Meet Rick Sell | Founder PureSalem Guitars

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

Hi Rick, what role has risk played in your life or career?
Risk for better or worse has always played a big role in my life. As a child growing up in a neighborhood filled with boys I was always one of the wilder more daring ones and I have the scars to prove it. Prior to starting PureSalem I was a police officer. I worked in the Liberty City area. There was always some crazy thing going on and I enjoyed the excitement. I worked as a police officer for 22 years. Towards the end of my career I was unhappy and I needed a change. I started PureSalem during that transition period. With regards to risk, I knew no one in the music retail and manufacturing industry. I left a 22 year career and I jumped into the deep end of the pool. In hindsight it was a crazy risky move but one that paid off. Life is short and you never know unless you try. I didn’t want to have any regrets and this was something I wanted to do.

Alright, so for those in our community who might not be familiar with your business, can you tell us more?
PureSalem Guitars was established 2013 and has become recognized internationally as a guitar brand that offers players a unique break from the norm. Our guitar models cover all types of genera’s and our artist roaster proves that. We work in an industry that pays tribute to tradition. Guitars are wood and wire. In a world that is constantly evolving with technology guitars remain virtually unchanged. PureSalem has grown organically over the years and I believe that is the key to our success. Word of mouth is everything for us and we have created a really strong customer loyalty base. We are like a “cult” brand that is continually growing. We strive for exceptional customer service and we are always seeking out new ways to offer our customers something new. We are in the process of creating a custom line in partnership with a MJT Guitar Finishes. We are also doing limited run Fuzz Pedals. We also have new models in the works. That’s one thing that separates PureSalem from many of the legacy brands. We are always introducing new models to our lineup. We faced many challenges in the early days of the company. We had no contacts in the industry. There were a lot of mistakes made early on but it helped us in the long run. We learn from our mistakes. If there is one thing I’d like people to know about PureSalem on a personal level is that if you have a dream and it’s something you are passionate about you owe it to yourself to purse it.

My favorite quote is by Theodore Roosevelt. It’s titled “THE MAN IN THE ARENA”

It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, who comes short again and again, because there is no effort without error and shortcoming; but who does actually strive to do the deeds; who knows the great enthusiasms, the great devotions; who spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who neither know victory nor defeat.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
If friends or family were in from our or town I’d like to give them a well rounded taste of Miami / South Florida. Definitely head down to Key West for a day or two. On the way back stop at Coral Castle. I’d take them to do something they probably couldn’t do anywhere else and that would be an airboat ride out in the Everglades. I would suggest chartering a boat and going out deep sea fishing. Other than that I’d take them to all the local spots like Coconut Grove, Wynwood, Miami Beach …. The usual tourist spots.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
My wife Vanesa has played a big role in everything PureSalem related. She has been extremely supportive of me. She helps me with the day-to-day operations of the company. I read a book called “ Business For Punks” and that was very inspiring to me. I would also have to thank our customers. So many of them are repeat customers and have helped us grow the brand through word of mouth. I’m very grateful to all of them for their support.            

Website: www.puresalemguitars.com

Instagram: @puresalemguitars