# Old Music Stores in your community you grew up In



## MarkM (May 23, 2019)

Encore Music Exchange was mention and discussed here.

I spent my ill spent youth in Saskatoon and Nanaimo.

I bought my first guitars and amps at Ferguson Music in Nanaimo.

I moved to Saskatoon in 1982 and hung out at HEL, Music Box and store that my sometimers will not let me remember underneath the walkover from the parkade to Hudson Bay.

Please share the stores that let you play guitars, pedals and amps and gave you a deal to buy them.

I would have to say Ralph at HEL was a gentleman of a man and later Joey.

The owners son of Music Box sold me a pile of stuff, I can't remember his name and I believe cancer took him.

These stores used to be on Broadway down the street from the best blues bar that I ever hung out at, Buds on Broadway.


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## teleboli (Aug 19, 2009)

JohnSTONE'S MusicLand

Midland,On

Guy Johnstone RIP


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## Alan Small (Dec 30, 2019)

Joe s Music in Collingwood...like a gear yardsale all the time...for 40 years or so and still going strong...Joe has not aged...now he àdds snowboards and ballerina outfits to keep customers coming in the door...gotta love diversity


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## Milkman (Feb 2, 2006)

Ken's Radio and Music was the one I remember most. Also, I worked a stint at Music and Sound between road gigs back in the 80s. Both were located in Brantford, On.


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## SWLABR (Nov 7, 2017)

Ostanek's in St. Catharines. (now a L&M). 
It was right downtown on St. Paul St with all the interesting sights that go with it. Owned, and sometimes frequented by "the Polka King" himself, Walter Ostanek. We would also go to Thorold Music, but it was a little nicer, cleaner, and more organized... we liked Ostanek's better!!


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## Mooh (Mar 7, 2007)

Vague memories of Ken's Music in Brantford. The Carpenter Shop in Stratford was where I bought my first non-hand-me-down guitars and amps. Ernie King Music in Wingham (and much later, Goderich). There were some in London, Bellone's, The London Guitar Shop, and Belaire, and one that specialized in sheet music the name of which I forget. 

There weren't always music stores where I lived so we had to go to the closest town that had one.


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## Verne (Dec 29, 2018)

John Bellone's downtown London. My very first guitar and amp came from there. I also spent a lot of time just walking around the store dreaming the "if only...." dream. Eventually I started delivering there as part of my route when I was a downtown courier. Got to know the guys and still lived the "if only....." dream. It wasn't a large store, but it was a good store. Still have some good memories of the store and that first guitar and amp. The guitar and amp were a christmas gift from my parents. I was surprised my dad even knew the store was there. He wasn't musically inclined at all. The son JB Jr retired and the store closed up somewhat recently. Proposal for the site is a safe injection site for addicts.


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## Guitar101 (Jan 19, 2011)

Jim's Music on Elgin St. in Cobourg. Jim Waterbury was the owner. We battled it out on the prices of just about everything I bought there which was a lot. After Jim sold the store, he would go into the assisted living homes in the area and play for residents free of charge.


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## Rollin Hand (Jul 12, 2012)

For me, it was likely Ed's Music Workshop in Peterborough. I still own Don's old Mansfield acoustic. He ALWAYS had something interesting there.

Also, the original Bud's in Peterborough. It was in the basement of a house in the suburbs. I bought my Classic 20 from that basement, and it will never leave me.


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## guitarman2 (Aug 25, 2006)

Verne said:


> John Bellone's downtown London. My very first guitar and amp came from there. I also spent a lot of time just walking around the store dreaming the "if only...." dream. Eventually I started delivering there as part of my route when I was a downtown courier. Got to know the guys and still lived the "if only....." dream. It wasn't a large store, but it was a good store. Still have some good memories of the store and that first guitar and amp. The guitar and amp were a christmas gift from my parents. I was surprised my dad even knew the store was there. He wasn't musically inclined at all. The son JB Jr retired and the store closed up somewhat recently. Proposal for the site is a safe injection site for addicts.


My only memory of Bellone's, I walked in to that store with big excitement in 1980 to buy my first Telecaster US standard. Was a big chunk of change for me in those days. I saw the one I wanted and took it off the rack at which time the owner scolded me for touching it and told me I couldn't afford it. I did have the cash in pocket. I walked out, went to Maestro music in St Thomas and thats where I bought my first Tele.
I grew up in Brantford and the music stores I remember is Music and sound where I did most of my business between 1983 until they closed. In the 70's (1973 - 2020) it was Alonzo's which just became a Long and Mcquade last year. I vaguely remember Kens Radio. Brantford Music Center was a store I frequented through out the 80's.


