Have many of you have that GREAT little local store that does a lot of consignment sales of new stuff? This is both an informational question and one with purpose.

I have about 3 of those. Often what you can't find at one you find at another. I also have 4 decent pawn shops close by. However, I need to enlist help from the PG Army for this.

I have scoured the earth for a used EV RE20 mic. They are $450 new everywhere. I don't need new, and I don't want to spend $450 on a mic JUST for video streaming. So, if one of you guys, the next time you are out wandering the stores, can look for one, that would be great. And if you find one and email me I can PayPal you the money instantly. Plus shipping and a little something extra for your time. A Shure SM7B would be okay too, but that RE20 seems to be the most popular, and it became the most popular for a reason, right?

I just printed up a bunch of business card stock with my name and number and text saying what I just told you and I'm about to head out and do a loop of those local stores.

Don't forget to see what's for sell and to post a want to buy advertisement on Craigslist. That's the best way to find specific stuff around here.

I ran a Craigslist search using the search term "EV" and came up with several speakers but no microphones.

I have instituted a policy where I will now only buy used stuff face to face. Too many scammers anymore. I had an internet friend buy a Les Paul on Reverb, of course from a stranger. When the box showed up it was a gallon jug of water wrapped in paper with a plastic guitar in it so LEGALLY he shipped a guitar. It was a fake account, and as soon as he got the money, he closed the account. And Reverb, once the account is gone, what can they do? If I set up an account named Totes Magotes with a fake address in Montana and a Text Now phone number, I am untraceable. (Don't ask how I know.) The guy's credit card had protection, but the scammer won. So now, it's face to face only unless it's from a company like Sweetwater, Sam Ash or Guitar Center. And they would rarely have a used RE20. But if one of you guys stumbled upon one in your wandering through pawn shop land, I at least know the person who has it in their hands. Like I said, I an transfer funds instantly and ask you to buy it for me and send it.

Do you search Craigslist using searchtempest.com? You can check the whole country that way.

"Professional quality dynamic cardioid microphone with studio condenser-like performance"
Why not just get a decent studio condenser mic for much less in the first place, if that's the goal?

I get that there may be actual reasons for such a need (lack of interface to drive it) .. but you have decent interfaces from what I recall, so you could drive such a mic
<confused>

The condenser mic I have (XML900) is front addressing. I want top addressing. It's a proximity when streaming thing. Plus the condenser picks up TOO much. The least chair squeak, etc...

EV RE20s are built like tanks and hold their value over time. Pro Star Audio has a used one for sale for $319. If you offer to purchase it, Andre will offer you a new one with a 3 year warranty for $35 more.

Did you mean Pro Audio Star? I saw that very mic listing, but I am leery of doing business with them because their reviews are so bad. 394 reviews, average of 3 stars. Some of the stories include guitars shipped in boxed with no padding, parts being broken during shipping, and no ownership by the company. Also overcharging, charging for cancelled orders, and just general customer service practices that is close to non-existent.

I assume you have had good experiences with them? Please share any opinions you might have as to why those bad reviews might have been sour grapes or posted by competitors who are trying to steal business. Before I buy, I vet places quite thoroughly.

394 reviews. 186 gave 1 star.

I can't speak to why other folks give a place good or bad reviews. I have bought a few things from Pro audio star without any problems in the past when a search has come up with a better price than everyone else. One thing to understand about some of these music stores is that they have employees that trade on the business name on eBay and do not perform to the same level as if you buy from the company directly. There are lots of folks who give Musician's Friend for instance great reviews yet I have had nothing but problems with orders I placed with them, mostly because they send stuff out to customers, get it back, reseal the package and don't take notice of the fact that the customer didn't put everything back. I once got a light controller that was DOA and on further investigation I found first that the fuse had been removed and after even further investigation found that the unit had been opened up and no longer had a motherboard. When I started raising hell about multiple problems I was having with MF, I found out that even though I was dealing with an account that said MF on eBay, I was actually dealing with a rouge employee who was selling stuff online.

Eddie, believe it’s or not I have seen RE20 mics show up on Goodwill’s auction site. But they aren’t cheap. There’s always lots of bids on them. Same with eBay. Everyone loves their RE20. I have EV PL80 and PL84 mics. I prefer the PL80 dynamic mic over the PL84 condenser. If you have phantom power capability, I will ship it to you for your safe keeping and use as long as you want to use it. I never use it and got it silly cheap. I think i owe you a trade item anyways!

