As a dealer at Nashville's oldest full line music store, I find it troubling when a giant brand like Fender raises its price 5 times in 2 or 3 years. The economy definitely plays a huge factor in what people buy these days. I do worry that manufacturers will out price their products for not just dealers but consumers. I think service is the difference in what makes a store successful or not.

Nothing compares with the youthful thrill of checking out 250 right-handed guitars plus one left-handed Squier, and walking out 30 seconds later.

Back in the 80s, there was a guitar shop in Atlanta called Clark's that was as much a social scene as it was a retail shop, especially on a Saturday where you'd likely see someone from just about every local band drop in just to hang out and touch base with everyone else. They sold Fender, Gibson, Gretsch and Peavey, and always had an eclectic collection of used gear. Social scene or not, I dropped A LOT of money there over the years. They closed when the big boxes came to town, and there hasn't been a place like that since. A damned shame.

Andertons are bloody great. Many years ago (20+) I went in to buy a brand new acoustic. They advised me to buy a second hand Takamine they had instead. I still play that guitar every day. They gave me great advice then and ever since.

“We don’t have that but we can order it for you.” Edit: I do want to commend Lee Of Anderson’s for saying that one of his tenants of running a great retail store is having everything you want to sell in stock. This is one of the many reasons they are succeeding while others are sinking.

"The internet can never replace a person" yeah, but it doesn't have to. I don't order from Sweetwater. I order from Devin at Sweetwater. They have really nailed how to garner allegiance to an online presence

I grew up in the Chicago suburbs where we had a Guitar Center, Sam Ash, Guitars Plus and a few smaller shops. Pre internet, pre cell phone, my friends and I would make the rounds between all of the stores as teens and in our 20's. I remember jam sessions breaking our between employees and customers that were epic. You were able to put a band together by meeting local musicians in person. They would host clinics by our favorite guitar heroes like Dimebag and George Lynch. I went to a meet and greet with Nuno Benttencourt in the early 90's at Guitars Plus. The stores just stopped being busy and this cool when the internet happened. Now they're mostly empty when I go check them out. Things really changed with the internet.

All I had was guitar center here in Fredericksburg, Virginia. They opened 20 years ago and shut down the 2 mom and pop stores we had. Now the internet is starting to do the same to the big guys. I recently discovered a new shop with knowledgeable people and things I want to buy! It was a good feeling discovering this place I could drive to in 20 min, sit down in the shop, and try gear. I felt like a kid again 😂

I feel like guitar shops need a strong online presence, but I think they also need to make the shop the place to go. I hear stories all the time from the past that people would just go and hang out at shops because it was cool and that magic has kind of gone away. Granted, times and people have changed, but it would be awesome for more shops to present a much more welcoming vibe for people to actually want to go there

I just spent 3 hours at a nearby Music Go Round. I sold them about 15 pieces of gear (almost all of which I’d bought online) and spent most of the time demoing amps. I left happy, with the knowledge that I’d actually picked my favorite option in my price range. But I bought a dark horse, and was disappointed by the amps I expected to love (based on reviews online). That’s not unusual, and highlights the significance of trying gear in person. I wish brick and mortar stores would survive, even thrive, so more of us could make gear choices based on actual experience, rather than reviews by people with different ears and preferences than we have.

The musicians friend catalogs were golden. I used to bring those to school and my friend and I would sit there and circle all the gear we wanted with a pen...good times before the smart phone!

I feel really fortunate to have 6 guitar shops within 15 min of my work that I can stop by and visit on my lunch break from work. Thank you Rochester, NY.

For probably a decade I ordered all of my new gear from Sweetwater. Recently I moved to a smaller town with an awesome little guitar shop. It is like a guitar swap meet. They do fair trades and have a ton of used pedals. So now I go there for my guitar needs.

I love the idea of music stores, but the reality is that my budget is limited. If a shop provides a community center and is locally owned, I’ll pay 10% more to buy from them, but not 30%. Thanks for the conversation! Oh and I just paid perfect circuit for a new Chase Bliss pedal, because I experienced good customer service and wanted to reward that, and paid a little more than the used pedal I planned to buy. they gave me 10% off when I asked. Nice people.

I love walking into a store and seeing lots of different types of guitar. But new guitars are expensive, so most of my guitar purchases are eBay or reverb or online deals from the major (UK) stores. I occasionally buy a pedal or accessory from a physical store. I recently had the pleasure of happening upon Macari’s new premises. I’ve never felt so welcome in a guitar shop. They knew I didn’t have the money for a guitar but they let me try stuff, treated me to a whole bunch of history and stories, and I left with a Colour Sound Fuzz and Macari’s t-shirt. I spent more than I planned to, but I got more out of the experience than I spent.

