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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Joined: Nov 2003
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Joined: Nov 2003
Posts: 143 |
I like to upgrade my 2009.5 to 2010. This will be the first time I will order the usb version. Is this usb drive powered by usb or by external power supply and is it a 5400 or 7200 rpm?
Thanks,
Jan R.
piano: Hammond Skx Pro
guitar: Ibanez LGB30
guitar amp: Boss Katana 50 MKII
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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According to Peter Gannon this is the hard drive: http://www.amazon.com/Toshiba-HDDR160E01X-Portable-External-Drive/dp/B000OK0BWSI've had one for a year now, and the only issue is the one they now have figured out, some computers have usb connectors on the front, which are a low power hub, so they include a Y cable that takes 2 usb slots, or you can, like me, check out the cables you have, I found a thicker one that works on it's own, and figured out that all ports are not equal. As to speed, the new speed improvements should make the speed of the drive a non-issue. I will use my new drive on all my computers, I was having a permissions issue with Vista on my big computer, but I have to do something with that thing, it's too noisy, the fan I think, and it's less than a year old. At the price of the hard drive alone, you'll see that they are charging very little for the update. That probably was true before but do the math, 120 gigs of stuff on DVD's and having to burn and ship them...
John Conley
Musica est vita
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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The Vista permissions thing was figured out and the program changed to ensure it works. Just in case you wondered.
John Conley
Musica est vita
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Joined: Nov 2003
Posts: 143
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OP
Apprentice
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Posts: 143 |
Hi John, thanks for your quick response.
Thanks,
Jan R.
piano: Hammond Skx Pro
guitar: Ibanez LGB30
guitar amp: Boss Katana 50 MKII
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Peter did not say that Toshiba was the specific drive pgmusic is shipping.
He used it a a comparison pricepoint, showing that a drive without the software would still be the greater part of the pgmusic BiaB special offer 'til end of the year pricing.
So the drive you get may be different. But all the drives I've gotten from pgmusic to date have all worked fine.
--Mac
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Joined: Dec 2005
Posts: 312
Journeyman
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Quote:
Peter did not say that Toshiba was the specific drive pgmusic is shipping.
He used it a a comparison pricepoint, showing that a drive without the software would still be the greater part of the pgmusic BiaB special offer 'til end of the year pricing.
So the drive you get may be different. But all the drives I've gotten from pgmusic to date have all worked fine.
--Mac
For 2009 I bought the USB drive with the everything but the kitchen sink bundle. Unfortunately, the USB drive failed after a few weeks for me. Not a lot of hours of use at the music computer either, may 11 hours. The USB drive was a bit flaky from the start, and I'm using a fairly new PC with a few other usb items, many of which were disconnected in trying to get the bundled USB drive to work. My Western Digital USB drive worked fine then, and still does. My thumbdrives which I just use to transport things also work, as does my USB audio interface.
My conclusion is the noname/unrecognizedName USB drive was not worth the price of admission. Of course, that's just my experience. But I do recall reading a number of posts back at the time by others having problems. I was still able to upgrade my PC to the new software before the failure so it wasn't a total loss. Definitely spent a few hours of time nursing the little bugger and swapping USB devices, rebooting. My conclusion, I'm not getting another USB drive from pgmusic, particularly not a noname.
I was at first surprised to see the Toshiba in the link - a quality company. But Mac's post confirms my hesitation. And no offense to those for whom the USB drive has worked. It is just my perspective that some of my money and time was wasted on it. YMMV
Finally, I have found a cool signature with sufficiently dry humor.
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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You mean you didn't send the failed drive back to PGMusic for replacement?
I recall bringing that up back when you reported this.
I would have contacted them as soon as it happened and arranged to send it back.
You should have done that.
--Mac
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Quote:
You mean you didn't send the failed drive back to PGMusic for replacement?
I recall bringing that up back when you reported this.
I would have contacted them as soon as it happened and arranged to send it back.
You should have done that.
--Mac
Let's not bring up my "should have" list...
Not sure if I received an RMA# to my email about a replacement, I was traveling and had a number of things going (none of them fun).
