What was your favorite music store as a kid?

[espotj]

Mine was The Music Nook in Milford Ma. It was run by a wonderful man named Ron Pagnini. When I was 12 (in 1966) and lusting for drums I would go in and just stare at all the shiney sparkley drums and guitars. Mr Pag never chased kids out of the store for lingering, he'd just let you wander around and look and always engaged you in a conversation about music and gear. The best part was that every year Mr Pag would give me the Ludwig, Rogers, Gretsch and Slingerland catalogs for my very own and I wore those books out. It would be many years before I actually owned a Big-4 kit (eventually all of them) but the memories of Mr Pag never left me. Decades later when Ron Jr. took over the store I made it a point to go in and buy a kit from him as a tribute to a very nice and nurturing man. Great memories!!

 

[WesChilton]

The Drum Shop in Houston on West Alabama in the 70s and 80s. Absolutely KILLER family owned drum store. for me it was like a candy store and all of the local session guys (like 5 of them) hung out there too.

 

[drums1225]

Sam Ash in White Plains, NY, back when Sam Ash Music was a local, family owned chain of 6 or 7 stores only in the NY Metro Area. They stocked everything that you saw in the magazines, their prices were great (and negotiable), and their employees were knowledgeable and remained long enough that you could develop a relationship with "your" drum guy.

Once they went national (too big, too fast, if you ask me), in the 90's, everything changed. Last time I was in that store with an actual purpose, about 3 years ago, the "drum guy" was so clueless, I wanted to punch myself in the face.

 

[hsosdrum]

My favorite local music store when I was a kid was Adler Music, in Van Nuys CA. A family-owned all-purpose music store that catered to everyone from beginners to semi-pros. I started taking drum lessons there in 1964, when I was 12. My first teacher was Ross Pollock, who was playing with Don Ellis at the time. He left after a while to go on tour with Johnny Mathis and was killed in an elevator accident somewhere in Europe. Adler Music replaced him with Ric Coonce, but when Ric's group (The Grassroots) started to hit it big he also left. My next two teachers (Phil Blumendahl and Joe Lester) stuck around for a few years, and I continued my weekly lessons until one day when I was around 17, at the end of one lesson Joe said: "You know, you've gone about as far as I can take you. It's time you went out and played drums with as many different musicians as you can. Try to find ones who are better than you, that way you'll continue to learn and grow."

When I wanted a 'drum-overload' experience I went to Drum City, also in Van Nuys (a branch of their main store in Hollywood). The guys who worked there were nicer than the guys at the Hollywood store (who were pretty dickish to you unless you were a name player). When I was 14 or 15 I remember ogling a brand-new Rogers drumset there (blue sparkle, as I recall).

By the time I could drive and had my own disposable income I discovered Professional Drum Shop in Hollywood, and from that point on they got all my drum dollars. (Still do, as a matter of fact.)

 

[TMDRUMS]

Eddie Kanes....Danbury, Connecticut. They had a surplus of Ludwig Drums in the mid 70's! I use to ride my bicycle there and stare at those kits and dream of someday owning one of them!

 

[drumsforme]

Sam Ash in Hempstead NY (Long Island NY) was the place to go when we were young growing up. We rode there on bicycle in the late 60's, later in cars. I think they had about 8 stores back then.

 

[Drums]

Larsen Music in Oklahoma City. The parents took me for lessons there and let me pick out my first drum set - a Slingerland!

 

[richardh253]

Record World in Roosevelt Field shopping center on Long Island. There was a Flagg Bros shoe store nearby that sold faux Beatle boots too.

 

[GretschMan61]

The Toronto Percussion Centre . This was a very cool shop , I took lessons there for awhile and they were a big Gretsch dealer . They had other brands too , but Gretsch were the most numerous brand . They sold shell packs and usually added whatever hardware people wanted . I bought my first Gretsch kit from them (18/12/14 with matching 5” snare ). This was also the first shop I had seen a Modern Drummer (the first issue Steve Gadd was on the cover ). They had a very cool cymbal selection and a great selection of anything you could possibly want . They sadly went defunct in the mid 80’s . I loved that shop .