My local guitar shop, Guitar Factory Parramatta, has been operating since before I was born. I love going and spending a couple of hours trying guitars and amps, because that's when you discover the thing that JHS Show has been teaching us for years, the thing that makes the sound that inspires you is the thing that you need in your rig. Sure, the internet is great for research, but nothing beats the long-term relationship I have with the guys at my store.

When I finally graduated to electric guitar at age 13, I went to Gemco in San Diego. It was a department store that had a record section - on the wall above the records were guitars. I had $75 that I’d saved up for a year to get the natural finish Strat copy. I wrote the stock number down, went to the cash register and handed them my cash. My mom and I were directed to a door on the outside of the store, handed them a slip of paper and the handed me a cardboard box. When I got it home and opened it, it contained a plywood sunburst Teisco del Ray that never once managed to be in tune. I was too shy and too stupid to bring it back and ask for the guitar on the wall. If I had more info (it was the 70s - no internet), I would have gone to Freedom Guitar and got a decent second-hand American instrument for the same price. My second electric was a Les Paul copy from the Sears catalog. Again, horrible quality and also never played in tune. Since then, I’ve bought them in guitar shops or directly from luthiers.

I have 15 guitars now. I have bought a couple of guitars online from Thomann (both are great), but all the rest are from guitar shops around London. The difference is that with most of those, I left with a guitar that wasn’t the one I thought I was going to buy. There is always something different that looks and feels better in real life than the one I had in my head / imagination. So that’s something that would never happen online. Pedals however I have usually bought online after extensive research. I don’t feel comfortable asking to try pedals in guitar shops, and they aren’t usually very accessible. Special mention to Andertons and Wunjo Guitars. They are always friendly and helpful and will get my business as long as they stay open. In short, I hope guitar shops NEVER die.

Being into more niche stuff within an already niche hobby, I have a hard time finding things that I'm looking for at my local shops, BUT I still enjoy going and I'll always give it a shot to buy what I'm looking for there first. Sweetwater makes it so easy and their customer service is so excellent, it is often tempting to just automatically go to them.

We had a guitar store open two years ago in my city and they are moving to a larger building. And a town about thirty minutes away is a guitar store that’s been around for years got new ownership a couple years ago and now they’ve move to a larger location and is getting more business. I’m hoping this is a sign of revival for guitar stores in the future.

Great subject, glad you raised it! I worked for a very large electronics distribution company in the UK for 15yrs from 1995-2010 in sales, purchasing and warehouse manager, we imported thousands of music, sound, lighting electronics and imported all over the world supplying only wholesalers & retailers, not to the public. When I first started we supplied thousands of high street music and electronics retailers worldwide, sadly over a few years I’ve seen so many big companies close and go bust and it was all down to the internet, basically so many one man bands sat in their office at home built websites and always under cut high street retailer prices, therefore winning a lot of the business, what frustrated me was these one man websites never even handled the products the end user purchased, they would receive their order online, take payment and order direct from our company and get us to send the goods direct to their customer, obviously they had no over heads like retail stores so could make much smaller margins for doing very little. Sadly this ruined the high street stores especially music stores! As now there really is virtually no music / guitar stores left in the UK, I live in Manchester a huge city with a great music history,bands. and musicians. I try not to buy from the internet and try to support the very few music shops left, I’d rather pay a bit more money to buy from a retail store, trying the goods before purchasing and good customer and importantly after sales service when buying music products to myself is incredibly important. Internet sales sadly especially in the UK destroyed the industry and hasn’t been there for years in the UK! Too many big companies went bust and closed down owing our company thousands which was very sad to see so many great companies go. If I do buy anything online then I always try to buy direct from the manufacturer or direct from the brand head office as having worked in purchasing I can usually wangle it buying direct even if they don’t sell direct to the public. I always try and support my local guitar stores primarily as they are really struggling and very few and far between nowadays. Unfortunately people want products next day and at lowest price possible now, I wish they would realise how this has crippled the industry badly and will end up back firing on the public in the long run, customer service and after sales is definitely a huge part of a music product and worth paying more for in my view.

The timing of the episode could not be any better. My favorite local guitar store has decided to shut its doors for good as of the end of May. Ultimately the owner decided to go a different route with his business ventures. Great guy and team he had with him. This was a very small store and the ability to go in and test equipment is such a must for me. They were also great at tweaking my guitars to my liking and we're always up for trying to get the best feel for me as the customer. If you're someone who likes to tinker a lot with gear you currently own or picking up new gear, the local guitar shop is a special place .

