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Old 09-22-2019, 08:27 PM
whvick whvick is offline
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Default Sad to see them go

I live in small town Kentucky. We do not have a music store, so I shopped the next two towns that have a couple of stores, and went to the big city stores from time to time.
I basically took a ten year hiatus from guitars to work on photography. This year my wife bought me a used D-15, but that is another thread. That is what got me playing again, and back on the forum.
On Labor Day I went to the big city and found that one of the bigger guitar stores was gone. Most of what I saw was at Guitar Center that day.
I went to one of the small town stores last month and the Guitar stock was thin. And the big three were absent, refusing to sell to stores that cannot afford their minimum allotment.
I found the same scenario yesterday at the small store in the other town. I looked for anything to buy, but they did not have the tuner I wanted, And I needed nothing else.
So like a lot of other businesses, brick and stick stores will give way to the digital age. The convenience of buying so many things online just does not translate to buying musical instruments. There is something special about trying 50 or 100 guitars before you find just the right one.
So long music stores. I’m sad to see you go.
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Old 09-22-2019, 08:46 PM
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You could say the same thing about record shops, coffee houses, bookstores, independent department stores, hardware stores, etc. Now we have Amazon, Starbucks, Home Depot, Walmart, Sweetwater, etc. The times they are a changing...
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Old 09-22-2019, 09:38 PM
phcorrigan phcorrigan is offline
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Most of the smaller stores around here only carry a single guitar brand. One carries Yamaha, another Breedlove, and a couple only carry Fender. A local three-store chain carries most of the big brands, and then there's Guitar Center, of course.
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Old 09-23-2019, 07:49 AM
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Back in my day there was a type of socializing at music stores and record stores / head shops. I'd stop at my local music store to hang out and talk with the guys that worked there. Everyone involved were musicians so the banter was about instruments and performing along with the hip car someone bought etc. The record / head shop was about the same. You'd walk in and someone would say hey check out the latest by so and so I think you'd like it. You'd answer back let's check it out throw it on. That meant you'd be hanging out for at least most of the album talking about music. Great times and socializing.
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Old 09-23-2019, 08:07 AM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Rev Roy View Post
The times they are a changing...
Interesting how prophetic some lyrics from the great songwriters are.
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Old 09-23-2019, 08:13 AM
GuitarLuva GuitarLuva is offline
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That is sad indeed. To add to what you said, some music stores will no longer let you play a guitar, how insane is that. I haven't had that happen yet but I can only imagine my reaction. I'm interested in buying a guitar...I want to test some...but you won't let me play any...interesting. Pretty soon there won't be any music stores except for online. That'll be great for shipping back guitars that you don't jive with.
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Old 09-23-2019, 08:21 AM
jaymarsch jaymarsch is offline
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It is sad. I am grateful that my local music store is still in business. I have sold a number of instruments through them and a bought a couple over the years. I am really happy they are still up and running. Part of what keeps them here is that they have a huge selection of sheet music, books and other accessories as well as being the main music store in the area that orders band instruments for the area schools. I think that has kept them around rather than relying solely on guitar sales. I don't know how long they'll last but I will support them for as long as I can.

Best,
Jayne
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Old 09-23-2019, 08:24 AM
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We're really lucky where I live (city of 1,000,000). There's 6 really good shops that I frequent and more than a dozen others. Big box to mom-and-pops, high end to low end. Whenever I visit my favorite shops the store is usually busy. There have been a few that closed down over the years (in some cases for good reasons) but new ones keep popping up. The market must be thriving here. I make a point of shopping local for musical gear and it appears others around here do too.
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Old 09-23-2019, 08:32 AM
Pillendreher Pillendreher is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Mr. Jelly View Post
Back in my day there was a type of socializing at music stores and record stores / head shops. I'd stop at my local music store to hang out and talk with the guys that worked there. Everyone involved were musicians so the banter was about instruments and performing along with the hip car someone bought etc. The record / head shop was about the same. You'd walk in and someone would say hey check out the latest by so and so I think you'd like it. You'd answer back let's check it out throw it on. That meant you'd be hanging out for at least most of the album talking about music. Great times and socializing.
I've been socializing in guitar shops as well lately, but unfortunately it's just older gentlemen that can't play at all/all that well and start to tag along with me, therefore keeping me from playing the guitars I'm interested in in peace.
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Old 09-23-2019, 08:54 AM
Silly Moustache Silly Moustache is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by whvick View Post
I live in small town Kentucky. We do not have a music store, so I shopped the next two towns that have a couple of stores, and went to the big city stores from time to time.
I basically took a ten year hiatus from guitars to work on photography. This year my wife bought me a used D-15, but that is another thread. That is what got me playing again, and back on the forum.
On Labor Day I went to the big city and found that one of the bigger guitar stores was gone. Most of what I saw was at Guitar Center that day.
I went to one of the small town stores last month and the Guitar stock was thin. And the big three were absent, refusing to sell to stores that cannot afford their minimum allotment.
I found the same scenario yesterday at the small store in the other town. I looked for anything to buy, but they did not have the tuner I wanted, And I needed nothing else.
So like a lot of other businesses, brick and stick stores will give way to the digital age. The convenience of buying so many things online just does not translate to buying musical instruments. There is something special about trying 50 or 100 guitars before you find just the right one.
So long music stores. I’m sad to see you go.
Hi, I live in a city with two unis, both with Music based options, but we have one small private "used" guitar shop and one other mainly focused on orchestral instruments for schools, and yet you can go to an "open-mic" almost every night of the week, plus three or four other music clubs (including mine).

