Mom & Pop Are Gone

Jody Carver · Post by **Jody Carver** » 23 Jul 2003 7:41 pm

The sad news is that was once a personalized
industry has turned into a conglomerate kind of thing.The Mom & Pop stores are long gone.

They served their purpose but the "mega" stores with buying power took over. Sad,I called on all the Mom & Pop stores for years
and they were the backbone of the music business.

Today its in and out..pay for it at register
#3 and you own it. You have a problem.Contact
the manufacturer.Thats your problem Mr Customer.

They call it progress,I call it bad service and prices that dont offer personalized service.

When I repped Fender,if Pop was out,Mom was there to help,ask for a guitar string or a guitar strap,Mom would look all over the store to help the customer.

Try that now,ask for a set of strings and you
wait a half hour until some goon walks over
eating a half a "Hero" sandwich wearing a Def Leppard T Shirt and sez,,whats Happening Man? like he cares.

I still see retail dealers I knew from back when but they are almost defunct. They struggled to keep their heads above water and eventually handed the business over to their sons and or daughters.

They too,had to meet the manufacturers ridiculous minimum stocking requirements of which they couldnt handle.

The manufacturers today with a few exceptions use the dealer as a warehouse and load them with merchandise & they have a hard time paying for within the companys terms forcing them out of business. Thats not their fault that the manufacturers are hungry for money.

The dealer is forced to compete with the mega
stores and as a result have a difficult time
surviving.

I have been in marketing and sales at Fender
and have seen the whole industry change and not for the better. Progress sure, the world is changing every day..but the music business
is not HOME DEPOT.Its a personalized business
and we need that kind of people who offer that.

Recently I have been offered my old job back
as a "consultant"..I told the people who are very nice that I would accept the position if they let me look for the people who care
about the customer and not the almighty buck.
What the hell is a consultant? nothing but a title and a suit."DUH"
You should be happy to have people like Franklin Guitars..Emmons,Zum, GFI, and Fessenden and the others who offer specialized service and quality,I have a few
retail store friends who are struggling to keep up with the "Giants" who are knocking each others brains out to make the sale and the heck with the customer..get the money and run.

If I were in Nashville,my first stop as a rep
would be Bobbe Seymours shop. Bobbe is the last of the real stores who offer service and competitive prices and he is just like
the Mom & Pop stores I once knew.And the coffee is always on the stove. The gals aint bad either.

Maybe a ride in Bobbe's airplane goes along with the sale

I can dig that. But most of all he cares about his
customers and does all he can to serve the public.

The message is..shop where you get service a few dollars more goes along way for the customer..save a few bucks with the Giants and you get NOTHING.

If I go back on the road and I might very well do so,I will try to get those people who
pioneered this business and offered good service and friendship to their customers and
you dont have to wait for some "dork "DUH" to ask you..whaddya want Dude? Like he knows what you want and then he disappears with the baggy pants..

yeah right.

MOM & POP..or POP & MOM DO IT. You have all to gain and nothing to lose.

Look for the store that offers service and in the long run,its worth the couple of extra dollars for people who care and perhaps
MOM and POP are as inexpensive as the GIANTS
and easier to deal with and can meet the price that the GIANTS OFFER,,but you will get
better service and satisfaction in the long run.

Oh My What a Speech this is.

Buy from real people and not a SuperMarket.

Kevin Hatton · Post by **Kevin Hatton** » 23 Jul 2003 8:26 pm

Consolidation of wealth through deregulation.
Raw evil.

Dyke Corson · Post by **Dyke Corson** » 23 Jul 2003 8:41 pm

Amen Jody! I have been in music retail since the early 70s and I have two small stores here in central Illinois. We have no "mega" stores here yet, but the mail-order/internet competition does hurt. People just don't think we deserve a fair profit. I pretty much tag everything at map, which usually matches mail order prices, but that's not good enough. I always hear "I can buy this for the same map price including tax, no shipping and get 90 days no interest to pay from Musician's Friend, can you beat their deal? By the time I match their deal, I'm making way less profit than they are!! I try to explain to the customer that we can better serve them by letting them try it out first, replacing the item if it breaks down, help them learn how to use it, etc. but that usually does not mean much these days. We are trying to hang in there! Thanks for the words of support Jody, and please call on our store if you go back to work!

