Mandolin Brothers sold and will be online only

[harry65]

So sad , it was my fave guitar store on the planet

[KevWind]

I was able to go there one time in 2002 I believe, must have spent about 3 or 4 hours just looking and playing a few

[OneMansGuitar]

Well congratulations to Bea, and Allison, and Eric. I am sure they will all rest easier once it is finalized.

I know it was a difficult few years. And the timing with the economic slump could hardly have been worse. So, I am glad to see they found the "right buyer."

[Steve DeRosa]

MandoBros was my friendly local guitar shop - I was a regular customer from the time Stan and Hap (Kuffner) opened the Forest Avenue shop in early 1977 (they used to work out of an apartment in a somewhat grittier section of town, by appointment only) until Stan's passing, owned no fewer than sixteen instruments from his extensive inventory, played some incredible (and expensive) examples of guitar esoterica, had a few celebrity encounters, and shared many fascinating discussions about all matters involving strings and exotic woods. One of the keys to his success was best encapsulated in an early advertising catchphrase, "we treat you the way we would want to be treated," and over four decades I never knew him to stray from that ideal; as several other posters have noted he always made you feel at home, and even though my (guitar-playing) wife would half-jokingly refer to MandoBros as her "Nightmare Realization Center" before the term GAS was coined, he would always address her affectionately as "Mrs. Steve" during our frequent visits. A little-known fact is that there was always a resident "Sis" among the "Bros," going back to the early-80's - Ellen Sorstokke, Janet LaFata (with whom my wife shared many hours in conversation while I sampled the stock), and Bea/Alison Jay; long before it emerged as an issue in the high-end/collector market, Stan had the foresight to realize the need to appeal to women players by establishing a comfortable and non-threatening atmosphere - and I've personally borne witness to its effectiveness on numerous occasions. More than just a businessman, Stan's palpable passion for music and the tools used to create it drove his international success and an industry-wide reputation; he was, indeed and above all, the heart and soul of MandoBros and an institution unto himself - sadly, there will never be another...

[magictwanger]

Amen to Steve's post.....and ....if I can add one of the most impressive things about Stan jay.

I'd also been a customer since the late 70's.Overall i bought 9 guitars from them.Because I knew they would take care of any issues correctly.....but.....The most impressive thing I ever saw was on a busy Saturday when the store was packed.I was picking up a custom Bourgeois and many folks were checking out the expensive stuff......So,in walks a kid and his dad.Stan spent,literally,2 hours with them,for a measly $600 guitar.

This was just after 2008,when business was slow,but Stan stayed with that kid and his dad,instead of attempting to sell something pricey to the other folks in the store.That was "two hours" spent for a $600 sale....IMPRESSIVE!

"SO" Stan Jay!!

[drive-south]

The takeaway from this:

We should value and support the few remaining stores that have the same business practices as Stan Jay. All of the AGF sponsors included in that short list.

[H165]

So, who bought it? Mac? Based on the brief description I'd have guessed Randy, but now that he's gone....

[rogthefrog]

Originally Posted by muscmp

sears, kmart and walmart are not alone. sign of the times.

play music!

What do these have to do with anything? Walmart has stores all over the country, and they're hardly a reputable brand the way Mandolin Bros was.

[KevWind]

Originally Posted by Steve DeRosa

MandoBros was my friendly local guitar shop - I was a regular customer from the time Stan and Hap (Kuffner) opened the Forest Avenue shop in early 1977 (they used to work out of an apartment in a somewhat grittier section of town, by appointment only) until Stan's passing, owned no fewer than sixteen instruments from his extensive inventory, played some incredible (and expensive) examples of guitar esoterica, had a few celebrity encounters, and shared many fascinating discussions about all matters involving strings and exotic woods. One of the keys to his success was best encapsulated in an early advertising catchphrase, "we treat you the way we would want to be treated," and over four decades I never knew him to stray from that ideal; as several other posters have noted he always made you feel at home, and even though my (guitar-playing) wife would half-jokingly refer to MandoBros as her "Nightmare Realization Center" before the term GAS was coined, he would always address her affectionately as "Mrs. Steve" during our frequent visits. A little-known fact is that there was always a resident "Sis" among the "Bros," going back to the early-80's - Ellen Sorstokke, Janet LaFata (with whom my wife shared many hours in conversation while I sampled the stock), and Bea/Alison Jay; long before it emerged as an issue in the high-end/collector market, Stan had the foresight to realize the need to appeal to women players by establishing a comfortable and non-threatening atmosphere - and I've personally borne witness to its effectiveness on numerous occasions. More than just a businessman, Stan's palpable passion for music and the tools used to create it drove his international success and an industry-wide reputation; he was, indeed and above all, the heart and soul of MandoBros and an institution unto himself - sadly, there will never be another...

Great story Steve . Growing up on the left coast , the shop I spent the most time amount of time in was Apple Music in Portland Ore. (before it also unfortunately also closed last year) . Chuck the manager and I became friends over the course of my stopping in and sampling the guitars. He apparently was the top dealer for Breedlove for many years running, and I even met him once for tour and wood selection trip at the Breedlove factory, when it was still in Tumalo.

[baimo]

I was told by someone in the business that the name was sold for very little$$

They were not known as an online store but I guess the new guy will get webhits whenever someone types mandoweb.com in their browser or google Mandolin Brothers. I wish him well.