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## Budda (May 29, 2007)

Im from a small town, so Bob's music was it except for the ultra-rare Ottawa run to go amp shopping (once), and Gilbert Guitars in Barrie.


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## Milkman (Feb 2, 2006)

guitarman2 said:


> My only memory of Bellone's, I walked in to that store with big excitement in 1980 to buy my first Telecaster US standard. Was a big chunk of change for me in those days. I saw the one I wanted and took it off the rack at which time the owner scolded me for touching it and told me I couldn't afford it. I did have the cash in pocket. I walked out, went to Maestro music in St Thomas and thats where I bought my first Tele.
> I grew up in Brantford and the music stores I remember is Music and sound where I did most of my business between 1983 until they closed. In the 70's (1973 - 2020) it was Alonzo's which just became a Long and Mcquade last year. I vaguely remember Kens Radio. Brantford Music Center was a store I frequented through out the 80's.



The experience you just described happened to me almost exactly like it did to you but it was in the Brantford Music Center and it was a Strat. I was trying a Strat and had $800 cash in my pocket (back then that WOULD buy a new Strat). I was asked if I was there to serendae the staff or if I was there to buy something. I wasn't even plugged in, just trying the guitars acoustically....

Sales = LOST!!


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## guitarman2 (Aug 25, 2006)

Milkman said:


> The experience you just described happened to me almost exactly like it did to you but it was in the Brantford Music Center and it was a Strat. I was trying a Strat and had $800 cash in my pocket (back then that WOULD buy a new Strat). I was asked if I was there to serendae the staff or if I was there to buy something. I wasn't even plugged in, just trying the guitars acoustically....
> 
> Sales = LOST!!


Yeah I've got some stories about Les that were instrumental in me not shopping there. Which was why I did most of my 80's shopping over at Music and Sound where Wayne would treat you with much more respect.


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## DaddyDog (Apr 21, 2017)

Adlam's Music in Mt Forest, Ontario. I'm sure it didn't last more than a couple of years. My parents bought my first guitar there in the early 70's: Fender F-25 (acoustic). I still have it. I took a few lessons from owner Clare Adlam. He insisted I learn a G chord with fingers 2-3-4 instead of 1-2-3. The reason was for an easy transition to a G7.


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## Paul M (Mar 27, 2015)

We're opening a dusty file cabinet here, but I remember Gary Holmes Music at the Corner of Colborne and Mt. Pleasant St. In Brantford. He sold Peavey and B.C. Rich in the 80's. I briefly owned a B.C. Rich acoustic with LED's on the fretboard. I rented PA there several times.

Gary Holmes also hosted one of the first, if not the first, BBS services in Brantford. I remember logging in with a VIC 20.

I've got a Goya Les Paul copy from Ken's music, and a Jackson bass from music and sound. I think I bought my Twin Reverb from M&S, but that was 35 years ago.


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## guitarman2 (Aug 25, 2006)

Paul M said:


> We're opening a dusty file cabinet here, but I remember Gary Holmes Music at the Corner of Colborne and Mt. Pleasant St. In Brantford. He sold Peavey and B.C. Rich in the 80's. I briefly owned a B.C. Rich acoustic with LED's on the fretboard. I rented PA there several times.
> 
> Gary Holmes also hosted one of the first, if not the first, BBS services in Brantford. I remember logging in with a VIC 20.
> 
> I've got a Goya Les Paul copy from Ken's music, and a Jackson bass from music and sound. I think I bought my Twin Reverb from M&S, but that was 35 years ago.


Almost forgot about Gary Holmes. Had an awkward incident with him. I bought a guitar amp which I financed over a year. I got down to the very last payment and was about 3 days late with it. I had a gig in Waterford on a Saturday but I made time to run down to his store and get that final payment taken care of, which I did. I must have mentioned that I was playing the Waterford hotel. That night he sent 2 big dudes to try and collect my amp for breaking the contract, even though it was completely paid. When I paid it off that day he never mentioned any penalty for being late with that payment, which I would have paid. I had a confrontation with these 2 big guys that approached me at the end of the night when we were tearing down. The band members and a couple patrons backed me up and a couple of patrons escorted me out to my car to load my amp up. I never heard from Holmes again nor did I ever shop there again.


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## Alan Small (Dec 30, 2019)

SWLABR said:


> Ostanek's in St. Catharines. (now a L&M).
> It was right downtown on St. Paul St with all the interesting sights that go with it. Owned, and sometimes frequented by "the Polka King" himself, Walter Ostanek. We would also go to Thorold Music, but it was a little nicer, cleaner, and more organized... we liked Ostanek's better!!


