Medley Music (Phila) is closing...

[jbird327]

I received a postcard today from Medley that they will be closing the end of Dec. They have been around as long as me (54 years) and I have bought most of my good guitars/amps from them. The owner had something to do with bringing Ibanez into the country many years ago (not sure of the whole tale). I was last there about 3 months ago and noticed the guitar inventory was way down although they had some decent amps (Dr.Z, Badcat) that they hadn't carried in the past. I stopped by and they are blowing out all the floor samples and left overs but the good stuff is still close to normal prices. Sad to see them go.

[gearitis]

I received a postcard today from Medley that they will be closing the end of Dec. They have been around as long as me (54 years) and I have bought most of my good guitars/amps from them. The owner had something to do with bringing Ibanez into the country many years ago (not sure of the whole tale). I was last there about 3 months ago and noticed the guitar inventory was way down although they had some decent amps (Dr.Z, Badcat) that they hadn't carried in the past. I stopped by and they are blowing out all the floor samples and left overs but the good stuff is still close to normal prices. Sad to see them go.

I bought my first amp at Medley in 1974. I'll remember that day forever. I worked three paper routes delivering the Philadelphia Bulletin to make the money to buy that amp.

[fretnot]

Good store...bought a bunch of stuff there. They're not the first guitar store to close in this economy, and sadly, they won't be the last.

[mc5nrg]

Family businesses often close when the person in charge wants to retire or do other things. Perhaps that is the case and no one in the younger generation wants to take over or perhaps have gone to school to learn another career besides the grind of running a retail operation.

I worked at Medley in the early 90s. Place had a lot of history what with Roger Sadowsky working there in the past and the elder Rosenbloom being involved in the early history of Ibanez in the USA. Best wishes to the Gerson Rosenbloom and family and employees.

[Ritualee]

Sorry to hear this. They carried the book I wrote, My Dog Ate My Modes, back when I was a book salesman. I was grateful. Neat store. I'd still check it out if I wasn't on the other side of the country.

[Brad Scott]

That sucks. They have a very nice high-end acoustic room as well - Acoustic Roots.

[tone4days]

bummer
bought a lot of stuff there early in my playing days growing up in drexel hill
best wishes to them all

[dennyman]

I stopped by there in the summer. Their electric guitar & amp inventory looked exactly the same as when I stopped by the year before (but the staff looked diffferent!). The acoustic room was locked. I bought some nice guitars there. I guess all things must pass...

[dkaplowitz]

I hadn't heard until I drove by today and saw the signs on the windows. I like a bunch of the guys that work(ed) there and will miss the ones I won't get a chance to see regularly any more. Best of luck to the cooler employees.

It's not that suprising they're closing though. It seems they've been basically running on fumes the last couple years with a couple abortive attempts to try and revive the business. But the writing's been on the wall for a while -- spotty selection, prices on the high side, almost never more customers in the store than there are employees, a few good employees (seemingly) alienated and forced out (I don't really know the story, but a bunch of good guys didn't seem very happy working there), etc.

[JuanK]

Some of my fondest musical memories involve Medley. I bought tons of stuff there: my LP Deluxe, D18, Boogie Mk II, Elger dreadnaught, Traynor YBA-3A and of course, my Schaller wha with hard wired cable and switch for "wa-wa/yoi-yoi"!
Harry and Gerson tolerated me, but Bruce always took care of me.
I even took lessons there back in the Ardmore days. I'll miss them...

[itsjustgas]

I received a postcard today from Medley that they will be closing the end of Dec. They have been around as long as me (54 years) and I have bought most of my good guitars/amps from them. The owner had something to do with bringing Ibanez into the country many years ago (not sure of the whole tale). I was last there about 3 months ago and noticed the guitar inventory was way down although they had some decent amps (Dr.Z, Badcat) that they hadn't carried in the past. I stopped by and they are blowing out all the floor samples and left overs but the good stuff is still close to normal prices. Sad to see them go.