I have also personally been on on the hunt for an RE20 (great kick mic in addition to vocals and guitar cabs), but in the mean time I'm quite happy with my SM7B's and MD421's - check out both of those if you want a large diaphragm dynamic mic with similarities to the 'ol RE20.

If you don't mind going away from the big brand names, take a look at the Advanced Audio DM20. It's a clone of the RE20 - I've personally used it next to an old RE20 and I preferred it. Mind you, the RE20 in question was not in the best of shape. YMMV.

As a side note, for kick drum I've used a lot of different mics and techniques, including some nice drum mic kits.
I keep going back to a two mic technique for bass drum. Well a mic and subwoofer.

The subwoofer simply has a mic cable that connects to the two speaker wires, then the other end gets plugged into the mixer/preamp. Kinda a reverse wired scenario; instead of sending a signal to the sub we let it pick up the deep bass drum sound and send it to the mixer (of course you need to bypass the amp in the subwoofer if it has one so it is passive).
Set it about a foot away from the audience side of the bass drum, and then use a different mic on the pedal side to get the snap of the pedal. Works a treat.

Mac suggested I try this years ago and we keep going back to it for recording situations. Then you can mix varying amount of 'snap' and 'boom' from the kick; you can EQ the snap mic to be sharp and crisp and the boom to be chest thumping. That way you're not fighting with how to EQ a single mic signal.

In the image below, we are just rehearsing songs and recording a guitar player (no drum recording) so it's a bit closer than it should be.

Main thing for me is that I want a top addressing mic so I talk downward onto it rather than into the side of it. This is mainly for streaming and I don't want the mic blocking the cam view. The XML900 is fine when I use it on a short desktop stand. I also have a swing arm book clamped to the desk and I am working out which is going to work best for me. For sonic concerns, the old skool Shure SM58 I am using right now sounds fine.

Our last neighborhood music store just died

Guitar Center and the 'net order businesses killed it. Too bad, to save 50 cents on a set of strings, they get advice from pimple faced amateurs instead of an expert.

RIP Jam Music

Insights and incites by Notes

I am SO fortunate that I have a few within 8-10 minutes from me. One I could see from my office window if there wasn't woods between us. They do a lot of consignment sales and typically have a good amount of traded equipment in there. The odd item you need is usually at one of them. Sadly the owner of a 4th just passed away from a long standing illness and nobody wanted to take over and run the store, though my main concern was his dog (which I volunteered to adopt). She was 2nd the most adorable dog in the world, right after mine! It would have been a nice bridge for me when mine finally runs out of gas.

Those neighborhood stores really filled a void and they are slowly vanishing.

Every town around here used to have a music store. Today there are very few. There is only a very few places, I can only think of two but there may be a couple of more, that can do simple guitar, bass, mandolin, etc set ups as well as repairs.

On top of that there are fewer places that offer music lessons. I mean real music lessons like reading music and learning the proper playing techniques. Back in the day every local music store offered lessons like those mentioned.

Yup!! Now they ask "What flashy guitar solo do you want to learn" and they teach how to hammer on and pull off and fit as many notes as possible into your 8 bars of glory on jam night. I was in a Guitar Sinner last month to look at the used rack and there was some kind shredding. I walked over and smiled under my mask and asked "Nice shred! Can you show me a b flat minor 7th in the 2nd position?"

He hit me with an F bomb and I walked away laughing.

This thread hits home kinda hard for me.
I debated for a couple days on whether to 'complain' here. I don't like being the whiner.
But it's a current issue.

My parents owned a music store for 30+ years.
The main income was supplying rental horns to schools. Everything from the local elementary schools up here in the thumb, over to Michigan State University in Lansing and down to University of Michigan in Ann Arbor. <- (I probably lost Eddie right there).

They retired and sold it to an employee who did a great job for the first few years, the payments were right on time and everybody was happy.
Then came Covid.

My brother is still employed there as a repair tech (25+ years), fixes everything from piccolos to tubas to guitars. Lead guy on a team of four.
Think about that; enough instrument repairs alone to keep four guys busy.

With the current situation I don't see band classes happening again anytime soon.
Having 50 kids in a room blowing a lot of air just "doesn't seem prudent".
So horn rental/repair/lessons just stopped.

They do also sell guitars, synths, mixers, strings, sheet music etc., but that can't carry the store for long.