Jeff Lampert · Post by **Jeff Lampert** » 24 Jul 2003 4:05 am

The message is..shop where you get service a few dollars more goes along way for the customer..save a few bucks with the Giants and you get NOTHING.

No matter how much blame is thrown at the mega conglomerates, the bottom line is that the consumers chose to buy at the impersonal giant stores in order to save a few dollars, and not care that the Mom and Pop stores went out of business. Why? Our culture/society over time has become less personal, less humane, emphasizing wealth over integrity, immediate gratification over responsibility, etc. R-rated action summer movies, 2-parent working households requiring daycare, men must climb to the top at any cost, women must weigh 100 lbs. at any cost, get the best car now, get the best hangbag now, don't worry about saving for the future, etc. etc. I'm not criticizing anything here - times change, and this is part of it, and in some ways our lives are more enriched over time, but in other ways, our lives have somewhat degenerated over time. This is a complex subject but I don't think you can look at the extinction of Mom and Pop stores in isolation - it is part of the evolution in our culture and our mindsets. Thanks for posting this, Jody.

Gene Jones · Post by **Gene Jones** » 24 Jul 2003 4:36 am

Truer words were never spoken....and by the man who knows more about the subject than anyone alive!

The "Mom & Pop" store that came to mind as I was reading your post is (was) Drivers Music, Bethany, Oklahoma. Kenny & Lucille Driver were performers when they were young, with a long running radio and television background on WKY in Oklahoma City, then in later years established their music store.

It was a family operation, Lucille in bookeeping, Kenny as buyer and manager, and a host of relatives and day-job musicians working in the store. Many times when I went into the store to buy something and all the clerks were busy Lucille would come from the back of the store to ask if she could help me....she always watched for customers through her office window. Taking amps, guitars, etc home for a day or two to try them out on a job were always available. No contracts...your word was good enough for them. Returns on anything were given just for the asking.

After Kenny died, Lucille with the help of her daughter and son-in-law, hung on as long as they could, but the coming of the "big" stores slowly took it's toll. They survived for awhile longer because of their band instruments connection with a local university and other schools, but their customer base slowly faded away to trade at the mega-stores.

...then a devasting fire came, burning their building and all of their stock to the foundation. It was the end. The vacant lot on a corner stood empty for several years as a reminder of the once thriving MOM & POP business that was always a joy to visit, and I was always sad when I drove by.

Now we have the franchise stores with tons of equipment available, and we can even order merchandise over the internet for convenience.....but doing business there is like buying at a Walmart store.

I miss Kenny & Lucille Driver and all the entrepreneurs like them who have faded into memory. They truly belong in "the good old days" category.

Jody, thank you for the reminder of how it used to be.

Your friend..... Gene Jones
www.genejones.com [This message was edited by Gene Jones on 24 July 2003 at 05:45 AM.]

Jim Vogan · Post by **Jim Vogan** » 24 Jul 2003 4:47 am

I visit several music stores in my area. I walk in, they call me by name and we visit a little. If they trade something in that I might be interested in, they give me a call. The big stores don't do that sort of thing!

------------------
Jim Vogan
Carter D10, 8&5 with BCT
G.D. Walker Stereo Steel Combo
Bakelite Ric
Hilton volume pedal

[This message was edited by Jim Vogan on 24 July 2003 at 07:42 AM.]

Frank Parish · Post by **Frank Parish** » 24 Jul 2003 5:13 am

Try a place just outside Clarksville, Indiana called Far Out Music. Kenny Deewees is the owner and will stop and talk to anybody for hours. It's a huge store that guarantees everything they sell and you can get a Hammond organ fixed there too. All repairs have a three day turn around. He was and may still be the largest Peavey dealer in that area. He sent me a brand new P A head a few years back and said just send me a check.
I walked into Sam Ash here a couple of years ago and just stood forever trying to buy some strings. They don't carry anything for steel guitar player with the very small exception of the Carter starter guitar and no-one there can tell you anything about it at all. The guy behind the counter looked like a biker and kept talking on the phone all the while seeing me standing there. Not until I headed for the door did he call out to me.."OK man, I'm off the phone now." I told him to screw it and I went to The Rock Block Guitar Shop here in town too. The Rock Block is a Mom and Pop store and you know it when you go in. I wrote the Sam Ash people a letter and told them they should try getting someone in there that actually looks like a salesman and not a convict. Anymore I write these people letters for their bad service. Maybe it'll strike just one of them that the customer used to be and still should be first. The giant store Marrs just went out of business here so maybe Sam Ash will too. At least Wal-Mart has a greeter that'll speak to you.

