# Pongetti's Music store closing...



## jimihendrix (Jun 27, 2009)

Dubbed as a "retirement sale"...

Paul Wilson: Pongetti's â€“ after 55 years, the day the music died - Hamilton


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## mhammer (Nov 30, 2007)

Fond memories. When I lived in Hamilton in the late 70's, there were basically 4 places in town for gear, apart from the pawn shops on King St. and James St.: Pongetti's at the old Barton St. locations, MES out on Parkdale, and the two stores on John near the bus station (one was the Yamaha Showcase, and I forget the name of the other). I lucked into my tweed Princeton and my Epi Windsor (eventually stolen) at a pawn shop, but for pedals I went to Pongetti's, buying a bunch of things there. I got my old Univox compressor, a Fernandes Funky Filter (Mutron clone), and my first MXR Envelope Filter there. May have also got my old MXR 6-band. In recent years, whenever we were visiting Hamilton, I'd always pop by Pongetti's to get strings in bulk. Always managed to find a bargain there.


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## GuitarsCanada (Dec 30, 2005)

Some interesting comments in the article. In particular his opinion that kids are just not playing music anymore. I personally think the interest is still there but it is lacking the patience and work ethic in order to learn. The ones I encounter want to be able to play a full song when they pick up the guitar. They are not willing to put in the work


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## mhammer (Nov 30, 2007)

Every time I was in there over the last 10 years, the joint always had far more families buying their kid a budget guitar and amp for lessons, than geezers like me looking for interesting gear. And if you saw just how many budget Strat clones and Peavey Rage 158's and Frontman 15Gs there are for sale on Kijiji after some kid had enough with lessons, you realize that the traditional market Pongetti's seemed to cater to just didn't need them anymore.

I wouldn't chalk it up to patience, though I'd agree that it is in short supply in the contemporary industrialized world. Lots of kids DO acquire massive chops within a ridiculously short period these days. It just doesn't hold their attention for more than a few years, for whatever reason.


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## hardasmum (Apr 23, 2008)

mhammer said:


> two stores on John near the bus station (one was the Yamaha Showcase, and I forget the name of the other).


Reggie's Music


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## dtsaudio (Apr 15, 2009)

hardasmum said:


> Reggie's Music


Reggies's Music was Yamaha Musical Showcase, the other store across the street was Waddington's.

Bought my first bass from Pongetti's a Gibson EB0. Sold it a few years later and bought a Lado Rock II from Roy Pongetti. I spent a lot of money in that store over the years - amps, guitars pedals etc.
I don't think the drive is there anymore. The industry has changed, and competing with L&M is tough. 
I was in there last Thursday looking at electric pianos and never even saw a salesman. I left. They still have some nice instruments in there though.


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## guitarman2 (Aug 25, 2006)

GuitarsCanada said:


> Some interesting comments in the article. In particular his opinion that kids are just not playing music anymore. I personally think the interest is still there but it is lacking the patience and work ethic in order to learn. The ones I encounter want to be able to play a full song when they pick up the guitar. They are not willing to put in the work



I was on stage performing 3 weeks after I picked up an electric guitar for the first time. On the road playing full tme 6 or 7 nights a week it was always just me and my guitar. I'd play on stage all night then go to bed with it, wake up and play all day. I would absorb every lick I could from those I met along the way (special mention to a great Canadian guitarist "George Moody", whom I learned so much from in a short time). But back then I had no laptops, cell phones, gaming systems or any other distractions. I wonder if it would have been different if there had been those things. When I left girl friends or wives behind to travel I'd be lucky to talk to them on the payphone once a week. Last year when I went to Asia for 5 weeks I was on skype with my wife twice a day. 
So unfortunately I don't think its so much that kids aren't willing to put the work in. There is just so much more competing for the time. Maybe Pongetti's should have started selling guitar hero.


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## FrankyNoTone (Feb 27, 2012)

Its part of a overal generational issue: there's definitely more instant gratification and new sensation seeking. We looked into this issue from a people management perspective and the days of focused effort and dedication are long gone. Part of the issue I believe is sensory excess during childhood. Back in the day, kids had to have fun with blocks of wood and board games but nowadays, its hundreds of movies and shows on demand, console and portable games, smart phones, etc.


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## hardasmum (Apr 23, 2008)

The last time I was in Pongetti's I was looking for a small solid state practice amp. The salesman asked what sort of guitar I wanted to try it with. There was an SG there of similar vintage to my 71. So he plugged that in and proceeded to demo the amp for me, showing me the "clean" setting and the "dirty" setting. He never once offered the guitar to me. 

I left and never went back.


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## allthumbs56 (Jul 24, 2006)

It's a shame. 

We're having the same problem at a hobby retailer I do the books for. Celebrating 65 years across 3 generations this month. Every year the sales decline as people continue to lose interest or hit the big boxes and online retailers. Heck, some of our suppliers sell online direct to the consumer for the same (or even less) than they sell to us.


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## dtsaudio (Apr 15, 2009)

> Heck, some of our suppliers sell online direct to the consumer for the same (or even less) than they sell to us.


I hear that all the time from some of my retail customers. Wholesalers selling direct, even to people within close proximity to a retailer. Kind of kills the business.



> Its part of a overal generational issue: there's definitely more instant gratification and new sensation seeking


I guess I'm one of the lucky ones. Both my kids take music lessons (I wish they'd practice more). In fact my 13 year old daughter plays violin, piano and takes vocal lessons, my son (16) plays bass, guitar and is learning alto sax in school. He's also going to take guitar next semester. It's a music credit course.
My only problem is paying for all the instruments and lessons.


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## guitarman2 (Aug 25, 2006)

dtsaudio said:


> Both my kids take music lessons (I wish they'd practice more).



I took lessons for about a year when I was 13. I could barely bring myself to pickup the guitar once a week for practice. When I stop taking lessons I couldn't put it down.


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