Walter was "guy smilie" on tv when i was a kid in rural Ontario...his face was so shiney....tough gig


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## Sneaky (Feb 14, 2006)

Quartet Music in Brampton, and Neil’s music in Georgetown were my go to stores before discovering L&M, the Millwheel and Steve’s in Toronto.


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## Diablo (Dec 20, 2007)

Hudson's Music in west toronto was where i got my first guitar and took my first lessons. Place was a dump.
As a teen, I'd mostly go to Steves and L&M downtown. Occasionally LA Music in Mississauga later on. Places you didnt need a tetanus shot before you went in. Hudsons closed down within a couple years of me going there anyway. it never looed like a viable business.


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## nonreverb (Sep 19, 2006)

In Ottawa there was: Lauzon (talking about when the original guitar department was upstairs), Used Sound, Guitar Man, Retrotown, Song Bird, Dominic's Music, International Musicland.....and dare I utter it....Continental Music.


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## SWLABR (Nov 7, 2017)

Alan Small said:


> Walter was "guy smilie" on tv when i was a kid in rural Ontario...his face was so shiney....tough gig


I can verify, the guy _really_ _was_ always smiling. I only saw him in the store... maybe 3 times, but he was exactly what you saw on when you watched the Octoberfest footage.


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## Rollin Hand (Jul 12, 2012)

Milkman said:


> The experience you just described happened to me almost exactly like it did to you but it was in the Brantford Music Center and it was a Strat. I was trying a Strat and had $800 cash in my pocket (back then that WOULD buy a new Strat). I was asked if I was there to serendae the staff or if I was there to buy something. I wasn't even plugged in, just trying the guitars acoustically....
> 
> Sales = LOST!!


I would have whipped out the $800 and said something along the lines of "If you'll excuse me, I will now go and spend this at your competition. Good day."


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## Rollin Hand (Jul 12, 2012)

nonreverb said:


> In Ottawa there was: Lauzon (talking about when the original guitar department was upstairs), Used Sound, Guitar Man, Retrotown, Song Bird, Dominic's Music, International Musicland.....and dare I utter it....Continental Music.


I LOVED Used Sound. Just boxes of crap to go through.

Oddly enough, though my son, I made a friend who used to work there. Small world, innit?


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## Milkman (Feb 2, 2006)

Paul M said:


> We're opening a dusty file cabinet here, but I remember Gary Holmes Music at the Corner of Colborne and Mt. Pleasant St. In Brantford. He sold Peavey and B.C. Rich in the 80's. I briefly owned a B.C. Rich acoustic with LED's on the fretboard. I rented PA there several times.
> 
> Gary Holmes also hosted one of the first, if not the first, BBS services in Brantford. I remember logging in with a VIC 20.
> 
> I've got a Goya Les Paul copy from Ken's music, and a Jackson bass from music and sound. I think I bought my Twin Reverb from M&S, but that was 35 years ago.


I bought a Peavey Mace from Gary.


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## Milkman (Feb 2, 2006)

Rollin Hand said:


> I would have whipped out the $800 and said something along the lines of "If you'll excuse me, I will now go and spend this at your competition. Good day."



Pretty much what I did.

Question: "are you planning on serenading us or are you really able to buy a guitar?"

Response: (while flashing a wad of twenties in his face) "I guess you'll never know".

See ya. Went over to Music and Sound and bought a Lado Super Falcon.


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## bw66 (Dec 17, 2009)

Not much in my hometown (Markham) - Cosmo (Richmond Hill) and Neveu (Scarborough) are the ones I remember going to. There was a version of Neveu when I moved to Uxbridge, but it was run by the son and was a shadow of it's former self. His daughter is a vocal coach in the area.

My teenaged summers were spent in Bancroft where Jenkins (I think) Music was a cool little shop.


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## laristotle (Aug 29, 2019)

MarkM said:


> Encore Music Exchange was mention and discussed here.


Two klicks west was Kalua Music on Kingston Rd. That was my hangout. I lived down the adjacent street.
Stopped in practically every day after school.
They'd have a high end guitar in the window where the price was dropped $5 every day until it was sold.


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## nonreverb (Sep 19, 2006)

Rollin Hand said:


> I LOVED Used Sound. Just boxes of crap to go through.
> 
> Oddly enough, though my son, I made a friend who used to work there. Small world, innit?


I was a regular there in the '80's and '90's. Hans moved down to Bath Ont. and opened Loyalist Music for a while. I believe it's closed now.


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## SWLABR (Nov 7, 2017)

nonreverb said:


> I was a regular there in the '80's and '90's. Hans moved down to Bath Ont. and opened Loyalist Music for a while. I believe it's closed now.


