Alright everybody, it has been way too long since I sat down and did one of these blogs. This thing is supposed to be weekly, and somehow it has been almost a month. I apologize. It has just been extremely busy around here. Between the shop, online orders, new inventory, special orders, consignment gear, repairs, and a million little things happening behind the scenes, it has honestly been hard to find the time to sit down and put all of this together.

But I’m back now, so let’s get into it.

First off, you may have already seen this on Instagram, but we finally have some new Sims Music T-shirts available. It has been a long time since we’ve done actual store merchandise outside of the free shirts we include with guitar or drum purchases, so we decided it was time to bring something back.

We kept it simple with a really nice upgraded black T-shirt, but we did something a little fun with the designs. We made one shirt using the classic Sims Music logo that has been on the marquee and the sign out front since the ’80s, and we made another using the retro-style logo we created for our 40th anniversary. Both logos still have their place around here. The original one represents the history of the store and is what a lot of longtime customers recognize us by, while the newer retro logo has gotten a lot of love since we introduced it.

So now we’re letting everybody decide which one is cooler.

Both shirts are available for $19.79 — which, of course, represents 1979, the year Sims Music opened. You can grab one in the shop or order one on the website. We’ll probably continue using both logos, but I’m interested to see which one people gravitate toward the most.

Over in pedal land, we finally received the new Caroline Guitar Company Aaron Graves Overdrive. We had been waiting on this one for a few weeks, and as soon as they arrived, one sold the same day. That seems to be the way Caroline pedals go around here. This is the first new Caroline release we’ve seen in a little while, so I was excited to get it into the shop. It’s a great-sounding overdrive pedal and was built in memory of Philippe’s friend Aaron, who passed away several years ago. The story behind it makes it a meaningful release in addition to just being a cool pedal. We currently have some very early serial numbers in stock — around 138, 139, and 140 — which is always fun for people who like to grab early production pieces. I’ve also heard a little bit about some more Caroline expansion coming during the second half of the year. I can’t say much about it yet, but keep an eye out because it sounds like they’ve got some cool things on the way.

We’re also finally starting to see Greer Lightspeed Overdrives trickling back into the store. I’ve mentioned it before, but this is probably the most popular pedal we’ve ever carried. We simply cannot keep enough of them in stock. Every shipment disappears almost immediately, and we currently have another 20 or 30 on order. We’re also in discussions with Greer about doing a Sims-exclusive color. The idea would be a very limited run in a color combination available only through us. Nothing is completely finalized yet, but we’re hoping to make a decision soon. Once we approve everything, it will probably take around three months for the custom batch to arrive, but I think it would be really cool to offer something that is completely unique to Sims Music. Greer also has a new pedal being released on July 21. I can’t tell you what it is yet, but make sure you keep an eye on our website and social media that day because we’ll be announcing it as soon as it goes live.

Another pedal line we recently highlighted is Rainger FX. We already did a full blog focused on the brand, but I wanted to mention them again because the lineup has been doing really well. We currently have models like the Dr. Frankenstein Chop Fuzzz, Razor Fuzz, Reverb X, MiniBar, Echo-X, and Binary Pulsar. They’re all very creative pedals and definitely not the kind of thing you see in every music store.

We’ll always keep the classic Boss, MXR, Dunlop, and other staples around, but we also want to be a place where you can discover something unusual. Bringing in brands like Caroline, Greer, Rainger FX, Benson, Fairfield, and others gives customers a chance to try things they may have only seen online before.

Speaking of used pedals, the Reverb Sell In Store program has started bringing some really cool gear through the door. If you haven’t heard about the program yet, certain items you start listing on Reverb may give you the option to sell them through a participating store. You bring the item to us, we confirm the condition, and if everything checks out, Reverb pays you directly. The item then stays here and we sell it through our Reverb shop and in the store.

We recently had a couple customers bring in stacks of pedals through that program. About half of them have already sold, but we’ve had some unusual pieces like an Empress Effects Nebulus, pedals from Source Audio, Keeley, and Analogman— things we don’t normally have hanging around. The Sell In Store products won’t appear on our main website, so the best way to check them out is either on Reverb or by coming into the store and seeing what’s available.

