This week's edition of our weekly Hi-Fives feature finds us talking with Emerson Custom's mastermind Mitch Ingram. Read on for his take on our series of random top five questions!
Top five things about running your own company
- Setting my own schedule
- Getting to make things we’re very passionate about
- Being my own boss and being able to shoot from the hip without all the corporate ladder BS
- Getting to have lunch with my family everyday
- Getting to play guitar while at work
Top five things we don’t know about Emerson Custom
1.Emerson is not my first or last name… Its my middle name. I was named after my great great grandfather Emerson Wright Pomerory. He was a Blacksmith, Farmer, Minister, Civil War Veteran, Father, and an Optimistic Man who didn't let challenges sink his goals or vision. He lived to be 92 years old. I'm very proud to carry on his name, along with our Company name and the way we carry ourselves and run our business.
- Its actually just 2 people here at Emerson; Luke Swanson and myself. Occasionally I’ll bring in some part time help to count beans… but its just us us 2 most days.
- Our shop is in my backyard…. (soon to change when we build the new one in a few months)
- We started out building partscasters… Boy was that lame, lol
- Our Pedals have a lifetime warranty, we stand behind our products
Top five pedals that shouldn’t have been made
Haha, I can’t answer this one.
Top five dream guitars
Well, luckily I was able to order the first 2 on this list recently (after lots of saving and gear shuffling/selling_)
- PRS Custom 22 in Azul
- PRS SC 245 Artist Package in Trampas Green with a Solid East Indian Rosewood Neck
- Tom Anderson Tele
- Tom Anderson Icon Classic
- Something from Nik Huber
Top five Okla-homies
- My wife, Chelsea… she’s the best and I’m so thankful for her. I couldn’t do what I do without her love and support.
- Troy Aikman (the Dallas cowboys need you… badly)
- Chris Harris (Star Cornerback for the Denver Broncos); I “played” football with him in high school… He is crazy good. Glad to see that he’s become so successful)
- Michael Pope (Bethel Music), hes a rad dude and friend… also from Oklahoma
- And Last but certainly not least… Chuck Norris.
Top five lamest riffs you can play
I’m really, really not that good at guitar… I can play… but its not worth hearing.
Top five non-guitar related pastimes
- Spending time with my family. I really enjoy my wife and 2 sons.
- Mowing our land, we have 8 acres about 6 miles south of our current location that we’re going to be building a new house and shop on soon. I really enjoy driving out there early in the morning and mowing it before it gets too hot while listening to music on our zero-turn mower… I feel productive.
- Building things with my hand; I love to work with my hands. Woodworking is a passion of mine that I don’t get to spend hardly anytime on like I want to.
- Chainsaws, Guns, Fire and the Outdoors… Give me a gun, a chainsaw and a lighter and I can stay entertained in the forest for a couple days.
- Cooking; I love to cook… Pretty much anything but I really enjoy Seafood, Bacon & Steak (Ribeyes my fave). I normally do all the cooking at home. I enjoy it and it give my wife a chance to chill after a long day of taking care of our 2 little boys
Top five musical guilty pleasures
- Katy Perry
- Taylor Swift
- Nick Jonas
- Matisyahu
- Techno/Rave stuff
Top five reasons to leave work early
- Kid wiped pooped on the wall and/or his brother
- I need a nap
- Sonic Happy Hour
- Tornadoes
- Fridays
Top five things you've wasted money on
- Turkey Bacon… just buy the real thing.
- A PT Cruiser… (my wife made fun of me till we sold it)
- Fireworks… they aren’t as fun as I remembered them to be as a child
- Cheap guitar gear
- Coated guitar strings
