Today we’d like to introduce you to Joey Naeger.
Joey, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
In school, I fell in love with playing the double bass. I played in my school’s orchestra, local youth orchestras, and the Texas All-State orchestras. While attending a summer music camp, a famous bass luthier gave a presentation about bass repair and construction. This lecture sparked a fascination with the craft of instrument making and repair work. I continued my double bass studies at the University of Houston with Dennis Whittaker. During my time at UH, I continued to research the luthier trade and took some basic classes. During my last semester of coursework, an opportunity came up to take an apprentice bass repair position at the Lisle Violin Shop. At Lisle, I received excellent training and developed my skills over a number of years. Finally, in 2019 I felt I’d developed my skill set and my clientele enough to start my private business. I’ve been operating as an independent bass luthier since the summer of 2019 and absolutely love it.
Has it been a smooth road?
Well, we had a Pandemic this year. January and February were on fire in terms of business for me. I was looking at having a hectic and fulfilling year ahead of me. Unfortunately, we all know what happened. Almost overnight, the game plan for the year went out the door because of Covid. It’s been a difficult process in many ways, but my wife and I have been incredibly fortunate and will come out of this experience just fine. My heart goes out to everyone who has lost their job or a loved one over the pandemic.
We’d love to hear more about the business.
Joey Naeger Basses is a one-man show operating out of my garage. I specialize in repairs, restoration, custom C-extensions, and construction of new basses. In particular, I excel at dialing in the ‘setup’ of an instrument. The setup refers to the bass’s “user interface”, which comprises of the neck and fingerboard, bridge, soundpost, tailpiece, and strings. All of the components can be carefully shaped and adjusted to facilitate better playability of the instrument. As a bass player, the ability to evaluate my own work has been exceptionally useful. My own experience as a player allows me to understand my client’s needs and wishes from their instruments. This player side view informs everything I do, particularly when crafting a new bass.
Let’s touch on your thoughts about our city – what do you like the most and least?
Houston is a practical town and I like that aspect a lot. Housing and cost of living are relatively affordable compared to the overall size cultural richness of the city. It’s incredibly diverse with amazing food available. When the Covid is over, we are very much looking forward to eating out again. The only downside to Houston is the traffic. Everything is so spread out and it just takes forever to get anywhere. I work from home so I’ve mostly hacked that problem.
Contact Info:
- Website: joeynaegerbasses.com
- Email: joeynaeger@joeynaegerbasses.com
- Instagram: @joeynaegerbasses
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