# Which Guitar/Music stores do you miss?



## Kenmac (Jan 24, 2007)

I was thinking of this recently when I uploaded the photo of the Brian Moore guitar that I bought years ago at Song Bird. I remember back in the mid 80's there used to be a store on Pharmacy Avenue here called Music Express '84 that had some really nice gear for sale. You never knew what would show up in the store. I remember one time when I walked in I saw a 1968 Gibson Goldtop Les Paul in a glass case. They were selling it at the time for $2,500.00 which was too expensive for me. The thing I didn't like about the guitar was the fact that it was pretty beaten up (you have to remember this was years before the "relic" craze) and I thought at the time, "Who'd buy a guitar like that?"  That store wasn't around very long and they later turned it into a variety store. 

But the two stores that I really miss are Song Bird Music and Encore Music Exchange. What stores in your area do you miss? If your favourite music stores are still around and successful, that's great.


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## zontar (Oct 25, 2007)

I miss Mother's although it wasn't as good towards the end--but they did carry some accessories nobody else does locally--and had a good selection of short scale bass strings.
And I bought guitars, pedals & an amp from them as well over the years.


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## marcos (Jan 13, 2009)

There was a used music store here in Ottawa on Preston called Used Sound i believe. It was owned by one of the funniest characters. Everyone called him Chip. I miss that old store. It was a great place to get really good deals and hang out for a few hours. I love the old stores, they have so much character.


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## Guest (Jul 6, 2017)

Kalua Music. Kingston Rd, two blocks west of Midland Ave in Scarborough.
Top of my street. Always stopped in after school.
Bought my first electric guitar there. Univox Oxblood LP.
They would put a guitar on sale in the front window and drop the price $5 every day until it sold.


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## mhammer (Nov 30, 2007)

marcos said:


> There was a used music store here in Ottawa on Preston called Used Sound i believe. It was owned by one of the funniest characters. Everyone called him Chip. I miss that old store. It was a great place to get really good deals and hang out for a few hours. I love the old stores, they have so much character.


Actually, he picked up and moved his inventory to a smaller town in the Kingston or Belleville area. Given the prices he was asking at the time, and his rather flakey demeanor, I wouldn't be a bit surprised if, a decade or more later, he's still trying to sell some of that same gear for the same price.

I miss Retrotown here in Ottawa, and also the various pawn shops that used to be situated in the By Ward Market, like Sam's and Wiener's.


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## marcos (Jan 13, 2009)

mhammer said:


> Actually, he picked up and moved his inventory to a smaller town in the Kingston or Belleville area. Given the prices he was asking at the time, and his rather flakey demeanor, I wouldn't be a bit surprised if, a decade or more later, he's still trying to sell some of that same gear for the same price.
> 
> I miss Retrotown here in Ottawa, and also the various pawn shops that used to be situated in the By Ward Market, like Sam's and Wiener's.


I had herd he had moved out that way. Retrotown was another great store and the old stores in the market where fun. All of my instruments in the 60's-7o's came from Weiners. I actually worked two stores down from them early 70's (Weiners Clothing store) and i would go everyday. My dad bought my first electric guitar and amp back in the 60's from them. Ah the good old days.


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## butterknucket (Feb 5, 2006)

I miss Songbird. I bought a '69 Traynor there and a few pedals, and the guys there were always pretty funny.


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## mhammer (Nov 30, 2007)

marcos said:


> I had herd he had moved out that way. Retrotown was another great store and the old stores in the market where fun. All of my instruments in the 60's-7o's came from Weiners. I actually worked two stores down from them early 70's (Weiners Clothing store) and i would go everyday. My dad bought my first electric guitar and amp back in the 60's from them. Ah the good old days.


I _knew_ the name would come to me, and it finally did. These days, names seem to come to mind by Canada Post, rather than e-mail, if you know what I mean. The fellow who ran/owned "Used Sound" was named Hans, and I'm about 80% certain he now operates out of a town around Kingston, though a look on the map is not jogging any semi-familiar names.


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## High/Deaf (Aug 19, 2009)

There was a really good pawnshop on the east edge of downtown Van (I think it was called San Francisco). It really only dealt with jewelry and musical instruments, and the staff on the MI side were really knowledgeable. They weren't the cheapest place in town but they had good deals. I bought a few things there and really regret a few things I didn't buy.

The crazy price of real estate down there stamped 'paid' to that enterprise, sadly.


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## Distortion (Sep 16, 2015)

In the Hamilton area I don't miss any that closed because they were not that good any how. L&M and Mountain Music had the Fender and Gibson rights in the area and the rest just fought for scraps.


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## mhammer (Nov 30, 2007)

I used to get my strings at Pongettis, on the mountain. I miss them. I used to go to Pongettis when they were down on Barton, and got my very first pedals there: a Fernandes Funky Filter and an MXR 6-band EQ.