Didn't the Hip build their studio out in Bath?? I could Google it... but


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## nonreverb (Sep 19, 2006)

SWLABR said:


> Didn't the Hip build their studio out in Bath?? I could Google it... but


Yup, I still go down there every few years to service the B3 I sold them 20 years ago.


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## Rollin Hand (Jul 12, 2012)

I will also give a hat tip to Mountain Music in Hamilton, though it isn't from my youth. My wife's folks bought a house a street over when they retired, so every time we visited, I would go over there. Their used section was almost always fun. I bought a Watson Wolfgang copy there for short money, and a Peavey Wolfgang with case for short money as well. I should have also bought the Ibanez Proline that was there for -- you guessed it -- short money, but demurred because apparently I am a moron who can talk myself out of anything. Love that shop.

Can you tell I miss going guitar shopping like before the pandemic?


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## Paul Running (Apr 12, 2020)

Mostly pawn shops like Weiners in Bytown as a kid and surplus electronics shops like Century 21 in Britannia later for me. I did hang for a bit at Retrotown Music...a great crew there.


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## Mooh (Mar 7, 2007)

I grew up in a lot of places with or without music stores. My friends' parents were kind of secondary parents for me so I visited their towns often. Visited Ottawa once when I was 16 and found a music store along the Sparks Street Mall, where exactly is beyond me as this was 1974, but I remember being impressed by a pedestrian mall. Anyway, I bought a book of sheet music to Goats Head Soup (The Rolling Stones) which I think I still have.


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## Alan Small (Dec 30, 2019)

SUPREME ELECTRONICS on the South side of Queen near Beverley had a big gorilla out front and lots of oddball parts...ammo boxes and old army gear too


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## Alan Small (Dec 30, 2019)

Mooh said:


> I grew up in a lot of places with or without music stores. My friends' parents were kind of secondary parents for me so I visited their towns often. Visited Ottawa once when I was 16 and found a music store along the Sparks Street Mall, where exactly is beyond me as this was 1974, but I remember being impressed by a pedestrian mall. Anyway, I bought a book of sheet music to Goats Head Soup (The Rolling Stones) which I think I still have.


Same year I think for me on a school trip..i bought Cheech and Chong first album


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## jimmythegeek (Apr 17, 2012)

Guitar101 said:


> Jim's Music on Elgin St. in Cobourg. Jim Waterbury was the owner. We battled it out on the prices of just about everything I bought there which was a lot. After Jim sold the store, he would go into the assisted living homes in the area and play for residents free of charge.


I’m from Port Hope/Cobourg originally. I don’t remember Jim’s but I have fond memories of Clark’s in the Pentel Plaza and George’s (both locations but I patronized Swain Street more).


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## blueshores_guy (Apr 8, 2007)

teleboli said:


> JohnSTONE'S MusicLand
> 
> Midland,On
> 
> Guy Johnstone RIP


Yes. I spent my formative years in Barrie, and Johnstone's Musicland was pretty well the ONLY place to go without driving to Toronto.
I wasn't aware that Guy had passed. Can't find anything about this online. Too bad, he was a really great guy. 

I have a couple of memories about that place:

1) Back in 1966 I was in a high school rock band, and desperately needed to upgrade my Fender Duo Sonic and Princeton amp (man, I wish I still had those two pieces today) to something more professional-looking and a lot louder, like a Tele and a Traynor YBA-1 Bassmaster with matching 2x12 cab (and I wish even more I still had THOSE two pieces today). If memory serves, the Tele was about $300 new, and so was the Traynor head and cab. At the time our band was raking in $100 when we played, and there were 5 of us, so I had absolutely no business buying $600 worth of gear. But the BANK of the PARENTS was quite accommodating, fortunately enough. Guy Johnstone asked me if I wanted to try something a bit different with a Tele. He wanted to experiment with woodworking and finish work, and offered to cut the horns off a new Tele for me and refinish it (candy apple red), making it look just like one of those newfangled VOX teardrop guitars that were all the rage. Not knowing any better, I said sure, go for it, as long as it doesn't cost me any more. It didn't. He did. It was weird. Still a Tele, but weird. No shortage of upper fret access, that's for sure, not that I ever played up there. 
And the Traynor setup? Good lord, in my little suburban bedroom, that thing would lift the roof. But it sure did sound good.
Inevitably, the band fell apart. Some of us were off to university, and we all went our separate ways. The Tele and Traynor stuff went back to Johnstone's, and I was officially out of debt. Never saw that Tele again, and didn't pick up a guitar for several years. On my first day after finishing university I bought a new Framus Texan 6-string acoustic from Guy. That Framus has been in the family ever since.

