Boston/New England Guitar Show this weekend

[Amp360]

The Boston/New England show is this weekend. Hopefully, we will not have to hear More Than a Feeling/Don't Ever Want to Lose Ya played over and over, or even once.

I think I'm going to go check it out because I didn't find exactly what I wanted in Philadelphia last weekend. I went a few times before when it was in Connecticut and it wasn't all that great. I think I went a couple of times when they had it at U-Mass and it was kind of meh. Hopefully, by moving it to the metro-west closer to 95 and the turnpike it will be better.

Here are the details:

https://northeastguitarexpo.com/

 

[jb_abides]

I love Tom Scholz songs and I love the Toxic Twins, but I'd rather not hear a loop of them. I'd rather More Than A Feeling' over Jamie's Got A Gun, but will take Cryin' over Amanda.

Happy hunting!

 

[jrgtr42]

I'm planning on going also. I don't know if I'm really shopping for anything in particular, but I will have a couple peices I'm bringing along to see what I can get for them. Not feeling forcesto sell, and if I don't get offered somewhere near what I have in mind |I'm fine walking.
I also have some money stashed from a guitar I sold there last year I will have burning a hole in my pocket.
|I do hope there;s more vendors than there was last time - it was a bit sparse, and some empty tables. It was in the midst of the pandemic, so I get people and vendors being hesitant to come.

 

[corpse]

It was very small and the prices were high. i have practice on Sat or I would go to meet you two. Jr was there two years ago when I went. I will go if the singer can’t make it.
it was pretty much guitars only- no amps and a few pedals.

 

[jb_abides]

Just by looking at their site pics, seems biased to acoustic over electric. Not sure that is truly the case, just an observation...

 

[Amp360]

Interesting to read. I haven’t been since it was in CT. I’m not expecting a show like Philadelphia or Dallas but it would be cool if it were better than it was.

About twenty some years ago when it was out in Andover it was pretty good.

I think it’s just Sunday but I could be wrong

 

[corpse]

You are right- just Sunday. But Music Go Round is right down the street. I didn't go in there yet.

 

[Don]

I plan to go. I think they had the show at the same location several years ago. It was okay. It seems hard to put on a good guitar show in this area.

 

[Amp360]

You are right- just Sunday. But Music Go Round is right down the street. I didn't go in there yet.

Music Go Round is pretty good. The Natick store is pretty ok. I like the Maryland ome better but it's worth checking out. The GC there can be ok. I bought an old Gretsch bass (like the Monkeys one but not that one) for really cheap there and I like it a lot.

Once or twice in 94/95 they did a mini NAMM-style event at Hynes. It was really cool and totally free. Fender and Gibson were there as well as Peavey (with those goofy drums). It was a blast.

Berklee used to bring in a lot of companies during guitar week. I met Bill Schultz from FMIC once and he was pretty interested in what we all had to say. I don't know if that's as big a thing as it once was but I'm sure they probably still do something.

Like I said, there used to be a great show in Andover, MA. The one in CT was big but with a lot of smaller builders and newer things. U-Mass seems to be lower end guitars and they did one on Cape Cod once and it was like the old Daddy's basement without anything good at all.

If nothing else I figure I'll go get some BBQ at the Blue Ribbon (if they're open on Sundays) when I leave.

 

[jrgtr42]

Music go round is definitely better than GC as far as used gear goes - Don't know what it is, but they(GC) used to have and get a ton, now it's just an afterthought in the back.
(Full disclosuse, I used to work there at the GC, from 1998 - 2002. We'd always push to get used stuff in - it made way more money than new stuff.)
But even GCs new selection isn't great anymore - I presume it has to do with their financial troubles as a whole company.
But as far as guitar shows go around here, there aren't many, and I figure that I'll do my little bit, if organizers and vendors see that there's people coming and hopefully buying (yeah, that's also factoring asking prices) there'll be more and better shows.
There used to be one in Auburn or something like that, and a couple in |Beverly or something. Premier Guitar put on one, once, at the Bayside Expo that was great, but only a one-time thing.

 

[Amp360]

Music go round is definitely better than GC as far as used gear goes - Don't know what it is, but they(GC) used to have and get a ton, now it's just an afterthought in the back.
(Full disclosuse, I used to work there at the GC, from 1998 - 2002. We'd always push to get used stuff in - it made way more money than new stuff.)
But even GCs new selection isn't great anymore - I presume it has to do with their financial troubles as a whole company.
But as far as guitar shows go around here, there aren't many, and I figure that I'll do my little bit, if organizers and vendors see that there's people coming and hopefully buying (yeah, that's also factoring asking prices) there'll be more and better shows.
There used to be one in Auburn or something like that, and a couple in |Beverly or something. Premier Guitar put on one, once, at the Bayside Expo that was great, but only a one-time thing.