That same program has also brought in some incredible guitars. One of the guys who brought us a stack of pedals also brought in several guitars for consignment, including what may currently be the coolest guitar in the entire store: a Gibson Custom Shop 1959 Les Paul reissue in Lemon Burst weighing only 7 pounds, 8 ounces. That is unbelievably light for a Les Paul. Everybody who has picked it up has commented on how comfortable it feels. A couple people even said it almost feels like playing a Strat because it’s so light and balanced. On top of that, it’s absolutely stunning. The flame top, the color, and the overall condition are all incredible. That one is currently in the Select Room, and I honestly do not expect it to last long. A Les Paul with that look and that weight is hard to find.

We also received a beautiful Les Paul Standard T through the Reverb program with one of the nicest flame tops we’ve seen in a while, along with a Gibson Midtown in Heritage Cherry Sunburst. So between consignment and Sell In Store, the used guitar section has been very strong lately.

We also had the opportunity to help a customer land a really special Fender Custom Shop guitar. A while back, one of our customers told me he was on a mission to find a red Custom Shop Telecaster. I started keeping an eye out, and when my dad attended the Fender event in Arizona last month, I told him to send me photos of any red Teles he came across. He ended up finding an incredible red Custom Shop Esquire. I sent the customer a picture, he loved it, and we were able to claim it for him. Originally, we thought he would have to wait another eight or nine months for the guitar to arrive. Thanks to Collin, our Fender rep, and another dealer that had won the guitar at the event, we were able to pull a few strings and get it here much faster. The customer got a phone call expecting to hear that his guitar was still months away. Instead, we told him it was already here. About an hour later, he was standing in the shop picking it up. Those are the kinds of moments that make special orders fun. It’s always great when we can help someone find exactly what they’ve been searching for — especially when we can surprise them by getting it much sooner than expected.

Over in the acoustic department, we recently received a nice shipment of Yamaha TransAcoustic guitars. If you’ve never played one, you really need to try it. These guitars create reverb and other effects directly from the instrument without having to plug into an amplifier. You’re sitting there playing what appears to be a normal acoustic guitar, but you’re hearing this full, spacious reverb surrounding the sound. It’s one of those things that almost feels like a trick the first time you experience it. The TAG3 dreadnought-style model has been extremely popular for us over the last few years, and Yamaha recently expanded the line with smaller concert-body versions. We now have the new concert-body TransAcoustics in both Natural and Sandburst finishes. They’re very comfortable guitars and work especially well for singer-songwriters, home players, or anybody who just wants to sit on the couch and have a little more inspiration while they play.

We also want to remind everyone that Martin is celebrating America’s 250th anniversary during July with $250 off select U.S.-made Standard Series guitars. That includes models like the 000-18, D-18, D-28, HD-28, and others. The discounted prices are already reflected on our website, so if you’ve been thinking about one of those guitars, July is a good time to make it happen.

Over in Drumland, we had two incredible used kits come in through consignment. The first is a Yamaha Maple Custom in a silver sparkle finish that has aged into this really cool, slightly greenish hue. It’s the first kit you see when you walk into the drum department, and it has gotten a ton of attention already. The configuration includes a 22-inch kick, 10, 12, 13, and 14-inch toms, plus a matching 14-inch snare. There really is nothing quite like an older Yamaha Maple Custom. They have a sound and build quality that made them legendary, and this one is a very cool example.

Sitting next to it is a 1964 Ludwig Super Classic kit in Black Diamond Pearl. Gage spent some time cleaning up the hardware, and it came back to life beautifully. It’s incredible to have a kit that old sitting in the shop in such good condition. Seeing some legitimate vintage drum gear come through the consignment program has been really exciting, and it adds a completely different feel to the department.

