Maureen Wallenfang
Appleton Post-Crescent
Published 1:29 PM EST Dec 16, 2019
Andrew Madsen has been a luthier, a maker of stringed instruments like guitars, mandolins and ukuleles, for more than 20 years in his Neenah home-based workshop.
He sells instruments through dealers around the country.
But after years of prompting from musicians, he decided to take the leap and open his own retail shop here.
Madsen Guitars has just opened at 1358 S. Commercial St. in Neenah, sharing a building with Papa’s Café.
His space has a small retail side where musical instruments are hung like art on the walls.
In back, he has a workshop and a private room for musicians to try out instruments undisturbed.
Madsen, a Neenah native, said the shop is intended to raise his profile and footprint in the community, especially among guitar aficionados whether they’re in bands or not.
Instruments run $1,600 to $10,000. Buyers pick out the wood, dimensions, finish and color.
“These are not stock guitars,” he said. “Everything is customizable.”
“I almost don’t deserve the guitar. It’s a beautiful guitar and a beautiful sounding guitar,” said Curt Biese who is in the band Ifdakar.
He just added a Madsen acoustic guitar to an electric one he already owns.
“The experience of building them with Andy was the best. He’s an excellent guy,” he said.
Info: madsenguitars.com, 920-558-3119
A public open house is scheduled for late January.
Contact reporter Maureen Wallenfang at 920-993-7116 or mwallenfang@postcrescent.com. Follow her on Twitter at @wallenfang.
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