Hey everybody,

We’re back for another In the Shop blog. I took a little vacation with the family, came back and worked for a few days, and then somehow managed to sneak out of town one more time with some friends to catch two more Phish shows at Fenway Park in Boston. It was an incredible trip, but I’m very glad to be back. There was a lot happening before I left, plenty going on while I was gone, and now that I’m back in the building, it feels like everything is moving at full speed again.

I did have a really cool experience while I was in Boston that I wanted to share before getting into what’s happening around the shop. I walked over to Berklee College of Music, where most of you probably know my dad, Jerry, went to school. I wanted to take a picture of the main sign to send him, and while I was standing on the street corner, a conversation somehow started between us and a few people waiting to cross the street. It turned out they were from Columbia. One of the guys figured out who I was and realized I was Jerry’s son. He told me he bought his first B.C. Rich bass from my dad in 1982 at Boardwalk Plaza. Even crazier, he had recently bought that same bass back from a friend and was now playing it in a band again. So Mark, if you’re reading this, it was great meeting you. Of all the places in the world to run into someone connected to the store, standing outside Berklee while I was taking a picture for my dad was pretty perfect. It was a very cool way to start the trip and another reminder of just how far back some of these relationships go.

Now, back to what’s happening at Sims...

We recently met a local pedal builder named Jonathan from Optic Tone Lab located in Cayce. He came by and dropped off a few pedals for us to try, and the guys were immediately into them. After spending some time with the lineup, we decided to bring the brand into the store. We now have four or five different Optic Tone Lab models in the showcase, all handmade locally. One of the coolest details is that Jonathan laser-etches the enclosures, so the pedals have a very clean and finished look. He can also build custom pieces, so if you have a particular sound or idea in mind, let us know and we can help connect the dots. It’s always exciting to support another local builder. We’ve been proud to carry Caroline Guitar Company for years, and now adding Optic Tone Lab gives us another chance to showcase something being created right here in our area. The standard lineup is being added to the website now, and the pedals are available to try in the Select Room. Come by and crank them up.

Speaking of pedals, Greer Amps recently released the new Mori Drive overdrive. We received four of them, and they disappeared almost immediately. We’re already waiting for the next batch. Greer has become one of the strongest pedal brands in the shop, and the Lightspeed continues to be one of the hardest products for us to keep in stock. I believe we have another shipment of Lightspeeds coming, which is good because I think we’re already sold out again as I write this. If you’ve been waiting for one, keep an eye on the website and our social media because they rarely stay here for long.

We’ve also had some really special customer orders arrive recently. While I was on vacation, a good friend of ours reached out because he wanted to surprise his son with a Fender Kurt Cobain Jaguar. I was literally grilling at the beach when I grabbed my phone, contacted Fender, and started trying to make it happen. We rushed one in so he could have it in time for the surprise. It’s actually a guitar we haven’t stocked regularly, but after seeing it in person, I think we may need to bring another one in. It’s a Mexican-made Jaguar with binding running along the neck, upgraded hardware, a great looking sunburst finish, and comes with a hardshell case. The whole guitar just has a great look and feel to it.

That same day, another special order arrived for our buddy Michael: a 26-inch Ludwig kick drum in Classic Oak with a black textured finish, built to match the other bass drums and pieces in his kit. It looked awesome and I’m sure it’ll sound incredible. Keep an out for Griefleader playing on a stage soon! We always appreciate when customers let us help with special orders. We know how easy it is now to sit at home, click a button, and order something online from anywhere. That makes it even more meaningful when somebody comes to us and lets us help them find a dream guitar, finish a drum kit, or even track down a specific pair of sticks. No special order is too small. If it’s something we don’t have, there’s a good chance we can get it here quickly.

The drum department has had an unbelievable stretch of special arrivals. Our good friend Glenn, who I would lovingly describe as a vintage drum nerd, has been working on something for us. He took an old Slingerland snare drum and turned it into a working clock, complete with a picture of Gene Krupa on the front. We’ll be hanging it above the Slingerland area as you turn toward the cymbal department. On top of that, Glenn loaned us two framed records—one signed by Buddy Rich and the other signed by Gene Krupa. Those are incredibly special pieces, and we’re honored that he trusts us to display them in the shop. Glenn has become a great friend, and these little touches add so much history and personality to the drum department. Thank you again, Glenn. We genuinely appreciate it.

We also received one of the most special drum kits we have ever had come through the store. Our longtime friend Todd special ordered a Yamaha PHX kit from us more than two and a half years ago. He has been incredibly patient, and the kit was absolutely worth the wait. If you aren’t familiar with Yamaha PHX drums, one individual in Japan essentially hand-builds the kit from beginning to end. The drums are constructed and prepared by the same craftsman until they’re ready for finishing. They’re then loaded into a vehicle, taken to another facility to be painted, brought back, and completed by the original builder. That level of attention is one of the reasons the wait is so long. Todd’s kit took about two and a half years, and he has already ordered an additional floor tom that may take another two years to arrive. That’s commitment.

The finished kit is unbelievable. It has gold hardware, beautiful shells, and the kind of detail you can only get from something built at that level. It is truly a work of art, and we’re extremely grateful that Todd trusted us to help with the process. Thank you to Todd and Yamaha for giving us the chance to be part of something so special.

