Friday 11/3/2006 ~ Tell folks we're moving!

Hey! Can you do me a favor? Thanks!! I'll explain below.

I remember back in June of `86, when I moved Pittsburgh Guitars from Bloomfield (a small, friendly Pittsburgh suburb on the other side of the Bloomfield Bridge) to the South Side (in 1986 it was nothing but bars, antique stores and boarded-up buildings).

The semi-run-down South Side neighborhood didn't bother me. (Although, on my first day an old lady in an antique store across the street asked, "Why did you move here? No one ever shops on the South Side!") There was something I liked about the area. I thought it had potential. My biggest concern was how I could find enough guitars to fill such a large showroom...

Well, now twenty years, four months and fifteen days later, the South Side is a booming, successful business district; and at Pittsburgh Guitars we have every nook and cranny of the showroom filled! Which is particularly impressive when you consider that we're not really sure which are the nooks and which are the crannies...

But what you can't see (in behind-the-scenes-land) is how crowded our basement is. And it's crowded because of three facets of Pittsburgh Guitars: (1) guitar sales, (b) guitar repairs, and (iii) guitar lessons.

-With regard to sales, the store has exceeded all of my expectations. (Actually, I didn't really have any expectations... but if I *did*, this would have exceeded them!) We sell lots of guitars and we have lots of back-up inventory, both new and used.

-With regard to repairs, Scott is up to his eyeballs in guitars, both customer work and store set-ups. (He does a lot of store work because we re-string and completely set-up every used guitar before we put it out for sale.) (Last week I tried to hand him a guitar and nearly tripped over his cranny.)

-With regard to lessons, we love John Purse. But his schedule is mostly full, and every day we have to turn away potential guitar students. We could add more instructors (John will always be our favorite!) but we don't have the space for more lesson rooms.

The bottom line: We're maxed out. The need: Some sort of expansion. The dilemma: I love the South Side. We've been here longer than many of our customers have been alive. The solution: Yesterday I bought a building one block away!

So, after twenty years, five months and twelve days, at 1409 East Carson Street, on December 1st, Pittsburgh Guitars is moving to 1305 East Carson Street. (One block, toward Station Square, same side of the street.) The showroom is about the same size, but we'll now have an entire three-story building for the business. We'll have lots more guitars, lots more lessons, and Scott will have a repair shop worthy of his talents. It will be an exciting new time for the store.

I'm sure over the next few weeks we'll think of some clever promotions for our grand "One-Block-Away Re-Opening." (Although, it won't exactly be a "re-opening" since we're never gonna close. One day we'll just walk all of the guitars down the street, and, voila, we'll be there.) I'll write more about those promotions once I think of `em.

In the mean time, here's the favor I asked about: Could you mention this to someone? Just say, "Hey, did you hear Pittsburgh Guitars is moving one block away?" I don't know how many people are on this list `cause we have the list in giant paragraph form, but let's say there's a thousand or two... If YOU tell a couple of people, and THEY tell a couple of people, based on a complicated mathematical formula I've just worked out, by December 1st approximately 3,647,823 people will know! Thanks! I'll make it up to you with another twenty-seven years of good, quality Pittsburgh Guitars service.

See you soon,
Carl

PS: The performance list for the November 28th "Big Beatles Show II" is filling up! Call John for a spot! (He may be helping me paint most of next week, but call the store an leave a message. He'll call you back between coats.)

PPS: Customer web site:
Army of Anyone
(The new band of the DeLeo brothers from the Stone Temple Pilots.) (They were in the store last week and told us they're still using the guitars and amps they bought from us in 1995. Dean DeLeo still plays the wine colored Les Paul Custom we sold him. He loves it!) (It was previously owned by Ed Masley from the Frampton Brothers.)

Friday 11/10/2006 ~ The Flea Bass, Eric Clapton Strat and Martin

Yesterday we bought a Modulus "Flea Bass." It got me thinking about other Artist Signature models. I can certainly understand that guitar manufacturers want to associate themselves with high profile musicians. And from the musician's perspective, who wouldn't want free guitars with their name on them... The question is: Are you more likely to buy a guitar that has your favorite artist's name on it?

Now, of course, I have an entire collection of guitars and amps exactly like the ones used by The Beatles (which you will see on November 25th at The Rex at The Big Beatles Show II) and it's certainly fun to buy instruments like the ones that your heroes used to become your heroes. In fact, the guitar market, both new and vintage (especially vintage), is heavily impacted by which rock star is using which guitar. But after someone becomes famous, after they've spent years in sweaty bars using their road-worn guitar, after they've already recorded all of the music that's important to you... when they sign an endorsement deal, and put their name on a shiny new instrument, does that guitar have the same emotional impact to you, the fan?