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## knight_yyz (Mar 14, 2015)

OP mentioned music stores so i am going with Sam the record man. And I used to love walking downtown looking for the bootleg album stores


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## GuitarT (Nov 23, 2010)

When I was in high school (late 1970's) there was a guitar shop on King St East in Kitchener called East End Music. It was a short walk from my high school so we spent a lot of our lunches there. It was run by an older guy named Mike and he was quite over weight. Everyone refered to him as "Fatman". He was pretty good about letting us try guitars out and every guitar you picked up was "a good one!" according to him.  If you showed any interest in buying he'd walk over and hang a 10% off tag off one of the tuners while you were playing!  Age and health issues forced him to sell in the early 1980's and the store didn't last long under the new owner.


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## Scottone (Feb 10, 2006)

I used to like to pop into Encore Music when Dave was running the place. Definitely miss Songbird as well.


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## Kenmac (Jan 24, 2007)

laristotle said:


> Kalua Music. Kingston Rd, two blocks east of Midland Ave in Scarborough.
> Top of my street. Always stopped in after school.
> Bought my first electric guitar there. Univox Oxblood LP.
> They would put a guitar on sale in the front window and drop the price $5 every day until it sold.


I remember Kalua Music. I went there a few times in the early 80's when I was still fairly new at guitar. As I recall, Long & McQuade took over the store, correct?



GuitarT said:


> When I was in high school (late 1970's) there was a guitar shop on King St East in Kitchener called East End Music. It was a short walk from my high school so we spent a lot of our lunches there. It was run by an older guy named Mike and he was quite over weight. Everyone refered to him as "Fatman". He was pretty good about letting us try guitars out and every guitar you picked up was "a good one!" according to him.  If you showed any interest in buying he'd walk over and hang a 10% off tag off one of the tuners while you were playing!  Age and health issues forced him to sell in the early 1980's and the store didn't last long under the new owner.


Mike sounds like he was a really nice guy. The new owner should have been more like him.



Scottone said:


> I used to like to pop into Encore Music when Dave was running the place. Definitely miss Songbird as well.


Yep, same here. Which Dave are you talking about, the first Dave or his brother who took over later?


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## Guest (Jul 7, 2017)

Kenmac said:


> I remember Kalua Music. I went there a few times in the early 80's when I was still fairly new at guitar. As I recall, Long & McQuade took over the store, correct?


I'm not sure what happened.
They closed up shop and moved on.


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## Mooh (Mar 7, 2007)

The stores of my youth because even though they may or may not have been good, I was a youth. Age is over-rated.

Chapman & Hewett in London:

http://blogs.canoe.com/brandnewblog/entertainment/chapman-hewett-a-london-landmark/

The Carpenter Shop in Stratford, now L&M.

Ken's Radio and Music in Brantford.

There was a sheet music store in London, I forget the name, but it was awesome in the pre-internet age.

Edit...Hysen Music in London was the sheet music place I think.


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## Steadfastly (Nov 14, 2008)

I don't miss any but I wish we had a Guitar Centre here in Canada.


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## Scottone (Feb 10, 2006)

Kenmac said:


> Yep, same here. Which Dave are you talking about, the first Dave or his brother who took over later?


Dave Duvall. Funny, I ran into Dave after he left Encore when he auditioned (on drums) for a country band I was in at the time. I voted to bring him on but the singer didn't warm to him  Too bad...It would have been fun.


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## mhammer (Nov 30, 2007)

Steadfastly said:


> I don't miss any but I wish we had a Guitar Centre here in Canada.


Having been to one in Syracuse, I doubt that it would offer more than Tony's in Fredericton or the L&Ms in Moncton and Fredericton.


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## Steadfastly (Nov 14, 2008)

mhammer said:


> Having been to one in Syracuse, I doubt that it would offer more than Tony's in Fredericton or the L&Ms in Moncton and Fredericton.


The L & M in Fredericton is not bad for a city of 65,000. I think the universities being there help and the Maritimes being more musically active than many other places. However, I have been to the GC in Buffalo and it is much superior. You are likely right, though, as the size of the city dictates the store offering.


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## guitarman2 (Aug 25, 2006)

I miss a store that was in London, Ontario in the early 80's (around 1979 to 1985) It was called Pickers Parlor. It was an all acoustic store, guitars, mandolins, banjos, dobros, etc. It was at the height of the Bluegrass popularity in Canada.
They had a big table set up at the front of the store and we'd grab instruments off the wall and jam while the owner served coffee. There was almost always a jam going on and I'd often be there pounding out on a D-18 or D-28 that would be considered vintage now. Couldn't afford one then but they let me play just about anything in there. 
Lots of talented musicians jammed there and it was a lot of fun. 
I lusted after a 1955 D-28 they had, which would have been very affordable by today's standards, but I couldn't even afford a D-18. I ended up buying a decent Sigma copy of a D-28 which still wasn't cheap.


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## guitarman2 (Aug 25, 2006)

mhammer said:


> Having been to one in Syracuse, I doubt that it would offer more than Tony's in Fredericton or the L&Ms in Moncton and Fredericton.


