Some guitar shops are carefully planned businesses. Others grow out of pure passion, determination and a willingness to figure it out as they go. Michigan’s Motor City Guitar is one of the latter – and proudly so.
Since opening its doors in 1988, Motor City Guitar has grown from a dream into a serious Michigan guitar institution. Founder Marty Minui, along with his wife, Melissa, launched the shop fresh out of high school with nothing but limited funds and a passion for cool guitars.
But word spread quickly, fueled by local students, musicians and a growing community of players. Through multiple expansions and nearly three decades at its current home in Waterford, a northern suburb of Detroit, Motor City Guitar has remained a trusted destination built on hard work, local roots and a love of the guitar biz.
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We’ll let Marty take it from here.
How many instruments are in the shop right now?
It hovers at around 3,000. Around half of them are on display, and the other half are in our warehouse.
What’s the coolest guitar in the shop?
We recently took in five or six ’70s Les Pauls – all from different people – within two or three weeks of each other, and all of them are really, really cool.
We found out after the black Custom sold that it was previously “celebrity owned.” A few weeks before that, we took in a collection of 24 sweet guitars, four of which were double-necks. Again, all of them were really cool, especially for Jimmy Page and Alex Lifeson fans like us.
What has been your favorite instrument you’ve ever had in the shop, and what happened to it?
It would probably be what we call “The Magic Strat.” It’s a ’55, all original and beat to within an inch of its life, like Rory Gallagher’s Strat. If any guitar ever had “mojo,” this is it.
Paul Reed Smith was here, and the second that guitar was in his hands, he lit up! He loved it so much that he borrowed it and made an identical duplicate of it just to see if he could capture its magic. I must say he did an incredible job. Then he actually gave it to us!
That was a year or two before the PRS Silver Sky came out. I’ve got some cool photos of Eric Johnson, Mark Tremonti and others playing the ’55; it really does feel like there’s something magical about it. I still have it – and the PRS-made replica.
What’s the most expensive instrument you’ve ever sold?
A Van Halen Custom Shop Bumblebee, one that Eddie held and signed just a week or so before we got it. Someone ordered it a day or two after we lost Eddie just a few months later [October 2020]. It was still in the box, and when we took it out, there was an indescribable feeling in the air. During those 30 minutes or so, several of Eddie’s biggest local fans randomly showed up at the store and gathered around it. It was magical.
Guitar-wise, what separates the good from the great?
How much you bond with it – that means everything, and that’s something that’s different for everyone. There’s some real truth to the saying “It’s all in the fingers,” so whichever guitar brings out the best from those fingers of yours is a great one.
What’s your biggest pet peeve?
I wish some manufacturers were more consistent with their pricing. Some of them do this rollercoaster thing where an item will be $1,400 one month and $799 the next. They act as if nobody who just paid $1,400 last month will be bummed out. Consistency also protects customers’ resale value and brand loyalty, and that ultimately helps them and the manufacturers.
Any fun celebrity encounters?
We’ve had a bunch, from Detroit legends like Bob Seger to heroes like George Lynch, Paul Gilbert, John Petrucci, Mike Portnoy and Stanley Clarke. The list is really long. Rival Sons played a show at the store once. Deftones came to the store and borrowed a bunch of gear because their truck was stolen when they were on tour.
But my Number 1 has to be the time my lifelong brother, Dave Friedman [Friedman Amplification], invited me to the Palace [in Auburn Hills] because he was in town to work on Eddie Van Halen’s amp. Nobody said anything about Eddie being there – and Eddie gave me a hug! That was a shock and thrill that I still can’t get over.
When someone walks in for the first time, what do you hope they feel?
We’d rather earn happy, lifelong customers who recommend us to their friends than try to sell every person who walks through the door something they don’t need
Welcome, appreciated and listened to. We’re proud of our crew, who are all previous MCG customers, and they treat customers the way they liked to be treated. Our job is to ask questions and pair people up with the gear that’s right for them.
What’s one fact everyone should know about your shop?
We are long-term thinkers. In other words, we’d rather earn happy, lifelong customers who recommend us to their friends than try to sell every person who walks through the door something they don’t need.
How has this shop shaped or played a part in your local music community?
We’ve been around a long time, so we know many people on a first-name basis. After 38 years, we’re welcoming the kids and grandkids of our earliest customers. We’ve hosted at least 100 clinics and meet‑and-greets to try and share knowledge and advice from the people who inspire us to play.
What’s your best advice for someone looking to buy their next guitar?
Let it find you. Don’t think too hard – you’ll know the right one when you play it. I can say from personal experience – after tens of thousands of guitars have passed through my hands – that all my favorites found their way to me that way. Customers come in with something specific in mind, but many times they fall in love with something totally unexpected.
What’s the best part about owning and operating a guitar shop?
There’s a camaraderie around people who love music and love playing music. It doesn’t matter if you’re a 75-year-old country singer, a 25-year-old metal drummer or an 8-year-old kid picking up your first guitar; all musicians are part of a family. Working with people who share a love and interest is a blessing.
It’s a personal thing, too. Many of us couldn’t even imagine life without music; it changes lives, including ours. I can’t tell you how many funerals Melissa and I have been to where the one single thing right next to the casket was that person’s guitar. It’s an honor to play a role in providing something that holds that much meaning in another person’s life.
