![]() “I’m halfway a therapist and halfway the guitar tech,” he says. Customers often hang around the shop while he works, strumming on one of the many guitars on display or cozying up with his rottweiler, Georgia. The shop guarantees same-day repairs, which he says is a rarity in the music industry. There, he builds, repairs, and does other craftsmanship work on string instruments. The limited edition guitars aren’t sold for top dollar, rather, he bases his sales on merit, vetting potential customers with one question: “Why do you want this Masquerade guitar and not just any other guitar?”īut beyond the Masquerade guitars, Holgado has a full-service shop he runs from his home in Decatur, Holgado Guitar Works. The wood is super solid, dense and stable-all things it could have not been-it was the best case scenario.” “Going into it I didn’t know if the pieces of wood were going to end up actually sounding awesome or just being more memorabilia of the Masquerade,” he says. ![]() He says the wood is covered in stains, scrapes and nail marks, but the imperfections are what carries on the venue’s legacy most. So far, Holgado’s designed and built six guitars made from the Masquerade wood, and will make at least three more. He decided to give it a shot and took a truckload of salvageable lumber pulled from the walls, floors, and railings home. “My mom sent me an email about this dude from New York who built guitars from buildings that were being remodeled that had incredible pine, similar to this stuff at the Masquerade-really old growth pine that’s dried inside for 100-150 years, which is unheard of. “We were using our trucks and helping move to their new location,” he says. He became good friends with the staff and management of the venue and when it came time for the big move in 2017, he was on site, lending a hand. Holgado spent many late nights at the Masquerade attending shows, performing and later backstage as an employee for a company that supplied equipment to touring bands. ![]() The developers have since resumed construction and are working closely with the Atlanta Urban Design Commission and the Atlanta Department of City Planning to stabilize and restore the historic structure. However, that was before the east wall of the mill partially collapsed during construction on December 27, 2019. Jay Clark, founder and CEO of Southeastern Capital Companies, previously said those who are worried about preserving the history of the 118-year old structure building shouldn’t be, because plans were to preserve the original flooring and columns. The Masquerade venue, meanwhile, moved and inked a 10-year lease at Underground Atlanta in 2017, but the previous location’s nonhistoric buildings were set to be demolished in the redevelopment. In December 2019, the developers announced a new project for the Old DuPre Mill location: The Mill Marketplace, an office park. In 2016, the lot was purchased by developers Southeastern Capital Companies and Coro Realty with initial plans to convert the property into a mixed-use development called North + Line. He recalls the moment of bliss that came with performing in front of a live audience and the pungent scent of booze, cigarettes, and sweat.ĭuring Holgado’s youth, the North Avenue rock haven was located within the old DuPre Excelsior Mill, which for decades chopped wood slivers from logs to use as a packaging material. He played bass in his older brother’s band and recalls the floor of the uppermost of the venue’s three stages-named Heaven, Hell, and Purgatory-shaking as though if it would cave in at any moment. Argentinian-born Tomas Holgado was 14 years old the first time he stepped on stage at the Masquerade, one of Atlanta’s most iconic and scrappy venues.
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