Steve’s Music in Montréal will always have a special place in my heart as it’s where I bought two 14 inch bass amp speakers for my Bassman 50 when I was 14. That was in 1974. Still go there. Also, picked up two cool Boss pedals for 10 bucks at the Brimfield antique show!

Wow that made me think. 25 years ago i tried to start a mail order company just for pedals only to find out that nobody was willing to supply me. I do think you missed out the guitar mags influence for a shory time in the 80s. Well done great episode

Thank you Josh! This video Stream was awesome! I’ve made my living for over 20 years playing music. This year an opportunity for us to buy a local store that has been a staple in our community for 84 years, and we jumped. You put into words and articulated so well so many of the things that I have been intuitively thinking and feeling. As a former buyer of gear, I’m hoping to take this wisdom into helping other musicians fall in love with making music and finding great gear.

I remember seeing my first Musician’s Friend catalog in probably ‘97. I would look through it for hours on end.

Beyond excellent video! Thank you guys for the knowledge and discussion.

A change I've made to better support my guitar shops is that I try to limit my gear purchases to when I travel. I make it a point to visit whatever the good guitar shops are wherever I go. It's a cool experience, you get to meet cool like-minded people, you get to try stuff in person, and occasionally you can even find a nice bargain on a used item. Even if I don't walk away with a new pedal or something, I try to at least get some strings or something to help out, though by limiting my gear acquistion mostly when I travel, I'm more likely to walk away with something new I'm excited about and help out these local stores. A good way to do this research is to find what gear companies operate out of different states, and look at who their dealers are. You can usually triangulate who the cool local shops are. :) This is how I found Eastside Music Supply!

Local guitar shops have the best techs. I feel bad because I buy online because of the deals I find but then go to local shops for repairs and modifications. If guitar shops die then hopefully we still have guitar techs available. It blew my mind working at guitar center how many people come in just to have somebody put on their guitar strings for them. That will always be a thing.

Since I started going into guitar shops in the 70’s my favorite thing was shops that had lots of used guitars. Used guitars Im not crazy about buying unless I can hold and play them first.

Not for music shop reasons, but you’re hitting the nostalgia buttons hard for me here. Also grew up on a working farm, also remember that very special experience of ordering from a catalog and getting something delivered from far away to my home in the middle of nowhere. It’s so easy now, but nothing in today’s purchase experience can beat that amazing feeling of the 2 or 3 times a year the UPS truck showed up; getting a package was crazy special & exciting! Now it’s just a box this week’s stuff like ibuprofen & wasp spray. Which is just another way of saying - I now go to brick and mortar establishments (including restaurants and grocery stores) with the same regularity the UPS truck came when I was a kid, 2 or 3 times a year. In most cases, it’s not about the convenience, it’s the experience of the wide range of selection that’s killed in-person shopping for me. And I’ll preface my next statement by saying, I get it, I worked in food service for almost a decade, you’re getting paid like shit, so I don’t have an expectation of high customer service, I truly don’t, and anyone who’s had a job interacting with the public knows how thankless and sh*tty that is, much solidarity to all of you gutting it out in service jobs. Preface said, because of the poor pay for retail and service jobs, the experience of dealing with someone incredibly knowledgeable and helpful at a brick & mortar location, at any point in my life, has been so infrequent as to be almost mythological. We might have one experience or know one store like that and romanticize it and expect it, then feel disappointment when it’s not there. The truth is, we stumbled onto someone so genuinely excited about the product or service they’re part of, that they’re compelled by personal enthusiasm to be extraordinarily helpful, despite being paid and treated poorly. We shouldn’t consider this the norm or expect it. Not until people are properly compensated for their passion and experience.

A massive issue is many brands require shops to buy an array of products, even if only specific models are selling. Fender, Charvel, Jackson, etc. they require a certain amount of guitars to be purchased by a shop to maintain a contract. Shops would survive buy selling only what is popular, but manufacturers actually stop that from being possible. Furthermore, in shop is always best, no two guitars sound the same

