# Another Ottawa music store gone?



## mhammer (Nov 30, 2007)

Driving by St. John's Music yesterday, their sign is gone, and the windows are covered. When I go to the website for the chain - St Johns Music - there is no listing of an Ottawa outlet.

Darwin Demers, who used to own Retrotown Music, and also sets up the annual guitar shows in town, was maintaining a repair bench at St. John's, on Tuesdays and Thursdays. I'll have to pop him a note and see what's up. But my sense is that the store was yet another pandemic victim.

Can anyone confirm?


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## greco (Jul 15, 2007)

Of interest...We had a wonderful St. John's Music here in Kitchener a few years ago.
This 2021 list doesn't look promising for Ottawa...


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## Rollin Hand (Jul 12, 2012)

I thought the writing was kind of on the wall when their store shrunk by half a few years back.


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## mhammer (Nov 30, 2007)

Many was the time when I was the only non-staff person in there, and I was only there to see Darwin, not to buy anything.


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## Chito (Feb 17, 2006)

I would assume it's gone. Ottawa has been taken out of their website. To be honest, the last time I was there, I was wondering how long they can keep it going. Being that the store can't even be seen from the road. You have to look for it.


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## GuitarT (Nov 23, 2010)

greco said:


> Of interest...We had a wonderful St. John's Music here in Kitchener a few years ago.
> This 2021 list doesn't look promising for Ottawa...
> View attachment 372667


I don't remember them. Where was it?


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## jfk911 (May 23, 2008)

GuitarT said:


> I don't remember them. Where was it?


It was on Merivale and Capilano, right by the Barley Mow


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## polyslax (May 15, 2020)

I have to admit I'd never heard of St. John's. I think the only Ottawa music stores I've been in for quite some time are Steve's and Lauzon.

Can we list Ottawa music stores, past and present, just for fun?

Metro ( I think it's still in the Glebe but I remember when it was on Metcalfe near Parliament Hill)
Steve's
Lauzon
Domenic's (on Carling near Maitland, as far as I know it's been gone for a long time)

That's all I've got. I must be missing some, aside from St John's.


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## FatStrat2 (Apr 7, 2021)

What abut Continental Music? I think that was the most hated in town. I got some good deals there though.

I bought my Ibanez Roadstar Series II at Steve's in the mid 80s.


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## Rollin Hand (Jul 12, 2012)

polyslax said:


> I have to admit I'd never heard of St. John's. I think the only Ottawa music stores I've been in for quite some time are Steve's and Lauzon.
> 
> Can we list Ottawa music stores, past and present, just for fun?
> 
> ...


Metro's gone, I think. There is a Domenic's in Kanata, I think. Steve's, Lauzon, Spaceman, and the 3 L&Ms exist. International Musicland was OK, but died when the owner retired.



FatStrat2 said:


> What abut Continental Music? I think that was the most hated in town. I got some good deals there though.
> 
> I bought my Ibanez Roadstar Series II at Steve's in the mid 80s.


Continental Music became Transcontinental Music, and is now Intercontinental Music on St. Laurent (or at least it was the last time I was in the area). The old fella was still there the two times I went in. And he hadn't changed.

I am most likely to go to L&M Kanata, if I go anywhere.

When St. John's opened, they had a lot of space, and a lot of good gear, including some high end Washburn and Yamaha stuff. That changed.

EDIT: I forgot Fleet Sound in Bell's Corners! I like that store a lot.


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## GuitarT (Nov 23, 2010)

jfk911 said:


> It was on Merivale and Capilano, right by the Barley Mow


Thanks but I was actually referring to the former Kitchener location that greco mentioned.


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## jfk911 (May 23, 2008)

GuitarT said:


> Thanks but I was actually referring to the former Kitchener location that greco mentioned.


 Ha that's what I get for half reading things


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## greco (Jul 15, 2007)

GuitarT said:


> Thanks but I was actually referring to the former Kitchener location that greco mentioned.


Victoria and Joseph...


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## zztomato (Nov 19, 2010)

polyslax said:


> Metro ( I think it's still in the Glebe but I remember when it was on Metcalfe near Parliament Hill)


Wow, when was that? I bought my first guitar at Metro Music (Glebe) in 1978 and they had been there for a long time at that point I believe. 


Rollin Hand said:


> Metro's gone, I think.


Metro is still very much alive and a great store. Danielle, the daughter of the original owners, runs the shop. They carry the Godin line of guitars primarily. Prices are great and they service instruments. I often do work for Danielle if she has a job that's more complicated then she wants to get into. 
I also had my first couple of lessons with her dad way back in the 70s. 
Metro is a true independent and still going strong.


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## mhammer (Nov 30, 2007)

St. John's used to be on Carling at Broadview, intially under the Dominic's label. Brian Dubbldam worked out of there. Dominic's website says that they are presently operating entirely online.

St. John's did carry band gear (lots of Yamaha, Fender, and Line 6), but seemed to deal primarily in high school band instruments and sheet music. I know we rented our younger son's trombone from there when he was in band, during middle school and early high school. Granata also carries lots of sheet music and is just a little further up Merivale from where St. John's was. I've never been to the Orleans location but the South Keys L&M carries plenty of books and sheet music, as does Steve's downtown. I suspect that the rental market kind of dried up for St. John's as more and more band instruments began showing up on Kijiji when junior decided that maybe playing clarinet or saxophone in junior band wasn't for them. And, considering the total cost we paid to rent the trombone that sits gathering dust these days, I could have gotten a better instrument on Kijiji for less than half that. So, between the rental market drying up, and many other places and ways to get sheet music (including simply downloading and printing out public domain stuff), selling the odd Yamaha acoustic or full retail-price Boss pedal was not going to pay the rent and salaries. Perhaps there could have been a better location, but that may not have been enough. When they were on Carling, at least they were just around the corner from Notre Dame and Nepean high schools, that probablygenerated enough business to cover overhead and maybe a little more.

My first guitar came from Sam's ABC, down on the market, back when it had more pawn shops than chi-chi ristorantes, bulk food stores were known as "biscuiterias", Freiman's (now The Bay) had their fabulous malted milk for 20 cents a glass in the basement, the Lafayette had draft for not all that much more, and Irving Rivers himself really DID corner the market. Sam's eventually moved up to Bank, near Alta Vista, very close to where L&M eventually opened up. Sam's son Phil was in my cub scout troop.

International was briefly situated in a basement location within St. Laurent shopping centre, before moving to a location just behind the main postal station at Riverside and Industrial, and eventually out to a nice location on Strandherd in Barrhaven. Pity they closed. They carried a nice selection of gear.


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## tomee2 (Feb 27, 2017)

Fleet Music in Bell's Corners is still a fun place to visit, as an alternative to L&M. Or, at least it was 6 months ago...


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## mhammer (Nov 30, 2007)

zztomato said:


> Wow, when was that? I bought my first guitar at Metro Music (Glebe) in 1978 and they had been there for a long time at that point I believe.
> 
> Metro is still very much alive and a great store. Danielle, the daughter of the original owners, runs the shop. They carry the Godin line of guitars primarily. Prices are great and they service instruments. I often do work for Danielle if she has a job that's more complicated then she wants to get into.
> I also had my first couple of lessons with her dad way back in the 70s.
> Metro is a true independent and still going strong.


I suspect Metro has survived largely because they weren't interested in building an empire, so they never got too big for themselves. Sort of the music store equivalent of a mom-and-pop corner store mentality. Given how long they've been there, I suspect the building is paid for, so they're not subject to outrageous rent increases. Although I imagine at some point, someone will make a ridiculously tempting offer for the property, and Danielle will become more interested in retiring than slugging it out for customers. But then, some folks just like the routine of opening up the store each morning, and yacking with the customers. My late uncle had a men's wear / tailor shop just a block and a half over on Bank, adjacent to the Royal Bank. He maintained the business and walked to work from old Ottawa South into his late '70s, despite having few customers, just for the routine of it. The late Hy Bloom could always be found, cigar in mouth, sitting in the window seat of his shop on MacLaren, reading the paper, past his 90th birthday.

