SPRUCE TREE STAFF

Wil Bremer was already an experienced repair person and dealer in vintage instruments when he opened Spruce Tree Music in 1980. He opened his first full time shop, The Spicertown Folklore Center, in Akron, Ohio, in 1972. Later, he opened a shop in Bloomington, Indiana. More recently, Wil has taught Fretted Instrument Repair at the University of Wisconsin--National String Instrument Repair Clinics.

Here's a bit more about Wil from a Wisconsin State Journal story featuring Wil and instrument repair here.

Julie Luther has a strong interest in traditional music. She has performed around the upper midwest and taught guitar while living in Minneapolis (where she also tried to achieve tenure as a graduate student). She moved to Madison and joined Spruce Tree Music in 1985. Her chief musical pursuit these days is fiddling for New England style contra dances.

Doug Meihsner hails originally from Belleville, Wisconsin, which qualifies him as our nearest thing to the elusive Madison native. (Belleville is widely known to be the UFO capitol of the country.) Doug has studied music at the University of Wisconsin and played bass with local legends Marques Bovre and the Evil Twins. He joined Spruce Tree Music as a repair person and general all-around guy in 1994.

Dale Reichert walked through the door in 1985 looking to teach banjo. It so happened that he was also an accountant and we needed an accountant... He maintained his association with the shop while living in Kentucky. He's now back in Wisconsin, playing banjo and dobro with Art Stevenson and Highwater.

Ed Feeny is a an experienced woodworker with projects ranging from custom cabinetry to electric guitar construction. He's also a bass player (yes, we have two on our staff!) whose musical versatility ranges from rock to Balkan. He can be heard performing with The Reptile Palace Orchestra ("Home of Balkan Lounge Funk"), The Motor Primitives, and Veseliyka.

MUSICIANS OFFERING LESSONS AT SPRUCE TREE

We're pleased to have space available for some great area musicians and instructors to be able to teach through our shop. Here's a list of instructors currently offering lessons here.

SPRUCE TREE OFFICIAL GREETER

Traveler is Spruce Tree's Official Greeter (Gaylan's One With the Wind UD SH OA NAJ WCX VC CCA). He was trained by Zephyr (Zephyr Regent of Spruce Tree UD TD NA JH WC) and preceded by Larson (Gaylan's Lunar Far Side CDX TD OA OAJ VCD2). The new kid is Piney, officially Truline Rio's Pine Creek.