Chloe Charles recently released her debut full-length album Break the Balance in North America, and she celebrated with a show at the Revival Bar in Toronto.
Luckily for those who couldn’t be in attendance, video from the event can be seen below.
Click here to watch Charles’ latest music video for the song “Find Her Way” and visit her official website for more information.
With a new album called Country Sleep coming out earlier this month, Night Beds recently stopped by Late Night with Jimmy Fallon to play “Ramona.”
In the performance, frontman Winston Yellen’s voice is reminiscent of Bon Iver’s Justin Vernon, and the string accompaniment just adds to the ethereal tone of the song.
Watch Night Beds below.
For more information, visit Night Beds’ official website.
During a recent stop by Sam Ash Music, Doyle Dykes performed and answered questions for an eager audience.
Check out video of Dykes’ appearance below and visit his official website for more information.
"I've been loving and selling Guilds for over 40 years and collecting a few as I go along,” said Ash. “These are a few of my rarities.”
Since its foundation in 1924, Sam Ash Music has become a household name in the musical instrument retail industry. With 45 locations nationwide, it’s one of the oldest and largest music chain stores in the United States and is the world’s largest family-owned musical instrument retailer of its size.
Sam Ash Music Corp. COO Sammy Ash has been with the company for more than 40 years and said customers can’t go wrong shopping at his stores.
“We do the right thing every time. Sometimes, things fall through the cracks, but we always make it right,” he said. “After all, the family’s name is on the door.”
Guild guitars recently chatted with Mr. Bing Schmitt from Guitars of Montana for the story behind his music shops and his take on Guild products.
Ten years ago, Bing and Pam Schmitt founded Guitars of Montana in Stanford, Mont., – a rural community with a population of 400. Business was booming, and the couple eventually opened two more locations, Wicks Guitars in Lewiston (operated by renowned luthier Brian Wicks), and another location also named Guitars of Montana in downtown Great Falls.
All three locations are thriving, and Schmitt assured he couldn’t do it without his stellar employees.
“If I didn’t have the staff I have, there’d be no way to pull it off,” he said. “The staff around here is what makes the company work.”
No other music store will rock your world like Rocktown Music in St. Cloud, Minn.
Founded in 2009, the 2,400-square-foot guitar haven carries more than 400 acoustic and electric guitars, making it the perfect destination for rockers and acoustic players alike.
Owner Joel Knutson says he’s proud of what his shop offers.
“We have a great, serious guitar selection,” he said. “Although we carry drums, pianos and band instruments, we decided to specialize in guitars.”
A full-fledged guitar player and collector, Knutson has a strong penchant for the instrument that’s especially noticeable when he’s talking about Guild.
“I love Guild guitars; they’re the best thing for the buck,” he said. “They’re lifelong instruments, and some of the oldest models around out-perform new guitars from other brands.”
Knutson boasts a personal Guild collection of more than 15 distinctive models, including a 1969 F-212, a 1972 D-25 and a rare four-string CE-100. His collection is so fine, in fact, that Mark Dronge, son of Guild founder Al Dronge, personally inquired about a few of the models.
“I’ve got so many Guilds that Mark called me to ask about a specific model in my collection,” Knutson said. “I have so many that it’s hard for me to even remember what I have.”
Knutson’s preference for Guild is apparent on entering Rocktown. He has devoted an entire wall to the brand and made it his store’s main acoustic guitar line.
So if you’re a Guild fanatic looking for Guild guitars sold by a true Guild connoisseur, your best bet in the upper Midwest is Rocktown Music.
Rocktown Music
305 3rd St. N.E.
Waite Park, Minn. 56387
www.rocktownmusic.net
If you’re on Long Island, you’re in for a treat when you stop by Music Emporium in North Bellmore. The 6,000-square-foot music store and lesson studio has some of the industry’s most exciting gear in stock.
Owner Charlie Lovarco founded Music Emporium in the early 1980s, never suspecting that one of Long Island’s most respected music entities would evolve from such humble beginnings.
“It started off as a teaching facility,” said Lovarco. “One thing led to another, and now we have over 20 full-time music teachers and carry full lines of music instruments.”
