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Any news of Kenny Rardin (solidbodyguitar)?

bassame

New member
Joined
May 23, 2007
Messages
343
I have been trying to contact Kenny for a week through his various email addresses and his store phone. No one picks up the phone or responds to email. I do not wish to intrude in his personal life, but I wonder if anyone who knows him can say if everything is alright with him and his business. I just want to buy something! Thanks.
 

kingsxman

Member
Joined
May 19, 2005
Messages
316
Kenny's a good egg. I haven't talked to him in awhile. I'd swing by the shop but I see that its now in Hopkins "by appt. only".
 

FretsAlot

New member
Joined
Jan 22, 2003
Messages
931
I bought my first electric guitar (LP Standard) and amp (Peavey Bandit) from Kenny at Marguerites Music in Moorhead, Mn in 1982. I also took a lesson from him once and he encouraged me to tape it, so I showed up with my ghetto blaster/boom box. I may still have that lesson tape buried in my attic, somewhere.

Sorry, can't help you with your original inquiry.

Fretsalot/Scott
 

kwest

New member
Joined
Feb 1, 2007
Messages
716
Kenny's a good egg. I haven't talked to him in awhile. I'd swing by the shop but I see that its now in Hopkins "by appt. only".

Where in Hopkins is it? Main Street,near Bud's Music? Mmm,is there still time to get breakfast at Hoagies?

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vintage58

Well-known member
Joined
Apr 13, 2003
Messages
3,958
I liked Solidbody's lifetime guarantee that they'd buy back any guitar you purchased from them, for exactly the same price you originally paid them for it. As things have turned out, seemingly the only valid part of the guarantee was its regular recitation during purchase.
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bassame

New member
Joined
May 23, 2007
Messages
343
Where in Hopkins is it? Main Street,near Bud's Music? Mmm,is there still time to get breakfast at Hoagies?

It seems to be in an industrial park with a lot of unrelated businesses surrounded by a huge parking lot.
 

Grog

Active member
Joined
Apr 7, 2012
Messages
562
Over a year ago, before Best Buy closed all of their music departments, I swore I saw Kenny working on a guitar at their Northtown location. He might have been moonlighting over there..... I Know of another person trying to get ahold of somebody at Soilidbody, he eventually gave up. That was the first I'd heard they moved to Hopkins.
 

Aloha_Mark

New member
Joined
Dec 15, 2011
Messages
495
Latest news: no active Solidbody Guitar auctions on ebay under the account of barney-barnes. A '62 SG Std auction ended earlier today. Any members in Minnesota?
 

bassame

New member
Joined
May 23, 2007
Messages
343
I have no solid information, and I have received no contact from Kenny or Bruce.
 

bassame

New member
Joined
May 23, 2007
Messages
343
Thanks Fretsalot, that's the best info I have had. I tried calling Bruce a few months ago and left a message with his wife(?) but he never called back. Too bad.
 

Claptone

New member
Joined
Sep 25, 2005
Messages
26
Wish I had seen this sooner...... I had to call the Police. I want my guitar back :dang
 

Claptone

New member
Joined
Sep 25, 2005
Messages
26
What's sad is I might not get my guitar back:dang Anyone with any info PLEASE HELP!
 

kingsxman

Member
Joined
May 19, 2005
Messages
316
What's sad is I might not get my guitar back:dang Anyone with any info PLEASE HELP!

Now..this isn't on Kenny..as I don't think he was an owner. But what I don't get is how someone can run a reputable business for so long...and then just abandon it and NOT tell people so they can get their gear back that may be on consignment.

How can anyone do that? How can you live with yourself?
 

Hetfieldinn

Les Paul Froum Member
Joined
Dec 17, 2004
Messages
1,234
We had a local store here, with three locations. They were open for 20+ years. Guitar Center moved into town, and the windows of the 'mom and pop' store were covered with newspaper over night. They had numerous instruments on consignment, in for repairs, as well as deposits on many instruments. They filed bankrupt. Many were screwed.
 

Tom Wittrock

Les Paul Forum Co-Owner
Joined
Aug 2, 2001
Messages
42,567
We had a local store here, with three locations. They were open for 20+ years. Guitar Center moved into town, and the windows of the 'mom and pop' store were covered with newspaper over night. They had numerous instruments on consignment, in for repairs, as well as deposits on many instruments. They filed bankrupt. Many were screwed.

Where was this? :hmm
 

Big Al

Well-known member
Joined
Apr 24, 2002
Messages
14,537
We had a local store here, with three locations. They were open for 20+ years. Guitar Center moved into town, and the windows of the 'mom and pop' store were covered with newspaper over night. They had numerous instruments on consignment, in for repairs, as well as deposits on many instruments. They filed bankrupt. Many were screwed.

Three stores seems biger than Mom and Pop. Closeing overnight because of the big bad GC moved in tells me they weren't very good at running their buisness. Consignment instruments and repair items have plenty of paperwork and documentation. Or they should have. Anyone that consigns or leaves an item without a receipt is a flippen toadstool. A store that papers up it's windows overnight, without making arrangements for customers to regain their lawful property, needs to be out of buisness. If they went bankrupt overnight, maybe GC is doing you all a big favor.

WTF???? Bankruptcy filed by another dosen't mean you lose ownership of items belonging to you, in their possession. They had receipts right? That whole story has the familure odor of the oft smelt mythic tale.

GC set up shop in my area in upstate NY. A few badly run bullshit Music Stores closed up. A few better ones opened and the good ones that have always been good are doing just fine. Stutzman's, Bernunzio's Upton Music and the great, great House of Guitars come to mind.

It's a drag and a PITA, but notify the proper authorities and have your proof of ownership available, it may take awhile but you should get your stuff returned. Deposits or layaway monies most likely are lost cause.
 
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