We also recently put together a display highlighting Ludwig metal snare drums. We lined up models like the Acrolite, Black Beauty, Raw Brass, Acro Brass, and Hammered Black Beauty, which actually sold today right before I sat down to write this blog. When you stand back and see them all together, it really makes you realize how strong Ludwig is in that category. Plenty of companies make great metal snares, but when you look at the variety, history, and iconic sounds Ludwig has created, it’s hard to argue that anybody does it better.

And right beside that Ludwig display, we’re working on another special presentation in the drum department. I can’t share all the details yet, but it will involve another snare drum expansion and should be really cool once everything comes together. We’ll keep you posted.

We also recently had a great visit from Anthony Spinnato, our new Zildjian representative. Anthony lives in Brooklyn and has been our rep since the spring, but this was his first chance to come down and visit the store. He brought pizza, so naturally the staff liked him immediately. He spent most of the day with us, got a chance to see how the store operates, and really made an effort to get to know everybody. Some reps tend to spend most of their visit with me or my dad, but Anthony was hanging out with the entire crew. He spent a lot of time with Gage, and we even learned that he and James have mutual friends from the Brooklyn music scene. Anthony was extremely complimentary of the shop, which meant a lot coming from someone who visits dealers all over the East Coast. He told us we had one of the best-looking stores and strongest selections of any dealer he had visited. That was really nice to hear, especially considering how much work we’ve put into the store over the last few years. He’s already helping us with some social media projects and plans for expanding the Zildjian presence, so expect to see even more coming into that department. As if we needed more cymbals, we’re apparently going to keep piling them in.

We’re also getting ready to focus more on band and orchestra heading into the fall. Gage will be helping lead that push, especially when it comes to school percussion and drumline needs. Band rentals may not be the first thing people think of when they think of Sims Music, but we do offer a strong rental program, and we want band directors and parents to know that we’re here. We know we’re the drum shop in town, so it makes sense for us to lean further into school percussion. Whether a student needs a rental instrument, sticks, mallets, pads, reeds, strings, or anything else for band, we want directors and families to know they can rely on us. If you’re connected with a local school program, please help spread the word. We’re happy to work with directors, attend rental nights, and stock the products their students need.

Before I wrap this up, I want to mention our Summer Sale. We’re offering 15% off select guitars, drums, pedals, amps, and more through the middle of August. You can use the coupon code HOTSUMMER when shopping online, or come into the store and we’ll honor the sale price in person. There’s a banner on the homepage that will take you directly to all of the eligible products. There are some really strong savings available, so definitely take a look.

On a personal note, I slipped down to Savannah yesterday to catch Phish at EnMarket Arena. If you know me at all, you know Phish is my favorite band on the planet. Last night was my 44th show. I know there are plenty of people who have seen them far more than that, but I’m chasing show number 50. What made this one especially fun was that Jon, our tech, and his entire band came to the show. Jon had never seen Phish before, but his bass player is a big fan and managed to get tickets for the whole group. It was really cool getting to watch Jon experience the whole thing for the first time. I think he may have been converted. He came back saying he had a great time and finally understood what the whole Phish thing was about. It’s always nice getting to spend time with the guys outside of work, and seeing an incredible live show has a way of giving you a little extra energy. It reminds you how lucky we are to work in this world every day.

There is obviously way more going on than I could possibly fit into one blog, but I’ve already talked long enough. I’m also getting ready to head out on vacation with my family for the week. By the time this gets posted, I’ll probably be checking out and heading toward the beach.

That being said, if you need me, feel free to send an email. I’ll technically be on vacation, but I’ll still be replying when I can. And, of course, everybody at the store will be there and ready to help with anything you need. 

Thank you all for such an incredible summer so far. Historically, summer is supposed to be the slower season in the music industry, but that has definitely not been the case for us. You guys and girls have kept us on our toes, and we are very grateful for it.

I’m going to get some time at the beach, recharge a little bit, and hopefully get back to writing these blogs more consistently.

Until then, if you need a repair, have gear you want to consign, are looking for a new drum kit or guitar, or just want to come hang out and play some gear, don’t hesitate to reach out.

I hope everyone is having a great summer.

We’ll see you soon. Rock on.

-Justin Sims