Random Music

 WE'VE HAD A great month or so at Second String Music. Our beautiful Alvarez and Takamine acoustics are finding new homes, as are some of the Mexican and American Fenders. Sheryl and I appreciate our local musicians buying local.

We are starting to see the benefits of being the only music store left in Quincy, and in the surrounding area. We get a lot of traffic from Keokuk and Hannibal. People mention how nice it is to have a local music store, even if they have to drive 30 to 40 miles. Last Saturday we sold a guitar to a man who drove more than two hours to shop with us. Turns out he has a friend from Quincy who recommended us, so he and the family loaded up and made a day of it in town.

It's the random nature of small retail that makes it interesting. Spring is almost here, tax returns are coming in and guitars are calling you to buy them in Quincy.

We try to plan for where the customer wants us to go and Sheryl puts much effort into purchasing the right gear. It is as much a guessing game as anything else that drives the actual customer to buy. We wish it was a science but it is more like a series of interesting non-linear experiences. We just do what we can.

We had a young man come in yesterday with an Alvarez acoustic he purchased from us 10 months ago. There was an issue with string buzz on one fret. After we checked it out, he asked if he could trade it in for another new Alvarez, and we were happy to work with him. He walked out with the new Alvarez and was thrilled, and it's a great example of the benefits of shopping local. We will fix up his trade and it will go to another player that will enjoy it.

Small retail is an adventure. We appreciate all our customers coming along on the ride with us!