The store is going through rough times to put it mildly, and it really saddens me because so many came to appreciate what it was.
If the new owner fails, we as a family have to decide how to proceed, and I would hate to see something that has become pretty much a regional institution fail. That said, there are a couple thousand horns sitting on shelves not being rented. That stings a lot.

It's just sad.
They grew that store from a tiny little storefront to one that occupied most of a mid size 2 story mall. A dozen lesson rooms, lecture/clinic rooms that used to have regular use, a local symphony room for learning adults, repair rooms ... all in peril now.

If it closes, there is nothing in SE Michigan to replace it if/when this all turns around, and most of the state's music students relied on it, whether they knew it or not. They and our family could lose a whole lot if things don't improve soon. Music classes in schools around here wouldn't be possible without the supply of horns.

Sorry for being the downer in this thread. Sometimes it's not the big box stores that cause the closing of the local store, at least not in our case.


The saddest part is it is a catch-22.
If there are no band/music classes, the store may not survive.
If there is no store, the music classes won't be able to be there when the kids go back.

I read on despite the mention of the city where That School Up North resides.

That is a sad story even WITHOUT the Covid element. Amplified by being the only store like it in the area. If they go under, wow... The kids will be lost. It's bad enough that school systems are cutting music and performing arts budgets to almost nothing. Hope it works out.

My old music store provided services that no Internet or big-box store provides.

When I wanted to improve a PA set, the owner loaned me a Sonic Maximizer, told me to take it on the job, and return it next week unscratched if I don't like it. No deposit, no credit card authorization, no restocking fee, just trust. BTW, he analyzed my PA needs and recommended the perfect product for what I wanted to do.

I wanted a new mic for my sax, and he went to the recording studio in the back, and loaned me one to try in the job. It was perfect. He said keep using it and he'll order a new one. A week or so later the new mic came in, I returned the loaner and when I checked the price, it was a couple of dollars cheaper than Sam Ash would have charged me and I didn't have to play shipping.

And these are two examples of many favors and expert recommendations.

He had 3 bays in a strip center, sold guitars, PA Gear, drums, band instruments and had a guitar tech on the premises and a band instrument tech associated with the store.

Then Guitar Center came to town. First went the strings and accessories. GC charged small change less than he could buy them for. Then the stock on the showroom floor diminished and he eventually shrunk to one bay. A year or so later he moved to a less expensive strip center, and after that lease was up he is now teaching guitar and piano out of his home.

2 other local stores suffered similar fates. Now there isn't a local music store for over 50 miles from me. Just a GC where you get no professional advice.

I suppose for those local stores still struggling, COVID is putting the nails in the coffins.

If you appreciate having a local music store, please get all your gear there, including strings, reeds and all the little stuff, it keeps the cash flow going and helps them pay the rent.

Notes

I live in a third world country called Homestead, Florida. There a few "local" music stores north of me but not here. One about thirty miles that I like the owner and go there sometimes if for no other reason that to take him out to lunch.

I have to be in dire straits to go to Guitar Center. I buy some things from Sweetwater and they actually have some people who know some stuff if you know who to talk to.

Independent music stores have always been a difficult business. I hope some stay in business.

Billy

Notes, the last music store I taught in had similar experiences. Added was the fact that many manufactures demanded large purchases. The store owner was going to order me a 12 string guitar but couldn't because the manufactured a demanded $10K purchase. They would not sell small amounts to small dealers, only large amounts to big stores. That was another nail in the coffin for this local music store.

The last new guitar I bought was a Dean Boca 12 string electric that I bought from a store called Manny’s Music in NYC. I don’t think it was the famous Manny’s, but I can say that I got great customer service from them.

I bought it from finding it on EBay and just called up the store. They had already closed their doors and were happy to sell to me direct and ship it to me out in CO.

The reason I don’t think it was the big Manny’s is because the address didn’t match the big store.

When I google searched the address the street view did show a pretty small neighborhood storefront with Manny’s Music out front, not the big famous sign.

It was a sad thing that it was closed and they were selling their inventory only on eBay but I’m pretty sure I paid them a lot more than they would have gotten from a liquidator for a brand like Dean.

Correction: it was Maggio’s Music in Brooklyn. They had several of those guitars for sale and I just checked and they still have one up on eBay.

Near the Everglades N.P. and "Robert Is Here". Homestead is not the same since the Air Force moved out and the land developers moved in.

I'm with you. I've been to GC a couple of times since my local store closed. Only for something that I can't wait for delivery from Sweetwater (MIDI cable, broken mic stand).

