A good friend of mine was seriously injured. There had been some blunt trauma to the head, and she was unable to communicate with me. I knew she would recover completely, however, with help from a specialist, a local by the name of Gene Betts.
I should admit that my friend is a mandolin, and the trauma happened to the tuning pegs on the headstock, leaving her without several necessary strings and unable to be played. Betts, the specialist, is a very skilled instrument repairman.
Betts can be found at Owens Music Company on Main Street in Santa Maria most days of the week during regular business hours. He’s worked at Owens for more than 13 years, selling instruments and equipment, giving local musicians much-needed advice, and, of course, repairing any unfortunate instrument that comes his way.
He started playing guitar at the age of 8, and as a young man worked in a music store where he sold the instruments and taught lessons.
“The guitar is the only instrument that I play; it’s the only thing I ever wanted to do,” he said. “I perform when people call me. I don’t go hustling for gigs; I’m a hired gun.”
Betts is primarily known on the Central Coast as the guy you bring your instrument to when it needs some tender loving care. He works on acoustic and electric guitars, mandolins, violins, electric bass, upright bass, cellos, violas, accordions, auto harps, ukuleles, and Mexican ensemble instruments including the bajo quinto and bajo sexto. He doesn’t just make repairs; he equips acoustic instruments with pickups and other accoutrements.
Before he learned how to repair instruments, Betts tried his hand at making a guitar. A Santa Barbara luthier showed him how to craft the different pieces of a guitar in the early ’80s.
“We proceeded to make a walnut telecaster,” Betts remembered. “It had a one-piece walnut burl body, flame maple neck, and an ebony finger board.
“From building instruments, I gained such an understanding of how things go together that people started asking me to fix things,” he continued. “Over a period of time, every time I fixed something, the more knowledge I would gain.”
Having been involved in some kind of craftsmanship his whole life (he’s made furniture and lawn windmills, and has done painting, lacquering, and jewelry work), Betts enjoyed instrument building and repair. Whenever he had a job he wasn’t totally sure how to do, he would contact someone who could teach him.
“After that, it’s just a matter of a few simple tools and half a brain—and patience,” he said. “You have to be very patient. You have to be very careful with other people’s instruments and think it through.”
His skills took him to several stores and companies. He helped make electric bass guitars for Kubicki in the ’80s and also did neck and fretwork for National Guitars before settling at Owens in the late ’90s.
“I love it,” he said. “I love guitar, and I get to talk guitar all day.”
Betts is always open to giving advice to curious consumers. He warns folks to buy local and stay away from the Internet unless they really know what they’re getting. Otherwise, he said, they’ll have no support for the instrument, especially if it needs repairs.
“If people want to bring stuff that they bought online here for repair, that’s fine, but it’s going to end up costing them more than if they just bought it [at Owens Music Company].”
Two days after dropping off my injured instrument, I returned to Owens to take the photos you see in this column. I wasn’t expecting my mandolin to be done so soon, but sure enough, Betts pulled a case from behind the counter. In it sat my much-loved friend, with sparkling new tuning pegs installed and shiny new strings strung and ready to be plucked, the way it should be.
Spreading the sound
The “Trilogy at Monarch Dunes Concert Series” will feature a free concert by Sound Investment on Aug. 19 at 6 p.m. at the Monarch Club, 1645 Trilogy Parkway, Nipomo. More info: 343-7510 or gina.forsmann@trilogyresortliving.com.
Make it swing
The Swing Shift Band performs its funky classic rock music in concert Aug. 20 from 3 to 6 p.m. at the Rancho Nipomo Deli and BBQ, 108 Cuyama Lane, Nipomo. More info: 925-3500 or berndoge@hotmail.com.
Coffee house rock
Starry Sky Coffee Company features live music by local artists, including a performance by the Bubonic Band, on Aug. 20 from 6 to 8 p.m. at the Starry Sky Coffee Company, 2880 Santa Maria Way, suite A-1, Santa Maria. More info: 310-4183, steven@starryskycoffee.com, or starryskycoffee.com.
A delightful duo
St. Mark’s-in-the-Valley Episcopal Church invites everyone to a concert featuring husband and wife duo Stacey Earle and Mark Stuart performing Aug. 20 at 8 p.m. at the church, 2901 Nojoqui Ave., Los Olivos. Suggested donation is $20. More info: 688-4454, info@smitv.org, or smitv.org.
Fun on the library lawn
The Lompoc Library District Foundation presents “Concerts on the Library Lawn,” featuring a live concert on Aug. 21 with tri-tip sandwiches for sale from the Lompoc Host Lions Club at 1 p.m. at the Lompoc Library, 501 E. North Ave., Lompoc. Free. More info: 705-2405.
Blues in the park
The City of Santa Maria Parks and Recreation Department presents “Concerts in the Park,” featuring free performances by local bands including Big Daddy’s Blues Band on Aug. 21 from 1 to 3 p.m. at Rotary Centennial Park, 2625 S. College Dr., Santa Maria. More info: 925-0951, Ext. 260.
Music at the Maverick
The Maverick Saloon in Santa Ynez is host to country band Teddy Spanke and the Tex Pistols on Aug. 19 at 8:30 p.m. followed by DJPJ at 11:30 p.m. “Concert on the Deck” is Aug. 20 at 3 p.m. Teddy Spanke and the Tex Pistols perform Aug. 20 at 8:30 p.m., followed by DJPJ at 11:30 p.m. Tickets are available at 688-0383.
Contact Calendar Editor Joe Payne at jpayne@santamariasun.com.
This article appears in Aug 18-25, 2011.