2) Fast forward about 40 years..........I was living in Wasaga Beach, and my wife and I trekked up to Midland to see the Tall Ships. I decided to take the Framus along and drop into Johnstone's Musicland for old times' sake. When we went in, Guy wasn't there. He had retired, and his son-in-law was running the store. Steve, I think. I told him I had a Framus acoustic that I had purchased there and wanted to inquire about a warranty repair. He said they hadn't been a Framus dealer for quite a while but he was willing to take a look. I opened the case and he said something like, Good Gawd, man, how long have you had this? I pulled out the original cash register receipt from the case and showed him. April, 1971, it said. $130. It took him a moment or two, but he eventually twigged that I was pulling his leg, and we had a good laugh about it. I'm still pissed that he wouldn't honour the warranty, though.


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## Dave B4 (Jan 11, 2020)

Central Music and RJ Music in Niagara falls

best thing they both ever did for me was allowing me to take lessons from Leroy Emmanuel in the early to mid 90's

i'm still not great, but anything I do know, I owe to Leroy

Any of you guys ever see LMT Connection?


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## DrumBob (Aug 17, 2014)

I learned drums at Broad Music in my hometown of Bloomfield, New Jersey. It was a dusty, dingy old fashioned storefront shop, but my drum teacher was the best in the area and I owe him a debt of gratitude for all he taught me. We also had a more glitzy, modern music store called Philharmonic Conservatory of Music in Bloomfield, but the owner was a sleazeball and the store was gone in less than two years. All the following stores were/are in New Jersey.

Muscara Music in Belleville was not a teaching store, but strictly MI sales, and I was there many Saturdays from age 18-28. I never bought much of anything there (as I always seemed to lack cash!), but the Muscara family and their employees were very nice and welcoming, and you could try anything on the floor. After Gene Muscara died, his wife and son tried to keep it going, but they were out of business within 2-3 years.

National Music in Montclair was one of those all-around stores that sold low end Japanese guitars and drums, horns, pianos, accordions, accessories, sheet music, radios, stereo equipment, records and more. It was owned by an old Jewish gentleman who, after he sold the store around 1982, still came in every day and just sat in a chair in a faraway corner. I was told he was a millionaire who had almost no possessions and lived in the local YMCA. I wonder who he left his money to?

Star Music in Morristown, Wayne and Caldwell were stores that sold a lot of used gear that was always priced too high in everyone's opinion, but they did have a lot of cool stuff. They eventually closed the stores in Wayne and Caldwell. The owner's wife took in every stray cat she could find, and eventually, the Morristown store smelled like thirty rancid litter boxes. The stench of cat piss was unbearable. They finally closed for good around 1990.

Robbie's Music in Wayne is still open, but barely. The owners were four Italian/American brothers named Ciarfella, who charged high prices and usually wouldn't budge on them. The three older brothers died and Charlie, the youngest, is no longer involved, suffering from dementia. His daughter is now running the show, and she got rid of all the better gear and just sells low end junk. They had a store in Newark, now closed, another in Mahwah, now closed, but the Budd Lake store is open, and is run by a nephew who sells nothing but cheap beginner junk. Bob, one of the older Ciarfella brothers, looked like a filthy old man in disgusting, dirty clothes. We called him Aqualung.

Tempo Music in Dover was a decent store where I bought my first Les Paul, a Goldtop Deluxe, for $300. They're long gone. The owner's son-in-law sold it to me. His wife, the owner's daughter, was a hot babe with a nice set of "assets." LOL.

Tom Barth's Music Box in Ledgewood was the first northern Jersey guitar shop to specialize in vintage gear. This was around 1974-75. I remember walls full of pre-CBS Strats, old Les Paul Juniors (all priced at $325!), and much more, all priced beyond my means at the time. Tom was a very good guitarist and a great guy. We played together several times over the years, and he unfortunately died of cancer in the early 2000's.

I also shopped at Rondo Music in Union. They eventually became distributor for the Agile family of guitars and closed their brick & mortar location about 15-17 years ago, doing online sales only.

Finally, there was Guitar Trader in Red Bank, central NJ. The owner was Dave DeForrest, a blunt, impatient, sarcastic man, who jumped on the vintage bandwagon early in the game, and priced his stock on the high side. To say he was not the warm and fuzzy type would be an understatement, but he had primo vintage guitars, including '58-'60 Les Paul Bursts, Flying Vs and much more. He wielded enough power that he convinced Gibson to do a special reissue of the '58 Burst just for him with the correct specs. Those Guitar Trader Bursts are now very pricey and collectible. DeForrest closed up shop and disappeared from Red Bank rather quickly, supposedly for some underhanded activity. He was last seen selling real estate in Florida according to Timm Kummer, someone who used to work for him..

Sam Ash was always the dominant music retail store in northern NJ and they're still going strong.