For all I know, maybe her pop bought the building as investment property, back when he had much less competition in the city for music sales, and the rent from tenants upstairs is really what keeps things going.

And let us not forget the Folklore Centre. Though not a chain of any sort, it seems that many cities have something they call a folklore centre, specializing in older and acoustic instruments. I know there's one in Halifax and there's also one in Victoria. Can't speak to cities in between the two coasts, but I imagine there's more with a similar moniker. Sad that Ottawa's couldn't hang in there.

Fleet seems to be doing okay. I gather they do a pretty thriving rental business, and seem to specialize in a lot of the stuff other stores don't carry, like lighting supplies and other stage-related gear, on top of the normal rock-and-roll guitarist stuff.


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## greco (Jul 15, 2007)

zztomato said:


> Danielle, the daughter of the original owners, runs the shop.


Does she still have the big dog that dislikes some of the folks delivering stuff to the store?


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## marcos (Jan 13, 2009)

zztomato said:


> Wow, when was that? I bought my first guitar at Metro Music (Glebe) in 1978 and they had been there for a long time at that point I believe.
> 
> Metro is still very much alive and a great store. Danielle, the daughter of the original owners, runs the shop. They carry the Godin line of guitars primarily. Prices are great and they service instruments. I often do work for Danielle if she has a job that's more complicated then she wants to get into.
> I also had my first couple of lessons with her dad way back in the 70s.
> Metro is a true independent and still going strong.


 Funny story Jerome but Bob(Danielles dad) the original owner played at my wedding. I have been back to the store to visit and chat with Danielle. Very nice girl. Mark Warren the tech used to do all my guitar work back in the 80's and 90's . Heather his wife was also a lovely person. They offered great friendly service like you do J.


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## marcos (Jan 13, 2009)

greco said:


> Does she still have the big dog that dislikes some of the folks delivering stuff to the store?


Dave, the dog was still there 2 years ago. He was part of the team !!! LOL


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## polyslax (May 15, 2020)

zztomato said:


> Wow, when was that? I bought my first guitar at Metro Music (Glebe) in 1978 and they had been there for a long time at that point I believe.


Is it possible they had 2 locations? Mark, the luthier/guitar tech worked out of this store on Metcalfe. I don't know, I can't recall clearly, but I think I even remember Danielle being there. Maybe I'm mixing the memories of 2 stores together.

Anybody else remember a music store at this location, the east side of Metcalfe just a few doors from Wellington?


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## polyslax (May 15, 2020)

mhammer said:


> My first guitar came from Sam's ABC, down on the market...


Thanks for this! I had completely forgotten about Sam's ABC. I think my first electric was purchased there.


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## zztomato (Nov 19, 2010)

mhammer said:


> St. John's used to be on Carling at Broadview, intially under the Dominic's label. Brian Dubbldam worked out of there.


Brian apprenticed with Ed Dick at the Folklore centre when it was on Bronson. Brian took over when Ed left. Not sure he ever worked for Domenic.


greco said:


> Does she still have the big dog that dislikes some of the folks delivering stuff to the store?


She's had a couple of dogs - German shepherds - over the past several years. The one she has now just likes everybody and barks a lot.


polyslax said:


> Is it possible they had 2 locations? Mark, the luthier/guitar tech worked out of this store on Metcalfe. I don't know, I can't recall clearly, but I think I even remember Danielle being there. Maybe I'm mixing the memories of 2 stores together.
> 
> Anybody else remember a music store at this location, the east side of Metcalfe just a few doors from Wellington?


You may be mixing things up. Mark always worked in the back of the store on Bank street. I don't think they had another store.


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## Paul Running (Apr 12, 2020)

mhammer said:


> down on the market, back when it had more pawn shops


My brother and I liked visiting those pawn shops, Weiners always had something interesting and you could always meet quite the characters at the Laf.


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## zztomato (Nov 19, 2010)

mhammer said:


> The late Hy Bloom could always be found, cigar in mouth, sitting in the window seat of his shop on MacLaren, reading the paper, past his 90th birthday.


I use to both love and dread going in to see Mr. Bloom. He had a wealth of knowledge and was working on radios and tube amps at the same time that Leo Fender was building them. I remember when picking up my amp getting the quick lecture about not cranking it up- "don't raunch that amp out, they're not made for that". Of course I'd go home and crank it to 10. 


mhammer said:


> For all I know, maybe her pop bought the building as investment property, back when he had much less competition in the city for music sales, and the rent from tenants upstairs is really what keeps things going.


I don't believe they ever owned the building.


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## Paul Running (Apr 12, 2020)

zztomato said:


> I use to both love and dread going in to see Mr. Bloom. He had a wealth of knowledge and was working on radios and tube amps at the same time that Leo Fender was building them. I remember when picking up my amp getting the quick lecture about not cranking it up- "don't raunch that amp out, they're not made for that". Of course I'd go home and crank it to 10.


Mr. Bloom had little respect for those who abused equipment...he was the same way with circuit mods, as I received a few lectures from him on component stressing.


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## mhammer (Nov 30, 2007)

Hy did sell me a module for replacing the rectifier tube on my tweed amps with a solid-state rectifier. Local musicians and gearheads threw and attended his 90th birthday party at the shop. I took a few minutes off work to attend, and had a small piece of cake.

Silly me, I almost forgot the old Treble Clef on Sparks St., back when Brian Murphy worked there. The ground floor was all records, but if you went down the stairs (and is my memory distorting things or were they sort of spiral, or at least angled in some way?) they had music gear. I recall seeing Messenger guitars there, whose only endorsee at the time was Grand Funk's Mark Farner.

Brian DID work out of the store on Carling at Broadview. I know because it was he I brought my buzzing Kalamazoo archtop to there when we lived a little further down Carling. Now, whether it was Dominic's OR St. John's at the time is a fuzzy area. I honestly can't recall when it switched over from one to the other, and what side of that changeover Brian was there. He went on to the Folklore Centre after that.

Dominic's did have a brief life out in Hazeldean but couldn't seem to make a go of it, at least enough of a go to pay the rent and staff. I think Dominic's started out on Bank St. in the Glebe, as primarily an accordion-focussed shop. In fact, I think they even rented from my late uncle. I'll have to check with my cousin, if no one else here knows.

Finally, when we moved to our current area, there was a small music store in the strip mall on Greenbank. Forget what they were called, but they were the quintessential mom-and-pop music store, with a few budget brands of guitars and amps, harmonicas, handheld percussion (tambourines and maracas), music stands, and some Boss and Danelectro pedals. And last but not least, Simply Guitars on Baseline near Greenbank, that carried some decent gear, if not a lot, but specialized mostly in lessons. They folded when the landlord started being a pain in the rear.


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## Doug Gifford (Jun 8, 2019)

I taught guitar at "The Blue Note" on Bank north of Somerset for a while in the early 80s. Hank, the owner, taught me some steel guitar lessons. I can still play "Harbour Lights" if you hand me a lap steel in the right tuning. Hank's cohorts were Dave and Dorothy.

And "Weiner's Pawn Shop" in the market. I bought my dobro there in the mid-70s. Mr Weiner had an assistant who he treated like he was an idiot. Weird.


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## polyslax (May 15, 2020)

zztomato said:


> You may be mixing things up. Mark always worked in the back of the store on Bank street. I don't think they had another store.


