Meet Garrett Knaub | Musician, Graphic Designer & Entrepreneur

We had the good fortune of connecting with Garrett Knaub and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Garrett, how did you come up with the idea for your business?
I came up with the idea for Wildwood Guitar Hangers when I was looking to create a specific product that would fill a niche with my laser business, Nashville Laser Art. As a lifelong musician and instrument collector I’ve used all sorts of guitar hangers. Most work as intended if properly installed but very few compliment the beauty of the instrument on display. So I wanted to funnel my creative energy into something I was already passionate about and Wildwood Hangers was born.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
Cut me off If I run too long. I have a tendency to ramble when I’m talking about something that excites me. Designing these wall mount guitar hangers and launching the Wildwood Hangers brand has been a super challenging & rewarding process. I am able to pour my creative energy into designing, lasering, sanding, staining, layering & finishing unique hangers that become beautiful functional wall art. Which is exactly how I view guitars while being displayed; functional wall art.

Functionally, they feature fully adjustable universal hangers that will hold guitars, basses, ukes, mandolins, banjos, fiddles and more, Safely & securely. Aesthetically, I originally created them to compliment my décor while hanging own instruments. Once I sent some photos out to a bunch of my musician friends I got a lot of positive feedback & encouragement so I decided to take it to the next level.

While it’s been an exciting experience for me it certainly hasn’t without challenges. Trying to gain traction on the various social media platforms can be frustrating as I’m sure a lot of small business owners can relate to. I’ve had great success in social media at a time when you could grow organically by producing quality content. Unfortunately the landscape has changed through the years and the algorithms are geared to squeeze ad money out of small businesses in order to increase engagement.

So, while I have done some paid promotion with luke-warm results, I’ve found reaching out to & working with what would be considered “micro influencers” to be a more effective way to market to your target demographic. For example I was blessed to work with Tim Aven of the band LANCO who has a young but quickly growing channel on YouTube. We sponsored his 10k follower giveaway and had a great sales response in the weeks after his video posted. He’s a great player (and a great guy) and I’m working to do more marketing along those lines in 2025. I just feel like it’s a more authentic way to present yourself & your product to your desired audience as opposed to just running ads which can feel a little stale sometimes.

I have lofty goals for the upcoming year and I know the only way I’ll accomplish them is to be absolutely relentless in my pursuit to get these hangers in front as many eyes and into as many hands as possible. It’s often difficult to balance the artist who just wants to create with entrepreneur who’s trying to build a business, but that’s exactly what’s required. Wish me luck! Haha.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
Here are just a few of my favorite spots to hit when friends visit:

– Breakfast at Biscuit Love

– A top down drive down Natchez Trace Parkway with a stop for a trail hike along the way.

– Mos Tacos Por Favor (East Nash) for lunch – fun vibe and even better food.

– Tour some music stores like Tone Central Station, The Gibson Garage, Carter Vintage Guitars & Gruhn Guitars

– Catch a show the Ryman

– After party at Kid Rocks

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
My faith in Christ and the support of my wife Julie are what allow me to thrive in what seems like a never ending pursuit of greater success. The climb is a long series of peaks and valleys but I am not alone in lowest lows or the highest of highs. Through it all my wife is by my side to offer encouragement and her eternal optimism is what keeps me going during the times when I feel like the sky is falling.

Website: https://www.wildwoodhangers.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/wildwoodhangers/

Facebook: https://facebook.com/wildwoodhangers/

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@WildwoodGuitarHangers

Image Credits
All photos taken by myself, Garrett Knaub