Jody Carver · Post by **Jody Carver** » 24 Jul 2003 5:47 am

To quote Frank...At Least at Wal-Mart they
have a "greeter" True Frank,but remember I
lost my pants at WalMart.

Did you ever see a "greeter" without pants?

and I dont mean Smiley.

Gene I met Mr.& Mrs. Driver many years ago at
a Namm Show and they were fine people and great Fender supporters as well. Thanks for
your kind words.

John Lacey · Post by **John Lacey** » 24 Jul 2003 5:49 am

For about 35 years I've dealt with the best mega-music store conglomerate in Canada, Long & McQuade. They did start out as a one store outfit on Yonge St. in Toronto in the 60's and now have 25 stores across Canada. They were and are one of the few places in our country where you could rent just about anything that they stock and apply that to the purchase price. During the steel booms (early 80's) they carried steels but did not sell many as many stores like them because lack of knowledgeable staff, but I understood given the small steel market segment, but they were willing to stock just about anything you would like to get. I've never had too much trouble getting someone to help me and the store in Calgary is exceptional in service and friendliness. They are also incredibly busy but still maintain a friendly and efficient atmosphere. The retail business has definitely changed over the years, Jody, but it's not all for the worse. Competition does offer better prices and given the prices of some of the gear, it can be a killer to a full-time player. Check out Long & McQuade next time you guys are in a major Canadian city, I think that you'll be surprised. Oh yea, they were ties if that turns you on.

Bill Hatcher · Post by **Bill Hatcher** » 24 Jul 2003 6:01 am

I miss the "Mom and Pop" store-------BUT I DON'T MISS THE HIGH PRICES!!!!!!!!!!!

My first good Gibson guitar was purchased at at one of these friendly stores. $333 list price--I paid $333 for it.

Today when I buy a piece of gear, I research the item on the net and look for the best price. I can shop a hundred sites if I want to. Get the best price, print out the page, walk into my mega store and they will match the same price. I would never expect the spandex glam rocker to be able to relate to what I want anyway.

Service is a gone thing in America. Manufacturers have warranty centers that fix things now. I don't expect any personal service anymore from anybody from the phone company to to music store I buy from. I don't really mind not knowing anybody there--the "bottom line" is the only person at the store I need to know these days.

The turnover rate in the employees at music stores is so fast that you are not liable to develope a relationship with anyone now.

Pretty soon all these mega stores will be over and you will be buying all your stuff on the net and having it delivered to your door--get ready.

Good old days stores with nice smiling faces and only limited inventory and Fair Trade Laws are over, thank goodness!!

50 years from now someone will write a post talking about all those wonderful "mega stores" and how they miss them.

Jody Carver · Post by **Jody Carver** » 24 Jul 2003 6:12 am

Jeff
There is much common sense in your post and I dont disagree,but everything today is all
about the almighty dollar. There is little or no pride left among many business today
Its a free for all. Look at what happened to
Baseball.Many teams are struggling to stay alive,for one The Montreal Royals who will abandon their home park in Montreal and play
out the season in Puerto Rico.

WHY?? because the big fish ate the small fish
example, The New York Yankees. They get the highest paid players that other teams cannot
afford to play because of the market they are in,how do they compare the New York Market to the market as an example in Pittsburgh? Steinbrenner has the money to pay
these players,the others do not,so in essense
Its the same old story of the Big Fish eating
the small fish. Maybe thats why fish have no cholesterol problems

The balloon will break one day and although
never be the same,It will happen. And all will change for the better I hope.

Most of you would be shocked to learn that one of the Largest Manufacturers is looking
for a buyer.

By Mom & Pop I mean service by people who have an interest in their customers and not look a customer as one would look at a dollar
bill,It dont work that way.

It would take forever to tell the stories of
my expierience as a salesman.

To me,the dealer was important and chose what
and how much to buy.Its not that way anymore
Its do it their way or nothing.The salesman
can suggest what to buy,but not to demand the dealer to buy what the salesman says.
The salesman MUST take into consideration the
amount of money the dealer can invest in his inventory and NOT overload the dealer who in turn has to unload the merchanise to pay his
or her bills to look good for the manufacturer and to keep on good terms with
the manufacturer.

