FULLSTEPUP LLC

The Darin Hackbarth Instrument & Gear Drive

“Music enhances the education of our children by helping them to make connections and broadening the depth with which they think and feel.” – Yo-yo Ma

FULLSTEPUP is proud to launch The Darin Hackbarth Instrument & Gear Drive, a community donation effort created to help put quality musical instruments and equipment into the hands of young people who want to learn, play, and grow through music.

The drive honors Darin Hackbarth, whose love of music and guitars helped inspire the mission of FULLSTEPUP. His story is a reminder of how powerful access to an instrument can be in a young person’s life.

We are seeking workable, functional, and playable instruments and music equipment that can be placed directly into FULLSTEPUP’s program or used to support its music education efforts.

Instruments Needed

  • Acoustic guitars
  • Electric guitars
  • Bass guitars
  • Ukuleles

Music Gear Needed

  • Guitar and bass amplifiers
  • Effects pedals
  • Instrument straps
  • Cables and related accessories
  • Tuners and other useful musical accessories

Live & Studio Equipment

We are also accepting functional equipment that can help FULLSTEPUP develop hands-on learning and music production opportunities, including:

  • Studio monitors
  • Amplifiers
  • Microphones
  • Microphone stands
  • Recording equipment
  • Live sound equipment
  • Other functional studio or performance gear

Quality doesn’t have to mean new. Well-used equipment can be incredibly valuable when it is still safe, functional, and ready to make music.

To ensure donated equipment can be put to meaningful use, FULLSTEPUP asks that donations be workable, functional, playable, and in reasonably usable condition. Equipment requiring extensive repair, missing essential components, or that is unsafe to use may not be accepted.

Every accepted donation has the potential to become more than an instrument or piece of equipment—it can become a starting point for a young musician’s journey.

Help us turn unused instruments and gear into new opportunities for kids through music.

Donate. Share. Support The Darin Hackbarth Instrument & Gear Drive—and help FULLSTEPUP put music into the hands of the next generation.

HOW TO DONATE

Donate a functional, playable instrument or piece of music gear to the Darin Hackbarth Instrument & Gear Drive.

Please email info@fullstepup.org with:

  • Type: Guitar, bass, ukulele, amp, microphone, etc.
  • Make & Model: If known
  • Serial Number: If available
  • Quantity
  • Notes: Condition, accessories included, or anything else we should know
  • Contact Information, addr and preferred method of contact.

Pease ensure donated items are workable, functional, and playable.

Once we receive your information, FULLSTEPUP will reach out to coordinate a pickup date and time.

Thank you for helping FULLSTEPUP put music into the hands of young people!

About Darin’ Hackbarth

Music and guitars were a HUGE part of Darin’s life starting at a very young age. He was socially awkward and introverted. He spent a lot of his time in his room and his grades were always an issue. That changed for the better when he started taking guitar lessons and playing the guitar at 12 or 13 years old. It wasn’t that the world was now perfect, it was that he had something he could focus on, learn new songs to play, and just enjoy creating music. It was also something we could all talk about during some dark times for him. I’d listen to him explain why Yngwie Malmsteen was so special or about his views on Eddie Van Halen vs Angus Young. He was in his element talking about guitar players and we enjoyed the heck out of those times. His favorite players were Randy Rhodes and Stevie Ray Vaughn so we heard all about them. His grades got better and his social skills improved the more he played and I have no doubt that him picking up guitar was the best thing that happened to him growing up.

Guitars were such big part of his world. He’d always be saving for a new guitar, amp, or pedal to try out and delighted in incorporating them into his jam sessions. The craziest part is I probably heard him play more than anyone else as I shared a wall with him growing up. He’d start on Sunday with a new song, struggle along, but by the end of the week he’d have it nailed down. He didn’t do it to get praise from anyone. He rarely even played in front of the family or friends. Just was in his room doing his thing. We’d ask him to play all the time and he’d usually say later, or he’d play for two-three minutes then be done. It was a deeply personal thing for him. We found out that he liked to go to open mic nights and play guitar in front of total strangers. It may have been confusing to other people that he wouldn’t play for us but we understood completely and we were just happy he was sharing his music.

I have so many great memories surrounding his love of music and those guitars. We had Guitar magazines coming in each month and I loved getting the mail and delivering the next issue to him just to see him excited. I’d ask about the new guitar, amp or pedal and we’d talk for hours. After he moved out and was working is when all the new stuff started to show up. I don’t know the total amount of guitars he had, I think it was 26 or so. Each one was purchased for a specific reason or to play a different song. Plus they just looked amazing and he loved to display them and take care of them.

When he passed at 52 from esophageal cancer I knew I needed to find homes… good homes for his guitars. One of the things he said was he didn’t want them stuck in some closet collecting dust. The cancer was very aggressive and we never got to talk about exactly what he wanted to be done with the guitars so it became my mission to try my best to find the right people to get them. I gave guitars to his closest friends which was an amazing experience. We found homes with several family members and friends. I even flew to Arizona to make sure my cousin could have one of his guitars. It was a hard task and I was stuck after the initial plan played out. That’s where you came in Chad. I knew you’d do something great with them even if it was just playing the ones you took and having them as part of your music room. When you said you played one of his guitars in a concert you have no idea how happy that made me. I told my mom about it and she was so delighted. We both knew my brother would have thought that was freaking awesome.

Thank you for making those guitars mean something to other people. The thought of another kid playing one of those guitars and making their life a little better is just beyond words. Not being in a closet collecting dust. I don’t know how to say how much that means to me and my mom. – Derrick Hackbarth (Datin’s brother)