I’m 60 and in the jewelry business. And this is what I’ve seen the last 20 years and I think it goes hand in hand with this video. In the past, manufacturers sold to wholesalers who sold to retailers who then sold to the end user. Then, manufactures started cutting out the wholesalers, selling direct to the retailer, killing many, many businesses. Now, the manufacturers are cutting out the retailers and selling direct to the end user either direct or setting up retail stores. I think the shame of this is the guitar shops are so important. In addition to selling product, they also do set ups and do the maintenance on my guitars that I cannot do myself. But, it’s it just so damn easy to order on line. I’m surprised that a company like yours, which is relatively new, does not sell direct. But, you fall into the direct to retailer, which today is fantastic. But at some point, you may start to think, instead of selling my $99 pedal to sweetwater for $49, I can sell it to Rob in Huntington, for $79. Saves me money. And you make more. That’s the logic driving this change. I don’t know if you agree with this assessment, but it seems to me the direction we are going. And like everything else, there’s some pluses and some minuses

One of the best episodes yet. These are the types of questions and discussions that help contribute towards the common good in society; understanding what/where/when/why/how. So much to unpack. #Gratitude

Dude you’re awesome! I’ve just started diving into your content and I’m having a blast! I bought a angry Charlie a few years ago to play in my 90’s grunge cover and it’s been one of the best pedals I’ve ever owned.

this show is such a chill hangout. thanks guys.

I appreciate what you do Josh. Thank you.

I apologize in advance for the long comment, but this topic really speaks to me for several reasons. I've been working in the MI industry since 1997, working 3 days a week in a small family-operated music retailer in my hometown, while still attending school. I then did a 2,5 year apprenticeship in that very store, learned and did everything from sales, purchase, guitar repair, building instruments etc. I was lucky to have a bunch of folks working there who had infinite knowledge about stuff that I soaked in constantly. I never really left the industry, worked at other retailers, distributors, manufacturers and so on. These days, my main job is still within MI and I have a pedalbuilding side-business. You said something very true in this livestream: The issues are manifold and they have to do a lot with the different regions of the world and within countries. I live in Europe (Germany to be precise) and I have seen guitar stores dying a lot in the past 10 years. Some of them actually because of the internet (they refused to participate, didn't see the value in having an online sales channel etc.), but others went away because of their profile. A lot of stores were started by former musicians who, at some point, saw themselves confronted with the fact that making a living with music is a difficult thing if you want a certain standard and consistency in life. But they also didn't want to stop hoarding gear and needed to justify that to their partner and friends. So they started a guitar store. What a great idea! Some of these guys are still around, because they picked up the business mentality along the way. Others however went away since they didn't pick it up and they thought they would be living forever on their regular customers, people coming in from their region to get the usual supplies and some new gear etc. But in the meantime other retailers with a real focus on scaling their business grew massively and made it easier for people to buy via phone, online or through other modern channels. These large sellers are now able to offer a better service on a distance than some of the local stores, which actually sounds insane when you think about it! Now there is a situation where those retailers who survived the internet, heavy competition and all the above mentioned will retire soon and in a lot of cases there's no one taking over the business, which means less stores to go to. Another important factor is store staff. It is difficult to get people, which has been an issue for a few years now. You're certainly not becoming rich and famous working in a guitar store (well, famous sometimes at least), so the income portion is one thing. Some guys also have a weird expectation of what "working in a guitar store" is (hence the comment on "max volume guitar solo by GC employee). And the other part is that someone who is new to the matter needs to be educated well by his superior. I don't see this happen a lot these days, people are rather seen as cheap helpers for easy tasks. If I then walk into a guitar store and come up with some serious questions in order to make a purchase decision and the person in front of me knows less than myself, it won't create a great experience for me. I could go on and on about this, since there's so much more to it, but I will leave it with these words. Thanks for making such great content and dig into topics like this, it's really important!!!

Great video, Josh! Very well thought out and presented. I’m clearly in your age range because all of your personal experience examples like getting the musicians friend catalogs being so exciting bring back so many fun memories.

I carried around several Musician's Friend catalogues in my backpack at school. I'd look through them so much that I knew all the different models of guitars, basses, amps, pedals, drums and cymbals and new their MSRP and sale price. Then, when I went to Mars Music or Guitar Center, I knew what I wanted to try and how the prices compared. Not that I could afford anything, but it was fun!

I love going to guitar shops, but I don't buy gear anymore. Guitar as a passion and a hobby has evolved, and I now consider myself to be a maker, not just a musician. As such, most of my gear purchases are for components, not finished products. This livestream has made me want to go to my local guitar shop and buy some strings and picks or something.