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## Permanent Waves (Jun 2, 2020)

My earlier memories in Ottawa stretch back to the mid-80's. I think Lauzon's was the first music store I ever set foot in back in 1983 since my grandmother lived next door. They were very nice even though I knew absolutely nothing. They are still very nice and now that I know a little more, I still love going there. Steve's was probably the central hub back then, I remember skipping out on a school trip to see a play at the NAC to spend the afternoon there in 1984 or so. I remember Alan, Gary Schingh and Wayne Sweeney from the old days, they were very patient with us kids . I discovered Songbird around 1985 and got a lot of good deals there back in the day. I remember Rob Bruner, JP McDonald (aka Johnny Vegas) and Dan Dupont, before he went to Used Sound and eventually Steve's. I even remember John Ricci at Continental around that time, he was the only shining star in that place. It's still a pleasure to see him at Fleet today, just a great guy and a rock star. The stores were cool, but it was the people who worked there that made them great.


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## Permanent Waves (Jun 2, 2020)

Mooh said:


> Visited Ottawa once when I was 16 and found a music store along the Sparks Street Mall, where exactly is beyond me as this was 1974, but I remember being impressed by a pedestrian mall. Anyway, I bought a book of sheet music to Goats Head Soup (The Rolling Stones) which I think I still have.


Sounds like that might be Granata Music, but I am not sure since their website says "since 1984"? I can't remember any other music store on Sparks. They mostly had sheet music but an absolutely amazing selection. I remember buying Richard Daniel's "Be Dangerous On Rock Guitar" there in 1985. They eventually moved to Merivale Road and are still there to this day. Sparks Street retail has mostly been a failure - high rents, low traffic.


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## Thornton Davis (Jul 25, 2008)

During the mid to late 60's I bought all of my gear at ABC School of Music on Yonge St just south of Finch Ave. Phil Sherman and Ron Bossart were the two owners and they carried every brand. When they decided to close the store I started buying my gear from Bob Abbott at L&M's Yonge St store. 

TD


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## allthumbs56 (Jul 24, 2006)

SWLABR said:


> Ostanek's in St. Catharines. (now a L&M).
> It was right downtown on St. Paul St with all the interesting sights that go with it. Owned, and sometimes frequented by "the Polka King" himself, Walter Ostanek. We would also go to Thorold Music, but it was a little nicer, cleaner, and more organized... we liked Ostanek's better!!


For a trip you needed to go to the old Thorold Music on Front St. which was still in operation by the father while the son also ran a Thorold Music Store on Glendale. The old guy always had some neat old stuff and a bunch of crap too. Always had jams going on with the old locals in the store.

I've been miffed at Ostanek's ever since Walter counselled me to toss my Garnet in the dump because it was cheaper and better to buy solid state than go through the hassle and cost of a retube. I did what he said - I clearly remember that head sailing through the air as I tossed it from the back of my dad's truck. Boy I regret that.


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## allthumbs56 (Jul 24, 2006)

Dave B4 said:


> Central Music and RJ Music in Niagara falls
> 
> best thing they both ever did for me was allowing me to take lessons from Leroy Emmanuel in the early to mid 90's
> 
> ...


Which one was RJ's? The only one in the Falls I've frequented is Murphy's. Central in Welland has been a favourite of mine.

It's been some years since I've seen them but LMT is still going strong - very highly respected.


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## SWLABR (Nov 7, 2017)

allthumbs56 said:


> Which one was RJ's? The only one in the Falls I've frequented is Murphy's. Central in Welland has been a favourite of mine.
> 
> It's been some years since I've seen them but LMT is still going strong - very highly respected.


We didn’t frequent Central often cause it was “all the way out in Welland”! 
Murphy’s is a good source of day to day, and the occasional gem. I got my Wildkat there.

We had absolutely no idea there was an “original” Thorold Music! We just figured cause Glendale was sort of the border between StC and Thorold they went with that instead of “St Catharines Music”


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## Mooh (Mar 7, 2007)

Permanent Waves said:


> Sounds like that might be Granata Music, but I am not sure since their website says "since 1984"? I can't remember any other music store on Sparks. They mostly had sheet music but an absolutely amazing selection. I remember buying Richard Daniel's "Be Dangerous On Rock Guitar" there in 1985. They eventually moved to Merivale Road and are still there to this day. Sparks Street retail has mostly been a failure - high rents, low traffic.


It was definately 1974, though I suppose it could have been near, rather than in, Sparks Street Mall.


