Old School Music Instrument Store Appreciation Thread

[likitlikeyoulikeit]

Hello All!

I was thinking while drinking my morning coffee, and also smoking my morning coffee, about my younger musical years.

I grew up very poor. But I was musically wealthy.
From an early age my single mother supported my love of music. She let me listen to everything without restrictions, and took me to various adult concerts on school nights while in elementary school. Yep. Metallica, justice tour, general admission. She snuck her joints in my binoculars case. Needless to say, I have music in my DNA.

I always wanted to play drums. Non starter.
I then pivoted to wanting a guitar and amp.....nope.

For several years before I even knew how to play, I would visit a music shop, a house really, near my maternal grandmother. I tested this poor man's patience for years ...and never purchased a thing. Always answered my questions, never became angry with me. I made stupid noise at this place...but I also learned a lot ...from him, and from fiddling around for hours.

He as an amazing player who would whip out his licks and instruct my naive, idol soaked mind.

I remember he carried all the arion pedals that everyone loves now ..but not then. I played with them all the time.

Years later I would buy items as a thanks for all the torture I put him through.

He stayed open until his death in 2011...which was during the guitar center-a-fication of America, so this was impressive.

This all just made me miss old times, because I am old. I just think these types are missing these days.

Thank you. And rip

Jeffrey G. LePard - Jeff's Music​

​

 

[TSJMajesty]

Nice post!

Mine was my aunt, only 10 years older than me. I'd listen to her 45's before I was even able to read, every time I visited my grandmother, whom I adored! And absolutely LOVED spending my summer vacations with.

As for mom & pop music stores, Chuck Levin's near DC is still going, even after the original owner passed. I think it's still run by family. They have everything. I was introduced to it when my band director told my parents it was time to take me there and buy me a pro clarinet (cost more than a LP Custom!)

Me and my bandmates would take Saturday drives to go visit, even if we weren't looking to buy anything. Those trips were always a lot of fun!

 

[la szum]

Friday nights as a teen. Hit the music store before they closed.

Saturday afternoon. Hang out in the music store as long as they'd
tolerate you.

I bought my first Gibson on layaway from Cook's Music at 17. It
was under $400 and new in 1985. I think it was like $130 a month
for 3 months. Got it the Summer in between my Junior and Senio
years in High School.

We'd also rent PA gear to jam. And you could rent 4 track machines,
which did in later years when I started to get into home recording more.

Everyone was cool and friendly. The funny part was that the front
half was a Christian Bookstore. So you'd have all these stoners and
rockers walking through that part of the store to get to the back half.
I know many of us reeked of Pot when we did.

 

[la szum]

They also set up a mobile studio in the store and recorded some of the local bands,
including a friend and former roommate I grew up that I have mentioned in the past.

I wonder who they were influenced by.

These were released on 45 in the mid 1980s. Rob Cook store owner on the left. Kevin
McCreery on the right.

 

[Warmart]

Great post.

Only point of contention - if you were in elementary during AJFA, you ain't as old as you think

Ask me how I know.

 

[likitlikeyoulikeit]

Great post.

Only point of contention - if you were in elementary during AJFA, you ain't as old as you think

Ask me how I know.

I'm an old man at heart....but yes. I did a lot of things maybe a lot too young. But it made me who I am.

Also, I had pseudo cousins and an aunt tht was only 8 years older ...so I was initiated early. Had my first real job when I was 11, and emancipated myself at 17....so I am 70 on the inside.

My body feels 100

 

[LeftyLoungeLizard]

When I started hanging out in music stores:

"Crazy Train" was the Riff Du Jour; meaning, the riff all the cool kids would play in-store.

By the time "Enter Sandman" became the Riff Du Jour, my time spent at music stores had dwindled down until I had completely stopped going.

 

[LeftyLoungeLizard]

Speaking of AJFA, I saw them in concert during the Monsters Of Rock Tour.

In order:

Kingdom Come
Metallica
Dokken
Scorpions
Van Halen

They hadn't released AJFA yet but we got to hear a couple "new" tunes from this soon-to-be-released album during their set. I remember "Harvester Of Sorrow" and thinking it was pretty cool.

I had already gradjitated high school a year prior.

 

[likitlikeyoulikeit]

Fun fact, when I first heard Metallica, Master of puppets album, everything changed. Instantly purchased all their cassettes...still megaforce records ones at that point, and am I evil was on kill em all.

I digested everything.....every import and bootleg .... magazines, comics ....posters, tapestries....my whole room....this was 1987? Before anyone my age had a clue about anything I listened to.

