Guitar shop welcomes beginner and pro musicians

"The guitar playing did not come to me innately, but I've always liked working with my hands and am drawn to things that are artful or have an artistic bend to them, which this type of work definitely has,” LaPlaca said. “I am able to set aside a lot of preconceived notions of how I personally want something to be when it comes to the adjustments and setup.”

After learning the fundamentals as an apprentice under another guitar shop owner, LaPlaca opted for a more corporate job, working for 16 years at The Music Link in Brisbane, an instrument manufacturer and distributor, where he eventually worked his way up to the director of marketing after working in a variety of roles ranging from quality development and control to running production lines.

“Over about 25 years, I’ve touched on the retail side, the corporate side, and many different elements within the industry and the business,” he said.

But a series of financial and operational struggles at the company, including recently-implemented tariffs, led to him being laid off, setting in motion a period of reflection over what his next step would be. In June, LaPlaca opened his own store in Belmont called dB Limit — short for decibel limit — where he sells guitars, accessories and conducts repairs on fretted instruments like guitars, ukuleles and banjos. He also sells his own custom guitars.

“I spent a lot of my life working for other people trying to jam square pegs in round holes to make things work,” LaPlaca said. “Starting something from scratch, I’m able to put in new systems and processes that would get me off to a good start.”

While conducting repairs from his home would have had less risk and fewer startup costs, LaPlaca said he was adamant about creating a physical space that could be enjoyed not only by musicians but also the music-loving community. The shop plans to host small music performances, in addition to educational workshops ranging from songwriting to guitar techniques.

“My ethos is wanting to have a welcoming place that people can come into and they feel comfortable, whether they're an accomplished musician or a beginner,” he said. “That’s the kind of environment I want to create.”

The shop is at 1086 Alameda de las Pulgas in Belmont. Go to dblimit.com for more information.