitars during the boring periods of COVID lockdowns.

For Dobson, it brought him a whole new clientele, but like many other small business owners, things looked worrying at the start.

"I had nothing for three straight weeks of lockdown...my wife and I were doing gardening around the house and we thought were going to kill each other," he said.

"But then everyone started playing so I got really busy, people were buying guitars or finding old ones they used to play 20 years ago and would bring them to me to fix them up.

"Things have settled down a bit now but it was pretty amazing."

It requires a certain amount of trust to leave a prized possession in the hands of a stranger, a trust that Dobson said can lead to a unique relationship.

"A lot of guitarists are really passionate about it as a hobby, and a lot will come back after a service asking for more information so you develop quite a good relationship," he said.

"I've got one customer that's just started playing a couple years ago and he's brought me 50 or 60 guitars."

A cracking guitar player himself, Dobson has been gigging since he was 18.

"We had a little band at school then but we couldn't play, I think we were all just pretending to play," he said.

Some 40 years later and Dobson is still playing, and even started a new band just a couple months ago called The Swamp Owls.

"There's a lot of good people in the music industry, sometimes it's hard when they're not getting gigs now and have to do other things."

For guitar services and repairs, Dave Dobson can be reached at dobsonguitars.com.

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