Cascio Interstate Music (Milwaukee) has shut down.....

[studio1087]

Cascio Interstate went out of business. I’m shocked. They have a showroom that could seat 150. People for concerts. I saw Greg Koch there at a Fender event and I saw Doyle Dykes at a Taylor event. The store was huge and it had everything from grand pianos to high school band instruments (trumpets, flutes etc.) to recording to pop and rock stuff. They were a Fender, Gibson, Martin, Taylor dealer.....they had all the big names. They also had a massive website and warehouse for shipping instruments anywhere in the USA.

I called last week because I wanted to take a Fender Pro Jr chassis in; it needs some work. Bob (the tube amp repair guy) is one of the best in the Milwaukee area.

Mike Cascio (owner) answered the phone which is odd. They normally have a receptionist. I asked if I could speak to Bob and Mike said “I’ll give you his cell number; Bob is set up at home now”.

I asked if Bob was retiring - why is Bob at home?

Mike told me that he closed the store. He said that their business was so slow for the last two years that he had no choice. He said that another company bought the Cascio Interstate website and the internet portion of the business but the retail entity (a Milwaukee treasure) was no more.

We now have Cream City Music (huge) and Guitar Center (huge) and a few great smaller shops.

Cascio was like a palace. Lesson studios. Vendor concert events. Tons of quality inventory. They even had their house brand of affordable guitars and amps that they imported.

I’m not sure where I’’m headed with this. It just seems like huge local news to me.

Is this happening to any major stores where you live? Comments??

 

[ale.istotle]

Cascio Interstate went out of business. I’m shocked. They have a showroom that could seat 150. People for concerts. I saw Greg Koch there at a Fender event and I saw Doyle Dykes at a Taylor event. The store was huge and it had everything from grand pianos to high school band instruments (trumpets, flutes etc.) to recording to pop and rock stuff. They were a Fender, Gibson, Martin, Taylor dealer.....they had all the big names. They also had a massive website and warehouse for shipping instruments anywhere in the USA.

I called last week because I wanted to take a Fender Pro Jr chassis in; it needs some work. Bob (the tube amp repair guy) is one of the best in the Milwaukee area.

Mike Cascio (owner) answered the phone which is odd. They normally have a receptionist. I asked if I could speak to Bob and Mike said “I’ll give you his cell number; Bob is set up at home now”.

I asked if Bob was retiring - why is Bob at home?

Mike told me that he closed the store. He said that their business was so slow for the last two years that he had no choice. He said that another company bought the Cascio Interstate website and the internet portion of the business but the retail entity (a Milwaukee treasure) was no more.

We now have Cream City Music (huge) and Guitar Center (huge) and a few great smaller shops.

Cascio was like a palace. Lesson studios. Vendor concert events. Tons of quality inventory. They even had their house brand of affordable guitars and amps that they imported.

I’m not sure where I’’m headed with this. It just seems like huge local news to me.

Is this happening to any major stores where you live? Comments??

Bummer. I'm not sure what is closed around here other than the local instruments & lessons shop that no longer had lessons to sustain itself. Saw that one on social media since i followed it. I haven't tried to go to a physical store recently.

 

[uriah1]

Most of ours closed years ago.
Isnt there a Daves music up by you .
They always seem to pop up when I am looking for guitars.

 

[naveed211]

Bummer. I have a lot of fond memories going there and jamming in the amp and acoustic rooms with my bandmates back when I was in my late teens early 20s. They used to have some cool gear back in those days (mid 2000s).

I had come to like Cream City and more recently MKE Dave’s more so I hadn’t been to Cascio in probably a decade. Still too bad they closed down. RIP.

 

[Old Deaf Roadie]

We have two music stores left in our county. One is hit & miss on operating hours, and the other is an old timer giving lessons & selling garage sale finds in a store front. And people wonder why we don't shop locally.

 

[blowtorch]

We have two music stores left in our county. One is hit & miss on operating hours, and the other is an old timer giving lessons & selling garage sale finds in a store front. And people wonder why we don't shop locally.

Vicious cycle, or, chicken/egg conundrum

 

[Killing Floor]

Happening everywhere. eBay, Amazon, Reverb, all the online houses. And people expect their local brick and mortar to stock a wall of boutiques just to look at. And when it’s time for them to buy they go online to save $10. I buy online too. But I try to buy local when I can. I ordered my last Fender (Mod Shop) at Guitar Rez so they would make a commission because I wanted to, not because I had to. I bought a small board power supply at Strait and probably paid more than I needed to but I’d rather leave my money local. I like to buy pedals at Tone I/O because he’s a nice guy.
I’m sorry about your local shop. It will never come back. And they fall like dominoes. And it’s not just because of covid. It’s because everyone wants everything cheap and now.

 

[twangking]

I've never heard of it.

 

[buster poser]

Our local store is something like an institution too, big selection, lessons for everything, great people. I think they're doing pretty well in all this, but this is a small city (under 100k) and they're the only game in town for music lessons, etc. They sure don't act like it, lots of outreach and events.

Sorry about yours. I have a huge fondness for locally owned music stores (spending every Saturday in one when I was 9-14 certainly helped) and buy 90% of my gear from them.

 

[joe_cpwe]

I didn't know this.

Another local shop killed by the Internet.
Large, but very different than Cream City and Guitar Center.

'Back in the day' I was more of an Uncle Bob's guy than Cascio, closer drive and they gave me deals. Been a long time since I was a regular. These days, I'll admit, I buy online, occasionally making the drive to GC and Cream City.

Somewhat related..I was at Dave's, Milwaukee shop for the first time a couple weeks ago. Good inventory but I couldn't get over the fact that four guys were working, but they still dont have/allow walk-in traffic. I dont know how they are making it.

