Kinda sad news...

[Mark Wein]

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Pedrini-The-Music-Merchant/190736678361?sk=wall

Our "competitor" across the street is closing. Pedrini Music was the place we'd go and try guitars (and get chased out for jaming too loud and not buying anything) when they were in the mall back in the 80's...it's been something of a local landmark and even though we are literally 500 feet from each other and both do music lessons I've always been friendly with them and it bums me out to see a part of my youth going away.

If you look on their Facebook page they are blowing out decades worth of dead inventory on CL but I don't think the prices are very realistic...one of the other big local stores that I took lessons from back in the 80's is also downsizing to half of their space, too. The irony is that I think things are turning around economically here locally...

 

[Coralkong]

Well, hopefully you can weather the storm.......

It always sucks when a LGS closes.
Even if they are your competitor.

 

[Mark Wein]

Well, hopefully you can weather the storm.......

It always sucks when a LGS closes.
Even if they are your competitor.

yeah. I think we're going OK...it was tough for a while but things have been looking up this year so far.

 

[Peeker]

I remember when my lgs went belly up many years ago.
it hurt.

hopefully you'll continue doing okay, Mark

 

[jaxn slim]

That is a bummer, for sure. It would be nice, though, if you could somehow reach out to their current students.

 

[Modern Saint]

Sad :(

 

[Kerouac]

Was this the place that you took a picture of last year that had all of those old Ibanez guitars on the wall?

Sorry to hear about a local place going under though. We've got some new competition opening across town, but it could actually be a threat. We're upping the fortifications appropriately.

 

[Chad]

that sucks to see old stores die. Most of the shops I went to as a teenager are long gone.

 

[Mark Wein]

Was this the place that you took a picture of last year that had all of those old Ibanez guitars on the wall?

Sorry to hear about a local place going under though. We've got some new competition opening across town, but it could actually be a threat. We're upping the fortifications appropriately.

yep. The owner is just out of step with the times. I'm hoping some of the instructors over there (they only have a few) might want a new home...

 

[Kerouac]

yep. The owner is just out of step with the times. I'm hoping some of the instructors over there (they only have a few) might want a new home...

I'm assuming he's an older guy?

Good luck on the instructors. We're going to need to hire another one soon, because we've had a ton of calls come in that we just haven't been able to take. I might have to add Fridays back into the rotation.

 

[Tig]

That sucks.
My favorite local shop has weathered the influx of GC and a weak economy. I'll continue to support them every chance I get.

 

[Mark Wein]

I'm assuming he's an older guy?

Good luck on the instructors. We're going to need to hire another one soon, because we've had a ton of calls come in that we just haven't been able to take. I might have to add Fridays back into the rotation.

no...she's the owners widow. It;s a long story but if you look on any of the search engine ratings/reviews for this area you'll get a sense of what happened.

That sucks.
My favorite local shop has weathered the influx of GC and a weak economy. I'll continue to support them every chance I get.

thats the only thing that will save the independents. We need to provide superior service but folks can't forget about us, either.

 

[voodoothatido13]

that sucks to see old stores die. Most of the shops I went to as a teenager are long gone.

For me, this is one of the most troubling things in this country. It seems more and more that "Mom and Pop" shops are being replaced by corporate chains. I don't mean this to apply to music exclusively or even generally. Just seems that when I travel now days I have to hunt down the local flavor. Strip malls and resturant rows are full of the same shit all over the country.

 

[Jeremy]

that sucks to see old stores die. Most of the shops I went to as a teenager are long gone.

With the closing of Woodwind and Brasswind a while back, ALL of the ones I used to go to are gone. Hell the one I can't even remember the name of anymore. :(

 

[cuffdc]

One problem some mom and pops may have is that some of the bigger names (let's say for example, Gibson) require a certain amount of volume to move each year through their licensed dealers. Our local shop has an epiphone dealership, but he can't touch Gibson because he can't move the amount of stock they want him to move in a given year. He deals mainly in Dean and Epiphone, although he also stocks Danelectro (or did...not sure what's up with them) and Reverend.

 

[Mark Wein]

One problem some mom and pops may have is that some of the bigger names (let's say for example, Gibson) require a certain amount of volume to move each year through their licensed dealers. Our local shop has an epiphone dealership, but he can't touch Gibson because he can't move the amount of stock they want him to move in a given year. He deals mainly in Dean and Epiphone, although he also stocks Danelectro (or did...not sure what's up with them) and Reverend.

absolutely. Retail music is a meat grinder. It has been for decades but its only gotten worse with the online retailers and big box music stores becoming more prevalent.

 

[cuffdc]

absolutely. Retail music is a meat grinder. It has been for decades but its only gotten worse with the online retailers and big box music stores becoming more prevalent.

We also have a local franchise of Music Go Round, which deals mainly in used gear. I think they do OK because they don't have any licensed dealer pressure, they pay you about half of what they plan to sell things for (not a bad markup), and they do lessons to boot. Right now, though, the store is overrun with really cheap guitars people must have dumped after Christmas. They don't even have any Gibsons or Fenders out on the floor -- the few they have are hanging on the wall behind the counter -- whereas last summer they had several USA strats and a few Gibson LP's and SG's on the floor.

 

[Mark Wein]

our local used music store was Pro Music Exchange....they closed their doors after about 20 years in business a little over a year ago.

 

[reverend1]

absolutely. Retail music is a meat grinder. It has been for decades but its only gotten worse with the online retailers and big box music stores becoming more prevalent.

It's kind of interesting in my area. My local shop has been in business since 1950. We have GC here and one other crappy mom & pop, but our local is the place everyone goes. GC here seems to serve mostly the 14 yo crowd. The guys who play out and are what I consider "musicians" go to Durdel's. I think the reason why is the employ guys who are professionals in their fields. All of them have a degree in music, or in my teachers case when to GIT. They are the only place in town that offers lessons with professional instructors.

Most importantly, for the most part, they carry brands you can't get any where else. They are Fender, PRS, Reverend, Godin, Seagull, Martin, Hofner, and Morgan Monroe dealers. The inventory is in "new" condition, strings are in tune and changed regularly. They provide a private room to test guitars and amps. They also provide great advice without the snarky attitude you get from the punks at GC.

 

[Mark Wein]

It's kind of interesting in my area. My local shop has been in business since 1950. We have GC here and one other crappy mom & pop, but our local is the place everyone goes. GC here seems to serve mostly the 14 yo crowd. The guys who play out and are what I consider "musicians" go to Durdel's. I think the reason why is the employ guys who are professionals in their fields. All of them have a degree in music, or in my teachers case when to GIT. They are the only place in town that offers lessons with professional instructors.

Most importantly, for the most part, they carry brands you can't get any where else. They are Fender, PRS, Reverend, Godin, Seagull, Martin, Hofner, and Morgan Monroe dealers. The inventory is in "new" condition, strings are in tune and changed regularly. They provide a private room to test guitars and amps. They also provide great advice without the snarky attitude you get from the punks at GC.

thats how it used to be here. There is still one store like that called Jims Music here along those lines that seems to be doing pretty well. The problem here is that population density will support a ton of big box retailers to the point where folks just don't bother looking for the little guys since they know where the big ones are (if they are first time or new instrument buyers). I think it's easier for an independent in a place like where you are.