Thank you for the great episode Josh. I’m 59 years old and I play guitar since I’m 12 years old. Not a professional, but certainly an advanced amateur and gear nerd. I remember buying my first real electric guitar. I was 17 and badly wanted a Stratocaster because Richie Blackmore played one. It was 1981 and I went to a local music shop in a medium size town in Germany where I was living back then. They had three Fender guitars in store: two Strats and a Telly. I still see them as it was yesterday. I had money from a summer job and some financial help from my mother. So I was 17 and certainly on a budget. I didn’t know nothing about gear back then. So two Strats hanging there: one in a beautiful yellow, one in natural finish. The natural finish was more expensive. Here comes the vendor: bad hair, cheap tie, the kind that usually sells Farfisa organs and Hohner nylon guitars to beginners. So I ask him why the natural guitar is more expensive. He makes this expert face, seems to think hard and then says: it’s the body, look at the body. One is massive wood, the yellow one is synthetic. The 17 year old boy who was already falling in love with the yellow one goes like: oh…😢 I certainly don’t want a plastic Strat… but I certainly don’t want that uncool natural finish that looks like our dinner table. So I ended up buying the cream Telecaster… More than 35 years later. I’m living in Lisbon Portugal now. There is that small but fine guitar shop here called MrJack Guitars. He was a dealer for Tokai guitars back then. As a nerd I knew that Tokai made (and still make) some of the best guitars in the business. So he had received a batch of LP copies. I go there and there are three beautiful “Love Rock” models in violin burst. I go there on a week day, I was the only customer in the shop. Three apparently identical guitars. The owner lets me try them without any pressure. They look equal. But I always come back to that same one. It has something. It speaks to me. We bond. I buy it. Still love it. Even resisted to mod it (which I almost always do). The music store of my youth with the smeary vendor has closed his door for many years. MrJack Guitars has grown and is expanding. Changed to bigger locations twice during the last years. So what’s my message? You can’t buy a fine guitars online. Wood is an organic material. Even if you have 10 apparently identical guitars, you’ll feel a difference if you have enough experience. Slight differences in the way the neck is shaped, the pickups, how it reacts to your playing… So you have to buy them in a shop, you have to touch and play them. If you do a good job as a shop owner and shop staff then you still are going to survive in the online world.

This was great - thank you for putting it together!

Excellent content..stellar presentation.. A+ and thanks for the thoughtful insights into the economics of everything.

these are by far my favorite kind of shows you do.

Really enjoyed the LIVE @JHS keep bangin' RAWK!!! 🤘🏼

I generally like to search online for local area second-hand pedals or guitars. But, if I do want something I can't find used, I always go to my local Long & McQuade music store where they can almost always find what I'm looking for. I love your channel. It's very insightful and full of knowledge and info I can apply to decisions on future purchases. Thanks for all the time you put into making this content.

Thansk Johs for share part of your personal history. Greetings 👍

I think as long as guitar shops are adaptable they will be fine although big retailers like sweetwater will always take a chunk of their business. The biggest issue I have with local guitar shops is that they very rarely stock the instruments I want. Now, they can order them sometimes but they're ordering direct and these days it's a complete roll of the dice with a lot of brands. They might put in an order and have it in a week or two.. or a year. Most of my guitar purchases are from reverb accounts of physical stores. I have a local shop that I really like and I buy from them whenever possible.

I run the Music Go Round in Boston and we focus on used gear. This way we do not have to constantly compete with the online cutthroat competition. We still need to provide great customer service and maintain a desirable inventory, which we do so we're very successful.

Great discussion, lots of knowledgeable folks in the chat!

I did the survey, I think everyone doing all the research online drives a lot of online traffic. Going to the local guitar shop just has to be better: you go there for the real dirt, the real answers to your problems, and real help not merely trying to upsale you. You want to talk to people with experience, knowledge, and who can help you find what you need. Not what you want but what you need. A big problem with pedals is they don’t always solve the “need” problem. I like the JHS stuff because everything solves a need, and while I might not want every version of a tube screamer in one box I definitely need it.

One of my favorite videos you guys have made 🎶👍🏽

I think there is an opportunity to change the way a guitar shop works. Northern Guitars in Leeds is brilliant. Guitars, coffee, beer and live music. Genius. There's a shop near me in Essex that still operates on appointment only basis. This means I cant just browse and make a spontaneous purchase. If you go in with an appointment you feel pressured, if you walk out without buying you can feel the eyes burning in the back of your head. There was an old place that used to have a free coffee machine and it was as much a social hub as a guitar shop, there was a real community feel and people would pop in on Mondays to talk about their gigs at the weekend and it was a real community vibe. The way the workers treated us there meant that whatever I was looking for I'd buy it there regardless. Obviously having a decent stock is important too. I love guitar shops and hope they don't die but feel a lot of them need to do more to build a community with the musicians in the area.