I don't doubt that pgmusic may have tried to something, even though hardware is often treated different than software as far as customer service. But even if I had successfully jumped through the hoops to get a replacement drive, and the replacement worked for a reasonable amount of time (I concluded that the sourcing was the issue), the purchase would still have been a loss when all of my time was considered.
Finally, I have found a cool signature with sufficiently dry humor.
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Joined: Jun 2003
Posts: 1,116
Expert
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Expert
Joined: Jun 2003
Posts: 1,116 |
The two BIAB USB enclosures that I pulled apart had Hitachi drives in them.
Keith
2026 Audiophile Windows 11 RYZEN THREADRIPPER 3960X 4.5GHZ 128 GB RAM 2 Nvidia RTX 3090s, Vegas,Acid,SoundForge,Izotope Production,Melodyne Studio,SONAR,3 Raven Mtis
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Did it say Bland in a Blox inside?
My friend is a computer tech and from India. He told me way back that his waity waity wait was slow.
I knew he meant 8088, but I remember crying I laughed so hard. He didn't get it until I explained it.
If you ever saw how the stuff that's shipped gets treated you'd wonder how you ever got the thing in working order. You don't think they play football with the packages when they are bored. If the box is the size of a soccer ball and lands at heathrow some guy in a Blue Chelsea shirt is gonna score with it. Go Reds.
John Conley
Musica est vita
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Joined: Dec 2005
Posts: 493
Journeyman
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I just plugged in my BIAB 160gb hard drive and it was identified as a Toshiba. So apparently some are Toshiba, and some might not be. But definitely not an off brand here. And it works first time every time. I guess I must be lucky this week.
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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My BB2009 drive identifies as a Fujitsu.
I think that they are buying from wherever they can, but they are indeed buying quality brand name stuff.
This is also likely an availability issue as well.
--Mac
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Joined: May 2000
Posts: 15,976
PG Music Staff
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PG Music Staff
Joined: May 2000
Posts: 15,976 |
Yes, we typicall buy Japanese-made hard drives, they are great quality. Most are Toshiba, but there are some Hiatchi and Fujitsu.
Have Fun!
Peter Gannon
PG Music Inc.
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Regarding my condensation remarks (not the condescending ones..LOL
The package came UPS. So after leaving Victoria it ends up in a cargo plane and arrives in a hub, gets moved, another plane, lands in my case London at 5 a.m. when the first plane can land, and then to me by truck. I's suggest that the actual drive be put in a zip lock bag OR the dreaded plastic wrap go on the case, to prevent condensation on the inside of the drive.
Or I could be wrong. Note that based on the fact I unpacked it and froze my hand holding it I stuck it in a zip lock bag and let the condensation happen on the bag.
John Conley
Musica est vita
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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And inside the bag or package the little pouch that eats moisture. This may be why the contacts are not working properly?
John Conley
Musica est vita
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Joined: Aug 2009
Posts: 26
Enthusiast
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Enthusiast
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I intend to buy a backup drive for my 2.5" 160GB Hitachi I just received.
Do you guys think the "conventional" 3.5" external hard drive would be more reliable option?
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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mal7, Yes. And the larger size generally spins faster, resulting in better throughput.
BIAB 2026 Win Audiophile. Software: Fender Studio One 8, Swam horns, Acoustica-7, Notion 6, Song Master Pro, Win 11 Home. Hardware: Intel i9, 32 Gb; Fender Quantom HD8 & Faderport 8, Royer 121, Adam Sub8 & Neumann 120 monitors.
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Reliability of the smaller hard drive, which was built for laptop use, may be better than that of the larger 3.5" drive in terms of ability to withstand shock in the way of G forces.
Judging reliability of manmade items is never a single-input problem.
But one should always realize that "reliability" and "hard drive" can instantly become mutually exclusive terms at any time, regardless of the drive's form factor.
And govern yourself accordingly. Make a backup and rinse and repeat as you add new things to the drive.
Religiously.