Curiosity got the best of me and I reached out to Danielle. She was kind enough to get back to me with the scoop on Metcalfe St:
_I can shed a little light. Mark and Heather (his wife) ran the Sam’s ABC Music on Metcalfe St. many years ago. Eventually, Sam's opened their beautiful big store on Bank near Alta Vista, late 70’s, if memory serves. With the early 80’s we had a serious inflation issue (near 20%) and Sam’s closed at that time along with a few other local shops. It was at that point that The Fret Clinic moved into Metro Music (1982ish.)_


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## zztomato (Nov 19, 2010)

polyslax said:


> Curiosity got the best of me and I reached out to Danielle. She was kind enough to get back to me with the scoop on Metcalfe St:
> _I can shed a little light. Mark and Heather (his wife) ran the Sam’s ABC Music on Metcalfe St. many years ago. Eventually, Sam's opened their beautiful big store on Bank near Alta Vista, late 70’s, if memory serves. With the early 80’s we had a serious inflation issue (near 20%) and Sam’s closed at that time along with a few other local shops. It was at that point that The Fret Clinic moved into Metro Music (1982ish.)_


Oh cool. You were right about Mark W being at a different store anyway. 
Man, I miss those days. I used love spending a day just going from one shop to another in search of cool gear. Good times.


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## mhammer (Nov 30, 2007)

I was unaware that Sam's had ever been on Metcalfe. It was still on the Market when my family moved to Laval in '65 and when I returned to work on the market in '70, and by the time I came back for visits, it was at the Bank St. location.


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## polyslax (May 15, 2020)

zztomato said:


> Oh cool. You were right about Mark W being at a different store anyway.
> Man, I miss those days. I used love spending a day just going from one shop to another in search of cool gear. Good times.


For my own sanity I needed to know there was actually a music store on Metcalfe!

Yeah, I miss those adventures too...


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## Mikeroesoft (Jan 12, 2012)

I used to work at the Folklore Centre when it was on Bronson. I started as co-op student in 1996 and Arthur kept me on afterwards working Sundays and Monday nights. I also did a co-op with Brian in the repair shop. Terry Calder also worked for him at that time. That would have been in 1997. Brian had been there a few years by that time and did indeed take over from Ed when he moved to Denver. Brian is one of the nicest guys I’ve ever met. 

Another shop I haven’t seen mentioned in this thread yet is Used Sound on Preston.


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## tonewoody (Mar 29, 2017)

Songbird...
Used to be located on Bank St., way South on Bank St.
At some point they moved to where Spaceman is located now.

Q: Weiner's Music.
If you were facing that block head on (circa 1976), Steve's was kind of in the middle. The junkier pawnshop to the left. Weiners was to the right. Kind of cramped and narrow, guitars hanging down from the ceiling.

Was that Weiner's music?


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## marcos (Jan 13, 2009)

Paul Running said:


> My brother and I liked visiting those pawn shops, Weiners always had something interesting and you could always meet quite the characters at the Laf.


Ah yes, Weiners !!!! My first guitar was from that store and a lot more during the 60's -70's. Then i followed them to Bank st until closing.


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## marcos (Jan 13, 2009)

tonewoody said:


> Songbird...
> Used to be located on Bank St., way South on Bank St.
> At some point they moved to where Spaceman is located now.
> 
> ...


I believe that Weiners was on the left facing the stores. The one on the right with the guitars hanging from the ceiling, i have no idea what they where called. Bought a few guitars and stuff from them also. The middle store we used to call ' Le gars Francais' The french guy. All i know is that he spoke french. lol. Fond memories of those stores. There was another store on Cumberland called Gervais Music. They sold Egmond guitars i think.


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## Rollin Hand (Jul 12, 2012)

zztomato said:


> Wow, when was that? I bought my first guitar at Metro Music (Glebe) in 1978 and they had been there for a long time at that point I believe.
> 
> Metro is still very much alive and a great store. Danielle, the daughter of the original owners, runs the shop. They carry the Godin line of guitars primarily. Prices are great and they service instruments. I often do work for Danielle if she has a job that's more complicated then she wants to get into.
> I also had my first couple of lessons with her dad way back in the 70s.
> Metro is a true independent and still going strong.


Awesome! I had read they had shut down. Are they still on Bank Street?

They had bought all of the leftover stuff when Signature Guitars shut down. A guy could have had fun with all of those parts.

Speaking of parts, I used to go to Used Sound on Preston a bit. A guy could lose hours in the boxes of stuff they had lying around.


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## zztomato (Nov 19, 2010)

Rollin Hand said:


> Awesome! I had read they had shut down. Are they still on Bank Street?


They sure are.


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## mhammer (Nov 30, 2007)

marcos said:


> I believe that Weiners was on the left facing the stores. The one on the right with the guitars hanging from the ceiling, i have no idea what they where called. Bought a few guitars and stuff from them also. The middle store we used to call ' Le gars Francais' The french guy. All i know is that he spoke french. lol. Fond memories of those stores. There was another store on Cumberland called Gervais Music. They sold Egmond guitars i think.


Yep. The summer of '71, I was living at my grandmother's on York St., and working at a produce stand that was part of the centre block on the market. Weiners was facing us, close to the end of the row adjacent to where the Beavertail outlet is now.

Staring in the window of Gervais was a ritual for me, walking back and forth from my grandma's to work. They seemed to specialize in European gear, which included Eko as well as Egmond, and of course lots of accordions.

And I may be confusing a place in Hamilton with a place in Ottawa, but wasn't there a music store on Rideau on the block between Nicholas and Cumberland, underneath The Loft, that was mostly underground? I was only in there briefly a few times.


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## zztomato (Nov 19, 2010)

mhammer said:


> And I may be confusing a place in Hamilton with a place in Ottawa, but wasn't there a music store on Rideau on the block between Nicholas and Cumberland, underneath The Loft, that was mostly underground? I was only in there briefly a few times.


Continental Music. They eventually moved to Montreal Rd and turned into Intercontinental. Ambience Studios eventually occupied that space I think.


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## Duntov (Apr 2, 2021)

Rollin Hand said:


> Intercontinental Music on St. Laurent (or at least it was the last time I was in the area). The old fella was still there the two times I went in. And he hadn't changed.


Who remembers the Sanox and TCM brands? I believe now they have Intex.
Does anybody know the stories behind those brands and what manufacturer made/makes them for that store?


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## Nork (Mar 27, 2010)

Aw bummer. I spent a bit of time at St. John's when I first started playing. Rad store.


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## Duntov (Apr 2, 2021)

Nork said:


> Aw bummer. I spent a bit of time at St. John's when I first started playing. Rad store.


The store certainly had a good product selection, although I remember shopping for a practice amp and was looking at the Fender Mustangs - I was shocked that they were pricing those amps at MSRP and not the 'street' price. I went to L&M and purchased the same amp quite a bit cheaper. I left with the impression that everything would be overpriced..but perhaps that was just a pricing error on those amps at the time.


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## Doug Gifford (Jun 8, 2019)

tonewoody said:


> Q: Weiner's Music.
> If you were facing that block head on (circa 1976), Steve's was kind of in the middle. The junkier pawnshop to the left. Weiners was to the right. Kind of cramped and narrow, guitars hanging down from the ceiling.
> 
> Was that Weiner's music?


Yep. And always two guys. The old guy and the younger guy he abused.


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## Diablo (Dec 20, 2007)

There were also a lot of really good deals on gear on KJ from Ottawa last year.
Put the 2 together and makes me wonder if OTT was hit harder by COVID-19 economically than other areas?
The GTA was spending money like it was raining down on them.


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## nman (Sep 14, 2019)

Got a great used, old tube amp at Weiners around 1972 and gave it away years later. Wish I could remember the brand name. 12 " speaker, killer tremolo. Grill cloth was light blue/g Atreen. Got a really nice Ibanez PF400 guitar in 1979 at Continental traded for a strat about 4 years ago.

I was a steady customer at St. Johns for years with many good experiences but then some bad experiences so quit going there. At least two of the staff now work at L+M on Hunt Club. One of them told me St. John's headquarters closed the Merivale store on too-short notice sans decent explanation.


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## Rollin Hand (Jul 12, 2012)

Duntov said:


> Who remembers the Sanox and TCM brands? I believe now they have Intex.
> Does anybody know the stories behind those brands and what manufacturer made/makes them for that store?


I don't know, but some of the stuff looked like (doesn't mean it was, but it looked like) Agile products from Rondo Music. There was someone on Kijiji selling a TCM LP copy that looked JUST like an Agile.

I feel bad for people that bought some of that stuff new though. Way overpriced stuff, especially for what it was.