Yeah, I figure I'll check it out for the same reason. CT usually has a lot of vendors, just not much to buy. The last two I've gone to have been Philly and Dallas and if New England (not the horrible band) had half the amplifiers I've seen at those two I would be happy.

Part of me feels like this show should be great. Years ago I lived in Lexington, MA and there was a fantastic high end store there and the metro-west area certainly has the wealth to support a great show. OTOH Boston is a major American city with three world-famous music schools (Berklee, NE Conservatory, and Boston Conservatory) and only has three guitar stores - Mr. Music and two Guitar Centers. Plus add in BU, Harvard, Northeastern, etc... and you would think there would be a ton of guitar players/enthusiasts. I guess it's not the case, although it certainly used to be!

I'm keeping my fingers crossed for a good show and not a bunch of lower-end gear at non-negotiable prices, some builders I've never heard of and some overpriced "vintage" gear. I figure worst case I'll hit the Blue Ribbon in Newton for some BBQ afterward if it's still there! At the very least I'll get to check out Music Go Round again.

We will see...

 

[jrgtr42]

Yeah, I figure I'll check it out for the same reason. CT usually has a lot of vendors, just not much to buy. The last two I've gone to have been Philly and Dallas and if New England (not the horrible band) had half the amplifiers I've seen at those two I would be happy.

Part of me feels like this show should be great. Years ago I lived in Lexington, MA and there was a fantastic high end store there and the metro-west area certainly has the wealth to support a great show. OTOH Boston is a major American city with three world-famous music schools (Berklee, NE Conservatory, and Boston Conservatory) and only has three guitar stores - Mr. Music and two Guitar Centers. Plus add in BU, Harvard, Northeastern, etc... and you would think there would be a ton of guitar players/enthusiasts. I guess it's not the case, although it certainly used to be!

I'm keeping my fingers crossed for a good show and not a bunch of lower-end gear at non-negotiable prices, some builders I've never heard of and some overpriced "vintage" gear. I figure worst case I'll hit the Blue Ribbon in Newton for some BBQ afterward if it's still there! At the very least I'll get to check out Music Go Round again.

We will see...

IF you're talking about Music Emporium, they're still there and doing their thing. |Lots of high-end acoustics, they're expanded a bit on the electric side over the past few years. I'll stop in when I'm in the area but almost everything there is way beyond my price ranges.

 

[corpse]

Enjoy today. Home with Covid.
No ME are in Lexington. Music Go Round is down the road on 9 on the same side of the hwy.

 

[jrgtr42]

Enjoy today. Home with Covid.
No ME are in Lexington. Music Go Round is down the road on 9 on the same side of the hwy.

Feel better.
Yeah, Amp mentioned the high end in Lexington (ME), as well as MgR. I'm not far from MgR or GC., and closer to an old place that I'm honestly not even sure if he's open anymore, Liberty Music in Famingham. ||There's never any activity there, the lights are never on in the store, and they've had the same couple drum kits in the window for at least 20 years, maybe more. They used to be the go-to around here for band rentals and other cool stuff, better than even Wurlitzer's back in the day, but Centre |Music has taken a lot of that rental business.

 

[jrgtr42]

Got in a while ago from the show.
As suspected, it wasn't big, but it wasn't bad at all. Pretty good turnout it seemed.
There weren't any top shelf vintage instruments, but the vendors that were there had a decent array at a good range of prices.
I didn't see any big money changing hands, but it looked like deals were happenning.
I had a guitar |I was sort of shopping around - got a couple offers, but not what I was looking for.
I picked up a few cables and a pedal from an outfit called Poison Noise. Poison Noises pedals.
They seemed to be doing pretty steady business there.
|I do think it's a sort of vicious circle - some good names at shows draw bigger crowds, that draw bigger names (vendors) and so on.
|I was chatting with one of the vendors about the lack of guitar shows around here, and he agreed with the above - that with all the wealth and the music scene around here, one would think there should be more shops, which would then draw the shows and crowds...

 

[Amp360]

I was there this morning and it was pretty depressing. Honestly, Music Go Round (even GC) had cooler stuff. There were a couple of Strat Plus guitars and some Rickenbackers. I saw one LP Deluxe with a headstock repair that was a pretty good deal. Other than that not worth the drive. Maybe 10 tables. There was an acoustic room but nothing I would have been interested in.

When I lived up there MARS was still in the plaza across from the mall. They went out of business but that particular location was always worth a visit. I liked them a lot more than GC. Other locations may have been different.

Not many amps, none worth buying. I went in wanting to buy something but just didn't see anything. The venue itself was nice.

Oh well. It was a rainy day and there's always next year.

 

[Don]

Not a great show, but I think it could grow if they manage to hold it every year.

 

[corpse]

Thanks for the reports- that was my experience a couple years ago.

 

[Trovador]

I live in Boston have never heard of this event... Will keep my eye for next year.

 

[bedolaga]

I'd like to go to a concert. I haven't been out in a long time.