This is "force feeding" and I dont agree with it. The salesman is someone to help the dealer and not to hurt him.

Dont get me started. Your post is appreciated
Jeff. Thank You.

Vote for me Im in Row "B"

Carl West · Post by **Carl West** » 24 Jul 2003 6:22 am

Jody,
You hit the nail again my friend. nice topic.

Carl West

Jody Carver · Post by **Jody Carver** » 24 Jul 2003 6:22 am

John
I am well aware of Long & McQuade.They were
MusicMan dealers when I was a MusicMan rep for Leo. I agree that they are ethical and more than fair in their pricing and merchandising and caring for the customer.They were MusicMans Canadian distributor so I am well aware of Long & McQuade.

They are of the minority.There are others who are not a Long & McQuade.

Thanks for your nice post. And thank you Bill

I dont think I'll be here to miss the "mega stores" I'll be selling harps I hope.

Thank You.
I see your point, but try to understand mine.

Jeff Lampert · Post by **Jeff Lampert** » 24 Jul 2003 6:53 am

<BLOCKQUOTE>quote:<HR>the big fish ate the small fish
example, The New York Yankees. They get the highest paid players that other teams cannot
afford to play because of the market they are in,how do they compare the New York Market to the market as an example in Pittsburgh? Steinbrenner has the money to pay
these players,the others do not<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

Ah, but how did baseball rules and regulations get to the point where this could happen? Steinbrenner is just taking the rules of the game, and playing the game. Why were these rules made? Because some time back baseball realized that consumers were willing to spend $10.00 for the bleachers instead of 50 cents, and $4.00 for a hot dog instead of 35 cents. And $75 a month for sports channel, instead of free network TV. So the owners said, "we want that money because it's our product". And the ball players union said, "now that there is so much money, we want some of it, so we gotta have free agency, i.e. allow a player to go to the highest bidder". Then George Steinbrenner said, "I got more money than anyone, so I can have the best team!". Bottom line - if the consumers said "No Way am I paying $10 for the bleachers, and $75 a month for cable sports!", then the money wouldn't have been there. You see, it is as much (if not more) about the millions of consumers' willingness to be a part of this as it is about the few big business types.

Jody Carver · Post by **Jody Carver** » 24 Jul 2003 7:13 am

Jeff
I never sat in the bleachers at Ebbets Field
in Brooklyn.I looked through the hole in the Center field wall.

You sound like a Yankee Fan

Or will you admit to being a Mets fan? I Do.

Thanks for your post..I didnt mean to start a war here.Things were quiet so I thought I'd stir the pot

John Cox · Post by **John Cox** » 24 Jul 2003 7:27 am

Jody,I know what you mean, we had a nice but small store here in Bryan ran by a great gentleman and steeler who was nice enough to keep steel strings and supplies for us players around here and when he retired that left us with the corperates who never even heard of a pedal steel. Oh ya, if I want to buy a single 011 forget it ,they tell me I got to buy a complete set of strings, they will not just sell one! I'm going to bet that some day Wallmart will incorperate the Guitar Center or some national chain and that will be all she wrote.
HOPE NOT

J.C.

Jeff Lampert · Post by **Jeff Lampert** » 24 Jul 2003 7:39 am

I'm a Mets fan - sigh

Donny Hinson · Post by **Donny Hinson** » 24 Jul 2003 7:41 am

Jody, you are right...as usual. I feel the same, but most folks don't. People say that they care, but they don't, really. I buy American-made products whenever they are available, even if they cost more. Hardly anyone cares about anything but the "Almighty buck" today. Everyone wants a bargain, but then they gripe when the service isn't there to back up the product. DUH??? When the guitar or amp you buy is made in Mexico, Taiwan, or Japan, you might find it hard to "talk to the guy that builds 'em" when you have a problem.

Service after the sale? The "Megas" don't give much of that. After all, they only made $25 on your purchase, and that doesn't leave much for customer service, does it?

Guys like Bobbe Seymour are the last of a dying breed, and if you think that we steelers are "safe" because all our amps and guitars are made in this country...just wait a few years.

"Never happen!", you say?

Lotta people in Detroit said the same thing a couple decades ago.