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## Duntov (Apr 2, 2021)

Rollin Hand said:


> I don't know, but some of the stuff looked like (doesn't mean it was, but it looked like) Agile products from Rondo Music. There was someone on Kijiji selling a TCM LP copy that looked JUST like an Agile.
> 
> I feel bad for people that bought some of that stuff new though. Way overpriced stuff, especially for what it was.


This was where my mind was going. I recall several years back the forums were all abuzz about Agile's. I pointed my old colleague in Agile's direction and be bought an AL3100. I had the opportunity to borrow it for a few days and brought it to my weekly jam. It was such a great guitar for the money. I contemplated getting one myself. That got me thinking about how badly Intercontinental music and those old TCM or Sanox guitars (now Intex). Why does Agile = Good, and Intex/Sanox/TCM = Bad??? Mishandled marketing by Intercontinental? I think they should have called it what it is, cheap knockoffs and should have priced it accordingly. Instead, grumpy old man priced it the same as the guitars they were supposed to be like, offered a discount, but still kept it overpriced.

I remember talking to Hans (Used Sound) back in the day and he was sincerely bitter at the fact that good folks were coming into his store looking to trade-in/sell on consignment/sell to the store these old guitars that folks paid way to much money for and now will get no value back. Seems like everybody had a Sanox they were trying to offload. In my early days of playing I almost picked one up off a buddy myself...I went with a Hondo LP Junior copy instead....


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## zztomato (Nov 19, 2010)

My first amp was a Sanox I believe. It lasted a few months and then one day, poof, just a bad smell and no more sound. After that I got a used Traynor or some sort- can't remember. It was really f'n loud and screechy.


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## Permanent Waves (Jun 2, 2020)

marcos said:


> There was another store on Cumberland called Gervais Music. They sold Egmond guitars i think.


Thanks for jogging my memory, I knew there was music store there long ago but I forgot the name. I remember seeing a used Ibanez Doubleneck there once. I did not start looking into Ottawa music stores till the mid-80's and many of them disappeared since so my memory is hazy. First store I ever stepped in was Lauzon back when the guitars were upstairs in August 1983, guy let me try a Les Paul copy (Ibanez?) on a Traynor even though I could barely play a note. Nice place, still is! I also vaguely remember another store on Carling near the Queensway that sold Ludwig drums.



Rollin Hand said:


> Awesome! I had read they had shut down. Are they still on Bank Street?
> They had bought all of the leftover stuff when Signature Guitars shut down. A guy could have had fun with all of those parts.


I bought one of the last Signatures that Mark finished from that stock to replace a Ibanez RG-560 I never bonded with. They had a couple of Excalibre basses on the wall for the longest time, and Mark had a mismatched blue body and red neck in his shop. I remember discussing them with folks in the Rush tribute band community and I think some of that stuff ended up with players in New Jersey and Australia, if memory serves correctly.



Duntov said:


> Who remembers the Sanox and TCM brands? I believe now they have Intex.
> Does anybody know the stories behind those brands and what manufacturer made/makes them for that store?


Some of the earlier Sanox and TCM seemed like Matsumoku to me, but quality was very inconsistent and pricing was all over the place. They made tons of money from repossessing guitars from buyers trapped in the "No Money Down" plans and high-pressure sales Continental were famous for, often re-selling the same guitar over and over again. The repos were on the floor and if you had a good eye, some decent deals could be had. Some of the neck-throughs looked like decent guitars and could be had cheap on the repo floor. 

I also remember International Musicland in St-Laurent shopping Center. I bought my first new starter guitar there. The had a great selection of sheet music, still have old tab books with their price tags on them.


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## Duntov (Apr 2, 2021)

Permanent Waves said:


> Some of the earlier Sanox and TCM seemed like Matsumoku to me, but quality was very inconsistent and pricing was all over the place. They made tons of money from repossessing guitars from buyers trapped in the "No Money Down" plans and high-pressure sales Continental were famous for, often re-selling the same guitar over and over again. The repos were on the floor and if you had a good eye, some decent deals could be had. Some of the neck-throughs looked like decent guitars and could be had cheap on the repo floor.
> 
> I also remember International Musicland in St-Laurent shopping Center. I bought my first new starter guitar there. The had a great selection of sheet music, still have old tab books with their price tags on them.


Matsumoku built decent guitars. I have an Aria Pro bass that was made in Japan - I'm thinking in that same factory.

I didn't get to St-Laurent much back in the day, but I recall the one and only time I went into the International Musicland there and mentioned the Sanox guitar...they laughed, or cried, and asked me not to confuse their store with Transcontinental Music...


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## nman (Sep 14, 2019)

Had a decent TCM 12 string. Separated at the heel but was OK for about 5 years. Liked to play Shawn Phillips songs.


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## Doug Gifford (Jun 8, 2019)

marcos said:


> There was another store on Cumberland called Gervais Music. They sold Egmond guitars i think.


Gervais was mostly a band/orchestra kind of store. I went there to buy oboe reeds in high school. They may have moved to near Carling and Preston.

BTW, what's with the bizarre sky needle thing at Preston and Dow's Lake?????? And the apparent death of Little Italy?


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## polyslax (May 15, 2020)

Permanent Waves said:


> I also remember International Musicland in St-Laurent shopping Center. I bought my first new starter guitar there. The had a great selection of sheet music, still have old tab books with their price tags on them.


Good call. I had forgotten about them.


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## polyslax (May 15, 2020)

Doug Gifford said:


> BTW, what's with the bizarre sky needle thing at Preston and Dow's Lake?????? And the apparent death of Little Italy?


Funny you should ask that. I drove by there for the first time a couple of weeks ago and was shocked at the height of that building. Seems a bit out of sync with the current surroundings.


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## tonewoody (Mar 29, 2017)

Doug Gifford said:


> Yep. And always two guys. The old guy and the younger guy he abused.


Thanks for the info Doug. 
I bought my first guitar there when I was 13. I recall the atmosphere being dusty and claustrophobic.


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## marcos (Jan 13, 2009)

polyslax said:


> Good call. I had forgotten about them.


 Deo Penetta (i think thats how you spell it) was the owner and i bought my first Ovation guitar from him. Used to work at Larocques dept store Rideau and Dalhousie in the mens wear with him. Really nice fellow.


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## mhammer (Nov 30, 2007)

Larocques. Oh man, now you've sent me down a rabbit hole. There was a Loblaws across the street from Larocques on Rideau (I can see the yellow ceramic tile front in my mind), and beside it was the Rideau theatre, where 2nd run movies went to die, but also where folks would go for Labour Day dusk-to-dawn movie extravaganzas, whether they were beach party movies, Hammer horror flicks, or William Castle monster movies. My friend Andy and I went to see a double bill of Dr. No and FRom Russia With Love there, and the only seats we could get were in the front row on the far left. From that vantage point, EVERYTHING looked like it went uphill, even when it was going downhill.


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## Rollin Hand (Jul 12, 2012)

Permanent Waves said:


> I also remember International Musicland in St-Laurent shopping Center. I bought my first new starter guitar there. The had a great selection of sheet music, still have old tab books with their price tags on them.


I worked at Foot Locker in that mall when they were there. I remember that they had an Ibanez Reb Beach Voyager in stock for something like $800, post Nirvana killing the hair bands. I couldn't afford it then because I worked at Foot Locker.

I went to their "out of the way" location near the Canada Post facility too, which was great because there was no one there to disturb you while you checked stuff out.

