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.”