Joe Vallee graduated from Roberto-Venn in 1981. For the next ten years, Joe operated his own repair and restoration business providing repair, customization, and warranty service for several music stores in the Phoenix and Tucson areas.
When an instructor position opened up at Roberto-Venn in 1991, Joe seized the opportunity to share his repair expertise as well as pursue his own passion for designing and building electric bass guitars and electric mandolins. Steve Miller owns a “Vallee” electric mandolin and Pat Simmons of the Doobie Brothers plays a guitar that Joe built at Roberto-Venn in 1999.
As a guitar tech for the Doobie Brothers, Joe also offers a unique insight into the responsibilities and skills needed by the touring “road tech”.