Lastly, I went to the grand opening of their Barrhaven store, and Stuntman Stu put me on Chez 106 during their remote broadcast, claiming it was him playing. I took it as a compliment 😀


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## Rollin Hand (Jul 12, 2012)

Duntov said:


> This was where my mind was going. I recall several years back the forums were all abuzz about Agile's. I pointed my old colleague in Agile's direction and be bought an AL3100. I had the opportunity to borrow it for a few days and brought it to my weekly jam. It was such a great guitar for the money. I contemplated getting one myself. That got me thinking about how badly Intercontinental music and those old TCM or Sanox guitars (now Intex). Why does Agile = Good, and Intex/Sanox/TCM = Bad??? Mishandled marketing by Intercontinental? I think they should have called it what it is, cheap knockoffs and should have priced it accordingly. Instead, grumpy old man priced it the same as the guitars they were supposed to be like, offered a discount, but still kept it overpriced.
> 
> I remember talking to Hans (Used Sound) back in the day and he was sincerely bitter at the fact that good folks were coming into his store looking to trade-in/sell on consignment/sell to the store these old guitars that folks paid way to much money for and now will get no value back. Seems like everybody had a Sanox they were trying to offload. In my early days of playing I almost picked one up off a buddy myself...I went with a Hondo LP Junior copy instead....


You still see them popping up on Kijiji. Some for too much, some priced appropriately, which would be a huge loss for the seller.

Actually, Spaceman has a nice-looking Baron 6-string bass for $499.









Baron 6 String Bass - Spaceman Music


Baron 6 String Bass - Category:Bass Guitars, Basses - 5 or 6 string, Guitars - <span class="woocommerce-Price-amount amount"><span class="woocommerce-Price-currencySymbol">$</span>499.00</span> CAD




www.spacemanmusic.com





I wouldn't buy it, but still.....

Side note on Used Sound -- a friend I made through my son used to work there. So we may have actually met there way back when.


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## Doug Gifford (Jun 8, 2019)

tonewoody said:


> Thanks for the info Doug.
> I bought my first guitar there when I was 13. I recall the atmosphere being dusty and claustrophobic.


They carried "Minz Thin" picks, which my buddy Dave and I particularly prized.


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## mhammer (Nov 30, 2007)

Rollin Hand said:


> Side note on Used Sound -- a friend I made through my son used to work there. So we may have actually met there way back when.


Used Sound was a frustrating place. It was disorganized and crowded such that you couldn't see what was there. I guess some credit goes to Hans for actually establishing the place and keeping it going, but he mispriced things and was a bit of a Daffy Duck. My understanding is he relocated to Bath, ON, near Kingston.


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## GuitarT (Nov 23, 2010)

greco said:


> Victoria and Joseph...
> 
> View attachment 372706


Ah yes, I do remember it now though I was never in there.


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## Rollin Hand (Jul 12, 2012)

mhammer said:


> Used Sound was a frustrating place. It was disorganized and crowded such that you couldn't see what was there. I guess some credit goes to Hans for actually establishing the place and keeping it going, but he mispriced things and was a bit of a Daffy Duck. My understanding is he relocated to Bath, ON, near Kingston.


It totally reminded me of my dad's TV repair shop, so perhaps that's why I liked it.

Of course, I can also lose hours in a wrecking yard looking at busted up cars.


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## Paul Running (Apr 12, 2020)

Rollin Hand said:


> It totally reminded me of my dad's TV repair shop, so perhaps that's why I liked it.
> 
> Of course, I can also lose hours in a wrecking yard looking at busted up cars.


Some of my best entertainment occurs this way, as long as I'm cool with the junk yard dogs.


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## Rollin Hand (Jul 12, 2012)

Paul Running said:


> Some of my best entertainment occurs this way, as long as I'm cool with the junk yard dogs.


I haven't done it in a few years now (having kids suddenly makes modern safety advancements and reliability important), but soon...soon...there is a project car in my future.


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## nonreverb (Sep 19, 2006)

Coulthards Music in the market, Guitar Man on Rchmond Road near Woodroffe and Simply Guitars on Baseline near Greenbank...all from different eras....all gone now.


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## marcos (Jan 13, 2009)

nonreverb said:


> Coultharts Music in the market, Guitar Man on Rchmond Road near Woodroffe and Simply Guitars on Baseline near Greenbank...all from different eras....all gone now.


I had forgotten about Coulharts Richard. Great place back in the 60-70's used to go there . Bob Coulhart was one of the best rock drummers in this area (MRQ band) His dad owned the store and was quite the guy lol


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## Fuzzy dagger (Jun 3, 2016)

Wasn’t coulharts on McLeod st. late 70’s /80’s? I used to hang there and gawk at the gear. Bought my first guitar at Sam’s ABC music in the market in ‘77. It was a Mansfield gretsch looking thing. A pretty good guitar for $100.00. I also bought an Ibanez fuzz/wah pedal that I recently had reconditioned, killer. I too miss having a variety of small shops to visit, they were quirky, unlike the few bigger stores we have today.


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## marcos (Jan 13, 2009)

Fuzzy dagger said:


> Wasn’t coulharts on McLeod st. late 70’s /80’s? I used to hang there and gawk at the gear. Bought my first guitar at Sam’s ABC music in the market in ‘77. It was a Mansfield gretsch looking thing. A pretty good guitar for $100.00. I also bought an Ibanez fuzz/wah pedal that I recently had reconditioned, killer. I too miss having a variety of small shops to visit, they were quirky, unlike the few bigger stores we have today.


Yes it was. Great store, good selection of guitars amps drums etc.. I also miss all the small stores. I am greatfull Spaceman music is still open in Ottawa. Was there yesterday and swapped a few things. I try and buy used 98% of the time.


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## Milkman (Feb 2, 2006)

Someday I'm going to feel like walking in to the local music store and just browsing around and maybe buying a few things, and it's not going to be possible.

It feels like that's coming or something very much like it.

I try hard to give the bricks and mortar stores first shot at any music gear needs I have. These days that's mostly parts and strings.

I do that because I don't want the scenario above to come true.

But, more and more, I'm forced to go on-line anyway, because the bricks and mortar stores have no stock and their lead times are much longer than the dedicated on-line stores.

Or, they tell me they can order it......Why would I add a link in the chain? 

It just seems like it may be harder to find a physical music store at some point.


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## mhammer (Nov 30, 2007)

Milkman said:


> Someday I'm going to feel like walking in to the local music store and just browsing around and maybe buying a few things, and it's not going to be possible.
> 
> It feels like that's coming or something very much like it.
> 
> ...


Well, do distinguish between retailers of new equipment and vintage places. When something can not simply be ordered from the manufacturer or distributor, it will need to have a bricks-and-mortar location. Yes, people will still sell vintage pieces via Kijiji, etc., but people spending more money for non-budget items will expect those items to be serviced and ready to use, which implies a store with competent staff.

I suppose I shouldn't discount places like Chicago Music Exchange or Reverb. But while one can feel confident that a fuzz pedal makes its way safely from far away and across the border, I would imagine that fewer would feel comfortable about a pre-1960s acoustic making its way over a similar distance.

An uncle of mine had a thriving business making and selling quality baby furniture, and importing things like strollers. My dad contracted with him to make the brackets for the sliding doors on the front of cribs, and I spent several summers stamping them out. But my uncle eventually realized that a) he couldn't anticipate the changing safety requirements for cribs that would leave him stuck with unsellable stock, and b) people re-used furniture purchased for offspring #1 with #2, and #3, and passed on that furniture to relatives and friends, and even adult children where feasible. So he switched to making and importing patio furniture, which had a much shorter usable lifespan and typically the purchaser was the last user.

I mention this because there are plenty of music stores whose traditional product line was band instruments. Trombones, trumpets, flutes, saxophones are a lot like that baby furniture. They can be resold and resold, and kids in band in middle school are not exactly pining for a flugelhorn just like they saw their idol play on Ed Sullivan. Our local Kijiji has a LOT of band instruments (I'll exclude woodwinds from this discussion, since they have more limited lifespans). I rented our younger son's trombone from St. John's Music, but that was in 2008. If he was starting middle school band, you can be damn sure I would have bought a 2nd hand one off Kijiji.

Much like my uncle, the business model of music stores is changing in a way that you describe. There will still be some vestiges of what used to be, and megastores in major urban centres like Cosmo (the Walmart of music stores) will likely stick around, along with smaller vintage places. But you have to wonder about the in-betweens.


