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The Higher Ground Rehearsal Studios are located in a more than 3,000-square-foot converted warehouse on the north side of town that includes three rehearsal rooms of various sizes, which are fully furnished and have state-of-the-art instruments, amps and mixing boards.
Founders Jason and Jahna Eichel moved to Fort Collins two years ago from New York City, where Jason was a guitarist. When they got to Colorado, he posted an ad on Craigslist looking for a group of musicians to jam with. He found a group, but there was one thing missing: a place to play. Jason suggested renting out a room at a rehearsal studio and was told that there were no such places in town. "That's when I realized there was a need," he says. "We wanted to bring something to Fort Collins because we love the area, the city, music and musicians. We thought this is something we could offer to the community." The couple spent months tracking down a variety of unique instruments and accessories from a variety of sources, including pawn shops, eBay, private collectors and original manufacturers.The gear in the space is a pull to the studio itself. Jason explains that a band can explore using a different amp, guitar or drum set, which can really open up their creativity. They also sell gear ranging from high-end tuners to basic drumsticks so that accidents that happen during practice don't have to stop the session. Local bands are encouraged to bring in their CDs as well, which will be displayed in the front lobby for sale. A few gear highlights include an Orange Amplifier Rockerverb, Fender Twin Reverb Amplifier, Pearl VBL Vision Birch drum set, Fender Hot Rod Deluxe Amplifier, Vox AC30 Amplifier and Gretsch Catalina Maple Drum Kit. See a full gear list here.The project has taken just over nine months to complete, and the couple is excited for the space to bring together the Fort Collins music industry. "We've worked hard to make sure that it is a comfortable space that the community will want to hang out in," Jahna says. And comfortable it is, with plush couches and warm wall colors. The studios can be rented hourly, from $20 to $50 an hour depending on the studio size, and booked on a weekly or monthly basis. The studio runs deals from discounts when multiple hours are booked at a time, and every fifth practice hour is free. To view all the info and contact for rent, e-mail the owners at [email protected] and view their website at http://www.highergroundrehearsalstudios.com/.
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