 

[daddyplaysbass]

I used to go up to Milwaukee, 1967 -- 1990, to West Allis Music (first place that really gave deals), and later Ralph Hanzel; still have my "Ralph Hanzel is a Friend of Mine" bumper sticker.

 

[tah1962]

Bummer. Before I retired, I used to stay in the Milwaukee area quite a bit for work. I had bought things from them online before, but always wanted to see the store. On one of my trips I got in town mid-afternoon and decided to go check the store out. I ended up spending 2+ hours in there. It was a great store.

 

[jrblue]

They closed because 90% of the posters here buy their guitars from Sweetwater, etc., and use real guitar shops as a place to try out (and put wear on) instruments they will then go buy online and then post about, usually with some complaint about QC or setup, or getting a "floor sample," here on tdpri.

 

[Ironwolf]

We've never had any place like that closer than 400-500 miles away. Sorry to hear it's closed.

 

[getbent]

My grandma told me if you live long enough, everything and everyone you once knew will be gone and the world will have changed so that it is foreign and strange.

 

[imwjl]

My grandma told me if you live long enough, everything and everyone you once knew will be gone and the world will have changed so that it is foreign and strange.

I keep hoping I truly have the deal with it and move on genes or ways my mother inherited or learned from hers. It entertains me to see her attitude among her peers still standing.

Closer to topic, I've known that business my whole life because Milwaukee, Madison and Chicago were the places to go from our smaller town. However, in those growing up days even our then probably 7500 people town had a music store that sold quality instruments, sheet music and records.

I share @studio1087 shock here but we're still fortunate. Look at what @Ironwolf posted and then look at Dave's site knowing there are 3 locations now. Family owned Heid Music also in the state seems to have remained strong and moved where other old school places retired or failed. Full Compass headquartered here has a walk in element.

It may be as your grandma said - changed - but the unusual past year has upped doing good activities for a lot of people. I expect music retail to somehow survive but I do believe it will have to be more specialized such as Dave's mostly a guitar shop. Cascio, Ward-Brodt, Patti and others were classic music stores with classic brands. Institutions and part of your growing up if did band, music, and you're the right age.

 

[MilwMark]

I didn't know this.

Another local shop killed by the Internet.
Large, but very different than Cream City and Guitar Center.

'Back in the day' I was more of an Uncle Bob's guy than Cascio, closer drive and they gave me deals. Been a long time since I was a regular. These days, I'll admit, I buy online, occasionally making the drive to GC and Cream City.

Somewhat related..I was at Dave's, Milwaukee shop for the first time a couple weeks ago. Good inventory but I couldn't get over the fact that four guys were working, but they still dont have/allow walk-in traffic. I dont know how they are making it.

Large internet presence. Fluid inventory among 3 locations. They will book folks to come in and try things out in store. Allows them to keep distance and clean. A year in, who expects to just walk in anywhere? So I can't imagine it puts them at a competitive disadvantage. Customers adjust.

@studio1087 - that's interesting. Not on my side of town and not really my vibe. So I've only been in once or twice. Too bad to see a local shop go though.

 

[naveed211]

Large internet presence. Fluid inventory among 3 locations. They will book folks to come in and try things out in store. Allows them to keep distance and clean. A year in, who expects to just walk in anywhere? So I can't imagine it puts them at a competitive disadvantage. Customers adjust.

Yup, their online inventory is usually
competitive priced and goes very quickly. Traffic went down at their Madison location too, but they’ve continued to do very well through their online presence. I do wonder if they’ll keep three stores open if this goes on for longer than expected, but they’ve weathered it.

I keep hoping I truly have the deal with it and move on genes or ways my mother inherited or learned from hers. It entertains me to see her attitude among her peers still standing.

Closer to topic, I've known that business my whole life because Milwaukee, Madison and Chicago were the places to go from our smaller town. However, in those growing up days even our then probably 7500 people town had a music store that sold quality instruments, sheet music and records.

I share @studio1087 shock here but we're still fortunate. Look at what @Ironwolf posted and then look at Dave's site knowing there are 3 locations now. Family owned Heid Music also in the state seems to have remained strong and moved where other old school places retired or failed. Full Compass headquartered here has a walk in element.

It may be as your grandma said - changed - but the unusual past year has upped doing good activities for a lot of people. I expect music retail to somehow survive but I do believe it will have to be more specialized such as Dave's mostly a guitar shop. Cascio, Ward-Brodt, Patti and others were classic music stores with classic brands. Institutions and part of your growing up if did band, music, and you're the right age.

The Heid Music in Madison is awful for guitars. Really went downhill the last few years. Almost never get different inventory, and their guitars in stock are setup like crap. Every guitar has hand slicer fret ends. I’d imagine they get by on piano lessons and band instruments. If it were just guitars alone they’d be toast.

 

[imwjl]

Yup, their online inventory is usually
competitive priced and goes very quickly. Traffic went down at their Madison location too, but they’ve continued to do very well through their online presence. I do wonder if they’ll keep three stores open if this goes on for longer than expected, but they’ve weathered it.




The Heid Music in Madison is awful for guitars. Really went downhill the last few years. Almost never get different inventory, and their guitars in stock are setup like crap. Every guitar has hand slicer fret ends. I’d imagine they get by on piano lessons and band instruments. If it were just guitars alone they’d be toast.

I haven't looked closely at their guitars for a few years. To be honest, anyone's. I got my GAS-killers all 8-10 or maybe more years ago. Yes I'm sure band and lessons are their survival.

Times just change. Things change. I thought our family business would be my life, then another niche in IT. The iron belt became the rust belt. The .com became .bomb so I move on as best as I can. I point out my aim low and survive mode to my kids - stay ahead of important medians and means.