Doug Seymour · Post by **Doug Seymour** » 24 Jul 2003 7:50 am

I just came back from Bobbe's store! Amen, Jody. What a great, knowing person you are!
My Dad worked for Francis H Leggitt,a premium grocery wholesaler from the time I was born in 1929, til 1941. He sold to Mom & Pop grocery stores on the western NY/PA border and left the road just before the chains got big! He semi retired on the farm where he & his father were born. Bobbe & I got hooked on the steel guitar on that very farm! Bobbe says it's my fault he's in the business (and loving it by the way!) Jim Luce, my bass buddy from Erie went with, & Bobbe, Jim & I jammed a few tunes together before we left. Never before and probably never again. Jim & Bobbe met when Jim & I started playing together in 1946, when Jim came home from the Navy, for Saturday night square dances at the Odd Fellows Hall in Ripley, NY where Jim's Dad was in charge of the dance comittee! Every one of you steel guys has a similar story to tell. Go jam with the owner at the super store! Ha Ha![This message was edited by Doug Seymour on 24 July 2003 at 08:52 AM.]

Keith Murrow · Post by **Keith Murrow** » 24 Jul 2003 8:19 am

..[This message was edited by Keith Murrow on 26 October 2004 at 03:34 PM.]

Terry McBurney · Post by **Terry McBurney** » 24 Jul 2003 8:36 am

I'm new to the "world of steel" and enjoyed a very pleasant experience in a MOM & POP store...Norris Music in Mesquite, TX.

Mr. Norris, with the fine help of his wife, re-strung my psg while I waited...and I got to enjoy a little bit of history while visiting with them.

Didn't quibble about the price...it was a bargain!

Jody Carver · Post by **Jody Carver** » 24 Jul 2003 8:45 am

I meant not to start a war,these are my opinions. I spent all of my life as a salesman for Fender.That was when it was different and so was the world as a whole.

I am no longer a baseball fan. I was when It was a game and the players played their hearts out.

Iam a traditionalist Country Music Fan and not the "New Country" that evolved from shades of heavy metal.

I am not a Fast Food Resturant freak,I dont like ordering my food through a drive through
window while some goon hands me the French Fries (oops Freedom Fries).

I like good people who treat others as they would expect to be treated.

I'm not in favor of the movies made today for
HBO,,I like old Western Movies, I like old
memories of a time forgotton by many, I didnt
start this to offend anyone,it was not my intent.

Sam Ash had (1) store when I was a Fender salesman at 17 years of age. Sam & his wife
Rose owned and operated the business.

They had two children Jerry Ash and Paul Ash
who are two of the finest people anyone would want to know.

They then opened a second store on Long Island and then another in Queens and still another in White Plains New York. I knew these people all of my life.I went to funerals for their family, I went to the weddings of their children,they have been honest and their integrity is beyond what anyone could want.

The manufacturers saw a way to increase the volume of business and who else would they ask to do that?? Mom & Pop? No..a music store
with more than one store.

I dont blame the now called chain stores,the manufacturers play a big role in this scenario.

Peavey has been one of the first to think of the dealer first and for that I admire him
It was that way with the original Fender Company while Leo and Don Randall owned Fender,,then it changed.CBS saw to that and as a result quadtroupled the sales of Fender
products while ignoring the quality and customer service. With all the increase in sales,the dealers made less profit and the service went down the drain.The salesman made
less commision and yet tried to keep the ship
afloat.Not easy Mc Gee..not when you had Big Brother watching with the CBS eye.

When I was told CBS was watching me I told the executive VP....good,,maybe they will learn something.

Since all decisions were made by salesman in the field..CBS took that privledge from the Fender Salesman and decided to open the flood
gates. There was more merchandise sold during the years from 1965 till 1972 than ever before in Fender history.

People were employed as executives who didnt know a guitar from an accordian,decisions were made that were not thought out.

The big guns then went to war against each other, and yet I carried on as before CBS until the day I resigned.

So you see I dont blame the so called mega stores per say,they were provoked to increase
their business and as a result the smaller store was no more.

Was the Mom&Pop store not entitled to feed their family by selling well known brands? or were they relegated to selling off brand instruments. Who made this decision? You answer that yourselves. You know the answer.

Right now there are two major chains competing against each other and I dealt with one of them from day one and if there ever was a Mom & Pop attitude it would be with the one I dealt with all those years.

They have a hard time employing qualified people as salesman,but this is the price you
pay when you want to be the BIGGEST and try
to be THE BEST.

