March 4, 2024 - FEBRUARY FADES TO MARCH
Gavin Rice and Sammy Hirsh show off some of our newest acquisitions
These lovely ladies, who are in their junior year at East High school, stopped by the store on Friday. I couldn’t help but give them the lecture about the banjo and its origins…. But they were really fascinated when I turned on the Edison cylinder player and they heard music as it was recorded over 100 years ago…. They had never seen anything like it. I hope they’ll come back.
We are preparing new T-shirts with our old logo. Hopefully they’ll be ready when T-shirt weather arrives
March 1st was grandson Rocco‘s seventh birthday. His parents wisely said, "don’t give him the stuff, he has too much stuff already. Give him experiences" ….so we are going fishing on the high seas of Lake Ontario this coming May.
FEBRUARY FADES TO MARCH
March 4th, 2024
Good morning friends,
As the darkness of February fades into the light of March, it seams as though our little business responded in a like manner. Like crocuses in the early spring, everyone came out of the woodwork on Saturday. People arrived from all over the state to buy and to sell fine vintage instruments and, of course, participate in Ben Proctor’s excellent Bluegrass jam. Oh there were the regular sales of strings and a beginner banjo, a ukulele, an Eastman guitar…. but there were also the things that just walked in…… A very fine, one owner, Gibson A style mandolin from 1915, a 1890’s guitar lute made in Italy and a set of 1990s Gibson J-200 and matching J-200/12 string…..and a Silver Klon Centaur, which Sammy Hirsh tells me is a real gem in his world!
Being back at the store on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays has put me much more in the thick of the business than I’ve been in several years. I must say I am enjoying it. It’s good for my mental health. I still feel useful, and I enjoy imparting the knowledge that I have accumulated over the past 50 years onto the next generation. And so it was when Alex Patrick proudly brought his latest repair to me to examine. He had accomplished some fine repairs on a very fine sounding, one owner, 1945 Martin 0-18 flat top guitar. I said to him, you did a beautiful job but you need to get a magnet. He looked at me a bit quizzically, and said why. Of course, those in the know are aware that Martin guitars made during WWII often did not include a metal bar in the neck to keep it straight. I said it was the first question that someone’s going to ask and we are going to look a bit foolish searching around the shop for a magnet while someone is placed on hold. He told me he would check it, but he never got around to it. The very first call Saturday morning, Julie answered and told me someone was inquiring about that very same Martin guitar. I said. "Julie, get a magnet". It was the very first question that was asked, and yes, after a frantic search of the shop, the magnet told us there was a metal rod in the neck, and the guitar is on its way to a new owner.
With peace,
John Bernunzio
There’s a spot reserved for you in John’s corner. It’s a comfy chair…..stop by we’ll talk.
John’s corner is a most pearly place!
The return of the light…. We’ve almost made it through winter…. Soon enough, the canopy of leaves will be out.