Strangely, I was in town this morning when a young man walked up to me in the street, and asked me (why me?) where thee was a music shop.
I asked him what he wanted and he explained that he had just started a music degree at one of the Unis and need bass guitar strings.
I advised him to try the mainly classical based dealer, but that it would be better, almost as quick to buy online. (there is a dealer who promises next day delivery if you order before 3.p.m. (it was 1.50)

I used to have three specialty guitar dealers within about 1 hours travel. Now there is one, and their stock is reducing noticeably.
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  #11  
Old 09-23-2019, 08:57 AM
sfla sfla is offline
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I'm from Ireland, our music shop selection is quite poor..

There was a small one man shop that sold beautiful Martins, Lakewoods and what-not.

I went back to the store for the first time in a while last week, it was just Tanglewoods and Yamahas..

His lowest priced guitar was a Taylor Big Baby and now his most expensive is less than that.

Another store in the same area has new USA made Fender Teles and Strats for €800 or so on sale.. he's selling cheaper guitars and beginner sets everyday but he's only sold a couple Teles..
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  #12  
Old 09-23-2019, 09:06 AM
whvick whvick is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by GuitarLuva View Post
That is sad indeed. To add to what you said, some music stores will no longer let you play a guitar, how insane is that. I haven't had that happen yet but I can only imagine my reaction. I'm interested in buying a guitar...I want to test some...but you won't let me play any...interesting. Pretty soon there won't be any music stores except for online. That'll be great for shipping back guitars that you don't jive with.


I was in a store with a large selection of Martins with most of the upper end ones having an index card saying to ask for assistance before pulling down those guitars. And years ago another store had all the high end guitars separated by counters from the customers. In both cases they were glad to let me play whatever I asked for. The guy at the store with the index cards said I could go ahead and try them all. They had to resort to the cards because some teens had been jamming out too hard on those expensive instruments.
It does put you off to not be able to freely try the guitars, but I can see their side of it also. A big scratch on a 4K Martin, makes it 2k used Martin.
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Old 09-23-2019, 09:11 AM
whvick whvick is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by J-Doug View Post
We're really lucky where I live (city of 1,000,000). There's 6 really good shops that I frequent and more than a dozen others. Big box to mom-and-pops, high end to low end. Whenever I visit my favorite shops the store is usually busy. There have been a few that closed down over the years (in some cases for good reasons) but new ones keep popping up. The market must be thriving here. I make a point of shopping local for musical gear and it appears others around here do too.


Just curious. Check the phone book for this year and then if you can find an old book at grandma’s or someone’s house. I wonder how many stores in a big city then vs now.
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Old 09-23-2019, 09:15 AM
whvick whvick is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by jaymarsch View Post
It is sad. I am grateful that my local music store is still in business. I have sold a number of instruments through them and a bought a couple over the years. I am really happy they are still up and running. Part of what keeps them here is that they have a huge selection of sheet music, books and other accessories as well as being the main music store in the area that orders band instruments for the area schools. I think that has kept them around rather than relying solely on guitar sales. I don't know how long they'll last but I will support them for as long as I can.



Best,

Jayne


The band instruments would make a big difference.
I remember 50 years ago, Dad getting me a coronet for middle school band. When I said I might want to change to guitar, he rushed he to the same store to make the trade![emoji6]
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Old 09-23-2019, 09:21 AM
whvick whvick is offline
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Default Sad to see them go

I just wrote Bob Taylor the basic stuff I said at the first of this thread. Then I asked this:
“Bob, can’t you help save the remaining small stores by reducing the minimum expenditure on your line in each store?If there were only a few Taylor’s in a store people could still get a feel of that great Taylor neck, and either buy one or special order another model.
Sincerely,
Bill Vickers”
I wonder if I will get a response in the ask Bob section of Wood and Steel.
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