The Final Note

MICHAEL BRANDT RINKENBERGER

OWNER/SALES AND MARKETING, B3 GUITARS

By Brian Berk

The Music & Sound Retailer: Who was your greatest influence or mentor and why?

Michael Brandt Rinkenberger: My greatest influence in life is my father, as he has the strongest moral fiber of anyone I know. His actions and words have always reflected what he believes, and he was diligent about instilling that core value in his sons. My greatest mentor in business was Rich Karnuth from Naperville Music. While I didn’t get into the industry in any serious capacity until after my tenure there, I cut my teeth at that shop and learned a lot from him. He taught me important principles that are a part of my core business acumen and that I employ every day while also exposing me to values I vowed to never repeat in my business relationships.

The Retailer: What was the best advice you ever received?

Rinkenberger: Be yourself.

The Retailer: What was your first experience with a musical instrument?

Rinkenberger: Piano lessons from my mother at age four. That’s what happens when both of a child’s parents have multiple music degrees.

The Retailer: What instrument do you most enjoy playing?

Rinkenberger: I commissioned a long-scale singlecut bass from Vincent Guidroz of The New Orleans Guitar Co. several years ago. Vincent is a true artisan and crafted a bass that’s a perfect fit for me. That’s an instrument I’ll die with.

The Retailer: Tell us something about yourself that others do not know or would be surprised to learn.

Rinkenberger: I played tuba from grade school through high school. The stereotypical chubby pimple-faced tubist doesn’t get the chicks, thus the natural progression into the bass and wannabe rock stardom.

The Retailer: What’s your favorite activity to do when you’re not at work?

Rinkenberger: It’s a tie between being outside with and training my dog, Rox, and wrenching on my motorbike. (continued on page 53)