We also received a fresh shipment of Noble & Cooley snare drums, including an Alloy Classic, a maple, and a birch. We’ll be featuring those on social media soon. Noble & Cooley continues to be one of the most impressive additions we’ve made to the drum department. Every drum that comes through looks incredible, sounds incredible, and feels like something special. We also have a very limited Noble & Cooley model heading our way before too long. That’s all I can say for now, but keep an eye out because it should be a good one.

Over in the acoustic room, I returned from my trip to find what looked like an entire wall of Eastmans waiting to be processed. I’m not even sure how many came in—probably around a dozen. Sway has been working hard to get everything inspected, set up, and out on the floor, and the acoustic room is overflowing right now. I say this all the time, but I honestly don’t know if there is a better guitar for the money than Eastman. I keep joking that they must be stealing the wood because I don’t understand how they can build guitars at that level and sell them at those prices. The materials, finishes, and overall craftsmanship are consistently impressive. Every guitar is built in China and then sent through Eastman’s facility in California, where it is inspected and set up before shipping to the dealer. By the time it arrives here, it has already been through an extra level of quality control, and then our staff checks it again before it goes on the wall. If you haven’t played an Eastman lately, you really need to come see what they’re doing.

Of course, not everything that happened while I was gone was fun.

You may have seen a video we posted about a very unusual online return. A customer purchased a Gibson Les Paul in TV Yellow from us, and a few weeks after receiving it, we got a notification that it was being returned. The customer said the guitar was unopened and still in its original packaging.

When the box arrived, it took about three seconds to realize that was not true.

Inside the genuine Gibson case was a counterfeit copy of the guitar. It looked like one of the inexpensive imported copies you see online. The customer had kept the real Gibson and attempted to send the fake guitar back to us for a refund. Luckily, we recognized it immediately and have protections in place for situations like this. The appropriate parties have been notified, and the matter is being handled. We posted a video explaining what happened, and it ended up receiving close to 100,000 views, which is wild for us. The comments were hilarious, and we appreciate everybody who shared it and helped spread the word. It’s unfortunate that anyone would attempt something like that, but this is exactly why we inspect every return and document what we ship. The scam was caught immediately, and hopefully we’ll have another update to share once everything is resolved.

We’ve also had a lot going on in lessons and repairs. Freeway Music at Sims is hosting an open house on Saturday, August 8, from noon until 4:00. Freeway is doing the event across several locations, including Cayce, Blythewood, Lexington, Ballentine, and here at Sims. A few teachers will be here to answer questions and show people around the lesson studios. We’ll have food, giveaways, and information for anyone interested in starting lessons. Anyone who signs up for lessons that day will also receive a $100 Sims Music gift certificate, which is a pretty great bonus. We’ve recently given the Freeway area in the back of the store a little facelift with new flooring and fresh paint, so it’s looking great back there. I’ll be here along with Katie, Drew, and several others. Whether you’re looking for lessons for your child or thinking about finally learning an instrument yourself, this would be a great day to come by, meet everybody, and see how the program works.

John has also been slammed in the repair shop. The guitars have been piled up, but as always, he’s knocking them out. Setups, fretwork, electronics, headstock repairs—there has been a little bit of everything coming through. If you have something that needs attention, bring it in and we’ll get it into the queue.

Used gear and consignment have stayed active too. We’ve had some very cool pieces come through lately, and several of them have sold almost immediately. That’s always the nature of used inventory. If you see something you like, you can’t always wait because there may never be another one exactly like it. We’re also still participating in the Reverb Sell In Store program. We don’t traditionally purchase most used gear outright, aside from certain special pieces, but this program gives customers another option. You can start listing your item on Reverb, and if it qualifies, you may be given the option to sell it through a participating store. You bring the item to us, we inspect it and verify the condition, and if everything matches, Reverb purchases it directly from you. You get paid, the item stays with us, and we sell it in partnership with Reverb. It’s a pretty cool program, and it has brought some unusual gear into the store that we might not have otherwise seen.

School band season is also almost here. If your child needs a rental instrument, please let us help. You can come talk to me, Gage, or anybody on the staff, and we’ll walk you through the process. We also want local band and orchestra directors to know that we’re here as a resource. There are fewer locally owned music stores than there used to be, and we want schools to know they can rely on us. We may be known for guitars, drums, and pedals, but we can supply rental instruments, accessories, reeds, sticks, mallets, strings, practice pads, and whatever else students need. If you’re involved with a school that is hosting a rental night or needs support from a local dealer, please reach out. We’re ready to help however we can.

Overall, it has been another hectic summer stretch around the shop. I love going on vacation and getting time away with my family and friends, and I obviously don’t mind sneaking in a few Phish shows whenever I can. But the shop really is my happy place, and I’m always glad to come back. Historically, summer has been known as the slower season for music stores, but that has not been the case here. You all have kept us incredibly busy, and we’re very grateful for the continued support.

Come see the new pedals, check out the Eastmans, look at the PHX photos, tour the lesson studios, bring us something for repair or consignment, or just stop by and hang out.

Thanks as always. We’ll see you soon.

-Justin Sims