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## Milkman (Feb 2, 2006)

mhammer said:


> Well, do distinguish between retailers of new equipment and vintage places. When something can not simply be ordered from the manufacturer or distributor, it will need to have a bricks-and-mortar location. Yes, people will still sell vintage pieces via Kijiji, etc., but people spending more money for non-budget items will expect those items to be serviced and ready to use, which implies a store with competent staff.
> 
> I suppose I shouldn't discount places like Chicago Music Exchange or Reverb. But while one can feel confident that a fuzz pedal makes its way safely from far away and across the border, I would imagine that fewer would feel comfortable about a pre-1960s acoustic making its way over a similar distance.
> 
> ...


You may be right bout all that, but to visit such a store I would think I'd be looking at a drive to Toronto or if I'm lucky maybe Hamilton.

Brantford? Maybe not.

I hope I'm wrong, but as I said, the signs I see point to the demise of the local music store.


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## _Azrael (Nov 27, 2017)

I think L&M will be the future of brick and mortar. They’ve found a successful formula, have multiple income streams, they manufacture their own products and sell those products, pocketing all the markup along the way, have bulk purchasing power, and due to Yorkville being a major distributor their competition buys from them, yet they’re smart enough to not undercut their own clients.

Is this good or bad? Hard to say. The selection is better than a lot of the old mom and pops, but it’s a bit bland when every store sells the same products.

The two successful independents I’ve been to are extensions of Yorkville. One basically looks like a family run L&M, and the other is more high end/boutique focused with a lot of vintage turnover that gets a lot of product that walks in the front door and is then sold online, dramatically expanding their market.


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## mhammer (Nov 30, 2007)

Milkman said:


> You may be right bout all that, but to visit such a store I would think I'd be looking at a drive to Toronto or if I'm lucky maybe Hamilton.
> 
> Brantford? Maybe not.
> 
> I hope I'm wrong, but as I said, the signs I see point to the demise of the local music store.


The mom and pop store that sells a few Boss, Danelectro, and Joyo pedals, Behringer practice amps, and Affinity guitars? Yeah, I think you're right.

Once upon a time, for many folks on the Prairies, the local Radio Shack WAS their "computer store". Now, they'll order from Tiger Direct, Canada Computers, or Amazon, and the local Radio Shack turned into a Source and then smoke..


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## oheare (Jun 18, 2012)

polyslax said:


> Is it possible they had 2 locations? Mark, the luthier/guitar tech worked out of this store on Metcalfe. I don't know, I can't recall clearly, but I think I even remember Danielle being there. Maybe I'm mixing the memories of 2 stores together.
> 
> Anybody else remember a music store at this location, the east side of Metcalfe just a few doors from Wellington?


The location at 13 Metcalfe was a *Sam's ABC Music* store, and Mark Warren and his wife Heather worked there until that store closed. Mark also worked out of the Sam's location near Bank and Alta Vista, and at some point moved to *Metro Music*. He was there two days a week for a time, and eventually left to move to a different career.

[ETA: I see somebody up-thread checked in with Dan at Metro; thank you]


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## oheare (Jun 18, 2012)

Doug Gifford said:


> Gervais was mostly a band/orchestra kind of store. I went there to buy oboe reeds in high school. They may have moved to near Carling and Preston.


*Gervais Music and Electronics* moved from the Market to Industrial, became *Gervais Electronics*. They then merged with *Active Components* as part of *Accessotronik.com*, in the same location.


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## oheare (Jun 18, 2012)

Fuzzy dagger said:


> Wasn’t coulharts on McLeod st. late 70’s /80’s? I used to hang there and gawk at the gear.


*Coulthart's Music* was on Waverly, a couple of blocks north of McLeod. I bought my first dreadnaught there, a Morris copy of a Martin something. I still regret a guitar that I didn't buy there, a Vox semi-acoustic 12-string; it had a built in tone generator so you could tune, a fuzz, a vibrato arm, a palm-controlled wah, maybe a couple of other weirdnesses... 

A couple places still missed, maybe because I'm older than everybody:

*The Rock Shop*, started at 945 Richmond Road just west of Woodroffe, in a storefront on the ground floor of an apartment building. Moved eventually to a storefront on Rideau, brought in home keyboards, went out of business. 

The *Melody Inn* (_was it *George White's Melody Inn*? Maybe._) that was at Elmvale Acres shopping centre. I remember being astonished that they had semi-acoustic electric instruments with a resonator plate, in both bass and guitar forms like ES-335/EB-2. Mosrite, maybe? Dobro? Matters not.

How could I forget *Ken Parisien's Music*? Their main shop was on St. Laurent at Cyrville, pianos and organs in the back, guitars and amps and band stuff in the front. They had had a shop for a while on Carling near Churchill, that got closed and they opened a shop on Merivale across from the Pascal's Hardware (told you I was old). That one was pianos&organs down one side, guitars and band on the other. (_Full disclosure: I worked at KP's on Cyrville for the last year it was open, don't think there's a cause and effect there._) 

On another note, in reference to St. John's Music closing: Does anyone know where Tiberio, the Brass and Woodwinds repairman at St. John's, has ended up? Did he move to a different store, or retire, or what?

Geez, three responses to one thread. My excuse is that I have OCD tendencies...


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## marcos (Jan 13, 2009)

oheare said:


> *Coulthart's Music* was on Waverly, a couple of blocks north of McLeod. I bought my first dreadnaught there, a Morris copy of a Martin something. I still regret a guitar that I didn't buy there, a Vox semi-acoustic 12-string; it had a built in tone generator so you could tune, a fuzz, a vibrato arm, a palm-controlled wah, maybe a couple of other weirdnesses...
> 
> A couple places still missed, maybe because I'm older than everybody:
> 
> ...


Thanks for sharing all of your memories.


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## mhammer (Nov 30, 2007)

oheare said:


> *Coulthart's Music* was on Waverly, a couple of blocks north of McLeod. I bought my first dreadnaught there, a Morris copy of a Martin something. I still regret a guitar that I didn't buy there, a Vox semi-acoustic 12-string; it had a built in tone generator so you could tune, a fuzz, a vibrato arm, a palm-controlled wah, maybe a couple of other weirdnesses...
> 
> A couple places still missed, maybe because I'm older than everybody:
> 
> ...


Now you have me missing Pascal's hardware. Great store. It was at Merivale and Meadowland's, right?

I vaguely remember Ken Parisien's. I definitely remember the name, though I never shopped there. From your description, it sounds sort of like what Lauzon's is now.

And with a thread as long as this one, I don't know if anyone has mentioned the Dominic's that was briefly in the Hazeldean area, after moving from Bank St. to Carling and then to Hazeldean.

It's funny and tragic in a way. How many youngsters have dreamed about "working in a music store", to be around gear and people who love it? My kid sister always wanted to work in a pet shop or vet's office because she wanted to be around animals. I think it's the same thing. There are still plenty of vets, but there aren't many purely pet shops, most of them being mostly pet supplies and consumables, with some animals off to the side. And, as this thread amply illustrates, smaller local music stores have largely gone the way of the dodo, many being driven out of business by L&M.


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## 2manyGuitars (Jul 6, 2009)

mhammer said:


> I don't know if anyone has mentioned the Dominic's that was briefly in the Hazeldean area, after moving from Bank St. to Carling and then to Hazeldean.


I worked at the Hazeldean Mall location from (as near as I can recall) 1986 to 1992. There were 3 locations at one time. The Hazeldean Mall location, Carling at Broadview, and Bank (near Heron). I think later during the period I was there, the Orleans location opened.

The Hazeldean location was originally in Bells Corners, across from the strip mall that Fleet Sound sits behind. As a snot-nosed kid, I remember bussing from Glen Cairn to the Bells Corners location where I would (unintentionally) test the patience of John Ricci. Some time after I left, the Kanata location moved a couple kilometers west, up Hazeldean/Robertson Road to the strip mall that once housed the Broken Cue.