It's dark, there is someone who thinks he is a guitar god playing too loud, a couple of clerks looking busy and ignoring new walk-ins and the selection of cables and mic stands are lacking. More empty hooks than cables and only one regular sized mic stand that proved to be of inferior quality.

And I remember when there were 3 mom-and-pop music stores in town.

But time marches on. I no longer have a local store to support, but I get to save about 10 cents on a set of strings.

Insights and incites by Notes

Gee, I thought it was just me being a girl and getting that treatment at GC. I am not kidding.

Thanks guys! Appreciate!!!

...Deb

Nah. It's a bunch of minimum wage kids who are in college or playing 4 times a month in their band and still living either at home of with 3 roommates to make the rent. They will push whatever the brand of the day is that has an extra commission on it WHEN they bother to even acknowledge that you are in the store.

The only mom pops I see surviving are the ones who do lessons, some instrument repairs but most of all have a good relationship with local schools and their bands.

My personal favorite Lanier's in Mandeville, La. Randy as I kid him is as close to being an actual musician as possible, because he plays drums. Of course then he starts with the guitar player jokes.

So besides being a great musician and all round good guy I would attribute his success to school programs and area gigging musicians. In fact as a fellow musician he will encourage you to take the instrument or equipment for a test drive or two on actual gigs before you purchase. I have lived and done business in many states and have never come across someone so easy and fun to deal with. https://www.facebook.com/laniermusic/

PS: Randy never wears shoes, in fact his motto is "No Shoes All Service".

Long live the neighborhood stores.

Later,

A local music store closed except for

repairs
lessons - they rent out their rooms to music instructors

No sales.

Seems to be working for them.

...Deb

The "Neighborhood" store that I have the fondest memories of was in St. Albans, WV. It's called Fret 'n Fiddle.

I became friends with Joe Dobbs, the owner and founder and I frequently showed up there on Sat. afternoons for impromptu jam sessions for several years.


Joe was a local celebrity, fiddler, radio show host, musical historian and all around nice guy. I've bought, sold and traded more instruments with him than all of the other people I've dealt with combined. Joe passed away just a few years ago. I think about him fondly very often.


I remember riding my motorcycle there one Sat. and parked it beside Joe's Harley Electra Glide. I told him what a beautiful bike it was and commented that I'd never rode one and almost instantly the keys to it came sliding across the counter. "Then ride one now!" I thanked him profusely and handed his keys back to him and said "I can't afford to buy it, so I can't afford to ride it".


That's the kind of guy Joe was. He's still missed and mentioned frequently by tons of people in the area.


His store wasn't just a music store, ... it was a meeting point for a lot of local musicians.

That's exactly what's largely missing nowadays. I wonder will that level of quality ever return?

That made me smile because it reminded me of one specific guy in our area. He would hang around the music stores, talk all the music smack, test guitars with the 3 licks he knew, then go to the next store and do it again. Yet nobody ever actually saw the guy play. He was never in a band, nobody on the booking side of the music world had ever heard of him. He used to talk about how "Yeah. That's my style." stuff but he never played anywhere. And I bet every town has their handful of guys just like that.

There used to be a store in Miami like that, Ace Music. It was a big mom and pop, started small and grew quite large.

It had instruments you can try before you buy. I tried out three top-of-the-line Selmer saxes (Mark VI) and picked the one with the best intonation. They carried Gibson, Fender, and other major brands too.

And it was a meeting place for musicians. Whenever you went there, a dozen or so musicians were hanging around, trading gig stories, sharing instrument experiences and just shooting the $@(%.

It was purchased by a chain called Mars, which was run by bean counters instead of musicians and Mars eventually went belly-up.

Broward Band Instruments in Ft Lauderdale was like that but with fewer instruments (no guitars, just wind instrument) and a bigger repair operation. They even had "Sound Proof" practice rooms where you could try things out before you bought them without disturbing the other customers.

The last two saxes and guitars I bought on the Internet, and didn't get to try them out first. I went on the recommendation of others, and they turned out fine, but I would have rather sampled before I bought.

But this is the present, and there is no going back. The Internet gave us a lot, but it took some things away too.

Insights and incites by Notes

The internet took more than it gave, I figure.

Local music stores..... Haven't seen one of those in decades.

Back in the day however, there was one just down the block and around the corner a bit. Since I was mostly an unemployed individual and a musician ( is that redundant? ) I used to go there a lot just to hang out. Other musicians would wander in and we would often have impromptu jams in the store. It was a great place to hang out back then.