Eron Harding’s path to owning a thriving music store began in 2000, born from a common musician’s dilemma: burnout. After years immersed in the local music scene since his teenage years, gigging became less appealing. Welcoming his first child, Eron sought a new direction, and passionately dedicated himself to mastering guitar repair and luthier services. Initially, he established a modest workshop on his property, catering to local musicians’ instrument repairs and revitalizing discarded instruments acquired from garage sales. Word quickly spread throughout the community about a skilled craftsman in town, leading to a substantial increase in his workload.
As Eron’s customer base expanded, he and Steve Cox, a former bandmate and close friend, envisioned a music shop tailored to the needs of gigging musicians. They started modestly, renting a small space in an office building, stocking it with instruments from their personal collections. Business flourished rapidly, necessitating a move to a larger, dedicated building – a 1200 sq/ft space just down the street. Within a few short years, even this space became insufficient, prompting the purchase of their current, iconic location: a spacious three-story, 3200 sq/ft historic building in downtown Sedalia, Missouri, dating back to the late 1800s.
Alt text: The charming storefront of Backwoods Guitar, nestled in a historic brick building in downtown Sedalia, Missouri, showcasing its inviting entrance and vintage signage, appealing to musicians and music enthusiasts.
Today, Backwoods Guitar boasts an extensive inventory of hundreds of musical instruments. From a wide selection of guitars and basses to mandolins, banjos, and band instruments, they cater to diverse musical tastes. They proudly stock leading industry brands such as Fender, Taylor, Gretsch, Ibanez, and Jackson, among others. Whatever a musician might require, Backwoods Guitar likely has it in stock.
Backwoods Guitar’s dedication to the community and significant impact on Sedalia was officially recognized when they were awarded Sedalia’s 2023 Small Business of the Year. Their success is attributed to their commitment to actively listening to and understanding their clients’ needs, consistently paired with delivering exceptional, top-tier service. This approach has solidified Backwoods Guitar as a cornerstone of the local music community.