Is Acoustic Roots also closing its doors for good? I bought a couple of guitars from Larry when he was in Jenkintown.
_____
jeff

[jimfog]

Is Acoustic Roots also closing its doors for good? I bought a couple of guitars from Larry when he was in Jenkintown.


Yup...

I REALLY wish Larry hadn't sold and moved.

Actually, what I really wish is that I could have raised the $$ needed to buy it from him. That store, especially as part of Medley, was never promoted enough, or given a good web presence.

Bummer.

[itsjustgas]

Yup...

I REALLY wish Larry hadn't sold and moved.

Actually, what I really wish is that I could have raised the $$ needed to buy it from him. That store, especially as part of Medley, was never promoted enough, or given a good web presence.

Bummer.

WOW!
Do you have any details about Larry?
Feel free to PM if you'd like. Are they blowing out the acoustics?
Thanks
Jeff

[jimfog]

WOW!
Do you have any details about Larry?
Feel free to PM if you'd like. Are they blowing out the acoustics?
Thanks
Jeff

Larry's a good friend of mine. I actually worked up at the Jenkintown store, briefly, as well.

He's out of retail now, and happy about it. Doing great.

I imagine Medley's prices will get lower and lower over the next month until they close.

[itsjustgas]

Larry's a good friend of mine. I actually worked up at the Jenkintown store, briefly, as well.

He's out of retail now, and happy about it. Doing great.

I imagine Medley's prices will get lower and lower over the next month until they close.

Thanks-jimfog
Good to hear about Larry. Always treated me well.
Spent some coin at the old shop. :D
_____
jeff

[otaypanky]

Yup...

I REALLY wish Larry hadn't sold and moved.

Actually, what I really wish is that I could have raised the $$ needed to buy it from him. That store, especially as part of Medley, was never promoted enough, or given a good web presence.

Bummer.

I'm not familiar with the stores mentioned above, but would always prefer doing business with a 'mom and pop' in my town or a neighboring town. But I think you have a good point about a web presence. Times have changed and retailers need to keep up a bit too. A stronger web presence may not have helped them keep rolling, but I don't think it would have hurt. As I was reading this thread last night, I did a search and found two of the stores mentioned in the thread had lame and malfunctioning websites and the other store had none.
In any event, I wish them well in whatever comes next.
Where I grew up in NJ, there was Victor's House of Music, a small store in a little town. I got my first amp there in '62. Some years later they moved to a nearby town that was a little busier. Next came a little bigger store front a few doors down from where they were. The next thing you know they built a great big place on a busy highway. Eventually they closed and were purchased by Guitar Center. Maybe that was a plan all along, I don't know. But somewhere along the line they also got into the internet business as American Musical Supply and I believe that's still going strong today, and with none of the headaches associated with a brick and mortar store.

[sqadan]

Folks... Tom from Medley (and Acoustic Roots) is now working at West Chester Music and many of the high end lines of acoustic guitars are now for sale there....

They have Collings, Santa Cruz, Gibson, Bourgeois etc... They are really the only big Mom and Pop left in the area... I strongly recommend that former Medley customers check them out.

Great shop... had many great deals there.

[mstecker]

I live in the same suburban town where Medley is. I've bought a bunch of stuff there over the years. I remember my first 'big' purchase - a Juno 106 - when I was in 10th grade in 1984.

About a year ago, I bought a D-35 from the 'Acoustic Roots' shop. It was nice to be able to play about 10 high end guitars in a low-pressure environment to find - not just the model - but the right guitar within that model line (I would have sworn that I wanted to buy a D-28, but this particular D-35 just sung).

Unfortunately, the laid-back, low pressure environment that the high-end acoustic shop had was completely opposite form the main part of the store. There were always a string of rotating high-pressure guys in guitars, and a very very smug set of people in the pro audio section (the 'If you're concerned about price, you don't get it' kind of attitude).

Thanks for the heads-up. I'll go by and check out any last day deals.