As for me,I'll take the Mom & Pop stores and leave it at that..Its NO LONGER a PERSONALIZED BUSINESS..CAN YOU HEAR ME NOW?.

I will not accept the position offered to me
because I'm a Pop and my wife is a Mom.

Besides I would have no time to post these long stories

I like Country Music and the people who play
the "real deal".

Better days are coming..thats what they tell me..Im waiting.I'm going to watch an old Western Movie now so you guys can work this out and when you do,let me know.

Be well

Pop.

Thanks.

Jody Carver · Post by **Jody Carver** » 24 Jul 2003 8:53 am

I'm a Mets fan - sigh

Jeff dont tell anyone.I'll keep it quiet

edited to add ;;;Jeff you play very well dont sweat the Mets.They dont know who you are..forget them and start chasing women

at least you have a better chance than waiting for the Mets to win.

[This message was edited by Jody Carver on 24 July 2003 at 09:58 AM.]

Gino Iorfida · Post by **Gino Iorfida** » 24 Jul 2003 9:13 am

Jody,
I agree with what you say fully. An analogy would be the traditional 'mens shop' for clothing vs. walmart. You go into the 'mens shop' looking for a shirt and a pair of trousers, someone immediately greets you, takes you in the back, and takes your measurements, you tell him what style you are looking for, they find a pair fitting that description, albeit a tad larger than what you want, they pin them up to the right size, and you come in an hour later and pick them up, custom fit, perfect for you.
You now go into walmart looking for the same, you either get too small, and starve yoruself, or you get slightly larger, and eal with the 'extra loose fit'. No one will help you at walmart other than unlock the dressing room for you... as for custom fit? *laugh* most employees there never even heard of such a thing. The kicker though is the price (adjusted for todays market), you may pay $75-100 for the trousers at the men's shop, and $10-25 at walmart. Most people today in the day of convenience and the $$ will say 'the $10 walmart pants fit good enough,', and will buy a CD to listen to on the way home, oil and a filter to change in the car later, groceries, dog food, and maybe some toys for the kids. and still come home with change from the $100 they came in for. Oh yea, and you can do this on sunday, or even at 3:00am if you like. Americans do love the convenience, and the price makes the convenience more convenient.
Some mom and pop stores are lucky enough to do enough sales that they can compete with the 'megastores'. One in my area that I frequent can do this well, plus with the lack of a guitar center etc close by, they had a LOT of local clientel (imagine blowing a speaker in your amp on thursday night's rehearsal, and have a gig friday night... you can stop by the local store and be playing). For the longest time they came 'close' to the musicians friend type prices, but were always a LITTLE bit higher, which was good enough, since you don't have to wait (the convenience thing). Now a guitar center opened, and their prices will match GC (if not beat whenever possible).
One thing you can do well at the mom and pop stores that you can't do at the big guys is, DEAL DEAL DEAL and TRADE. Pop may be glad to sell you that Tele that's been hanign on his wall for a year at his cost, just to clear room for new inventory, something that may move quicker. he doesn't make anything on that sale, however, you will be more than likely to stop back again and buy your strings, an amp, pedals, cables, stands etc from him, and who knows, another guitar that he can make a little off of. Even this higher volume mom and pop store in my town lacks one thing....a good staff (hey, to keep costs competitive, he has to pay his employees peanuts).

I remember years ago when I was in my teens and younger, just learning the 6 string, our town had 1 music store, if you wanted anything else, you had to mail order, (back when Musicians Friend was called Musicians Supply, and they were a medium sized 1-store deal, not the chain). I would remember stopping at the store after school, or on a sat. afternoon, spending 3 or 4 hours there, talking to the owner about what new gear he saw/is getting from the NAMM show, you coudl walk in, pick up any guitar you wanted, try it through whatever you wanted. ANd you ALWAYS out of courtesy, bought a dozen picks, and a couple packs of strings, or a guitar cable, or even just the new issue of Guitar Player magazine (back when they had a column on pedal steel, and back when it was about the instrument, not a poor copy of Rolling Stone in disguise!). You would buy the small things just out of courtesy, even if you didnt need them, jsut to support the man, and thank him for the hours of entertainment, good conversation.
.... and need we not forget the GREAT deals you could get on used gear at one of these stores! Mom and Pop couldn't give you more than a couple hundred $ for that les paul you were trading in on a new tele, so then the average joe could go in and get a les paul for $350, when they sold new for $1000 etc. These stores were also the hangout for all the local musicians, so you would network, get gigs, make friends etc. -- something that just doesnt happen at the superstores, where you and everyone else just goes in, gets what they need, and walks out. Average time for any musician in one of these stores? under an hour. Average time in the mom and pop store? 2 hours or more.

