Remember Guitar's Friend?

[SmithfieldFair]

Hello, lads & lasses! I've been away from LTG for a bit - stopping by momentarily here and there, but there's so much going on in our little world.

Anyway -- Everytime I get a catalogue, I experience this wave of reverie mixed with euphoria and sadness and whimsy. It is because I remember the superb catalogues that a Sandpoint, Idaho company called 'Guitar's Friend' used to put out. Anyone else remember? ...back in the late 70's and early 80's? It was filled with lots of cool hand-drawn art and hand lettered descriptions and it REALLY made one think of the smell of wood shavings and lemon oil and new guitars. It was big, extensive, totally amazing and...I am certain coming from a publishing background...VERY expensive. I always mention this to my wife when it happens. I wish I could find one of those old catalogues to show her. I wish I knew whatever happened to Guitar's Friend. I wish I knew who did that catalogue so I could tell them thanks for the memories they've instilled.

Anyone know anything about all this? Have I just imagined this and it's a product of the cosmic silliness of my misspent musical youth? If I was just dreaming - and I can find no proof of it in internet searches - it was certainly a pleasant dream...

Peace and Guild to you all...dbs

 

[hansmoust]

Anyone know anything about all this? Have I just imagined this and it's a product of the cosmic silliness of my misspent musical youth? If I was just dreaming - and I can find no proof of it in internet searches - it was certainly a pleasant dream...

Hello Dudley,

Yes, I'm old enough to remember that and not old enough to have forgotten about it.
And yes ....... it was a dream as well. And a really good one!

Since I'm a 'pack rat' when it comes to guitar literature I can offer you a quick glimpse from what seems like a far away past. A time when mail order had a different meaning.

Here's one of the pages from the '78 Fall Winter Catalog:

And here's another one that shows they were selling Guilds at 25% off!

That's what you had to pay for your Westerly Guild a little more than 30 years ago!

Sincerely,

Hans Moust
http://www.guitarsgalore.nl

 

[killdeer43]

Nice little slice of history there, Hans.
And those prices! Had we known then what we know now!! :wink:

Oh well, always fun/intriguing to look back on what was,
Joe

 

[Jeff_L]

And those prices! Had we known then what we know now!! :wink:

Joe

Yes, but remember, the case was extra! :twisted:

Jeff

 

[SmithfieldFair]

Thanks, Hans -- Very cool. I'll show that to Jan this evening and just seeing it REALLY brought back memories. When that catalogue would come in the mail, I would sit with a cup of tea and read through it, then drag it around for DAYS. It was a great effort.

As an aside - in late 1978, I bought my brother Bob's first B-50 (a sunburst which was stolen from us at the recording studio in 1980) - for $400 (with Barkus Berry hotdots and case) from Tringas Strings in Pensacola. Greg Tringas and his luthier Howard Passman got two of them in, thinking they would be a great interest attraction and well pretty quickly. They were, but they didn't and more than a year later they were ready to 'unload them'. I bought one and a guy names John bought the other soon after, then moved to Alabama. When our bass was stolen in 1980, I called Tringas and inquired of the other bass. Greg knew John's sister and called her for a contact number. I called John and he was severely disappointed with the bass - couldn't get loud enough with hotdots to keep up with the electrified instruments he was playing against. So, he sold his to me for $400 and shipping - shipped on the Greyhound bus to Louisiana. We still have that bass and it's Bob's primary instrument, though he also has a 1976 B-50 that Holger's set-up exactly like the '78. (I also have a 1979 I bought for $900 several years back.)

Further, I purchased my 1976 G-37SB from Al Whitney at Alexandria Music in Lousiana for $400 (case included) in 1979 after looking at it for more than a year. Some of you will remember my story that Al Whitney would 'pair up' special guitars with players and hold them until the player came 'round to his way of thinking. Later that year, we also bought my brother Joel his blonde G-37B for the same price. Joel still has his G-37 and it is his major instrument for both recording and stage.

Ah, the memories... Thanks for helping out there, Hans. All the best....dbs (Anyone else with knowledge or memories to share?)

 

[poser]

If you're interested,it looks as if there are 4 of those catalogues for sale on Amazon.

 

[adorshki]

If you're interested,it looks as if there are 4 of those catalogues for sale on Amazon.

When I saw this thread I was thinking I have a regular softcover book by them with a standard 4-color cover on gloss stock, I think it's about 9x12 and about an inch or 2 thick. Inside is pretty heavy uncoated text stock in B&W. One of those Amazon postings says it's a former library book. I think that's what I have but it's in storage and might take a little digging. I'll try to let you know, Smithfield. I might let it go, for you.

 

[guildzilla]

Good stories.

I get nostalgic about the way things were marketed before the internet, too. Another music catalogue that you could spend hours with was Lark in the Morning. It was like a Sunday newspaper. And, not to change the subject, but I really miss going to the record store and flipping through all the LP's.

 

[adorshki]

I get nostalgic about the way things were marketed before the internet, too. Another music catalogue that you could spend hours with was Lark in the Morning. It was like a Sunday newspaper. And, not to change the subject, but I really miss going to the record store and flipping through all the LP's.

Even better than LP's were 45's! You only had to buy that one song you really wanted with a cool picture of the band too! I admit though I agree with you. With LP's you could see all kinds of credits that might influence your decisions...
Waitaminnit, is this the Re:retro thread? Does anybody know the way back to the re:retro thread? :lol:

 

[jcwu]

My first music catalog was... Musician's Friend. And boy did I spend a lot of time looking through that...

 

[Brad Little]

And, not to change the subject, but I really miss going to the record store and flipping through all the LP's.

Yeah, I did that every day for about 15 years. Of course, I was also managing the store :wink:
Brad

 

[dogberry]

Good stories.

I get nostalgic about the way things were marketed before the internet, too. Another music catalogue that you could spend hours with was Lark in the Morning. It was like a Sunday newspaper. And, not to change the subject, but I really miss going to the record store and flipping through all the LP's.

You can still order Lark In the Morning's catalog, and you can still while away many hours daydreaming about exotic instruments. I do whenever I can.

 

[evenkeel]

Great old catalog Hans. I got to thinking would a D55 purchased back then actually have been a good investment :?: :?:

So, $657 in 1978 equals about $2,140 today. A new Guild D55 at Sam Ash or Musicians Friend would set you back about $2,800. So, damn yes should have scooped one of those D55's up :!: :!: