Old store building for sale

SECOND STRING MUSIC started at 800 South Eighth Street, the southwest corner of Eighth and Washington. We were there for nearly a year and a half and it was a great place to begin the business.

Buy this building!

We outgrew the space and left in July 2012, and it hasn't been used since. That's what happens when you have out of town owners who don't care about the building or Quincy. The tall weeds in the sidewalk cracks tell the tale, sadly.

Now the building is finally up for sale again. I'd love for somebody local to snatch it up and do something with it. Click on the link above for the asking price and photos.

The main floor has a big main area, two side rooms and a back kitchen area, along with a bathroom. The real attraction is the awesome apartment upstairs. There's a lot of history up there, but that's a tale for another time and place.

Sandy Frillman is the Real Estate agent involved, and she's great to work with. It would be nice to see a nice old building being used again, and a small business flourishing in the space.

No fame, just a humble start

CENTRAL MICHIGAN UNIVERSITY was the best 12 years of my life. Well, it was only three and change. But it was still great.

Next month the CMU Journalism Department inducts four new members into the department's hall of fame. I vaguely remember two of the four people being honored.

Also being honored is the 1985-86 CM Life newspaper staff. For what, I'm not sure. I was on that staff as a sports reporter and it's where I got my start. The fact I'm even remotely associated with a hall of fame is enough, and it's as close as I'm going to get. I might make it into the Guitar String Breaking Hall of Fame. Maybe.

The school newspaper was a force to be reckoned with on campus back then, as it is now. In 1985, the paper was located in the basement of Anspach Hall, long since abandoned for nicer digs in Moore Hall.

I'm trying not to think about the fact it was 30 years ago. THIRTY FREAKING YEARS. Man, where have they gone? I spent one awful year at Calvin College after high school, took a year off, and I was eager to start a new chapter in Mount Pleasant. So I moved up there the day the apartment became available.

Even back then it didn't take long to recognize there were some incredible student journalists at CM Life. My roommate, Tim Penning, was one. He's now a professor at Grand Valley State University and I still follow him on Facebook. Another was Wayne Kamidoi, then the CM Life sports editor. Wayne is now a designer for the New York Times and was inducted into the journalism HOF last year.

I distinctly recall staying in Mount Pleasant on Labor Day Weekend because there was a soccer game at home and the paper was having open tryouts for reporters. I think Wayne expected three or four students to show up and cover the game, and the person with the best game story would be hired for the paper.

But everybody went home for the weekend, except me. I went to the game and remember talking to the CMU goalie, Ken McDonald, who also worked for the paper. I think the Chippewas lost because I used the term "beleaguered" when describe Ken in the goal.

I wrote the game story on a typewriter, and used lots of whiteout. I remember Wayne looking at it and trying not to laugh. It might have been the single worst sports story ever written. It was awful. I remember the story going into the paper with my name above it, only it wasn't even close to what I wrote - Wayne rewrote it to make it readable.

Yet I remember thinking, "You know, this is kind of fun. This Wayne guy knows what he's doing. He could have told me to head for the hills and give it up, but he actually encouraged me. I gotta stick with this because I might get better."

I must have improved because I covered more CMU soccer games that fall. Then I wrote about wrestling, softball, baseball and basketball in the next three years, and became a weekly columnist both my junior and senior years. I also got involved with the yearbook and it helped pay my tuition my senior year.

It led to to 24 years in journalism. It was a wonderful career, full of ups and downs and You Can't Make It Up stories.

Ken McDonald now teaches at Central. I wonder if he remembers the clueless geek who showed up to cover that game thirty years ago. If he does, I'm sure he's laughing about it, like I am now.

Everybody has to start somewhere, you know.

The world can't end yet

THERE IS A "Christian" group in Pennsylvania saying the world will likely end today. Like all delusional whackos, or Donald Trump, they are wrong.

The world can't end today. To wit ....

- My new glasses just arrived and I haven't worn them yet.

- We have incredible new Breedlove guitars to sell at Second String Music.

- Cori Lyssy and I are learning a mid-80s Madonna song and to deprive the masses would be criminal and unholy. Plus Hartlyss has a righteous gig Oct. 24 at Martinis, literally two doors down from SSM.

- Genie, our new Aussie, is beginning to obey on our walks and not poop in the store. She's also promised to not eat my glasses again. Ahem.

- Michigan has two straight shutouts and looks like it might be on the way to a very good season.

- The Cubs are in the playoffs. Geesh ... the world might be ending soon, after all.

- Somebody found my wallet and returned it to the Adams County Courthouse yesterday. I didn't even know I'd lost it. Fortunately there was nothing in it, per customary arrangement.

- The Cheeseburgers are playing at the QU football game tailgate party on Saturday, Oct. 31. The vibe out at the newly renovated Rock is supposedly off the charts. The game starts at 11 a.m., so we play at 9 a.m. Every gig has a story!