I believe that when it comes to music gear it really depends in which piece we’re talking about. i can sorta safely buy pedals, capos, picks and whatnot online, but for pedals there’s the problem of me needing to try and play it the way specifically I would play it. there are very few KZfaq channels aside from JHS that go into proper detail of all the capabilities /or they only use pedals to play the exact same type of music which doesn’t give you an understanding of how it would sound in different configurations and musical settings. this goes even further for amps and guitars. i’m utterly incapable of buying a guitar without playing it myself. i need to know how it feels, what I can make it sound like and so on. that’s why I hope that guitar shops don’t ever disappear but clearly it’s happening because where I live, the guitar store that has the best offerings is Guitar Center which is unbelievably sad

Guitar shops will only do as well as guitar-based music, to an extent. Most popular music now is some kind of synth/pop/light guitar amalgamation. I’m not saying this is good or bad-it’s just that tastes and styles change and the retail space will also have to change. Happened to my grandpa’s generation (a professional big band jazz clarinet player) and it will happen to rock music too. The elephant in the room to me isn’t the internet, it’s plug-ins. How long before software can 100% do what guitars and hardware can? Great vids. Love from out here in Japan!

I worked for Sam Ash on LI in the early 2000's, then Manny's in NYC for a while, it was the Guitar Center franchise that crushed all the local shops and it was deliberate. Then came the internet.

I grew up in orange county in the 50s, there were like 3 music stores in our town,but being only 20miles from Fullerton,the music stores only carried hign end fender, Gibson, and gretch guitars, very few cheap guitars were sold at these stores,so every one bought guitars from sears, Woolworths, and other big name retailers, who carried Japanese guitars,or supro rebrands.

Thanks for this!

Matt’s guitar in Manassas VA has a teaching studio. I would say that is the combination going forward. People, especially kids, would still want to learn in physical reality and not a digital one in my opinion

Hey Josh! Thought you might like my insight. I live in London, Ontario, Canada. I ran a guitar shop here for 20 years. I shut it down in 2010. I gave it my all but it was a sinking ship. I blame it on video games. Glad I got out when I did. These days players can have things delivered to their door. The largest chain in Canada is Long & McQuade. They are the exclusive dealer on everything. A few years ago it was full of Gibsons. A week ago I saw only two. I was one of two customers on a Saturday afternoon. Sad. Your show reminds me of what I miss most about my shop, talking about gear and the friends and bands that were created out of it. Thanks for your show.

Amazing live stream! Do more topics like this!!

That sums it up for me, in-store whenever possible, because "there's nothing like finding it in person". Nothing beats that, 100%, whether it's used or new.

I haven't bought any music gear online for years and never really spent any notable amount of money like that anyway. I started playing guitar right at the hight of the online retail boom, but luckily locally there has been an amazing bounce-back. The advice and guidance I've gotten from local retailers has been invaluable and the discounts that I've gotten out of kindness or for being a loyal customer have been much more substantial than I ever thought would be possible. If you have a fair local store that ads value to your retail experience, then they're worth supporting, if you can.

I’m still very much a beginner and I came across the Anderton’s KZfaq channel a couple of years ago. The advice and opinions on there from Lee and Danish Pete has been invaluable and inspiring, so when I was looking for a new guitar I headed to their shop. The advice I had from the Anderton’s team while I was there was amazingly helpful. Since then I’ve felt a real loyalty to them, and will drive over 2 hours to them again when I buy my next guitar.

I just saw Tom from telluride a few months ago while we were skiing/snowboarding. Took a break midday and of course I had to stop by. He was loaded with your pedals, but most importantly knowledge of everything in that store. Every time we are there, I have to make a stop and just buy something, even if it’s just a pack of strings.

I saw the Experience pedal by Prescription Electronics in Guitar Player magazine years ago. The way I purchased it was I sent a personal check directly to Jack Brossart by snail mail. That was the only way to purchase one when he started his business. I used to call him on a land line phone and I had wonderful conversations with him. I cherish the memories of talking with him. Rest in Peace Jack.

I LOVE going to music stores. Great ones like Carter vintage and Gruhn’s in Nashville. Watching their channels on KZfaq makes it even more of an event to visit in person.

So I’m an older but started learning guitar during Covid and now I’m starting to learn about pedals and gear stuff and recently came across your channel. And I love your content and your clear way of expressing your knowledge of pedals. Anyway I recently bought a jhs series 3 screamer because I felt that the video I watched on KZfaq was like a salesperson selling it to me and all my questions were answered. The only thing that dipped my pickle was that underneath the pedal it said “1 left order soon.” And I did but, as soon as I did they were magically restocked. I’m not mad or anything and I was going to buy it anyway but, I couldn’t help but feel a little duped. I forgot what my point was. So, anyway I can’t wait for my pedal to get here. Btw record time is awesome and has turned me on to some great music.

