Froggy Bottom GuitarsIndividually Handcrafted Steel String Acoustic Guitars

Tommy's Guitar Lounge

Viersen, Germany

www.tommys-music-shop.de
(49) 2162-29227

If you find yourself near the western German border with The Netherlands and Belgium, you'll be within striking range of a remarkable guitar shop and a remarkable man. Thirty kilometers west of Düsseldorf, in Viersen you'll find Tommy's Guitar Lounge and owner-manager Tommy Metz.

Tommy started playing guitar in 1973 at age 16 and opened his store when he was 19, as he noted, "with $150 in my pocket." And from the first day, he has offered select and vintage professional level instruments to his customers. Tommy learned the business quickly, tending to the needs of his customers and making repairs on vintage electrics. In the late 1980s, he started to build his own line of electrics.

"There is much more to making a guitar sound good than sophisticated pickups and electronics," Tommy says. Marrying carefully chosen wood with specific electronic components has become the hallmark of his own instruments.

His love affair with guitars, his personal connection to what he calls "the heart and soul of the business," and his knowledge and attention to serving both amateur and professional musicians have sustained his business and brought Tommy's loyal customers from all over Europe.

On a visit to the US in the 1990s, Tommy got his hands on "some wonderful acoustic guitars" and fell in love with handmade acoustic guitars. He began featuring finely crafted acoustic instruments in the shop where they now share equal billing and importance with the electric guitars in the store.

"It's such a nice feeling," Tommy writes, "to play a wonderful guitar and to get abducted by new melodies."

And: "I specialize 100 percent in professional and high end, quality guitars. I'm proud to offer limited and rare instruments that reflect the unique skills and talents of small, 'boutique' luthiers. My passion for quality instruments is evident in my selection and customer service, both of which set me apart from the 'mainstream' selling of the large companies."

Though they have an active website, most of Tommy's sales are made personally. Tommy's very proud of the fact that his customers actually come from all over Europe to review his collection of outstanding electric and hand-crafted acoustic guitars.  He says, "We try to make the visit very easy for them. We check out the best flights. We have a pick-up service from Düsseldorf Airport or Viersen Station and we offer a free hotel room at a very nice, small hotel nearby."

From left to right: Elke (business partner), Stefan (repairs and building), Gerrit, Birgit (Tommy's wife) and Tommy

Tommy is dedicated to working directly with musicians to find the instrument that suits them best. He does this with patience, empathy, and his abiding affection for musicians, music and the instruments themselves.

"I have since my earliest childhood had a very deep contact with music," Tommy notes. "My father was a professional classical singer, so music was in our home the whole day, everywhere."

When it comes to acoustics, Tommy says, "Froggy Bottom Guitars are some of the very best guitars that are available in this world. It's always an exciting moment for me to receive a shipment with a new Froggy Bottom. I love the outstanding workmanship and the unbelievable sound of these guitars."

"To see into the face of a customer when he first plays a Froggy Bottom Guitar is always a memorable experience:  the incredulous glances at the workmanship, the feeling and playability of the instrument, and their listening to the wonderful sound!"
Tommy Metz, owner of Tommy's Guitar Lounge, Viersen, Germany

Outside the shop, Tommy has a family with his wife Birgit and their four daughters. He says, "I have a lot of pets and a large garden. I unwind by spending some time with my dears, cooking, listening to music and working in my garden."

Tommy's experience with fine guitars, commitment to customer service, and easy way with people have created a strong culture of personal service in the shop. He'll pick you up, make you feel welcome, and show you some amazing instruments.