He Tours The World Repairing Guitars For Bands: How This Gen Z Makes It Work | Money Mind

Key Concepts

• Bespoke Guitar Services: Highly customized guitar repair, modification, and building.
• DIY & Thrifting: Utilizing self-sufficiency and cost-effective sourcing for business setup.
• Skill Investment: Prioritizing continuous learning and professional development in a specialized field.
• Niche Market Advantage: Recognizing and capitalizing on a specialized skill set with limited global competition.
• Hybrid Income Stream: Combining income from touring, retail clients, business clients, and merchandise.

Guitar Craft & Entrepreneurship: The Story of Hazek Nisam

This profile details the career of Hazek Nisam, a 27-year-old Singaporean who has successfully built a livelihood around his passion for guitars, specifically guitar repair, modification, and touring with bands. He operates West Guitar Services, a bespoke guitar repair and modification studio in Singapore, and supplements his income by touring with musical acts, most recently the heavy metal band Worm Rot for 26 days across Europe.

From Bomb Shelter Workshop to Bespoke Studio

Hazik’s journey began in his teens, initially as a hobby. By age 16, he transformed a bomb shelter within his family’s two-room flat into a rudimentary workshop. He initially marketed his services via social media, personally transporting guitars to and from customer locations. Early electronic repair jobs yielded as little as $5 Singapore dollars. This demonstrates a commitment to starting small and building incrementally.

The transition to a physical shop was approached with extreme cost-consciousness. Faced with vendor quotes of $30,000 Singapore dollars, Hazik leveraged his handyman skills to complete the setup for approximately $7,000, entirely self-funded. He specifically mentions removing and replacing main lights with warmer, content-creation-friendly alternatives, and sourcing industrial racks for $20 Singapore dollars (including transport) – a significant saving compared to retail prices. This highlights a resourceful approach to business development.

Prioritizing Quality & Investment in Tools

While embracing DIY and thrifting for non-essential elements, Hazik emphasizes the importance of investing in high-quality precision tools. He cites a brass hammer costing $200 as an example, contrasting it with cheaper alternatives. He sources many of his tools from the United States and specialized guitar repair tool shops, stating, “I might thrift and DIY a lot of things, but I do not skimp on my precision tools when it comes to repairs.” This underscores his commitment to delivering professional-grade results.

Skill Development & Continuous Learning

Hazik’s initial guitar repair knowledge stemmed from self-teaching through instrument tinkering. He later sought mentorship from other guitar technicians. A significant investment in his skillset was a $14,000 guitar building course in Malaysia three years ago, where he learned to construct acoustic guitars from scratch. He funded this through savings accumulated from a six-month contract job, covering two-thirds of the course fees. He frames this expenditure as “income investment for tomorrow’s payout,” demonstrating a forward-thinking approach to professional development.

A Niche Market & Hybrid Income Model

Hazik acknowledges that guitar repair is a niche service within a niche industry. However, he reframes this as an opportunity, recognizing the limited number of individuals globally possessing his skillset. He states, “I do not see that as a drawback. I see that as an opportunity. In fact, since I am a niche service, I know that there are only a few people globally that have this skill set. With that being said, my market is very big.”

His income is diversified, comprising approximately 50% from touring with bands like Worm Rot, and the remainder from retail clients, business clients, and merchandise sales. He has been working in the industry for 11 years and continues to encounter skepticism about the viability of a career in guitar repair.

Client Experience & Relationship Building

Hazik emphasizes the importance of the client experience, focusing on building relationships beyond simply repairing instruments. He describes client interactions as “a conversation over me repairing their guitars,” with the ultimate outcome being “not only a brand new guitar, but also a new friendship.” This suggests a focus on personalized service and customer loyalty.

Key Quote

“I had a dream and I was very hungry for it and I worked really hard for it.” – Hazek Nisam, reflecting on his self-funded business launch.

Conclusion

Hazek Nisam’s story exemplifies how passion, resourcefulness, and a commitment to continuous learning can translate into a sustainable and fulfilling career. His success is rooted in identifying and capitalizing on a niche market, prioritizing quality over cost-cutting in critical areas, and building strong client relationships. His hybrid income model, combining touring and studio work, provides financial stability and allows him to pursue his passion on both a local and global scale.