I guess the answer is "maybe." Eric Clapton, for example, is a known Strat user and we've sold hundreds of Strats to folks who want to play like him... but rarely does someone ask for the specific Fender "Eric Clapton Signature Model" Strat. On the other hand, let's take an artist like Eric Clapton, who plays a Martin 000-28EC "Eric Clapton Model" acoustic guitar. We have sold lots of these to folks who have specifically requested it... because (a) it's a wonderful guitar, and (2) it's endorsed by someone who appreciates its wonderfulness.

I'm going to have to think about this more... when I don't have a three story building to paint...

See You Soon,
Carl

PS: In case you're looking for a "Flea," here's the info:
* List price: $3148.
* New discounted selling price: $2479.99
* OUR used-in-mint-condition selling price: $1495.

PSS: In case you're looking for an Eric Clapton 000-28EC:
* List Price: $4149.
* New discounted selling price: $ We have one in stock now, but our
price is too low... and Martin won't let us tell you in this email.
* We also have a used-in-mint-condition one: $1995

PSSS: Did I mention that in a few weeks we're moving one block down
the street?
The new address: 1305 East Carson
More room, more guitars, more fun!

PSSSS: As I was typing this I started to think about all sorts of Artist Signature Model guitars. One of my favorites is the Gibson Trini Lopez. Trini was not exactly a rocker; his two biggest hits were "If I Had A Hammer" and "Lemon Tree." But the Trini Lopez Standard was a cool guitar! It was a basic red Gibson ES-335 with the f-holes changed to elongated diamonds, and the headstock changed to a six-in-a-line Fender style. They were manufactured from 1964 through 1970. Recently I've seen Dave Grohl from the Foo Fighters using one.

PSSSSS: Customer Web Site:
Queensryche

Tuesday, Nov. 21 ~ We're moving, plus Big Beatle Show #2

*** WE'RE MOVING ONE BLOCK NEXT WEEK !!*****

OK, here's the plan...

Next week...Thursday, November 30th to be exact... we're moving the store one block south... (Wait, lemme think... downtown Pittsburgh is north of us... yeah, that makes sense... that's probably why they call this the "South Side"... and, we're coming out of our door, and turning right... toward Station Square... So we're going west!)

OK! Next Thursday, we're moving the store one block West! (Actually, I'll bet it's slightly north-west...) (Although, it's only one block... so if viewed from space... or even Mount Washington... it probably won't look like we've moved at all...)

Anyway, since we're moving to the 1300 block of East Carson Street, I've decided to have 13 days of specials!! (I considered 1300 days of specials... but that's like, what, ten or twenty years?)

Beginning Friday, December 1st, we will have a different, in-store, fabulous special EVERY day for 13 days!

(Although, now that I think about it, we can't have a special on Sundays since we're closed... so if we don't count Sunday, December 3rd or Sunday December 10th, the 13 days of specials will last 15 days until December 15th... and that's practically almost Christmas!)

Of course, I don't have anything organized yet, since I've been spending every waking moment (and several non-waking ones) preparing the new building... But by next week, Friday, December 1st, I'll figure it all out and let you know. The first email special from our new store will have a complete list of the upcoming daily specials.

Have a happy Thanksgiving holiday weekend! I'll see ya soon at our new place!

-Carl

PS: Actually I'll see you this weekend at the Big Beatle Show #2. It starts at 8PM, this Saturday, November 25th, at The Rex Theater. We have lots and lots of bands and solo artists lined up. It will be a great night of music and fun! If you haven't already signed up, call today, and ask for Johnny B.

PPS: You know, getting back to this 13 days of specials... Several companies that we deal with won't let us advertise prices that are below their approved "MAP" price. So, in the next email it might be tough for me to list super discounted price specials. Hmmmmmmmmm.... I've got an idea... how about this: Next week if I say "Blipsnopple" you'll know that I'm really referring to "Fender." And if I say "Magoomdooma" you'll know I really mean "Martin." And if I say "Annafrannastannadanna" you'll know that I really mean "Gretsch." Whatdaya think?

PPPS: The actual new address:
Pittsburgh Guitars
1305 East Carson Street
Pittsburgh, PA 15203
(same phone) 412-431-0700

PPPPS: Customer web site:
The Standard Band