Josh Rieck came to lutherie in 2002, drawn by what he saw as a beautiful crossroads of music and visual art. He began his formal training at Minnesota State College – Southeast Technical in Red Wing, MN, graduating with honors from the Guitar Repair and Construction program before returning to his hometown of Aberdeen, SD. There he founded String Theory Musical Instrument Repair and Custom Construction, performing guitar repair for local music shops while building his first acoustic and electric instruments.

Growing local demand led Josh to expand his work to violin family instruments, and he began studying double bass performance at Northern State University. In 2007 he continued those studies at the University of South Dakota under Dr. Rick Rognstad, relocating the business to Sioux Falls at the same time.

After completing his master's in double bass performance, Josh moved the shop to a larger location and transitioned to lutherie full time. During the 2012–2013 academic year, he studied the history of musical instruments at the National Music Museum, an experience that brought him up close to some of the finest stringed instruments ever made.

In 2016, Josh consolidated his building work under the name J. Rieck Lutherie. Three years later, following the closure of Sioux Falls' primary local music store, he opened J. Rieck Music — a shop that pairs his instrument building and repair work with stringed instrument retail and rental services for the local community.

In December 2026, the business expanded again into a larger facility, with enhanced retail and repair services alongside a dedicated space for custom instrument construction.

Josh has shown his instruments at festivals and shows across the country, including the LaConner Guitar Show, the Artisan Guitar Show, Fretboard Summit, the Ukulele Guild of Hawai'i Show, and the Great River Guitar Show.