Jody Carver · Post by **Jody Carver** » 24 Jul 2003 9:38 am

Before I sign off here, I want to acknowledge
someone who I have the utmost respect for.
We have discussed the pro's and cons of the
"mega stores" vs the "Mom & Pop" stores.

However since I have been a sales rep on the East Coast since the early 1950's I know one
one store who fills the gap between the mega
stores and Mom & Pop operations.

His store is located in the Hamlet of Ossining New York, a small town in Westchester County. The owner started this business a long long time ago primarily as a band instrument shop.

His son later went in with his dad and they
started what I would say is the BEST store I
have ever had the good fortune of calling on.

Many times they make service calls to musicians in clubs that are on the job,you ever hear of that? I dont think so.

They carry all the major brands Gibson,Fender
Peavey,Marshall etc etc and the store is well stocked and the presentation of the products they represent is A1.

This is a store that has survived the tough
times as well as the good times.

They are only 5 miles from the Two Giants mentioned above and yet they offer the best
in service and courtesy and knowledge of the products they represent.

Their service is top drawer and their prices are the best. When I say they make house calls I mean that. Leslie West of the rock group Mountain had a problem with an amp he bought from this store and the owner himself
drove an hour into midtown Manhattan with a replacement amplifier.

Its no wonder musicians such as Paul Schaffer
and Sid McGinnis guitarist for the Letterman show shop there,all the pros do,most all of them come from Connecticut,Manhattan Brooklyn
and all the Five Boros. Because they all know
the Best Kept Secret in the Music Business.

The original founder is gone now but his son
who has learned the business from his dad and
has taken over the reigns since the very early 1960's does it the way its supposed to be done.

They have everything and moreso than the Mega
stores only a few miles away and put them to shame with their service and overall good business.

Need to try an amp out?? OK take it on the gig and see how you like it. NO CHARGE..thats
the way it works with this store and a good
friend of mine who cares about his customers and in this day and age does it the "old fashioned way" and the best way he knows how.

Located in Ossining New York.Owned and operated by Bob Galassi and Its the BEST ever
in my years of experience. It dont get any better than OSSINING MUSIC.

You can finish this thread. I gave my opinions and I complimented those who deserved it as well.

I have no malice towards CBS or the Mega stores,I have had a great run over the years
working for the finest people anyone would want to work for and for that I am grateful.

It dont get better than OSSINING MUSIC.
This is NOT a "paid political announcement.
Just ask Paul Schaffer and Burt Bachrach and others who know Bob Galassi.

edited to add the BEST part..Ossining Music is a place
where friends and musicians meet and as Gino
posted "a place to hang out" NO..you dont have to buy anything..thats not required,you
just have to be one of the guys who are the most proffesional and nicest people you would
ever want to meet.

A fellow who I have known since my early days
at Fender does all the electronic work on all brands of guitars and amplifiers and in one of my visits years back a Fender partner
Don Randall said to me after meeting this fellow said and I quote..Jody we are lucky to have someone like this fellow looking after our products,his name is EUGENE. He's the best. And that came from the lips of Donald D.Randall,Leo Fenders partner.

You can find OSSINING MUSIC easy, just look for a bunch of guys hangin outside and a couple of bikes in the driveway..One is a HARLEY and the other is a HONDA. Bob recently
received a wonderful tribute by a Westchester
Newspaper "The North County News". I never saw such a nice tribute so well deserved as that of Bob Galassi. A Musicians Musician and best friend.

This my friends DONT GET ANY BETTER...
Forget the MEGA STORE NO SERVICE AND LACK OF KNOWLEDGE AND ATTITUDES..Do it this way.

Like NIKE SAYS "JUST DO IT". Again

Its BOB GALASSI AND EUGENE AT OSSINING MUSIC
OSSINING NY...Tell em Jody sent ya.

Thanks to all of you. I'm outta here.

Man can I tell a long story or "WHAT"??[This message was edited by Jody Carver on 24 July 2003 at 11:08 AM.]