Phew, I've seen these surveys before. The magic that was the local music store was profound for a generation of post ww2 boomers who had time and money to explore creativity. Every kid played an instrument from accordion to xylophone. Organ and piano sales,rentals, and lessons provided by every mom and pop shop spurred the demand as the record industry was in its adolescence. The "rock" shop started as a consession to shops where you could take a new record release and listen to it in private before you bought it! By my adolescence, every kid wanted a guitar and the guitar store was the place where tactile dreams came true. Guitars were affordable and the likes of Fender,Gibson and Rickenbacker were within reach of most middle class budgets. The guys working behind counter, ex-jazz,big band and bebop horn players often greeted the eager kiddos with trepidations as we bounded in through the doors cutting through a thin fog of cigarette smoke on our way to nirvana, the guitar room. Art imitates life, as the trickle-down economics of the 80s gave way to austerity, so too began the closure of the mom and pop shop. Big box monstrosities gobbled up the little guy. It's easy to conjecture about the internet Era, but simultaneously, the consolidation of entertainment companies and eventually their extinction as proponents of art leaving enrhusiast players alienated to buy sell and barter on line a piece of musical

Josh, your Musician’s Friend memories were mine too. Used to browse for hours with that catalog. Fun time for me as well.

Goosebumps thinking aboutvthat musicians friend catalog. Digitech x series and the gnx 3 changed my life. Remeber when guitar world magazine had gnx 3 settings for a few rock songs in each issue.

During covid I purchased online mostly and had so many bad experiences I prefer to shop in person. With guitar pedals I'm most comfortable online. Guitars and other instruments I need to hold first and amps I have trouble... too many bad experiences from a variety of online retailers.

This was very cool and very thought provoking.

I love watching reviews, demos, tear-downs, etc of all kinds of music gear. I love to nerd out and research all I can about circuit design and I’ll even spend time wandering around different sites to gauge used prices and opinions. BUT, I have never bought an instrument without playing it first and 80% of the time, I do the same with pedals. The feeling of spending an off-day hitting the local music shops and finding a cool used pedal is excellent. Plus, at the end of the day, it doesn’t matter what is the new hot thing or what gets more glances because it’s on the pedalboard - it’s about “will this piece of gear help me be creative, reach a specific tonal goal, or help illicit a better way to express my ideas”. IMHO, the best way to assess that is by getting my hands on it before buying.

I go to my local guitar shop whenever I need anything music related especially when im having trouble with a setup. It is nice having someone who shares the love for guitars and can talk with me in person about our passion/hobby. I will single handedly keep them in business if i have to and volunteer my time 😅

I have bought off of reverb and Craigslist exclusively for about 3 years. Before that it was always at brick and mortar. I still get accessories there but even that's changing.

I'm one of the dorks that bought a really expensive (to me) guitar online. It was from Sweetwater and they treated me pretty nice - kept checking in to see if everything was alright with the guitar. They reminded me if their return policy and recommended if anything felt off that I shouldn't be afraid to return it. Later I found out that they've had a lot of returns on Fender guitars and were worried I had bought one that had something wrong with it. They really wanted to make sure I had a good experience buying a guitar - I had never purchased from them before. ....but they've earned my trust. My local store still gets business from my need for maintenance and repair since my Luthier skills are crap.

We had two music store in our town in the 90s. The best thing you could find in a music store was the human experience, the community of people that was gathering there. All the local bands with musicians of various musical style sharing a common passion sometime with a healthy zest of competition. There was also good deals to be made when buying many items at once. In the process, the dealer was happy to renew his limited inventory. Ho! And you could easily rent some mics, lightning gear, sound reinforcement systems, multitrack recorders, etc. When new stuff arrived, it was always exciting. Trying a newly arrived guitar was like meeting the new girl in town. Sometimes you had a crush... returning a couple of times to the store to date that beauty with a lovely voice... More often than not she would leave the store with a more fortunate chap. I miss those days.

I don’t frequent big box stores because the staff are typically poorly trained, not passionate, poorly stocked, and lack used gear. The great small shops carry what I want, or maybe not familiar with folks who play are priceless, often musicians. I love those places and will happily pay a little extra for the support, help and guidance. Mass Street Music in Lawrence, KS and Wildcat Guitars in San Diego, CA are AMAZING! I’m sure there are many more ;)

Your musicians friend comments reminded me of the hours I would spend flipping through its pages back in the day. I would even take it to school and think of my dream rig when I should have been studying lol

Danke!