And when Lovarco says “full lines of music instruments,” he’s not kidding. When you walk into the shop, you’ll find nearly any instrument series you’re looking for. That includes Guild, and if you’re looking for the GAD series or any other Guild line, Music Emporium will very likely carry it all.
Ludlow Guitars in Manhattan’s Lower East Side is a class-act New York destination for connoisseurs of fine instruments.
“In a supermarket, you can get 18 different kinds of sliced white bread,” says owner Jan Howell. “And if you know what you want, then that’s a perfectly good place to go. We’re not the supermarket; we’re the corner store.”
But Ludlow Guitars doesn’t discriminate. Although the store attracts mostly discerning musicians, its doors are open to all. Besides, it’s hard for the average bystander not to be captivated by the bedazzling eye-candy mounted on the store’s walls.
“Our objective is to get customers inside our store, and show them what we’ve got,” says Howell. “Then we want to wrap their arms around something they like, rather than having them end up with an instrument that might not be for them.”
TrueTone Music is a prime sanctuary for Guild aficionados.
Located in Santa Monica, Calif, just a few blocks from the beach, TrueTone boasts 18-foot-high walls elegantly bejeweled with an exquisite selection of fine guitars, all carefully selected by co-owner Ken Daniels.
“There aren’t any guitars that are going to make it on the wall of my store unless I like them,” said Daniels.
A veteran fingerstyle guitarist, Daniels knows exactly what he likes — trusted Guild guitars.
“I really like the venerable D-55 and the F-412,” said Daniels. “I also really like the newly redesigned and newly engineered D-125 and D-125-12.”
Daniels said his long career in the music business makes him a highly reputable source of information for players seeking acoustic excellence.
“We know Guild guitars; we have a long history with them,” Daniels said. “We’ve been selling new Guilds since the ’70s, and we’ve seen their evolution. That makes us qualified to a great extent to be able to evaluate the line.”
Despite the breadth of knowledge of its staff, outstanding reputation and high-profile clientele (Brad Paisley, John Mayer and Jakob Dylan, to name only a few), TrueTone remains humble.
“We don’t claim to be the best in anything,” said Daniels. “We work hard to be the best that we can be, and we get that validated by a lot of clients, so I always appreciate hearing that.”
Perhaps one of the reasons clients stay true to TrueTone Music is the vast selection of new, used and vintage Guild models on museum-like display in a 2,000-square-foot section of the store.
Or maybe it’s the shop’s renowned repair facility, uncompromising commitment to quality and best bargains on iconic U.S. brands.
Whatever it may be, you’re welcome to find out. But beware — it might be tough to find your way out.
“This place is like the guitar version of the roach motel,” said one of TrueTone’s most loyal clients. “It’s easy to get into, but hard to get out of.”
Visit TrueTone Music at:
714 Santa Monica Blvd.
Santa Monica, Calif. 90401
(310) 393-8232
www.truetonemusic.com
Every day, Elderly Instruments welcomes a large cult following that lusts after the finest quality instruments.
Founded in 1972 by Stan Werbin, a biochemistry graduate of the University of Michigan, Elderly is quaintly nestled in Old Town Lansing, occupying 35,000 square feet of what used to be an Odd Fellows hall.
Guild purchasing manager Mike Townsend is one of the nearly 100 employees at the shop, and has been with the company since 2000. An experienced musician, he knows Guild guitars well.
“Guilds are really high-quality guitars,” said Townsend. “They’re right up there with any other high-end brand.”
Townsend added that Elderly boasts a rich selection of vintage and new Guild models, including the best seller, the 12-string Guild F-512.
“We get customers that come in to sell Guild guitars, but they also bring them in for upkeep and restoration,” said Townsend. “Our experienced repair shop gives them a little T.L.C.”
If you’re nowhere near Lansing, Mich., don’t fret. Elderly’s website (www.elderly.com) is the driving force behind the shop’s operations and is updated daily.
Elderly Instruments
1100 N. Washington
Lansing, Mich. 48901
www.elderly.com
