I got my first good guitar from Stan in about '84. I was just out of high school and had my first job. I had been getting the Mandolin Brothers typed and stapled inventory newsletters in the mail for a couple years by this time. I had finally saved enough money for a guitar and gave Stan a call, the whole conversation is ingrained in my memory to this day. With Stan's in hand description of a few guitars over the phone, I finally ended up deciding on a 71 Martin D-35. I rode my bike home on my lunch break for a couple days hoping to find my guitar waiting by the door....... nothing. On the final day with no guitar at the door, I went in and made myself a sandwich. After a couple of bites I looked out the kitchen window and there was the box!, leaning against the wall in the garage. I just had time to pull it out and tune it up before I had to ride back to work, it was a tough day at work thinking about getting back home to my new guitar. This guitar was followed by a few others from Stan over the years.
The first time I made it to the shop myself was when I brought a few of the guitars I make out to Mandolin Brothers in '06, I think. I had called to see if they were interested in picking up a new line of guitars. When I called Stan said "who are you?". After I told him my name there was a minute of silence, "there is not much about you on the internet" he said, "I'm afraid I'm going to have to pass". I told him I'd like to come out anyway and have him look at my guitars and he said "well that would be fine". Luckily, after Stan and his sales guy Mike looked them over, they were impressed enough to decide to sell my guitars. Each time I had a guitar ready I would make arrangements to drive the 7 hours out to Staten island. I have great memories of spending the day waiting for Stan to write up a description of that trips guitar. He would call me in and say "start at the top and work to the bottom and tell me about the guitar". As fast as I would talk he would type out, at lightening speed, a imaginative and highly ornate description of my guitar. Stan jay was a great guy, a terrific human being. I really miss Mandolin Brothers.
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