- Nobody, repeat, nobody, knows when the world will end. To suggest otherwise is blasphemy. The punishment for making false predictions is being forced to listen to new country.

- We're having too much fun at Fifth and Maine. The world can't end now!

Commercials and vision

I HAD A blast shooting a commercial Monday morning with Chris and Victoria Kelley of Table 16 Productions.

It's for a large retail store opening in the St. Louis area. Fortunately we were able to make the commercial in Quincy, but it probably won't air in this area.

When you see a commercial, we see 15 or 30 seconds of a finished product. We have no idea how much time goes into making it, none. That's what makes Chris so great to work with - he's done his homework, he has a clear idea of what he wants to see and do, and he's easy to follow.

The premise was to wear a bunch of stuff the store sells, then get help from one of the employees taking it all off and getting it out of the store. Each little scene had to be framed and shot, and the scenes with dialogue practiced, botched and shot again.

Chris is famous for saying, "Cut! That was great! One more time." He's a perfectionist. He knows what he wants to see and he won't settle for one good take.

What fun! I got to "act" like a goofball and get paid. Sort of like playing music .... !

Vicki Genfan at SSM

 

SECOND STRING MUSIC is proud to have award-winning performer and Luna Guitars endorser Vicki Genfan give a free performance and clinic on Oct. 16, two weeks from today.

The clinic is from 5:30 p.m. to 7 p.m. It's for all guitar players, regardless of skill level or musical tastes. Vicki is a singer, songwriter and instrumentalist you have to see to believe - I love the guitarists who operate way off the spectrum of regular strumming and humming. She uses 29 alternate tunings and a percussive technique she calls the "slap-tap."

You'll learn about composition, open tunings, guitar percussion and you'll get a chance to try new things on your guitar.

We have beautiful Luna guitars in stock, including the Vicki Genfan endorsed model. 

I am getting a huge kick out of the rider for her performance. We'll need to save space in front of the store for her van - this is on Tin Duster's weekend, so we are up for the challenge. We'll have a PA system set up if needed, fresh fruit and tea, a table for merchandise. I'm in awe ... when The Cheeseburgers play, we just need a tub of beer and a table for Frank Haxel's lightboard.

I'm an old strummer and hummer. It's amazed me how much stuff is out there to learn - inspiration is just around the corner. When I see players like Vicki Genfan, Tommy Emmanuel and Andy McKee, you wonder how they evolved and honed their talents.

But if you hang out with them, you realize they are just like us - they are guitar players, and they have a passion for playing.

Even if you aren't a guitar player, you'll want to check this out. We can't wait to meet Vicki and pick her brain, and see and hear what makes her so amazing.

The "Just Looking" Customer

ONE OF THE most common things we see at Second String Music is the person who walks in and says, "Just looking." And then they walk right back out. The internet and self-service training are counter intuitive to shopping in a small mom and pop music store. We feel like we are brimming with great info and advice to help you buy just the right musical item.

When you come into our store, we ask you if we can help you find anything. Maybe you are looking for strings, violin rosin, an instructional book, drum stuff, used gear or a starter guitar. If we know what you need, we can save you time by showing you the general area where those items are arranged. We want our customers to have a great experience, whether it's just for a minute or for an hour. We also want to make sure you don't leave the store thinking we don't have what you were looking for when we could have shown you where it is located. Simple. Easy. But sadly we are not self-service oriented.

Deering and Dean Banjo's

There is the hunter/gatherer theory of "Just Looking." Men are always looking to provide for their family. Always hunting, looking for the next challenge, seeking out what works for their family. We are a music store that caters to these hunter/gatherers. The "Just Looking" works for these people because they are in the hunting mode. Lately we have been helping these guys find our beautiful Breedlove Guitars. 

I like it when people come in and stroll around. Our store isn't that big. It doesn't take that long to figure out what we have. The most common "Just Looking" customer is the guy whose wife is shopping or getting her hair done downtown, and they have time to kill. Those are the guys with some stories to tell or wander aimlessly. I know he likely isn't going to buy anything. But he might be back, and I do want him to have a favorable impression of the store.

The most frustrating ones are the customers who come in, utter a reflex "just looking," and spend maybe a minute or two in the store. It feels silly to ignore a customer in the store but they don't seem to want further interaction.

I tend to think these kinds of folks expect to see a store with walls lined with high end, vintage guitars. We would love the chance to educate them on the high quality, new Breedlove, Takamine and Ibanez guitars. 

One thing it has taught us is that when we go into other stores, we are not "just looking." We tell them either what we are seeking or that we know what we are there for already. Sometimes if we are just browsing we make a point to stop and say that politely and with better eye contact.

Who knew the lessons that working in a retail store would teach us!