Heartland String Bass Shop produces hand-crafted string basses. The company
also provides a full range of bass services, from custom fit extensions, neck
grafts and fingerboard dressings to complete restoration and repair of damaged
instruments.
Founded in 2003 by Chris Trelkeld-Wiegand, a graduate of the University of Iowa
with over a decade of experience in building musical instruments, the company
has, attracted widespread recognition for its superior quality products.
Heartland’s customers have included musicians in the Metropolitan Opera
Orchestra in New York City and the Minnesota Orchestra in Minneapolis,
Minnesota. A new Heartland bass can sell for upwards of $20,000 and the firm has
done restoration work on rare, centuries-old instruments. Heartland’s basses are
expected to last up to 250 years.
Chris’s latest projects include building a $26,000 bass for an Indiana
University student and restoration of a 250 year-old $200,000 Testore bass from
Italy for a player in the Minnesota Orchestra. Over $3,000 in supplies and $500
in wood and up to two months of labor can go into building a single bass. Chris
uses various woods from around the world to construct a bass, each of which is
unique.
Leigh Mesh, associate principal bass in the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra in New
York City, plays the second bass Chris made and says the tone is what stands
out. Even though Chris competes with European bass makers from 200 years ago,
his handmade bass is superior. “I think he is brilliant. He is the best modern
bass maker,” Mesh said.
Chris’s business idea started when he was playing in a band in Austin, Texas.
One of his cats had knocked over and damaged his bass, so he went looking for
someone to repair it. A University of Texas music professor referred him to a
shop in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Chris visited the shop and appreciated the work
so much that he asked for a job. After working for Robertson and Sons Violin
Shop for five years, Chris came back to Iowa to start his own business.
Chris came to the University of Iowa SBDC to discuss his business plan and some
operational issues. The company was well positioned for more business and he was
primarily interested in becoming more efficient. Paul Heath discussed a number
of topics with Chris, including business taxes, insurance, financing, employees,
retirement plans, expansion and manufacturing. Paul recommended that Chris look
into getting third party financing for his student customers so they could
afford to buy Heartland’s basses.
With the SBDC’s assistance Chris was able to arrange third party financing for
his student customers through a local bank. Additionally, he bought a laser
guided, computer controlled CNC machine that will enable him to increase
production substantially. Currently, Chris is working with a realtor and a
banker so he can move the business out of his garage and into a retail space
where, in addition to having a shop, he can showcase his production.
Chris says, “Paul Heath of the Small Business Development Center helped me take
my business up to a higher level by increasing efficiency and future
opportunities.”