Great mom and pop stores of the past

[trandy9850]

The only electric guitar I ever owned and regret selling I got from A,L,&M. It was a quilt top translucent purple EB/MM Van Halen signature model. Special ordered in first batch EB/MM shipped. I do not like tremolos,especially a Floyd Rose, but man that guitar had a glorious tone.
I hung out at Alpha quite a bit when off duty. Used to gig at The Jewish Mother and the bar at the end of the pier at VB when I was stateside. Good times.

Ocean Eddie’s?

”Off duty”?

Were you military? Police?

EDIT: I didn’t read closely…you mention “in country”…obviously you were military.

 

[stxrus]

Peavey Melody Music was a cool shop with just about anything you could want...long before Hartley built his first amp

Arnold & Morgan and Charlie’s hold fond memories

A bunch of, primarily small, guitar shops dotted the mid-cities when I lived there. None come to mind right now

 

[Bellacaster]

Rainbow Music-Grand Rapids-closed last year.

Bought my first electric at Rainbow - a Squier MIM tele at that.

 

[CinPA]

Many of us remember some great music stores before the big box concept took over. I thought it might be interesting to share some stories about these long gone but really valuable memories of the past music business.

I begin with one store that was actually a drum manufacturer in central Massachusetts which sold all kinds of musical instruments. It was called Walberg and Auge. What made this store so special is it was not just retail but they were a machine shop that manufactured hardware for most of the American drum manufacturers. In addition the hi hat was first invented by one of its founders. You could custom make drum sets with any hardware and shells you wanted including their own brand. But in addition to its storied history and percussion oriented business, they carried a full line of instruments. What made this so great was they were in my town. It was a large steel building with a front showroom with full length glass windows in front.

As a kid I could ride my bike to the outskirts of the local industrial park where it was located on a major thoroughfare. Clarence, the original owners son was an older gentleman kind of like WC Fields in appearance but was super friendly and helpful. He would continue on his business and stop to answer questions. He even showed me how to string a guitar and lock in the string of which I use still to this day. He had another Asian gentleman who was the percussion guy who would deal with the symphony folks in Boston. Just a great memory.

Unfortunately, Clarence sold the business to an investor at about the same time the international companies like Tama, Yamaha, and Sonor were making headways into the market and one day I came back from college and they were gone.
There were other stores in the area but this one was my favorite simply because I could just go there on my bike. Now there are advantages to the big box concept for sure times have changed but, there is something to be said about the history of those moments in time.
Please share your stories.

I’m going to need to edit this post when I have a bit of time because I have 2 stories that typify why Bath Music in Bensonhurst, Brooklyn NY was such an amazing place. The owners literally were called Mom and Pop!

BTW I bought 2 Rx pedals from Billy G. of Biohazard there… a 3rd great story.

 

[421JAM]

Atlanta:

Midtown Music
Clark's

We still have a decent number of small music stores in business, but those two far outshined everything that remains.

 

[stxrus]

Atlanta:

Midtown Music
Clark's

We still have a decent number of small music stores in business, but those two far outshined everything that remains.

I liked Maple St. Guitars in Atlanta the few times I have visited.

 

[421JAM]

I liked Maple St. Guitars in Atlanta the few times I have visited.

I’ve heard they’re good, but I still haven’t checked them out.

Atlanta Discount has its fans, too. I loved that place when it was on Clairmont, but I’ve never been to their store since they moved.

 

[StrangerNY]

Incidentally, page 3 of this thread is setting off major virus warnings for me.

Anybody else getting this? It actually disconnected me from the site until I skipped over the page.

- D

 

[Rockinvet]

Incidentally, page 3 of this thread is setting off major virus warnings for me.

View attachment 1074766

Anybody else getting this? It actually disconnected me from the site until I skipped over the page.

- D

Seems to be ok for me. Maybe the moderators could take a look. It is a great discussion and would be a bummer if someone messes it up.

 

[Rockinvet]

Peavey Melody Music was a cool shop with just about anything you could want...long before Hartley built his first amp

Arnold & Morgan and Charlie’s hold fond memories

A bunch of, primarily small, guitar shops dotted the mid-cities when I lived there. None come to mind right now

Peavey Melody Music is a place with some history for sure.

 

[MD_Spencer]

The Music Loft in Durham NC (ca. 1979-1982) when it was up stairs on Perry street and then down stairs also on Perry St. but before it moved to the intersection of Markham and Broad. It was run by Jay Miller, who helped out more than one local musicians. You could walk in with $100 and put it down on a guitar selling for $400 and and walk out the door with the guitar that day. He would trust you to pay him back in full over time. Same thing with amps too. He did not offer this to everyone, but if you were in good standing with him he would. An amazing array of vintage guitars, basses, amps, PA's and drums. Terry McInturff had a space next-door in the same "loft" and was the local guitar tech of choice. He now builds TCM Guitars here in NC.

 

[Mark617]

I lived near the corner of Mass ave and Boylston in the late 70s. I remember them both. In addition the pizza place next to Jacks was great, . I traded in some guitar gear in at Wurlitzer for bass gear.

Great times back then. Mr Music in Allston. Daddy’s down by Berkeley.
For the life of me, I can’t remember the name of the other shop, 2 doors down from EU ? I think it began with a P ? It was on Mass ave. Last building before the bridge over the pike .

 

[Rockinvet]

Great times back then. Mr Music in Allston. Daddy’s down by Berkeley.
For the life of me, I can’t remember the name of the other shop, 2 doors down from EU ? I think it began with a P ? It was on Mass ave. Last building before the bridge over the pike .

A few have come and go. Down from Wurlitzer? I think Daddy’s is gone now. Haven’t been there in years. Late 70s.

 

[Killing Floor]

Rhythm City in Atlanta was my dealer growing up in Atlanta. Or Ken Stanton sometimes. That’s where I took lessons when I was younger.

Most of the stores here in Austin are single owner, local. We have GC but there are a lot of really great options here.

 

[Honga Man]

For me it was Reliable Music in Charlotte, Rhythm City in Atlanta, and Hames Music in between the two on I-85 in Gaffney, SC in the late '80s and '90s.

Reliable went out of business and Rhythm City became a Guitar Center. Don't know about Hames, as I haven't lived in that part of the country for many years now.

 

[Mark617]

A few have come and go. Down from Wurlitzer? I think Daddy’s is gone now. Haven’t been there in years. Late 70s.

Wurlitzer, Jack’s & Daddy’s are gone
Long gone

 

[Rockinvet]

Wurlitzer, Jack’s & Daddy’s are gone
Long gone

Yeah and the last time I went on a tour of Fenway I discovered GC on one of the adjacent streets. Forgot which one.

 

[NoTeleBob]

Wurlitzer, Jack’s & Daddy’s are gone
Long gone

I think Daddy's has been gone about 10 years, maybe a little longer.

The owner just closed up the stores one day. No notice to employees or customers. All stores open one day, closed the next. A number of customers with their instruments in for repair were left high and dry. Eventually they did get them back.

Too bad... it was a good place to shop.

 

[Gardo]

When I lived in the Altoona area I went Ricchie Music for convenience.but further into the city Ford music was the place to go. I doubt either one is still around now

 

[StrangerNY]

The first music store I ever really went to a lot was Suburban Music in Glenside PA (for you Philly guys, it was two or three doors down from the Keswick Theater, which was boarded up at the time). I bought an Epiphone Coronet, and Ampeg combo and a bunch of different effects there.

One time they let me down in the basement, and while looking around I found a Vox Phantom guitar that was taken apart. I pointed it out to the owner and he let me take it home. Crappy guitar, but I learned how to put a guitar together with it.

- D