ALLEN PARK, Mich. (CBS DETROIT) – When it comes to the mitten, most people know of the state’s rich heritage in music but may be surprised to learn that music in Michigan, in particular, brings in over $1 billion a year to the state’s economy, that’s according to the Anderson economic group.
In Allen Park, one man’s small business is contributing to that number and making music to our ears from chunks of wood.
“It happened a long time ago; wanted a guitar and couldn’t afford to buy one. So I made it,” said Gary Zimnicki, owner of Zimnicki Guitars . “The internet didn’t even exist. A friend had a book that had a really brief explanation at the back end of how to build a guitar was like four pages. So yeah, it wasn’t much to go by. But, you know, it took me like a year to do the first one. And then after that, a friend saw it and said, Oh, could you build me one? And it was 10 times better than the first one. I didn’t want to part with it. But then somebody saw that said, Could you build me one. And very slowly, it turned from a just a curious thing to be doing into a hobby, and eventually into a money-making hobby and, and gradually became a like a full time job.”