Family dentist Dr. Robbie Fitch is skilled at crafting healthy smiles, but he also crafts one-of-a-kind guitars out of his own home.

A licensed dentist since 2007, Fitch started Hearthstone Guitar Company 15 years ago. 

The name for his guitar company has a unique story behind it.

“I didn’t know it at the time, but when we bought this house, there used to be a bar in the corner [of the basement] and it said Hearthstone on it,” Fitch said. “I didn’t even notice [and we had already] closed on the house.”

He said ever since he bought the house, it has been called the “Hearthstone House” among family. When he began making guitars, he needed a name for his company and decided to name it Hearthstone after the house.

Over the years, he has produced over 140 Hearthstone guitars for various musicians, including guitarists for Garth Brooks and Luke Combs.

 “I did not ever think it would still be going on to this point,” Fitch said. “And [I never thought] that I would be able to say those guys have them, and those guys played on [famous] stages. ”

As a child, Fitch expressed interest in taking guitar lessons, but his curiosity eventually dwindled, and the guitar lessons fell through.

Well into adulthood, Fitch’s interest was rekindled and he felt drawn to the guitar once again.

“[About] 15 years ago I decided I’m going to learn to play and that’s the end of it.”

After years of practicing, Fitch said he is in no way a professional guitar player, but he picked up the skill quickly and with ease.

A friend of his, Lee Dickson, was Eric Clapton’s guitar technician from 1978 until 2009.

“Lee kind of made [guitar making] seem like a fun thing to do,” Fitch said. “So one day I bought a cheap Stratocaster.”

Fitch’s approach was to strip down the Stratocaster, a widely used beginner electric guitar model, to the original wood, then repaint and refinish it.

Another unique way Fitch constructs his guitars is giving them a worn or rough look.

“It’s like having holes in your jeans,” he said. “They look cool and when it’s all broken and beat up, they just kind of feel more comfortable—like an old friend.”

The second guitar he made was for Andy Gibson, a fellow Murray State alumnus and previous lead guitarist for Tanya Tucker.

“I gave it to him and he said, ‘Man, this is incredible,’” Fitch said. “He said it played like butter and recommended I should be making more of them. I thought he might have been joking.”

Fitch then decided he would start his own electric guitar company, and that is when he began making guitars from scratch rather than remodeling.

When it comes to constructing guitars Fitch said his focus is quality. Every piece of hardware is the most expensive and high quality he can find, resulting in a high quality sound for each carefully crafted guitar.

“I don’t make much money,” he said. “ It’s a minimum wage gig, but it’s a hobby that kind of pays for itself.”

Dickson helped Fitch learn the feel of a guitar and how to fix or adjust his playing to get quality sound.

“[I learned how to construct guitars] the same way I learned about teeth,” he said. “Just go do it [and] get better every time. Practice, practice, practice.”

At the beginning, Fitch said he had to teach himself almost everything.

From start to finish, it takes him about five or six hours to construct and put a finish on a guitar.

The guitar he made for Ja Morant was an exception and took over 30 hours to complete, as he stripped and painted it four times to get the right finish.

Fitch has donated several guitars totaling $30,000 to various charities. Some of these charities include the Murray-Calloway County Special Olympics as well as the Fine Arts Department at Murray State.

Although Fitch loves his craft, he said he doesn’t think Hearthstone will become his full-time career.

“I think it will probably always be a hobby,” he said. “I could never make enough money [and will likely] always have to be a dentist. I would love it if I could do this for a living, but I could never afford to live off [the income].”

Fitch said his journey in making guitars has changed his life for the better.

“It’s a good conversation starter,” he said. “I’ve met a lot of people that I would have never met if it wasn’t for this.”