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## mhammer (Nov 30, 2007)

2manyGuitars said:


> I worked at the Hazeldean Mall location from (as near as I can recall) 1986 to 1992. There were 3 locations at one time. The Hazeldean Mall location, Carling at Broadview, and Bank (near Heron). I think later during the period I was there, the Orleans location opened.
> 
> The Hazeldean location was originally in Bells Corners, across from the strip mall that Fleet Sound sits behind. As a snot-nosed kid, I remember bussing from Glen Cairn to the Bells Corners location where I would (unintentionally) test the patience of John Ricci. Some time after I left, the Kanata location moved a couple kilometers west, up Hazeldean/Robertson Road to the strip mall that once housed the Broken Cue.


I was unaware of those locations, only the one at Carling and Broadview, and on Robertson Road across the street from the Farm Boy. It seems to have been a business in search of lower rent.


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## marcos (Jan 13, 2009)

mhammer said:


> Now you have me missing Pascal's hardware. Great store. It was at Merivale and Meadowland's, right?
> 
> I vaguely remember Ken Parisien's. I definitely remember the name, though I never shopped there. From your description, it sounds sort of like what Lauzon's is now.
> 
> ...





mhammer said:


> Now you have me missing Pascal's hardware. Great store. It was at Merivale and Meadowland's, right?
> 
> I vaguely remember Ken Parisien's. I definitely remember the name, though I never shopped there. From your description, it sounds sort of like what Lauzon's is now.
> 
> ...


Pascal was one of my dads favourite stores. We went at least once a week. I had bought a Marshall amp at Dominic's in Hazeldean back in the 80's i believe. I dont remember much about the store itself.


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## marcos (Jan 13, 2009)

2manyGuitars said:


> I worked at the Hazeldean Mall location from (as near as I can recall) 1986 to 1992. There were 3 locations at one time. The Hazeldean Mall location, Carling at Broadview, and Bank (near Heron). I think later during the period I was there, the Orleans location opened.
> 
> The Hazeldean location was originally in Bells Corners, across from the strip mall that Fleet Sound sits behind. As a snot-nosed kid, I remember bussing from Glen Cairn to the Bells Corners location where I would (unintentionally) test the patience of John Ricci. Some time after I left, the Kanata location moved a couple kilometers west, up Hazeldean/Robertson Road to the strip mall that once housed the Broken Cue.


You might have sold me that used Marshall amp buddy. LOL. Thats about the time i bought it.


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## oheare (Jun 18, 2012)

mhammer said:


> Now you have me missing Pascal's hardware. Great store. It was at Merivale and Meadowland's, right?
> 
> I vaguely remember Ken Parisien's. I definitely remember the name, though I never shopped there. From your description, it sounds sort of like what Lauzon's is now.


Pascal's was indeed at Merivale&Meadowlands, and I miss it too, especially the bins of cheap imported tools at the front. 

Ken Parisien's was kinda like Lauzon's is, without the boutique instruments and stuff. It was _the_ Yamaha organ/musical instrument place in Ottawa at the time. The MI (that is, non-piano) part of the store was run by manager Keith Richardson (RIP), a very fine guitarist and one of the best bosses I ever had.


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## Olfal2 (Nov 15, 2021)

My first guitar and amp was from Weiner's pawn shop on the market in '68 and then a couple more over the next few years from one of another pawn shops a few doors down. And yes, not many people liked them but I bought a crap acoustic around '73 from Continental when they were on the east side of Bank St. and then a Gibson J40 in '79 when they were on Rideau. How about the Blue Note on Bank Street near Laurier? Bought a used '77 Strat there in '79. Still have it. There were a number of other places around the city that I can't remember the names.


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## Doug Gifford (Jun 8, 2019)

Olfal2 said:


> How about the Blue Note on Bank Street near Laurier? Bought a used '77 Strat there in '79. Still have it. There were a number of other places around the city that I can't remember the names.


I taught guitar at the Blue Note for a couple of years in the 80s. Hank, Dorothy and Dave.


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## Olfal2 (Nov 15, 2021)

Doug Gifford said:


> I taught guitar at the Blue Note for a couple of years in the 80s. Hank, Dorothy and Dave.


We quite possibly crossed paths then. I certainly would have benefitted from some of your lessons. Pretty sure it was Hank that sold me the Strat and he had a story behind it. I worked around the corner at the Bank Of Canada back then so your store was convenient located. Do you remember what year the Blue Note closed? Cheers.


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## rpilon (6 mo ago)

2manyGuitars said:


> I worked at the Hazeldean Mall location from (as near as I can recall) 1986 to 1992. There were 3 locations at one time. The Hazeldean Mall location, Carling at Broadview, and Bank (near Heron). I think later during the period I was there, the Orleans location opened.
> 
> The Hazeldean location was originally in Bells Corners, across from the strip mall that Fleet Sound sits behind. As a snot-nosed kid, I remember bussing from Glen Cairn to the Bells Corners location where I would (unintentionally) test the patience of John Ricci. Some time after I left, the Kanata location moved a couple kilometers west, up Hazeldean/Robertson Road to the strip mall that once housed the Broken Cue.


I worked at Domenic's for a number of years. I started as a trainee on Carling then became manager at Billings Bridge Plaza. We thwn moved that branch to Bank and Heron. I also helped prepare and kick off Hazeldean. I knew and interacted with John at Bells Corners before then, regularly. What a great guy. 
Now both Domenic himself as well as my friend Tim Dobbings from Carling have passed. May they rest in peace.
Condolences to Johnny and Tony his boys whom I interacted with regularly. I hope you are doing well.


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## 2manyGuitars (Jul 6, 2009)

rpilon said:


> I worked at Domenic's for a number of years. I started as a trainee on Carling then became manager at Billings Bridge Plaza. We thwn moved that branch to Bank and Heron. I also helped prepare and kick off Hazeldean. I knew and interacted with John at Bells Corners before then, regularly. What a great guy.
> Now both Domenic himself as well as my friend Tim Dobbings from Carling have passed. May they rest in peace.
> Condolences to Johnny and Tony his boys whom I interacted with regularly. I hope you are doing well.


Welcome to GC BTW. 👍


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## 2N1305 (Nov 2, 2009)

Just out of pure curiosity, not that I necessarily want to put too much money into a business (it's not my bag, baby), how many people here would consider the prospect of opening a music store, like the old ones this thread is talking about?

Understandably, they have come and gone, but maybe, in a few years, "what's old is new again" will be cool?

Just to explain where my appreciation lies: I used to love stores like Metro Music, Retrotown (when it was in the narrow building), and my favourite... 

Used Sound

My personal opinion as my observations on this website have gone is there is a market for old stuff, and old stuff now covers such a broad range, Vintage 50 stuff to nineties stuff. That's quite a variety. I mean, yes there is still Spaceman...


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## terminalvertigo (Jun 12, 2010)

2N1305 said:


> Just out of pure curiosity, not that I necessarily want to put too much money into a business (it's not my bag, baby), how many people here would consider the prospect of opening a music store, like the old ones this thread is talking about?
> 
> Understandably, they have come and gone, but maybe, in a few years, "what's old is new again" will be cool?
> 
> ...


Would absolutely love to!


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## Permanent Waves (Jun 2, 2020)

2N1305 said:


> Just out of pure curiosity, not that I necessarily want to put too much money into a business (it's not my bag, baby), how many people here would consider the prospect of opening a music store, like the old ones this thread is talking about?
> 
> Understandably, they have come and gone, but maybe, in a few years, "what's old is new again" will be cool?
> 
> ...


I've considered doing that as a retirement job. Spend the last 10 years of my career finding and fixing good deals to build up stock (and accrue value) and then open up a consignment shop with all the seed stock. I know some people pretty much run these types of business out of their basements since brick-and-mortar stores are having a hard time. However, it's not like selling new gear on-line - people want to see used stuff in person, and it's also a great hangout. That's why I loved Used Sound, going there was always an adventure. Hans used to yell at us and we'd rib him about all these reel-to-reels on the top shelves, but he claimed to make money with them! I bought my first sound system from pieces I got in the upstairs audio shop.