--Mac
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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I just noticed something very interesting on the bottom of my BiaB2010 black shiny box that the hard drive came in:
An ISO 9001 QC Pass sticker.
Sweet.
--Mac
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Journeyman
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I agree with Mac regarding the 2.5" hard drives being tough as a result of the normal use in laptops. But I would also think that the 3.5" form factor external hard drives reliability would be determined by the housing it was put in. Some are more shock protected than others, and some have additional cooling methods (fan, fins or both) because the 3.5" generally run hotter. And you can get a very large capacity for a lot less per gb than currently available with the smaller drives. If you use the usb drive to run BIAB and other programs for gigging or moving around a lot, that will make them more susceptible to damage and/or failure than if they just sit next to your computer hooked up all the time. So don't discount the 3.5" drives, you can make them work quite well.
Good luck.
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Ask sales and support questions about Band-in-a-Box using natural language.
ChatPG's knowledge base includes the full Band-in-a-Box User Manual and sales information from the website.
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Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Mac - Special Offers End at 11:59pm PDT on Friday, May 15th, 2026!
Order before 11:59pm PDT on Friday, May 15th and SAVE up to 50% on most Band-in-a-Box® version 2026 for Mac Upgrade packages... and that's not all! With your version 2026 for Mac purchase, we'll include a Bonus PAK full of great new Add-ons FREE! Upgrade to the 2026 49-PAK to receive even more NEW Add-ons including 20 additional RealTracks... that's 222 NEW RealTracks available with version Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Mac!
Upgrade to Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Mac® today for as little as $49! Check out the Band-in-a-Box® packages page for all available purchase options.
Learn more about the Free Bonus PAK and 49-PAK here.
If you have any questions about which package is the best option for you, just let us know. We're here to help!
202 New RealTracks Released with Band-in-a-Box 2026!
With Band-in-a-Box® 2026, we've released 202 incredible new RealTracks (in sets 468-488) in a variety of genres—featuring your most requested styles!
Jazz, Funk & World (Sets 468-475):
Our new jazz, funk & blues RealTracks include a groovin’ collection of RealTracks and RealDrums! These include more requested “soul jazz” RealTracks featuring artists Neil Swainson (bass), Charles Treadway (organ), Brent Mason (guitar), and Wes Little (drums). There are new “smooth jazz” styles (4), which include a RealTracks first: muted trumpet, as well as slick new smooth jazz brushes options for drums. Blues lovers will be thrilled—there are more “classic acoustic blues” styles, including guitar (5), bass (4), and drums (10) with blues master Colin Linden, featuring understated and tasty background acoustic soloing, plus brushes drums and acoustic bass. There are also new electric blues RealTracks, including electric blues with PG favorite Johnny Hiland (3) and soulful electric slide guitar from Colin Linden (4). If you love funk & gospel, there are great new options this year, including gospel organ (3) from Charles Treadway, as well as new funk, tango, and rock ’n’ roll drums (3) and bass (1). And for big, bold arrangements, we have uptempo soul horns (4) featuring a three-part hip horn section with options for a full mix or stems of each individual horn — plus an accompanying rhythm section (4) of drums, bass, guitar, and electric piano!
Rock & Pop (Sets 476–482):
Our new rock & pop RealTracks bring a powerful mix of requested favorites, fresh genres, and modern chart-inspired styles! We have more of our popular “Producer Layered Acoustic Guitars (15)” featuring Band-in-a-Box favorite Brent Mason. We’ve continued our much-requested disco styles (10), and added new Celtic guitar (5) with a more basic, accessible approach than our previous Drop-D or DADGAD offerings. There are also highly requested yacht rock styles (17), inspired by the smooth, polished soft-rock sound of the late ’70s and early ’80s — laid-back grooves, silky electric pianos, warm textures, elegant harmonic movement, and pristine production aesthetics. Fans of heavier styles will love our new glam metal (13), capturing the flashy, high-energy sound of ’80s arena-ready guitar rock. We also have a set of rootsy modern-folk rock (18), with a warm, organic sound combining contemporary folk textures and driving acoustic strumming. And we’ve added lots of new modern pop styles (16) — the kinds of sounds you’re hearing on the radio today, featuring exciting new drums, synths, and cutting-edge RealTracks arrangements.
