Machining
Gabby Barajas joined Merlin 5 in the early 1990s to work with the company founder and designer, Bill Gerien. The company has become an industry leader in manufacturing, providing machined parts for several musical instruments with a special focus on the electrical guitar. Gabby oversees the plant,...
Edward Whitmyer began working on the bench at Selmer in Elkhart in the 1970s when most of the work was done by hand. During his long career, Edward, has witnessed firsthand the development of computer driven machines to complete some of the tasks he once completed by hand. His training on CNC...
Diana White is like so many factory workers within the music industry because most of her friends and many members of her own family have worked in the same plant over the years. Diana is very proud of her work and the skills she has gained over the years, especially those related to CNC work in...
Tom Ott began training in the tool and die business right after high school at which point he was hired by the CG Conn Company in Elkhart, Indiana to work in the factory. Tom has been there ever since! Tom’s work has been focused on making jigs, dies and machine tools for the process of musical...
Bob Sperzel’s grandfather and father were both mechanical engineers working in their own shops creating machine parts for several industries. As Bob learned from them he discovered on his own a real need for machined parts to be improved for turning keys for guitars. Bob witnessed first hand how...
William Gerien is the industrial and mechanical engineer who invented the Kahler Tremolo Bridge System for the electric guitar. Gary Kahler hired William to follow his design on a new system to add a tremolo or whammy bar to the guitar’s bridge. William machined the very first prototype and created...