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March 2005
Posts: 12750
Location: Boise, Idaho | There was an article in the paper this morning about the store I like to visit on my lunch hours, Old Boise Guitar. They've been open since 1984, but are in danger of closing. The market has changed and economy is down.
I like the "vibe" of the old shop run by a guitar player and his wife. He's kind of a droll guy from New Jersey, but he really knows his stuff. Reminds me of Al, except he doesn't like Ovations. There were references to Fender and Walmart regarding marketing practices and a specific reference to being required to carry 10 high end Taylors that they can't sell.
This is not about politics, so don't start. Just about the possible passing of a local institution. |
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Joined:
November 2006
Posts: 3969
| I hate to hear things like that. We're not a big enough market to support a big box like GC or Sam Ash, but we've had a mom & pop for as long as I can remember (at least 25 years) that I've patronized forever. It's the only one of three that's survived since I came here. I got worried when the local Best Buy installed their musical instrument section, but so far the mom & pop is hanging in there. I'd hate to see it go. Even if I have to pay a small bit more for stuff it's nice to have a place "where everybody knows your name." |
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January 2006
Posts: 5881
Location: Colorado Rocky Mountains | Sorry to hear this. I have shirt from them and it is one of my favs. |
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May 2008
Posts: 160
Location: Montana | Sounds familiar. We have one guitar shop that is all Fender (and a few Os, Guilds etc). The other guitar shop used to carry a few Gibsons and Epiphones but had to drop both lines because they could not afford to carry the minimum number of Gibsons.
So I pay more than the online price and buy from the Fender shop when I can. And I don't feel like it's charity because I think I'm still in debt to them for all I've learned from them. |
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Joined:
March 2005
Posts: 12750
Location: Boise, Idaho | The really sad thing is that John, the owner, is really a good player and knows guitars. Many local players credit him with their success. You can't get that from the internet and as he says in the article, it will be very unfortunate if young people are turned away from music because they can't get a decent guitar setup or instruction. He doesn't buy the theory that mass merchandisers will introduce more young people to the world of music. I don't either. I've seen too many of them ignore a guitar, while spending hours on Guitar Hero. |
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September 2003
Posts: 9301
Location: south east Michigan | My Mom & Pop store is pretty big for being an independent. They put on a nice open mic once a month which I appreciate. They'll match internet prices without much of a fuss. Guitar Center is less than a mile away from them yet they seem to be chugging right along.
Thing is, I don't buy guitars or other big ticket items very often. |
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Joined:
February 2004
Posts: 2487
| Local guy, near me, is about ready to go out as well. He has not been able to buy Fender Guitars at his Wholesale price for what some of these bigger companies are selling them on the hangers for.
How can anyone small stay in business if the distributers are willing to market guitars at drastically different prices to their dealers.
The you tack on the economy and there it is.
I have to admit I do not go to him for things often either anymore. I can buy strings for 1/3 what he charges also picks, strap locks, straps, cords, stands, tuners and all the accessories. The internet is just way to easy and cheap and the savings are in your face and right there in your wallet every time.
If your not someone like Al or the other guy's who have some hard to find Classic/Vintage Instruments you've got to be in trouble, as it is not so good on them either right now. |
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August 2006
Posts: 3145
Location: Marlton, NJ | The local places in this area seem to make more of a living on lessons and rentals than sales. That probably works well here because we have the population to support it. It may not work so well in a less dense area.
They've got a lousy selection of acoustics - high end Taylors and low end imports and not much in between. If I actually want to try something out, it's GC or Sam Ash - both about 20 minutes away, though I probably wouldn't buy a guitar from either of them unless it was a blowout price on something I couldn't find elsewhere. |
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March 2005
Posts: 5563
Location: Blue Ridge Mountains | Local store closed two years ago...with the internet, I get by...seriously...ran my own MI store for a few years and managed another for
five years...I miss everything but the guitar hero Van Halen wannabees... |
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March 2005
Posts: 12750
Location: Boise, Idaho | Because this place was just a guitar store, they never got into band rentals. Several people give lessons there and the best luthier in town works out of the shop. I'd like to help keep them afloat, but I don't want to buy a Taylor. They have Guilds and Martins, plus electrics, but none of those give me GAS. |
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May 2003
Posts: 4389
Location: Capital District, NY, USA Minor Outlying Islands | The local stores have to find a niche. For instance, one of my favorite upstate stores is in Saratoga, and they just skipped over the big names (ie Fender and Gibby), totally turned they're backs on them. For instance, in the electric section, they sell Reverends, amoungst others, which are better than the equivalent Fenders and Gibbons, and at a better price.
As far as I can tell, if you try to go toe to toe against the biggies in this economy you get whacked. |
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Joined:
January 2009
Posts: 4535
Location: Flahdaw | Maybe I'm wrong, but I would think there would be a market for a higher-end pre-owned acoustic guitar shop. There are so many good buys on ebay or craigslist that you could outfit a shop with 25 good acoustics in no time. Wouldn't you like to go into a great pre-owned store, find a beautiful, like-new, used Adamis, Taylor, Tak, Martin, etc for 50% off new. It would take a good size metro area to pull it off, but I think it would work. Hell, I'd go there. Samash won't compete with that.