The big challenge - location, location, location. I remember first going to Spaceman (Songbird) in 1984 or so, back when Johnny Vegas was a salesman there. Fun place. I think it was originally run by some sort of spiritual charitable organization with an east indian name or something like that. They closed and sold to the employees in Ottawa and became Spaceman, but the TO location closed for good. Great place and location, they always have good deals.


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## 2N1305 (Nov 2, 2009)

Permanent Waves said:


> I've considered doing that as a retirement job. Spend the last 10 years of my career finding and fixing good deals to build up stock (and accrue value) and then open up a consignment shop with all the seed stock. I know some people pretty much run these types of business out of their basements since brick-and-mortar stores are having a hard time. However, it's not like selling new gear on-line - people want to see used stuff in person, and it's also a great hangout.


That's an interesting idea. If you have the room for the stuff. There was a time where I had accumulated, in my basement, loads of audio stuff, and loads of guitars, but personal finances made me sell half the stuff and a house sale made me ditch the remaining half. If only I had that stuff now, I could "collect for the future", kinda like you are saying.
I always say "Keep the old stuff you have now, even if it doesn't have much value. Because buying it in the future, if you can even find, it, will cost you twice as much..."



Permanent Waves said:


> That's why I loved Used Sound, going there was always an adventure. Hans used to yell at us and we'd rib him about all these reel-to-reels on the top shelves, but he claimed to make money with them! I bought my first sound system from pieces I got in the upstairs audio shop.


Ah Used Sound, man, that place was awesome. Some people today would have it closed down for several reasons, one of which makes it unique and fun, it was LOADED with stuff! And not today's bottom-of-the-box import crap, good stuff like eighties effects modules, old yamaha pianos, a friggin leslie (at one time, yes!) vintage keyboards, not to mention all the superstrats and yummy looking guitars hanging dangerously too close to each other and the clients! Ahh man, yeah, the reel to reels almost ready to jump on your head, excessive prices, but gosh, I learned to bargain with Hans, one time his daughter was the in the store, he was letting her punch in the numbers on the register I bought, like, a used Jackson humbucker for ten bucks... Very cute.

That's the type of store I wish we had in Ottawa. To some degree, spaceman is that, but another store would be welcome.

Let's see what other opinions this thread generates.


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## zztomato (Nov 19, 2010)

I'd love to see another independent music store in Ottawa. I think with Ebay and Reverb being just giant retail stores, or places where used gear is listed for more than new, the in person experience is something that I could see regaining popularity. I used to love making the rounds to Used Sound, Song Bird (Spaceman), Metro and some pawn shops. And then way back with the stores in the Market. It could certainly work if the location and rent lined up.


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## Mark Brown (Jan 4, 2022)

zztomato said:


> It could certainly work if the location and rent lined up.


Location and rent 100%

I operated of the smallest music stores on the planet with my father, ok.... he did all the work, I thought lessons and played with everything. That being said though, we were in a tiny town with a population of 4000 there about, with a service area of about 25km incorporating less than 15k people. Music Stop was huge competition at the time and Halifax was only 45 min away up the 101. The model there was lessons. The lessons kept the lights on and food on the table, the store was extra. It worked for the old man and taught me that if you want something bad enough, it can be done.

He lived in the shop, taught lessons in the kitchen and turned the "living room" and another bedroom into a store front. We sold anything you could get from the D'addario catalog and the Acoustic side of the Godin line. Anything else was basically consignment. It was so much fun. Someday I would love to be in a position to do it again.

That being said, a straight shot retail store I think would fail going up against what there is already. You would need a niche to stay relevant.


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## mhammer (Nov 30, 2007)

Used Sound was an annoying place. Nothing was organized, too much gear was too hard to see, or even know it existed, and Hans could be a royal pain, with little sense of how much something was actually worth. That said, there was LOTS of interesting stuff there, and I may have bought a few things.

Retrotown was a better store, with better layout and gear, and a more sensible management. Unfortunately, the building was expropriated to make way for condos, and Darwin decided to do his sales on-line and at the guitar shows he would organize and bankroll every year.


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## Paul Running (Apr 12, 2020)

Retrotown was a cool shop. I always enjoyed my trips there...sometimes spend half a day there just shooting the shit with Dar and the lads.


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## mhammer (Nov 30, 2007)

Darwin was running a repair bench Tuesdays and Thursdays at St. John Music. I wound a few pickups and built a couple pedals for him. Of course, with St. John now closed for good, I have no idea what he's doing. I gather he plays with the Cooper Brothers, when they have gigs, but obviously they're not gigging constantly at this point.


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## player99 (Sep 5, 2019)

mhammer said:


> Darwin was running a repair bench Tuesdays and Thursdays at St. John Music. I wound a few pickups and built a couple pedals for him. Of course, with St. John now closed for good, I have no idea what he's doing. I gather he plays with the Cooper Brothers, when they have gigs, but obviously they're not gigging constantly at this point.


He sold an old Les Paul and retired.


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## terminalvertigo (Jun 12, 2010)

player99 said:


> He sold an old Les Paul and retired.


 Go on..


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## player99 (Sep 5, 2019)

terminalvertigo said:


> Go on..


Don't ban me please.


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## FatStrat2 (Apr 7, 2021)

2N1305 said:


> Just out of pure curiosity, not that I necessarily want to put too much money into a business (it's not my bag, baby), how many people here would consider the prospect of opening a music store, like the old ones this thread is talking about?...My personal opinion as my observations on this website have gone is there is a market for old stuff...


While I do agree that there is always a market for that stuff, the money pool it represents is tiny. IMO, a business of this sort should only be taken up by those who are already financially stable and want to schmooze with their customers and get their hands on treasured relics more as a hobby and something to do than a viable or dependable business - at least in Ottawa

My brother has been in the music industry for 30+ years, he's done it all. Private music & production services, renting/selling of gear, working and running shops, live gigs, sound man, sometime roadie, session man in recording studios, subbing for musicians both bass & guitar, guitar tech and builder, installer of Parsons String Bender extraordinaire - and all in Ottawa. The only thing he didn't do was give lessons.

He was in poverty or hovering thereabouts for the entire time. From my chair, I see it as a fun & satisfying thing to do, but not to make money unless it's supplemental.


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## zztomato (Nov 19, 2010)

FatStrat2 said:


> My brother has been in the music industry for 30+ years, he's done it all. Private music & production services, renting/selling of gear, working and running shops, live gigs, sound man, sometime roadie, session man in recording studios, subbing for musicians both bass & guitar, guitar tech and builder, installer of Parsons String Bender extraordinaire - and all in Ottawa. The only thing he didn't do was give lessons.


Interesting. What's his name? I might know him.


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## FatStrat2 (Apr 7, 2021)

Might? It's a good bet you do know him.

If you were in the music scene living anywhere near Ottawa for 5 minutes during the 90s/00s, you'd know him almost certainly. But not only does he value his privacy, but he wouldn't want anyone knowing he was a poor bastard for 30+ years. He didn't see a dentist for over 25 years! His solution for a toothache was more Tylenol. He's very fortunate low saliva acidity runs in our family.


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## jazzereh (Oct 25, 2016)

Firstly, thanks to all of you contributing to this thread. It has been a wonderful read. 

We moved to Ottawa in 2001 so much of this is old history and it's fascinating. Love to read about the old stores and the folks who worked there. Even the info about stores/people currently in business is great. I gather that most of you posting are in the 'electric' guitar area while I'm acoustic. Bought my first 'Ottawa' guitar at Metro and it was fun to read that stores history. I'm a sax guy mostly and my horns always got serviced by Tiberio at St. J's and I was sad when they closed. A bit surprised as well although their move from Carling made the store somewhat awkward for me to get to. I do try to do business with local brick and mortar stores when I can but it is difficult sometimes based on what they have in stock and how quickly the internet can deliver. While I don't go in and browse much, it would be a real shame to see them gone so I do what I can to buy local.

Reading through this thread has been like the stories I hear from bandmates about the clubs that used to exist in Ottawa and closed many years before I got here. That would be a different thread.


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