I hope guitar shops will continue to be relevant. I still want to go and try the gear I’m thinking of buying before I commit. I also love just looking around a good guitar shop. The key is to make those shops compelling places to want to visit to just look around or go and try out some gear.

Josh, I love the cheque story that leads into shoe story. I'll pocket that one and earmark it as advice to remember for my little ones 😊

Mojos music, Edwardsville Illinois. Wonderful shop and even better staff. The owner is in there every day and makes you feel like a rock star the moment you walk in, no matter if your looking for a 100$ squire or a 5k music man. Love those guys

This. A fantastic show. I sometimes order from Andertons as it’s my town of origin, they have. Loyalty scheme and they do a great job. Occasionally I will order online due to availability. And I visit and use the two remaining stores near me regularly to have set ups, buy strings etc and occasionally buy a guitar because they are great people with great stores and deserve to be visited and shopped in

We used to have 3 half decent (and a couple of others), independent music stores in my town. Now we have one ropey store housed in an industrial unit, and a tiny shop full of folk instruments. The nearest "good" stores are a short train ride away, but they're part of larger Guitar Centre type chains that have locations elsewhere. I will support the brick and mortar where I can, but have never bought a thing from Reverb

My local shop luckily seems to keep growing. They’ve relocated & expanded twice since 2012,and continue to do so. They just moved the tech portion from upstairs to a newer,bigger space at the end of the building they’re in.

Excellent video, it’s a pity more business don’t think like this

Got 2 guitarsbat Guitar Showcase in San Jose back in the 80's, Takamine acoustic and a Korean Squier. Bought a decent mid-range classical from Guitar Solo in San Francisco. Playing classical for 30 years made most electrics feel too skinny, so just built a strat with Warmoth superwide neck. Have parts to build more.

Josh - Look at the recorded music business. The big boxes have all gone away and in the wake of that the resurgence of vinyl has been a boom for independent “boutique” record stores. I see the same thing happening in the musical instrument retail world. Locally in Charlotte, NC, Midwood Guitars seems to be continuing to grow based on the amount of inventory and selection that I’ve observed over the past few years. The evolution is just happening at a slower pace in the retail musical instrument than it did with recorded music.

In all seriousness Josh is easily my favorite KZfaqr. In the last year I've purchased atleast 5 jhs pedals and a bad monkey lol.

I do buy most of my gear online. I haven't been in a GC in years. That said, I do support the smaller local places, because they tend to have some of the fringe stuff you may not find with the bigger online retailers. Local shops for unknown treasures and online for the more common gear.

Love You Bro

I buy from reverb because it feels closest to a mix between a pawn shop and guitar store where mostvthe gear is used by musicians and u may find unique gear also best pricing

I think Ebay/Craigslist probably had a significant effect on little guitar stores back when they rose to prominence, but somehow, there are still large and small shops around my area. I think people seek community and a physical connection with both items and other humans, and guitar shops who recognize that (and have an online presence...like a Reverb store!) will continue to be just fine.

I love going to guitar shops to demo pedals. I live in a major metro, so I’m fortunate to have a handful of shops nearby to visit.

I really hope not. VR rollercoaster will never equal the actual experience of the ride. Online movies, sure, but the cinema..the magic. U may have a coffee maker at home, or oven, a stove, but the restaurant customer experience, the service, the ambiance, holding a menu and get excited to eat your meal at the venue..is satisfying. With that said, im always excited when i visit our local music stores. Thank u for this video, Josh. Always educational and fun. And yeah, i closed my eyes and went to the 1920s. 🤜🤛

I practically grew up going to my local shop. I got my first clarinet there, my first guitar, my first uke, my first pedal, etc etc. I loved spending time with my friends, playing for hours, and exploring (hopfully buying something for all that time spent). My biggest gripe with music stores now is they rarely have a vintage/used selection--and, if they do, they make the tag over 2x the value of me finding that same item online. I do understand that guitar shops need to make their money, and I would be perfectly happy to pay a *little* more to support real shops... but I have a collection of vintage, and affordable, gear that I could never afford from any in-person shop.... Most of my gear comes from Reverb or Ebay due to the (usually) unbeatable prices, payment plans, and confidence that it'll be fixed if anything goes wrong.

lol “nobody needs a trumpet”. That made me laugh out loud in the middle of making dinner