The History of Axe Haven
At a repair shop where Dan had some work done he told the owner if he ever had any part-time work to give him a call. The shop owner did give Lenz a call. He worked there a short time which gave him a start, but he is mainly self taught.
Back in the '60's it was common , when a fellow musician would walk into a club to hear "Did you bring your axe?" They were referring to the instrument the musician played and this became the basis for the name of his business.
Axe Haven was founded in 1971 by Dan Lenz as a repair facility for guitars. Dan was still playing for a living and continued to do so for another ten years as he built his business.
Just as he had learned to play guitar on his own, Lenz began learning to repair the instruments "Basically from a common sense approach," he said. "My main goal then was to try to make the instrument look as though it had never been broken or damaged and that still is my goal."
The only book that I found on guitar repair in the early 70's was one written by Erving Sloan of his experiences at the Martin factory. Common sense is a major factor in guitar repair or any guitar restoration. Again my goal is to make it look and play as good as it did when it came from the factory if not better" Dan said.
Today
For over thirty eight years Dan has not only repaired and refinished guitars but has also built guitars of his own design. He also has executed many custom projects.
Much of Dan's business comes from former and present customer recommendations. He is well known for the quality of his work, the care with which he handles his customers prized instruments, his integrity and his reliability. He is a warranty center for Gibson, Guild, Fender, Martin, etc., etc., etc. His customers include nationally known musicians, major music stores, churches and many individuals.