SAN DIEGO -- Seven years ago, Shawn Weimer started Zoe Guitars, a custom luthier business in Oceanside, California, named after his infant granddaughter, Zoe.
Zoe is the Greek word for "life," which is something that Weimer almost gave up on after the accidental death of his 12-year-old son Zachary in 2008. Becoming a grandfather seven years ago gave Weimer a reason to live and it helped him refocus his life priorities on both his family and pursuing full time his 30-year hobby of making guitars.
"When Zoe was born, I realized the last thing I wanted to do was put the burden I'd carried for so long on her shoulders. She made me want to live again. She reawakened me," he said. "On my darkest days, I'd grab a guitar and it would help me get through the day, so it seemed like the right name for the business."
