Lightning Joe’s serves growing demand for guitars during pandemic
ARROYO GRANDE, Calif. - Millions of people have picked up a guitar during the pandemic, many for the first time. A family run shop in Arroyo Grande has been there to meet the increasing demand, and help people take a sad time and make it better.
"It's a wonderland of guitars," Michael Albertson said while picking up some new strings for his bass guitar. "I could spend hours in there."
The owner got the nickname Lightning Joe for playing fast, but musicians who come into Lightning Joe's Guitar Heaven like to take it slow.
"They have rooms and rooms and rooms of stuff," Keegan Saltzman said. "I come in and I play the same thing almost every time I'm in here because I really want to buy it."
Joe Daoust and his wife Marelene have been in business for 38 years. Visitors from near and far are welcomed inside a historic building at 100 E. Branch Street by a statue of Elvis Presley to a mom and pop shop that rivals just about any music store anywhere.
Lightning Joe's Guitar Heaven has about 1600 stringed instruments for sale. 
Lightning Joe's Guitar Heaven had it's best year of sales in 2021 as many people picked up stringed instruments during the pandemic.
"Some people come in from big cities and they're like, 'oh my gosh. Why are you guys here?" Marelene said. "And we're like, we live here! It's where we want to be."
Joe says customers travel long distances to shop their wide selection.
"All over the world," he said.
If you're wondering just how many guitars and other stringed instruments line the walls, believe it or not it's not quite as many as Lightning Joe would like. They have all the brands a player could want, but supply chain and labor issues from guitar makers has slowed down production some.
"When we're fat and full we have 1800," Joe said. "Right now we have around 1600."
They say this is their best year ever, thanks in no small part to more people making music at home during the pandemic. Joe sights a recent study by a leading brand in the industry.
"Sixteen million new guitar players in America, according to them. According to Fender," Joe said. "It seems like they all came here and bought a guitar. Haha."
Marelene says the best part about going to work everyday for her is being with loved ones. All the employees are family members.
"We feel very lucky," Marelene said. "Very fortunate."