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## Sneaky (Feb 14, 2006)

DrumBob said:


> Finally, there was Guitar Trader in Red Bank, central NJ. The owner was Dave DeForrest, a blunt, impatient, sarcastic man, who jumped on the vintage bandwagon early in the game, and priced his stock on the high side. To say was not the warm and fuzzy type would be an understatement, but he had primo vintage guitars, including '58-'60 Les Paul Bursts, Flying Vs and much more. He wielded enough power that he convinced Gibson to do a special reissue of the '58 Burst just for him with the correct specs. Those Guitar Trader Bursts are now very pricey and collectible. DeForrest closed up shop and disappeared from Red Bank rather quickly, supposedly for some underhanded activity. He was last seen selling real estate in Florida according to Timm Kummer, someone who used to work for him.


I have a friend who has one of the Guitar Trader Les Pauls. It really is a special guitar.


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## Dave B4 (Jan 11, 2020)

RJ's was downtown Niagara Falls, on Queen Street. I’m pretty sure it closed around '94-'97. Lots of used stuff and off-brands. Bought my first 1x12 combo (a VT Nova) and traded my Hondo super Strat in on a Takamine GX200T (look them up - cool MIJ guitars! should have kept it. Lol).

Central Music briefly had a store in Niagara Falls too - on Thorold Stone Road near Portage (5 corners). It closed in the early 90's, which was when Leroy moved his lessons to RJ's.

Murphy's opened while I was living in Waterloo to go to school. After that, I never lived in the Falls again. But, I did buy my first Epiphone Les Paul (a nice, early 90's MIK gold top that was traded in on my '02 LP Standard at LA Music in Mississauga around '03). I still have my beater/campfire Epiphone acoustic from Murphy's in '02, which is now the guitar I’ve owned the longest. When Murphy's was at the other end of Thorold Stone Road, where the Gale Centre is now.

I've seen LMT a few times when they’ve played Burlington over the years, but it’s been a while. Leroy is always such a nice guy when I go up to say hello after the show. Remembers me after all of these years (or at least does a great job pretending, lol). Really great live show - if they play near you, I highly recommend for some blues/jazz/funk/Motown. John on bass and Mark on drums are both killer as well.


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## Thunderboy1975 (Sep 12, 2013)

Bought my first guitar at Brantford Music Store in '89. Still there. Got a free lesson from a tweaker who kept telling 12 yo me to hurry up and play the chords he was trying to teach me. 
Music Box in Timmins was an odd place, if you wanted to plug in and try a guitar she would huff and puff and complain they werent a really a music store while banging a small amp into another room to plug i . Brutal.
Eds Music in Peterborough was an iconic place where the late Don Skuse would welcome you with a big smile and would point out a guitar he thinks you should try. First place i ever got to play a Les Paul.


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## GuitarT (Nov 23, 2010)

In late 70's/early 80's Kitchener for me it was East End Music, Sherwood Music and Trev Bennett Music. East End and Sherwood where close to my high school so most of my time was spent in those two stores. Had to take the bus to Trev Bennett's but he was the local Traynor dealer and a friend of my dad's. The owner of East End retired in the mid 80's and the new owner quickly ran it into the ground and closed up shop. Sherwood moved a few times over the years but is still in business under different owners. Trev Bennett eventually retired when his building was slated for demolition as part of a road expansion. He's still around and I'm still in touch with him periodically though he must be well into his 80's by now.


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## SWLABR (Nov 7, 2017)

Dave B4 said:


> RJ's was downtown Niagara Falls, on Queen Street. I’m pretty sure it closed around '94-'97. Lots of used stuff and off-brands. Bought my first 1x12 combo (a VT Nova) and traded my Hondo super Strat in on a Takamine GX200T (look them up - cool MIJ guitars! should have kept it. Lol).
> 
> Central Music briefly had a store in Niagara Falls too - on Thorold Stone Road near Portage (5 corners). It closed in the early 90's, which was when Leroy moved his lessons to RJ's.
> 
> Murphy's opened while I was living in Waterloo to go to school. After that, I never lived in the Falls again. But, I did buy my first Epiphone Les Paul (a nice, early 90's MIK gold top that was traded in on my '02 LP Standard at LA Music in Mississauga around '03). I still have my beater/campfire Epiphone acoustic from Murphy's in '02, which is now the guitar I’ve owned the longest. When Murphy's was at the other end of Thorold Stone Road, where the Gale Centre is now.


Me & a buddy both started playing in the late 80's. I don't remember RJ's. I vaguely remember the Central in the Falls... if I recall, it was a shadow of the Welland store. I didn't know Murphy's when I was living there either. It opened... or at least moved to it's current location (5 Corners-ish) during the time I lived in TO. To be honest, I haven't been in there in at least 5 years myself. But I live up the KW way now... 
I guess when I was a teen (before TO) we went to more St Catharines stores than NF ones. My buddy took lesson's at Ryson's (now closed). It was a sh*t hole then, and it was the last time I set foot in it.