I was 9.

I thought all music like that was called Metallica....instead of the proper, metal.

Told every one Metallica music ( like it was an actual genre) was so cool ..the best.....so much better than pop and Micheal Jackson!

Needless to say, I was eventually embarrassed and humbled, but educated. Life long metal head.

 

[TSJMajesty]

Speaking of AJFA, I saw them in concert during the Monsters Of Rock Tour.

In order:

Kingdom Come
Metallica
Dokken
Scorpions
Van Halen

Summer of 88! I had tickets, but that was the day my new 900 Ninja was ready, and I rode that bitch all day!! Missed so much of the show, that by the time I got to RFK, I could hear Eddie playing his solo. No one even bothered to check my ticket, I wandered down to a somewhat close spot, watched a song or 2, and split to continue my ride!!

(8 days later I cut that deer in half! )

 

[FuzzyAce]

Ken Stanton music is one I remember frequenting a lot. This was an original location in downtown Marietta, GA. '92, I had moved to GA, I just turned 18 and had been playing guitar a little over a year at that point. So I'd go there on my days off and try everything I could lol. I liked to buy music tab books from there as I recall. All the current Satriani and Vai books, some on Blues, whatever. I just soaked it all in and taught myself best I could how to do it. My first real gear purchases was a place in Roswell, GA -- can't remember the name of it because I didn't go there often. But they had all the newest name brand gear out so I bought an Ibanez Talman guitar and a Crate Vintage Club 50 combo with my on money. I was proud.

 

[likitlikeyoulikeit]

For those confused, this is how you end up when you split a deer in half on a motorcycle.

 

[scole]

My shop was Guitar Trader in San Diego, which ultimately closed down in the 2010s. Very mellow place with private booths so self-conscious hacks like myself could demo gear without judgement. Their big thing was Guitar Wars, an annual shred contest and I always remember the big banners for Warren DeMartini and Jennifer Batten who were previous winners. I miss that place.

 

[likitlikeyoulikeit]

All these posts make me smile and realize that it is us that need to be these people now.

I do what I can, have built and donated pedals/pedalboards for new guitarist....to encourage them to explore. Even hand wrote a book for my niece, explaining pedals and how to use them. It also had a long list of bands and albums to check out.

I am not as social irl as I should be, so maybe I'm the worst person for this cause, but I feel like these types of people are missing/frowned upon now?

Too many horror stories and fear probably too.
I also suppose young people aren't allowed to be as free as I was as a youth. I hardly ever saw my mom in my teenage years, this is probably different now...

Anyway, let's foster some guitar kids! Then we can be their managers and make a bunch of money off them.... we'll name them tidepod.

 

[likitlikeyoulikeit]

They also set up a mobile studio in the store and recorded some of the local bands,
including a friend and former roommate I grew up that I have mentioned in the past.

I wonder who they were influenced by.

These were released on 45 in the mid 1980s. Rob Cook store owner on the left. Kevin
McCreery on the right.

The production on this is actually pretty good, considering. Neat time capsule.

 

[Achilles]

Daddy's Junky Music Store - Salem, NH

RIP

 

[likitlikeyoulikeit]

Daddy's Junky Music Store - Salem, NH

RIP

I love that name soooo much!

New Hampshire rules! Very beautiful, great people!

 

[Achilles]

I love that name soooo much!

New Hampshire rules! Very beautiful, great people!

The owner's first store was in an old shot to hell gas station and all he sold was pretty crappy used gear.
His daughter would always refer to the place as "daddy's junky music store" - so he ran with it!

Got my first half stack from that place.

They got HUGE in New England with maybe 10? locations at their peak.
All gone now...

 

[TSJMajesty]

View attachment 26396

For those confused, this is how you end up when you split a deer in half on a motorcycle.

LOL!! It wasn't quite that bad. But yeah, my jacket had all this green and red shit on it, and as I coasted onto the shoulder, I was hoping that none of it was from ME! Hehe (It wasn't)

 

[la szum]

The production on this is actually pretty good, considering. Neat time capsule.

I loved that dude so much. He was super generous with his time and friendship (5 years older
than I was) and really paved the way for some of us younger cats. He sang on a few songs I
wrote when I recorded and released a "Solo" album in 1991. He'd help a guy out anyway he
could. Gone at 54. Prostate Cancer.

Hope he's Lighting Up The Sky somewhere. Circa mid 1990s in Mt. Pleasant at Rubbles.