Here in Sarasota, we have a used car dealer, Encore Motorcars, that only sells used Mercedes, Porsche, BMW, etc....caters to that crowd and thrives. Could that work in Denver, Atlanta, Miami or even Boise? |
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March 2008
Posts: 2683
Location: Hot Springs, S.D. | I'm not sure if it's the area or what, but business is good here. I don't try to compete with the big boys, I sell Morgan Monroes and Tradition as my new lines. Both are very high quality, but low priced compared to Martin/Gibson/Fender. I think because I sell used instruments and so can stock a wide variety of brands, the people keep coming. And yes, when I have a slow week, lessons pay the bills. I try to keep my prices down because that, and good service will keep people loyal.
Or maybe I'm just lucky. ;) |
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Joined:
November 2006
Posts: 3969
| Originally posted by darkbarguitar:
...I would think there would be a market for a higher-end pre-owned acoustic guitar shop. ...It would take a good size metro area to pull it off, but I think it would work. That's been a thought of mine for when I take full retirement from the University 3 years from now. Thing is, I don't think this area is big enough to support it, although the money is certainly there (we have more doctors and lawyers per capita than most anywhere else).
I thought a small boutique/vintage shop like that, combined with 3 or 4 nights of open jams each week - different genre on different nights - would be a heckuva lot of fun. That, and SWMBO would have a hard time saying no whenever I wanted to get another guitar ;) |
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May 2003
Posts: 4389
Location: Capital District, NY, USA Minor Outlying Islands | My wife keeps tabs on the economy, and she's told me the economy in the Dakota's is good. It's one of the bright spots in the US. I'd say the state most americans are in is, economic grimness. |
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March 2008
Posts: 2683
Location: Hot Springs, S.D. | The reason we haven't been hit so hard is because nobody had any money to begin with! :D
Actually, the recession has been slow to hit here, but it IS starting to have an effect. There have been lots of lay-offs, just within the last few weeks. But I think the reason my shop is still doing well is, the nearest other shops are 50 miles away. And a good portion of my customers are farmers and ranchers who would turn right around and walk out of GC because of the din. Most of them hate rock, and every time I've walked into a BIG music store, there are so many kids (and adults) trying out electric guitars at once, you can't hear yourself think. |
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Joined:
March 2008
Posts: 2683
Location: Hot Springs, S.D. | HEY!!! I just noticed that was my 500th post!! I will have been here a year on Friday. 500 posts a year - that's nothing compared to some of you, but it makes me proud. Maybe I'll take myself out to dinner tonight to celebrate. Oh yeah, that's right. I live in South Dakota. Dinner out would be more like punishment. :( |
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January 2009
Posts: 4535
Location: Flahdaw | [/qb]That's been a thought of mine for when I take full retirement from the University 3 years from now.
Need a partner? |
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Joined:
February 2009
Posts: 78
Location: Bellingham, WA, USA | ugh, i cant stand guitar hero, it just makes me want to go play my real guitars. I can play regular video games fine but its something about guitar hero that i just dont like and i mess up a lot even on easy...
Too bad about the local store, we got a couple in my town, hopefully they never close.. |
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Joined:
March 2005
Posts: 12750
Location: Boise, Idaho | "Real guitars are for old people." South Park |
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Joined:
November 2003
Posts: 11039
Location: Earth·SolarSystem·LocalInterstellarCloud·Local Bub | "Mom&Pops" by their very nature, traditionally served distinct local communities. As the nature of "communities" change, becoming more virtual and less bound to actual geography with the ascent of technology, M&Ps too will need to transform to find, develop and serve "new communities".
I'm not a fan of the "WalMartization" so, I buy guitars from Al, computers from Apple and coffee from The Daily Grind on Main St. because these are my "community"... |
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December 2001
Posts: 10581
Location: NJ | I have been horse trading instruments since I was in high school.
it ain't easy. especially now with high end stuff. |
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Joined:
September 2006
Posts: 10777
Location: Keepin' It Weird in Portland, OR | Sunday, I went into Apple Music to bum a guitar box...
There were a coupla young'uns leaving, and that one dude that is always messing around in the acoustic room... But that was it.
The dude behind the desk told me that I would have to go over to the 'electric store' cuz he was the only guy in the 'acoustic store' (they always charge me for the boxes at the electric side :mad: ).
Then he said 'wait a minute' and jogged in back and got me one.
Anyway, looking in the window of all three stores (electric, percussion, acoustic) they were all pretty empty. And usually they are pretty full on a Sunday, being people's day-off and all.
BTW- They still have an old Adamas there for $1400. Non-cutaway, OP24, grayish-black.
Bet someone could make them an offer... All y'all local PDX folks. |
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Joined:
March 2005
Posts: 12750
Location: Boise, Idaho | Arthur,
If you need guitar boxes, I'll try to squeeze at least one in when I come up in May. |
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Joined:
July 2003
Posts: 3111
Location: Nashville TN. | I hate the big stores
I miss the local dealers.
Most of the good ones are gone around here.
No ones knows ANYTHING in the 3 chain stores abound here.
Haven't bought bought a more than one guitar from anyone but Al since the turn of the century.
Never bought a guitar from Guitar Center. |
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Another Mom and Pop closing?