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## Mooh (Mar 7, 2007)

I think I've posted this before but thought it apropos. My old man bought an autoharp at Ken's Music in Brantford in 1966. I own it now.


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## zontar (Oct 25, 2007)

They're all gone now--especially the ones in the neightbourhood--which weren't that great (Basically what I call mall stores--typically more directed at lessons, but they seem a few things because of convenience--btu not much I'd buy other than picks & strings.

I miss some of the ones that were further away that aren't there any more.


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## weener (Apr 9, 2009)

Mario's Music Media in Pickering Village . Great store ,Fender ,Gibson ,Marshall ,they had all the good stuff .


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## Robert1950 (Jan 21, 2006)

The closest two stores were 15km away in Oshawa, Alto and Wilson & Lee.


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## PBGas (Jan 14, 2017)

So many memories! 

If you grew up in the Mississauga/Port Credit area, there was Music City which was a great store (I was always there as a kid), LaScala music (which was a hole that became LA music), and Musician's Supply which was also a great store. 

I also remember Music Shoppe II and MusicPlex in Brampton. We had a few good places in the burbs to go to. 
A trip down to Steve's Music was always a treat!


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## Gaylynne Hudson (9 mo ago)

Diablo said:


> Hudson's Music in west toronto was where i got my first guitar and took my first lessons. Place was a dump.
> As a teen, I'd mostly go to Steves and L&M downtown. Occasionally LA Music in Mississauga later on. Places you didnt need a tetanus shot before you went in. Hudsons closed down within a couple years of me going there anyway. it never looed like a viable business.


It was a very viable business, although it often looked like a dump-that was the charm of the place. So many wonderful musicans came and went from Hudson's music shop. It was started on Dupont Ave. as The Hudson Music Box and run by Paul Hudson and his wife Dorothy Hudson. Paul, wanted to make sure his son could take music lessons at a reasonable hour so he purchased the music store. Paul never had music lessons but he believed that everyone should learn to love music and his shop was messy but he knew if a guitar got sold. He was able to look around and tell you what guitar was sold. Paul and his wife also believed in paying living wages to their employees. It was a family business. It was always a crazy messy place with many rooms and lots of instruments but it was a place that welcomed anyone.


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## Mooh (Mar 7, 2007)

A living wage in a music shop might have attracted me to music retail.


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## Gaylynne Hudson (9 mo ago)

Diablo said:


> Hudson's Music in west toronto was where i got my first guitar and took my first lessons. Place was a dump.
> As a teen, I'd mostly go to Steves and L&M downtown. Occasionally LA Music in Mississauga later on. Places you didnt need a tetanus shot before you went in. Hudsons closed down within a couple years of me going there anyway. it never looed like a viable business.





Diablo said:


> Hudson's Music in west toronto was where i got my first guitar and took my first lessons. Place was a dump.
> As a teen, I'd mostly go to Steves and L&M downtown. Occasionally LA Music in Mississauga later on. Places you didnt need a tetanus shot before you went in. Hudsons closed down within a couple years of me going there anyway. it never looed like a viable business.


It was a very viable business, although it often looked like a dump-that was the charm of the place. So many wonderful musicans came and went from Hudson's music shop. It was started on Dupont Ave. as The Hudson Music Box and run by Paul Hudson and his wife Dorothy Hudson. Paul, wanted to make sure his son could take music lessons at a reasonable hour so he purchased the music store. Paul never had music lessons but he believed that everyone should learn to love music and his shop was messy but he knew if a guitar got sold. He was able to look around and tell you what guitar was sold. Paul and his wife also believed in paying living wages to their employees. It was a family business. It was always a crazy messy place with many rooms and lots of instruments but it was a place that welcomed anyone.


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## silvertonebetty (Jan 4, 2015)

Bay music, glacé bay cape breton.
It was ran by Sheldon acoin and was where I first saw a 70s Marshall and a USA hamer explorer 😱 that was the prettiest finish I’ve ever saw 🤩

Sheldon now works for long & McQuades Sydney


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## 2N1305 (Nov 2, 2009)

Permanent Waves said:


> ... the first music store I ever set foot in back in 1983 since my grandmother lived next door. They were very nice even though I knew absolutely nothing...


Aha! So you aren't Alex Lifeson!? 😲

Jeez, all this time...


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## Permanent Waves (Jun 2, 2020)

2N1305 said:


> Aha! So you aren't Alex Lifeson!? 😲
> 
> Jeez, all this time...


No, I'm not Alex Lifeson, but I do play him on TV .


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## 2N1305 (Nov 2, 2009)

you do? okay now I'm confused


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