Country, & Americana (Sets 483–488):
Our new country & Americana RealTracks deliver a rich collection of acoustic, electric, and roots-inspired styles! We have new country pop (9) with legendary guitarist Brent Mason. There is also a potpourri (14) of bouzouki, guitars, banjo, and more, perfect for adding texture and character to contemporary acoustic arrangements. We’ve added funky country guitar (5) with PG favorite Brent Mason, along with classic pedal steel styles (5) featuring steel great Doug Jernigan. There are more country songwriter styles (8) that provide intimate, rootsy foundations for storytelling and modern Americana writing. Finally, we have “background soloing” acoustic guitar (12) with Brent Mason — simpler, but still very tasty acoustic lines designed to sit beautifully behind vocals or act as a subtle standalone solo part.
Check out all the 202 new RealTracks (in sets 468-488)!
And, if you are looking for more, the 2026 49-PAK (for $49) includes an impressive collection of 20 bonus RealTracks, featuring exciting and inspiring additions to add to your RealTracks library. You'll get new country-rhythm guitar styles from PG Music favorites Johnny Hiland and Brent Mason, along with modern-pop grooves that capture today’s radio-ready sound! There are also new indie-folk styles with guitar, bass, 6-string bass used as a high-chording instrument, acoustic guitar, and banjo. Plus, dedicated "cymbal fills" RealDrums provide an added layer that work very well with low-key folky styles with other percussion.
The 2026 49-PAK is loaded with other great new add-ons as well. Learn more about the 2026 49-PAK!
2026 Free Bonus PAK & 49-PAK for Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Mac®!
With your version 2026 for Mac Pro, MegaPAK, UltraPAK, UltraPAK+, Audiophile Edition or PlusPAK purchase, we'll include a Bonus PAK full of great new Add-ons for FREE! Or upgrade to the 2026 49-PAK for only $49 to receive even more NEW Add-ons including 20 additional RealTracks!
These PAKs are loaded with additional add-ons to supercharge your Band-in-a-Box®!
This Free Bonus PAK includes:
- The 2026 RealCombos Booster PAK:
-For Pro customers, this includes 27 new RealTracks and 23 new RealStyles.
-For MegaPAK customers, this includes 25 new RealTracks and 23 new RealStyles.
-For UltraPAK customers, this includes 12 new RealStyles.
- MIDI Styles Set 92: Look Ma! More MIDI 15: Latin Jazz
- MIDI SuperTracks Set 46: Piano & Organ
- Instrumental Studies Set 24: Groovin' Blues Soloing
- Artist Performance Set 19: Songs with Vocals 9
- Playable RealTracks Set 5
- RealDrums Stems Set 9: Cool Brushes
- SynthMaster Sounds Set 1 (with audio demos)
- iOS Android Band-in-a-Box® App
Looking for more great add-ons, then upgrade to the 2026 49-PAK for just $49 and you'll get:
- 20 Bonus Unreleased RealTracks and RealDrums with 20 RealStyle.
- FLAC Files (lossless audio files) for the 20 Bonus Unreleased RealTracks and RealDrums
- MIDI Styles Set 93: Look Ma! More MIDI 16: SynthMaster
- MIDI SuperTracks Set 47: More SynthMaster
- Instrumental Studies 25 - Soul Jazz Guitar Soloing
- Artist Performance Set 20: Songs with Vocals 10
- RealDrums Stems Set 10: Groovin' Sticks
- SynthMaster Sounds & Styles Set 2 (sounds & styles with audio demos)
Learn more about the Bonus PAK and 49-PAK for Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Mac®!
XPro & Xtra Styles PAK Sets On Sale Now - Until May 15, 2026!
All of our XPro Styles PAKs and Xtra Styles PAKs are on sale until May 15th, 2026!
It's the perfect time to expand your Band-in-a-Box® style library with XPro and Xtra Styles PAKs. These additional styles for Band-in-a-Box® offer a wide range of genres designed to fit seamlessly into your projects. Each style is professionally arranged and mixed, helping enhance your songs while saving you time.