I've only been to one guitar center, which was the one in Nashville. It had some nice vintage guitars and I figure that one would probably have a bit more due to its location. But for the most part I figured that the Guitar Center wasn't much different than our L&M for selection. 
The only thing that makes the Guitar Center attractive to me is the prices are better even after the exchange rate is taken in to account. But that wouldn't be the case if we had one in Canada.


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## bolero (Oct 11, 2006)

"Not Just Another Music Store" in Vancouver

those guys were great!!


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## bolero (Oct 11, 2006)

oh, +1 for Songbird...I spent a lot of time poking around there, enjoyed talking to the dudes who worked there. 

( Zak and Tim are still going at Superfuzz.... )


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## sambonee (Dec 20, 2007)

I liked the lady at metro music on bank st in Ottawa. With her dog there. Always friendly. I was at Carleton from '93-'96. I also liked songbird there. Lauzon wasn't bad but a bit far from downtown.


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## greco (Jul 15, 2007)

sambonee said:


> I liked the lady at metro music on bank st in Ottawa. With her dog there. Always friendly.


Did Metro Music close?


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## Wardo (Feb 5, 2010)

Music stores don't mean a lot to me but does anyone remember Spot 48 on Main Street Markham. Mostly a rental place but the guys that ran it weren't much older than me and it was a differnet world then.

Also, the Guitar Shop in Thornhill. They just used to lend us stuff that they really could have been selling. Loaned me a 50s Gold Top for 2 weeks and said you should buy this. They wanted a grand but I was short of pots to piss in at the time.


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## KapnKrunch (Jul 13, 2016)

Royal Pawn in Winnipeg will close the doors in September.


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## Kenmac (Jan 24, 2007)

laristotle said:


> I'm not sure what happened.
> They closed up shop and moved on.


From what I've read their history is a little comical. When they moved from Kingston Road they ended up at Pharmacy and Sheppard, they were there for a while, then when that ended, Long & McQuade moved into that store. It's almost like Long & McQuade were following them. 




Scottone said:


> Dave Duvall. Funny, I ran into Dave after he left Encore when he auditioned (on drums) for a country band I was in at the time. I voted to bring him on but the singer didn't warm to him  Too bad...It would have been fun.


So the original Dave with dark hair. That's too bad it didn't work out. Dave always struck me as an easy going, friendly type of guy. His brother Dave has a similar nature.


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## zontar (Oct 25, 2007)

Mooh said:


> The stores of my youth because even though they may or may not have been good, I was a youth. Age is over-rated.
> 
> Chapman & Hewett in London:
> 
> ...


Hmm, I have a guitar pick from Chapman & Hewett


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## WCGill (Mar 27, 2009)

HEL Music in Saskatoon was a legendary place. I bought a Larrivee acoustic from Ralph in '77 shortly after he opened the expanded location.


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## son of Kalua music (Jun 16, 2019)

laristotle said:


> Kalua Music. Kingston Rd, two blocks east of Midland Ave in Scarborough.
> Top of my street. Always stopped in after school.
> Bought my first electric guitar there. Univox Oxblood LP.
> They would put a guitar on sale in the front window and drop the price $5 every day until it sold.


Yes that's true my dad was Mr.B owner and operator.


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## son of Kalua music (Jun 16, 2019)

laristotle said:


> I'm not sure what happened.
> They closed up shop and moved on.


 Ya after my dad had his heart attack my brother Guy and Frank sold the shop lock stock and barrel and retired. I had years and fun in that place.


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## Verne (Dec 29, 2018)

Music Mart in London. Used to be right at the Thames river bridge where Wellington Rd and Street switch over. Spent many hours oogling and wishing in that store. So many times I wanted the "cheap" Squier Strat back then. Worth a lot more now. It was a great store, but it's been closed many years now.


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## mhammer (Nov 30, 2007)

greco said:


> Did Metro Music close?


Nope. Still alive and kicking. Given the difficulty of finding parking nearby, I gather the brunt of their business is local walk-in.


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## sambonee (Dec 20, 2007)

Metro music. At Carleton I would stop in there often. The only way these shops usually stay in business in spite of the obvious factors is likely that they own the building. Otherwise rent would bring about the “closed” sign pretty fast. I’m Assuming they’re still on bank??


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## mhammer (Nov 30, 2007)

sambonee said:


> Metro music. At Carleton I would stop in there often. The only way these shops usually stay in business in spite of the obvious factors is likely that they own the building. Otherwise rent would bring about the “closed” sign pretty fast. I’m Assuming they’re still on bank??


Yep.


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## BSTheTech (Sep 30, 2015)

All the guitar stores that used to be on Sunset Blvd back in the day. Was a great break from the crowds at Disneyland (and the family).


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## hedzup (Apr 23, 2009)

Buds House of Guitars in Peterborough. Bud ran it out of his basement and it was packed full of gear. Great guy too , R.I.P.


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## zontar (Oct 25, 2007)

Actually I miss most of the ones that are gone--not all of them--but most of them.


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