 

[hsosdrum]

Record World in Roosevelt Field shopping center on Long Island. There was a Flagg Bros shoe store nearby that sold faux Beatle boots too.

We got our Beatle boots at Leeds Shoes!

 

[K.O.]

Simon Music in Moline, Illinois. They sold Ludwig and Rogers drums and Yamaha and (tons of) Peavey amps and P.A. It was a very cool place for a 16 year old to hang out. Eventually they dropped the combo center to concentrate on selling Steinways before going out of business all together. Across the river in Davenport, IA there was Griggs Music, also a cool store with killer gear but expensive and a bit snootier about folks simply hanging out there.

I made it to Franks Drum Shop and Drums Ltd on a few occasions. Very very cool.

 

[amosguy]

Nothing very impressive in my town, so I lusted with the Sears and Montgomery Wards catalogs in Jr High.

 

[varatrodder]

Mike’s Music and Mancini Music both had good drum departments…well as good as our small town could get. But I loved going to the big pawn shop downtown because they would always have good used and vintage gear.

 

[repete]

1984 and onward it (before the internet) was DiCenso’s drum shop in Quincy MA ( Dave’s father’s place) Sticks, heads, cymbals, hardware or whatever I needed, it was my shop. My first 2 brand spanking new Yamaha kits were purchased from there. Mr DiCenso was always there with a friendly wave from behind his teaching studio window and his wife was there with a genuine smile and interest in what you were up to while you rolled sticks across the glass top showcase. They had private teaching studios for trying out snares or cymbals, stacks at a time, they were so accommodating to the young, old, beginner or advanced drummer. I’m grateful for the time and attention they gave me as a customer.

 

[Trilock_Gurtu]

 

[Danny]

There used to be a drum shop in Costa Mesa CA that I really used to love going to. Can’t remember the name (was off of Macarthur & Bristol if anyone in OC remembers). Bummer it closed down as it would be right down the street from my office now. I’d be there every lunch break!

 

[WesChilton]

Oh, how can I forget Jack's Drum Shop on Boyslton Street in Boston, right next to Berklee College of Music. Awesome shop, and I remember the guy I always bought from, Scotty. Man he knew everything. I bought my 1986 Yamaha Recording Custom kit from Jack's. Had that kit up until 2020 when I finally sold it. but I still have a bunch of cymbals, snare drums and hardware that I bought there, including the Jack's branded leather stick bag that my dad bought me on my first day of classes at Berklee!

 

[cornelius]

Sam Ash in White Plains, NY..

Same here - I first went there in 1979 when I was a beginner, to buy a pair of NewBeats. We lived about an hour north and my dad would take me down from time to time. Once I moved to the city, I never went back, but lots of nice memories going there when I was in Jr High and High School.

 

[Squirrel Man]

Hollowood music in McKees Rocks and still there I think.

Second Caruso Music in Carrick. Still have the weighted keys Yamaha electric piano I bought my wife when we were dating.

After that pawn shops. Back in the day.

 

[studrum]

The Toronto Percussion Centre . This was a very cool shop , I took lessons there for awhile and they were a big Gretsch dealer . They had other brands too , but Gretsch were the most numerous brand . They sold shell packs and usually added whatever hardware people wanted . I bought my first Gretsch kit from them (18/12/14 with matching 5” snare ). This was also the first shop I had seen a Modern Drummer (the first issue Steve Gadd was on the cover ). They had a very cool cymbal selection and a great selection of anything you could possibly want . They sadly went defunct in the mid 80’s . I loved that shop .

I loved TPC and used to go there whenever I was in Toronto for lessons with the late, great, Jim Blackley. I remember that they were in a small location first - off of Yonge Street? - and then they were in the much bigger Queen Street West location. The place definitely had the vibe. Peter Murdoch!