What are XPro Styles and Xtra Styles PAKs?
XPro Styles PAKs are styles that work with any version (Pro, MegaPAK, UltraPAK, UltraPAK+, or Audiophile Edition) of Band-in-a-Box® 2025 (or higher). XPro Styles PAKS 1-10 includes 1,000 styles!
Xtra Styles PAKs are styles that work with the UltraPAK, UltraPAK+, or Audiophile Edition of Band-in-a-Box® 2025 (or higher). Xtra Styles PAKs 1-21 includes 3,700 styles (and 35 MIDI styles)!
The XPro & Xtra Styles PAKs are not included in any Band-in-a-Box® package.
The XPro Styles PAKs 1-10 are available for only $29 ea (reg. $49 ea), or get them all in the XPro Styles PAK Bundle for only $149 (reg. $299)! Listen to demos and order now! For Mac or for Windows.
The Xtra Styles PAKs 1-21 are available for only $29 ea (reg. $49 ea), or get them all in the Xtra Styles PAK Bundle for only $199 (reg. $349)! Listen to demos and order now! For Mac or for Windows.
Note: XPro Styles PAKs require Band-in-a-Box® 2025 or higher and are compatible with ANY package, including the Pro, MegaPAK, UltraPAK, UltraPAK+, and Audiophile Edition.
The Xtra Styles require the UltraPAK, UltraPAK+, or Audiophile Edition of Band-in-a-Box®. (Xtra Styles PAK 19 requires the 2025 or higher UltraPAK, UltraPAK+, or Audiophile Edition. They will not work with the Pro or MegaPAK version as they require the RealTracks included in the UltraPAK, UltraPAK+, or Audiophile Edition.
Supercharge your Band-in-a-Box today with XPro Styles PAKs and Xtra Styles PAK Sets!
Band-in-a-Box 2026 for Mac Videos
With the release of Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Mac, we’re rolling out a collection of brand-new videos on our YouTube channel. We’ll keep this forum post updated so you can easily find all the latest videos in one convenient spot.
Whether you're exploring new features, checking out the latest RealTracks or Style PAKs, this is your go-to guide for Band-in-a-Box® 2026.
Check out this forum post for "One Stop Shopping" of our Band-in-a-Box® 2026 Mac Videos!
Band-in-a-Box 2026 for Mac is Here!
Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Mac is here and it is packed with major new features! There’s a new modern look, a GUI redesign to all areas of the program including toolbars, windows, workflow and more. There’s a Multi-view layout for organizing multiple windows. A standout addition is the powerful AI-Notes feature, which uses AI neural-net technology to transcribe polyphonic audio into MIDI—entire mixes or individual instruments—making it easy to study, view, and play parts from any song. And that’s just the beginning—there are over 100 new features in this exciting release.
Along with version 2026, we've released an incredible lineup of new content! There's 202 new RealTracks, brand-new RealStyles, MIDI SuperTracks, Instrumental Studies, “Songs with Vocals” Artist Performance Sets, Playable RealTracks Set 5, two new RealDrums Stems sets, XPro Styles PAK 10, Xtra Styles PAK 21, and much more!
Special Offers
Upgrade to Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Mac and save up to 50% on most upgrade packages during our special offer—available until May 15, 2026. Visit our Band-in-a-Box® packages page to explore all available upgrade options.
2026 Free Bonus PAK & 49-PAK Add-ons
Our Free Bonus PAK and 49-PAK are loaded with amazing add-ons! The Free Bonus PAK is included with most Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Mac packages, but you can unlock even more—including 20 unreleased RealTracks—by upgrading to the 2026 49-PAK for just $49.
Holiday Weekend Hours
As we hop into the Easter weekend, here are our holiday hours:
April 3 (Good Friday): 8:00 AM – 4:00 PM PDT
April 4 (Saturday): Closed
April 5 (Easter Sunday): Closed
April 6 (Easter Monday): Open regular hours
Wishing you an egg-cellent weekend!
— Team PG
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