Re-Tunes, opened in June, is the product of owner Richard Ericson’s hobby and passion for guitars. Ericson, a retired electrical engineer and guitar aficionado, began this shop at his wife’s suggestion.

“Last winter, with the weekly snow storms we had, there was a lot of time spent at home, and my wife suggested taking my hobby in a new direction and opening up a shop,” Ericson said. “It started out as kind of a sophisticated garage sale with my own collection of guitars and has grown into something more.”

Ericson said the guitars he sells lean toward the mid- to high-end in quality and value and are geared toward a more mature player.  

“Through doing business with local musicians, we have developed a network of connections that spans many brands, allowing us to find guitars that suit a particular customer’s needs,” he said.

Ericson said the personal nature of his shop is especially appealing.

“Customers can come in and talk, see how a particular guitar or pick feels, and get feedback,” he said.

He also noted that as a guitarist’s skill and level of proficiency grows, his or her needs may also change with respect to the feel or the individual qualities of their instrument.

“A guitarist may play the same guitar for 15 years and wake up one morning and just have that feeling that it’s time to try something new,” Ericson said. “They are looking for something subtly different to match the way their style has changed, and we have the resources to help them find out what they are looking for.”

The extensiveness of the local guitar-playing community came as a surprise to Ericson.  

“We have people from all walks of life that come in, from the plumber to the lawyer,” he said. “There are a lot of talented musicians all around us, and this is a place for them to congregate and chit chat, talk shop.”

When asked what he saw as the biggest obstacle among those getting involved with playing the guitar, Ericson said, “I think a lot of it has to do with the actual playing, especially with a steel stringed guitar. After about a week of playing on a daily basis, it starts to become painful because you need to build up calluses on your finger tips. A lot of people stop when it begins to hurt; the calluses never develop, and it becomes an uncomfortable experience for them from then on. You just have to grit your teeth and play through the pain. After that, it gets better.”

An evolution of this personal touch is the free guitar clinic, which debuted on Dec. 5. This clinic allows guitarists to bring in their instruments for minor repairs, tuning and set-up as well as adjustments and problem solving. This service, performed by Sylvan Wells and Rick Celia of Bay State Guitars, was a success, and another clinic is being scheduled for the spring.

Ericson said if this offering turns out to be popular, he may schedule similar clinics once or twice yearly.

A curious note for those with an interest in guitar history: Re-Tunes also has a selection of  offerings from the Bay State Guitar line of instruments. Wells, a master luthier, and Celia began this line of instruments as a resurrection of the original Bay State Guitar, which was established in Massachusetts in 1865. These high-end, acoustic guitars are crafted by hand, one at a time.

Celia was on hand recently when Donnie Herron, Bob Dylan’s guitarist, stopped by for a jam session when Dylan was playing in Boston this past November.  

“Donnie was very impressed with the Bay State line and purchased a Bay State Excelsior,” Ericson said. “He told me that ‘Bob will love this guitar!’”

Ericson characterized his business as “an old school, brick-and-mortar boutique type of shop, like the way music stores used to be many years ago, very nostalgic.”  

Ericson said the shop is beginning to acquire more vintage guitars.  

“These are guitars that have history and stories behind them, which makes them all the more interesting to learn about,” he said.

Re-Tunes recently launched the “Re-bay” link on its Web site, where sellers can auction off their vintage instruments.

“It started out as just a notion that my son kind of threw out there, but it does provide a place with fewer fees for the purchaser and is specialized for this type of item,” Ericson said.